The questions that arrive most often at this desk, answered directly. Visiting is free and unticketed; a 30-metre hull is commonly quoted at nine to twelve months; hulls are built shell-first from tropical hardwood without drawings; and contracts in this service class are issued by PT Komodo Galangan Nusantara with values in USD.
Visiting the yard
Tana Beru is an open working shoreline, not a managed attraction. There is no gate, no ticket booth and no published opening hours; crews generally work from around 08:00 to 17:00, and mornings are busiest and best lit. Wear closed shoes, keep off hauling lines, and greet people before photographing them. Detail is in the visiting guide, and the access routes are on the travel page.
Getting there
Around 175 km from Makassar, commonly 4–5 hours by road, and around 12 km from Tanjung Bira, roughly 20 minutes. There is no airport near the yard and no scheduled passenger boat to it. Most travellers stay at Bira; the comparison of the three villages explains which base fits which interest.
How the vessels are built
Shell-first and without drawings. Planks are shaped and fastened edge to edge with wooden dowels until the shell holds its own form, and internal frames are fitted afterwards. Timber is heavy tropical hardwood — ironwood and bitti structurally, teak for decking and joinery. The method is on the Konjo method page, the materials on the timber page, and the sequence on the build timeline.
Commissioning and supervision
Commissioning runs through a written specification and milestone-linked stage payments rather than a plan set and a deposit — see commissioning a build and how stage payments work. Independent inspection at each open stage is covered in newbuild supervision. Haul-out, plank replacement and recaulking are repair-yard work: this desk coordinates new builds and supervision, and refers refit enquiries to the ecosystem’s dedicated repair yards. What a build costs, and why there is no single price, is set out in the phinisi cost guide.
Ownership and paperwork
Foreign owners do commission vessels here; ownership structure, flag and intended commercial use need to be settled early because they change the specification, not just the paperwork. See the honest answer on foreign commissioning and registration, flag and classification.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an entrance fee at Tana Beru?
No official ticket booth or gate fee is in place. It is a working shoreline rather than a managed attraction, which also means there is no safety marshal, marked walkway or insurance covering visitors.
What are the opening hours?
There are none. Crews generally work from about 08:00 to 17:00, and the yard is most active in the morning. There is no seasonal closure, though rain slows outdoor caulking and painting.
How far is Tana Beru from Makassar and from Bira?
Around 175 km from Makassar, commonly 4–5 hours by road. Around 12 km from Tanjung Bira, roughly 20 minutes by car or motorbike.
How long does a build take?
A 30-metre hull is commonly quoted at nine to twelve months to launch. Smaller craft are often cited at ten to fourteen months and large custom yachts with full interior fit-out at twenty to twenty-four months or more. Those figures normally cover the hull, not machinery and interior fit-out.
What timber is used and why dowels instead of nails?
Ironwood and bitti for structure and planking, teak for decking and joinery. Planks are edge-fastened with wooden dowels because wood moves with the same moisture as the planks it joins, so the joint stays tight where an iron fastening would corrode and split the timber.
Can a foreigner commission a vessel at Tana Beru?
Yes, and it happens regularly. The questions to settle early are ownership structure, the flag the vessel will fly and what it will be permitted to do commercially in Indonesian waters, because those answers change the specification itself.
How are build payments structured?
As stage payments released against physical, verifiable milestones — keel erected, garboard fitted, turn of the bilge planked, sheer strake closed, framing complete, decking laid, caulking and primer complete, launch — with payment released on inspection and a retention held until after handover.
Does Tana Beru do repairs and refits?
This desk focuses on new builds and build supervision at Tana Beru. Haul-out, slipway and refit work is handled by the ecosystem’s dedicated repair yards — ask the desk for a referral.
Who issues the contract?
Construction, repair, refit, vessel-sale and supervision contracts are issued by PT Komodo Galangan Nusantara. Vessel management is contracted with PT Komodo Vessel Management, and brokerage and charter marketing with PT Komodo Bahari Nusantara. All values are stated in USD.
Are the images on this site real photographs?
No. Illustrative images across this site are AI-generated and are not documentary photographs of specific vessels, crews or events at Tana Beru.