Ballona Phinisi

Ballona is the newest hull we sail in Komodo, launched in 2026 and built the old way: hand-shaped by boatbuilders in South Sulawesi from locally sourced ironwood, then fitted out for people who would rather not rough it. Her name comes from the Ara word for beauty.

Thirty-two metres and eight cabins, which at a maximum of twenty-five guests makes her one of the roomier boats on the shared-trip circuit. The suites read as a ladder. The Grand Suite sits high on the upper deck with sliding doors onto a private balcony and a bathtub set against the rail, which is the cabin people book the trip for. Ocean Suite I is beside it, Ocean Suite II sits on the main deck, and both open onto their own balcony. Below the waterline the Deluxe Suite is a quiet teak cocoon with a porthole, and the Family Suite puts twin beds either side of a double so one room holds four.

The deck is where the day actually happens: a sun-warmed lounge at the bow, a sheltered one behind it, an open-air lounge above the wheelhouse, and two air-conditioned indoor lounges with a television and a karaoke set for when the sun goes down.