Moana

The wooden sailing ship Moana was built in 2003 in Indonesia. The German owners are dedicated to offering personal, friendly service and ensuring that your trip is a memorable one by accompanying you on your excursion. A visit to see the Komodo dragon is part of every excursion.

Moana offers mostly 5 night trips in Komodo National Park from March through to December. With a minimum of only 4 divers needed before Moana sets sail, you can pretty much be guaranteed that your trip will not be cancelled.

There are 5 cabins on Moana, all of them below deck. Two double bed cabins (cabins 2 & 3), two twin bed cabins (cabins 4 & 5) and one family cabin (cabin 1) with a huge double bed. Moana was just recently refurbished and now only offers space for max. 10 divers to guarantee comfort for everyone. All cabins are equipped with individually controlled air conditioning and a private bathroom.

Moana has an overall length of 30m (98ft) and a deck length of 24m (79ft). This beautiful schooner is operated by a 10 person strong crew.

A CD player, IPod docking station and a small library are available in the air-conditioned lounge. Coffee, tea and soft drinks are free. A selection of wines, cold beer and alcoholic drinks are available at extra charge. Delicious international and Asian cuisine is served buffet-style and dining takes place around a big communal table.

On the outside sitting area, sun deck chairs are available. Guests may sleep under the stars on the deck if they request. The dive deck has a shower for quickly rinsing off. Two dinghies are used for diving and land tours. Moana uses 220 volt plugs and German power points. So bring your adapters.

After a detailed briefing, dive entries are either from the dive deck or two dinghies. As a rule, 1-2 dives are offered on the day of arrival and up to 4 dives for all other full dive days. The day before disembarking offers 1-2 dives. No diving is scheduled on the day of departure. Rental equipment is available. All tanks have INT connections. Nitrox is currently unavailable.

The dive sites around Komodo are among the best in Indonesia. Strong currents provide plenty of nutrients, making the waters very interesting for experienced divers. Komodo offers an incredible diversity and variety of reef structures. Hard coral gardens, cliffs overgrown with soft corals, and especially the slightly cooler water around Rinca guarantee an underwater world that is different every dive.

Please note that in the south of Komodo, the water temperature is quite cool around 23C (73F). In the north and central Komodo the average temperature is about 26C (79F). The excursions go to the north and/or south depending on season and weather.

Moana has also some water sports equipment available such as two sea kayaks, one wakeboard, one surfboard, a kite and a DPV Underwater Propulsion Scooter. All water sports equipment is free of charge to rent. Using the wakeboard and scooter attracts a small surcharge for petrol. Experience is needed to kite surf and for using the scooter. This equipment is subject to availability and schedule.

Divers must arrive in Labuan Bajo on embarkation day by 9am. Moana recommends to arrive from Bali on Garuda GA7026 at 9.05am. Everybody should be aboard Moana by 10am on departure day. Alternatively, you can overnight in Labuan Bajo prior to cruise start. On disembarkation day, divers can depart as early as 9am or you might want to have a look around town and depart a bit later. Moana recommends to depart to Bali on Garuda GA7037 at 12.55pm.

All onboard purchases (bar bill, etc.) have to be paid either in cash Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) or with credit card. They accept Visa, MC or AMEX. A 2% service charge applies for credit card payments. Accepting foreign cash currencies is prohibited by a new Indonesian law. An ATM is available in Labuan Bajo, so guests can get Rupiah prior to boarding.

The Moana is a pleasant and very comfortable dive vessel, one of the few vessels in the region which accommodates only a small number of passengers in style.