Waow

Around WAOW 2, life moves everywhere. And not all who wander the shipyard is officially part of the construction team…Some simply supervise. 🙂
Between the ribs of the boat and the scent of fresh wood, some move freely — goats passing by without a care, chickens weaving through the scaffolding, cats claiming the best shaded corners. Birds sing above the sound of hammers. Below, a whole smaller world hums — insects, discreet but ever-present, part of the same rhythm.
Here, the shipyard is not set apart from nature. It lives within it.
And as WAOW 2 takes shape, she grows surrounded by a simple, vibrant and noisy world — quietly becoming part of the story too.

Some evenings at the shipyard feel almost suspended in time.

The sound of hammers slowly fades, the light turns golden, and for a few quiet minutes WAOW 2 simply rests under the Bira sky.

It’s easy to focus on the big milestones of a build like this — the keel, the ribs, the planking — but there is also beauty in these smaller in-between moments. The ordinary rhythm of the chantier. The wood dust on the decks. The silhouettes climbing down the scaffolding at sunset.

One day WAOW 2 will sail across Indonesia.

For now, she is still growing here, between sea breeze, hard work, and golden evenings.



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Caulking is one of those quiet, essential steps that transform the initial wooden structure into a seaworthy vessel.
Once the planks are carefully fitted along the hull, fine gaps remain between each piece of wood — natural, inevitable, and necessary. These spaces must be sealed with precision, without ever forcing the material, allowing the boat to live, breathe, and move with the sea.
At the shipyard, this process is carried out entirely by hand. Natural fibres — made from the bark of the Gelam tree (Melaleuca cajuputi) — are patiently driven into each seam using a mallet and a caulking iron. The gesture is steady, controlled, almost rhythmic. Too loose, and the seal won’t hold. Too tight, and the wood could be stressed.
The Gelam tree, native to Southeast Asia’s wetlands, is a remarkable material in itself. With its white, papery bark and ability to thrive in flooded soils, it has long been valued for its durability in water. Traditionally used for roofing and boatbuilding, it also produces cajeput oil (minyak kayu putih) from its leaves, widely known for its medicinal properties.
Once the fibres are set, a protective compound is applied to ensure watertightness and longevity. Layer by layer, seam by seam, the hull becomes resistant — ready to face time and ocean.
It is meticulous, repetitive work — often unseen, yet absolutely fundamental.



📸 &

Back in the shipyard, WAOW 2 is growing more beautiful by the day. Her hull now stands strong and harmonious, with ribs, stringers, and planking all coming together to reveal her elegant, flowing lines. At the bow, the structure keeps rising, giving the vessel more presence and already hinting at her future silhouette at sea.
There is a wonderful energy on site — a feeling that everything is coming alive. The work is now all about precision and finesse: adjusting, aligning, perfecting each detail so that every piece fits seamlessly into the whole. What was once a skeleton of wood has become a balanced, solid, and vibrant structure.
Step by step, under the sun of Bira, WAOW 2 is truly beginning to feel like the vessel she is meant to be.



📸 Reto Schlaepfer