About La Nissa
We keep the bow light on after midnight during turtle season in Sebayur, just long enough for the hatchlings to scramble from nest to surf without disorientation. It’s one of those small discipline points you learn after years in Komodo – the currents, the tides, the animal rhythms. La Nissa, at 26 metres, responds well in the straits between Rinca and Padar, where the water turns glassy by 08:00 if you time it right. She was built in 2017 in Sulawesi, using traditional craftsmanship but with modern bilge reinforcements we insisted on after seeing too many hulls stressed in the Dampier. That’s why she tracks clean through the tide rips near Batu Bolong.
Our crew of eight knows her quirks: the slight list to port when the freshwater tanks run below half, how the galley stove behaves in a rolling swell off Kanawa. We run her at 8 knots through the channels – fast enough to cover ground, slow enough to keep the cabin air cool without overloading the units. The two main guest areas – one shaded lounge with teak loungers, another open sun deck forward – are placed where the motion feels minimal. Guests heading to Pink Beach on Day 2 usually nap there mid-morning, waking just as we drop anchor in the shallows where the coral casts rose tint on the sand.
The itinerary’s fixed for a reason: we leave Labuan Bajo by 13:00 on Day 1 so we can reach Kelor by 16:30. That’s enough time for a 45-minute hike to the ridge, then a back-reef snorkel in calm water before dusk. On Day 2, Padar at sunrise means we’re tied off by 05:45, letting guests hike while the island’s still cool. By late morning, we reposition to Komodo Island for the ranger-led dragon walk at Loh Liang – timed for 10:00 to avoid the mainland heat. After lunch, we motor to Pink Beach, where the current stays slack until 15:00. Then it’s Manta Point by 16:00, where we drift-snorkel with the cleaning stations active until sunset.
Day 3 starts at Taka Makassar – a sandbar that emerges at low tide, perfect for breakfast photos. We’re in the water there by 07:30, then shift to Kanawa by 10:00 for coral wall viewing along the northern drop-off. The crew preps lunch early because we aim to reach Labuan Bajo docks by 15:00, giving guests buffer for evening flights. We don’t push past 16:00 return – too many near-misses with fuel runs and docking in fading light.
La Nissa sleeps 17 across six cabins, but we run this as a two-cabin vessel for private charters. The master suite sits aft with direct deck access; the second twin is forward, isolated from engine noise. Both have opening portholes and individual climate controls. Shared bathrooms are between cabins, not ensuite – we prioritised airflow and space over private facilities. The indoor dining saloon runs AC from 07:00 to 21:00, but the real spot for off-duty time is the shaded rear deck, where the lazy chairs face the water and the crew keeps a drip coffee pot going after dives.
