Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1543791
C O U R T E S Y D U N I A B A R U from the hardships of far-flung exploration—one reason Dunia Baru is so popular among high-end brokers. Nikko Karki of Indo Yachts is one of them. He underscores that the quality of build makes Dunia Baru the only Indonesian vessel of its kind to effectively reach the standards of an international rival in operational safety. He loves its far-roaming ability, too. "It can go where you need it to go. It's really made for eating up the miles going on these long, remote trips," he says, noting that clients who might want to take an adventurous detour to the north of Raja Ampat, for example, where few phinisis can readily reach, can easily do so on Dunia Baru. Karki also emphasizes that it's wrong to assume a week spent here is only ideal for scuba types. In fact, he often prefers snorkeling. "If you go deep, the colors get washed out. On the surface, they're more vibrant," he explains—ideal, for example, if a family group includes younger kids unable to scuba-dive. Eleanor Bloodworth of Y.CO is another broker and enthusiast who has sent clients to sail on Dunia Baru several times, as well as has spent a week onboard herself. She says that the true point of difference between this and many other superyachts of all kinds, phinisi or otherwise, is the staffing. Of course, service is genial and competent, but more than that, there's a surfeit of crew members relative to day-to-day requirements, typically around 18. "They take such good care of you, and a lot of that comes down to manpower, as they have more than most boats that price," she says (weekly rates for Dunia Baru start at around $140,000). Six people can be setting up, say, that beach BBQ dinner, while the rest focus on a dive afternoon, without straining capacity. Bloodworth likens Dunia Baru to a Goldilocks, just-right hybrid of those charming wooden Turkish boats and a typical superyacht. "You're paying a little more than you would for a gulet, but getting service that's closer to a large motor yacht." Given the tight window each year during which it's available for chartered sailings, she also recommends planning ahead. The family who wanted to spend New Year's Eve on board last year booked the slot two years in advance. In part that's because Dunia Baru remains a family yacht as much as a commercial operation. Robba sold the boat to a past client, the Wee family from Singapore, just before the pandemic, after they contacted him about trying to build a similar vessel. He told them it would not be viable, but offered to hand over stewardship instead. He's happy to see Dunia Baru continue to sail as it did under his stewardship, though, and he is finally focusing on his original project. "My wife asked me: Do you think someday I can have a house half as good as your boat? So I brought an architect on the boat before we sold, and asked if he can design me a house half as good." He's happy to try, but it's unlikely anyone could ever quite match Dunia Baru. Dunia Baru is only offered for charter a few months each year to cruise in such far-flung locales as the islands of Raja Ampat, one of the world's most biodiverse marine ecosystems. BALHAR B O U RSH O P S .CO M