About D1 Speedboat
The first thing I noticed was the quiet hum of the engine as we cut through the pre-dawn dark, leaving Labuan Bajo’s harbour behind. Stars still hung low over Rinca Island as the crew passed around hot tea, wrapped in clean towels. There was no fanfare, just the smooth glide of the D1 Speedboat slicing through calm water, its sharp bow cutting a clean line toward Padar. By 06:30, we were anchored off a crescent of white sand, watching the sky shift from indigo to gold — no crowds, just the sound of waves and the occasional call of a sea eagle overhead.
This isn’t a liveaboard. It’s something leaner: a no-nonsense day boat built for those who want to cover ground without the fuss of overnight packing. The single cabin below deck is compact but functional — more for storage than sleeping, really — while the real space is up top. The front decking, wide and uncluttered, became my favourite spot. Lying flat on the padded surface during a snorkel approach at Manta Point, I watched shadows glide beneath us before slipping into the water just as the first rays hit the surface.
At Pink Beach, D1 Speedboat anchored in the shallows, and we waded ashore while the crew already had drinking water and fruit laid out on the shaded rear deck. No frills, but everything timed right. Lunch was served under the canopy — grilled fish, rice, and a sharp sambal that tasted freshly made — while we drifted near Kanawa, where the seabed rose so close you could see parrotfish grazing through the turquoise.
What surprised me was the crew’s rhythm. They moved without noise or rush. When we stopped at Kalong for the sunset bat exodus, one guide stood silently at the bow with binoculars, pointing out the first flutters in the mangroves. The sun deck wasn’t crowded — just four reclining chairs, enough for a small group to stretch out. And when we returned to Labuan Bajo at 18:00, the city lights blinked on as we tied up, no one scrambling, no last-minute panic.
The D1 doesn’t pretend to be luxurious. But it knows its role: get you there fast, keep you comfortable, and let the islands do the talking. For a one-day dive into Komodo’s highlights — Padar’s curve, the pink sand, the manta cleaning stations — it delivers without overpromising. I’d take it again for a mid-week escape, especially if I only had daylight hours to spare.
