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A Classic 66' Schooner
"Sulawesi Privateer"
Aft Perspective | Forward Perspective | Far Aft Perspective
Sail Plan | Deck Plan | Interior Layout Plan | Interior Layout ProfileCopyright 2013 - 2015 Michael Kasten
General Concept
The 20 meter Sulawesi Privateer is a classic privateer-style schooner intended for construction in Indonesia - specifically in South Sulawesi near Bira Beach. The design resulted from a request to create a vessel that could accommodate a couple plus four guests and four crew for world cruising as well as local charters.
Particulars are:
- Length on Deck: 66' (20.12 m)
- Length WL: 63' (19.2 m)
- Moulded Beam: 22' (6.71 m)
- Draft: 9.75' (2.97m)
- Displacement: 97 Long Tons (98.7 metric tons)
The construction methods used in South Sulawesi are plank-on-frame using tropical hardwood. Frames are grown sawn futtocks which are scarphed together. Since by tradition the planks are erected prior to the frames being installed, all planks are edge fastened using a combination of hardwood dowels and galvanized drifts, resulting in a very robust and stable structure.
With an amply sized engine room and a well protected helm, the goal is to provide all the amenities of a fully capable motor-sailer, while also performing exceedingly well as a pure sailing vessel.
The Rig
The rig is a traditional stays'l schooner / brigantine with gaff main. Three jibs are hung between the foremast and the bowsprit. Light weather sails include a main gaff tops'l, a large fisherman tops'l between the masts, and two square foretops'ls. It is tempting to refer to the upper foretops'l as a "royal", being the uppermost square sail. However per tradition, square sails are named after the mast on which their yard is mounted, which in this case is the fore topmast for both square sails.
This kind of rig is able to provide plenty of sail area for fast passage making without becoming too tall. In particular the square tops'ls perform exceedingly well off the wind. And if conditions warrant, a light weather square lower course can be hung from the lower yard.
The rig in this case can be built using tropical woods, however we have found that these heavy displacement vessels are easily able to carry all steel spars and yards. In fact, steel tube is not any heavier than tropical hardwood. Using all welded tube and fittings vastly simplifies the rig construction, and increases the strength and longevity of the rig dramatically.
The mainsail is gaff rigged, with a gaff topsail. Although it is common for the Indonesian Pinisi sailing rigs to use a standing gaff with the sail brailled to the mast, we have elected instead to use a standard Western gaff arrangement with the sail and the gaff raised and lowered together using throat and peak halyards. This provides much greater flexibility in reefing the mainsail, less windage with the sail lowered, and in general allows for far easier sail handling. And... we have in this case elected to use aluminum tube for the gaff to make the whole affair lighter for easier raising and lowering...
The Accommodations
The exterior and interior arrangment can be seen in the sail plan above and in the interior profile below. Briefly described, there is a raised poop-deck with seating aft, a chart house / lounge amidships, a helm located just aft of the lounge, and an open expanse of deck forward. On the fore deck is a seating pod for outside dining, which transforms into a sleeping pod at night. The aft deck is covered by a hard Bimini top, providing shade and the enjoyment of open-air sailing.
There is 6' - 8" to 7' - 0" headroom throughout. The interior layout shown below includes space for four guests amidships, two owners and two children aft, plus four crew forward. A walk through of the accommodation spaces follows...
Click for Larger ImageStarting right forward is the forepeak, dedicated to anchor chain stowage, mooring lines and other anchoring gear. Access to the forepeak is from on deck. Aft of that is the crew cabin which contains four berths. The upper two berths are semi-enclosed for added privacy. The crew cabin access is via a scuttle on the foredeck and from the galley just aft.
Right aft of the crew cabin is the galley to port, and a crew head / shower to starb'd. Aft of the galley is a saloon / dining area which has a wrap-around dinette both to port and to starb'd. From the dining saloon, guests have ready access to their cabins below aft, as well as to the galley and crew area forward. From the saloon, a ladder and scuttle provide direct access to the foredeck.
Aft of the saloon / dining area, two spacious double berth cabins are arranged on each side of a center corridor. Each guest cabin has its own en-suite head / shower plus a writing desk, an easy chair and a large wardrobe / closet. At the aft end of the corridor is crew access to the engine room and pantry, both located right below the pilot house.
Aft of the engine room is an owner's "great cabin". There is a large "island berth" on center on top of an Asian bed platform... a true "Kahn Sized" double berth. With cabinets outboard, ample wardrobe lockers, plenty of storage space, and an en-suite head / shower, the owner's suite is lacking nothing. To port is a door leading down into the engine room. To starb'd, a stairway leads from the owner's cabin up into the chart house / lounge on deck.
Click for Larger ImageAccess to the interior of the lounge / chart house is via door on the starb'd forward face of the house, allowing quick access to the owner’s cabin below. Inside the house on the port side there is a wrap-around settee and large table. To starb'd is a navigation table and a companionway leading down to the owner's cabin.
A ‘soft patch’ (easily removable part of the deck structure) is provided in the deck house top and interior sole for access to the machinery spaces below for placing the machinery during construction and for easy repair access in the future.
On the aft deck right aft of the lounge is the helm, protected by the hard Bimini cover and having access to the open air all around. Instrumentation is on the lounge top. The aft deck part of the aft deck is surrounded by a bulwark and comfortable seating. A combination table / skylight is on center.
On the forward deck is a seating pod with a low table that can be converted into an on-deck sleeping pod. Forward of that there is ample space for lounge chairs.
Click for Larger ImageAft Perspective | Forward Perspective | Far Aft Perspective
Sail Plan | Deck Plan | Interior Layout Plan | Interior Layout ProfileSummary
This design is similar to our Mermaid 61 - an all steel brigantine styled after the 1700's privateers. The story of the genesis of the 61' Mermaid design should provide interesting reading... please check it out here.
For the 20 meter Sulawesi Privateer, the overall size has been increased for the sake of the accommodations, the displacement has been increased to carry an all tropical hardwood structure, and the profile has been adapted to being easily built in in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. As a result, the keel and stem timbers are straight, and the hull form has been adjusted accordingly.
As an extension of this design series, we have developed a larger concept design which I have called the 31 meter Komodo Privateer. The objective with that design was to accommodate twelve guests within six expanded luxury suites, and to keep the overall size limited to just over 30 meters - primarily for the sake of economy, but without having to squeeze the guests...
We have also developed preliminary concept for the design of a 42 meter version which we call the 45 meter Kalimantan Privateer. This size allows the vessel to have five much larger ultra luxury guest suites, or alternately to accommodate sixteen to twentyguests for dive adventures. By comparison, a standard Pinisi hull with sharply raked stem and stern and all of the crew cabins located aft would have to be approximately 15% larger in order to achieve the same charter guest capacity.
An interesting article on our work with the wooden vessels of Indonesia appeared in the New York Times, called The Traditional Pinisi - And Then Some. For a taste of what is possible with these craft, please see our Dunia Baru web page where you will find several outstanding as-built photographs.
Please see the following links to review our on-going involvement with these craft. Please feel free to contact me with questions about building a wood boat like this in such an exotic location, and how we can assist during the design and construction process.
Click for Larger Image
Our articles about building an Indonesian Pinisi or KLM:
Pinisi History | Pinisi Building | The Ultimate Charter Pinisi
Sailing vs. KLM Types | A Cargo Pinisi as a Yacht...?
Pinisi and KLM designs that we have created or have planned:
30m Pinisi, DATU BUA | 36m Pinisi, SILOLONA
38m Pinisi, AMANDIRA | 50m Sailing Pinisi
27m DIVE Charter KLM | 30m Charter KLM | 33m Charter KLM
36m KLM, DUNIA BARU | 40m Charter KLM | 50m Charter KLM
Descriptions of our adventures with these boats:
Silolona "Homecoming" | Indonesia Boatbuilding Images
Five Schooners and Two Arabian Dhows Suited to Building in Indonesia
17m Flores Privateer | 20m Sulawesi Privateer | 31m Komodo Privateer
36m Tern Schooner | 36m Lombok Privateer | 45m Kalimantan Privateer
22m Arabian Baghala | 36m Arabian Baghala
Two junk rigged KLM types for construction in steel:
25m Lady Destiny | 55m Lady Destiny
Please see the AVAILABLE BOAT PLANS web page.
Home | Intro | Our Design Process | Stock Design Info | Motor Yacht Designs | Sailing Yacht Designs | Prototype Designs
Plans List | Articles | Our CAD Design Stream | Maxsurf | News..! | SITE MAP..! | Site Search | Design Team | Contact Us
