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Indonesia Dive Resorts | Indonesia Liveaboards

Adelaar | Archipelago Adventurer I & II | Arenui | Dive Damai I & II | Kararu | Komodo Dancer | Ocean Rover
Paradise Dancer | Pelagian | Pindito | Raja Ampat Explorer
Seven Seas | S/Y Siren | Tambora | Temu Kira

SMY Tambora

Welcome to Tambora Dive Cruises !

The Indonesian archipelago is unique in its diversity, and home to the world’s best diving.  A diving cruise through Indonesia is one of the few remaining adventures to be had.  Our vessel, SMY Tambora, is new and unique in its concept and approach towards embarking on this adventure.

Tambora’s objective is to overcome the shortcomings frequently encountered by the discerning diver and photographer when travelling on a liveaboard.  To that end, she has been designed, engineered and constructed from scratch around five core themes.

21st Century Luxury & Amenities

Tambora has been sized and configured to comfortably accommodate a maximum of 16 divers.  Our eight spacious guest suites feature large double or twin beds (no bunk beds!), a writing desk and chair, and ample storage space for cloths, bags, books, magazines etc.  Each room enjoys natural light as well as a chance of a fresh sea breeze from its portholes.  All rooms are well lit at night from sunk-in ceiling lights, and are equipped with individually controllable air conditioning and individual reading lights over each bed.  Each guest suite comes with a large en-suite bathroom with hot and cold water, and separate shower and hand towels for each guest.

The large salon on the main deck features separate dining and relaxing sections, offering enough space during mealtimes as well as for chilling out.

The entire vessel has been engineered for a minimum of noise and vibration, two nuisances frequently spoiling life on a vessel.  All walls and ceilings and thermally insulated and sound proofed.

Old World’s Charm & Style

Tambora has been built by traditional boat builders on the island of Sulawesi, in the centuries-old tradition of a wooden Phinisi.  The design and materials used guarantee immense strength and resilience of all key structural elements, especially the keel, hull and decks.

She has been entirely constructed out of Sulawesi iron wood and chosen Javanese teak.  All decks and the salon rooftop feature teak parquet flooring.  Guest suites are well appointed and tastefully designed in a perfect blend of traditional Indonesian motifs and modern functionality.

1st Class Safety Features

Tambora’s design and construction specifications comfortably meet or, in most instances, exceed the requirements as laid out by the Indonesian classification bureau.  She carries the full range of IMO (International Marine Organization)-conform safety, communication, and navigation equipment.

There are no dangerous gas-fired stoves in use, and there is no LPG on board.  Rather, all cooking, grilling, and baking is carried out on electrical cooking hubs and ovens of the latest German design and make.

The large, comfortable dive platform on the backboard side of the vessel is only three easy steps down the vessel’s main deck.  The teak parquet covering the outside deck area is profiled longitudinally in beautiful Indian rosewood, giving your feet grip as well as a massage with every step!

Our guest cabins and common facilities are all of a size that allows our guests to move about the vessel unobstructed.  There are no narrow gangways and staircases, or rooms so small that one invariably bumps into a wall or piece of furniture upon any movement.  Ceiling heights are a comfortable 2.20-2.50m throughout the vessel.

Lowest Possible Carbon Emissions

While the usage of diesel to operate a ship like Tambora cannot (yet) be avoided, we have gone to extreme length to keep it as low as possible.  This means lower carbon emissions into the atmosphere.  It also means no need for fuel surcharges.

Tambora’s propulsion system has been engineered for maximum fuel efficiency.  At the heart is a new, genuine marine engine, which is significantly lower on fuel consumption.  The five-blade propeller has been custom-designed and fabricated from a special, stiffer alloy, minimizing power losses due to both internal vibration and unnecessary slip.

The electrical system, too, has been designed end-to-end with a view towards maximum fuel efficiency.

Custom-designed and built for Scuba Diving

Unlike many other vessels of different origin that have been retrofitted as dive liveaboards, Tambora has been designed and built from scratch as a liveaboard vessel catering to the needs of divers. She offers great comfort and flair, and at the same time is optimally geared towards supporting a diving operation in terms of safety, convenience, and efficiency.

Dedicated dive station with separate wet and dry sections

A large room on the upper deck has been custom-built and outfitted as a full dive station, divided up into two separate sections. The wet section features:

• Personal dive baskets for all guests, to store your BCD, regulators, fins and mask away from the elements, as well as individual wet suit hangers
• Two large rinsing tanks, one for regulators and the other for cameras and computers (our 6.5 tons/day reverse osmosis and large freshwater tanks allow us to change water as often as required)
• Complete range of AquaLung, UWATEC, Underwater Kinetics dive gear available for rental
• 40 steel tanks (12 Liter) filling station and storage for dive tanks

The dry section provides a safe place to open your camera, dive light or computer

• Large desktop area as work space, as well as to store sensitive (and often bulky) equipment when not in use
• Large number of power sockets - you will never have to wait if you want to charge your batteries

Professional, efficient equipment and range of dive gear for rental

• Two 240 l/min CAT filling compressors
• 500 l/min Atlas Copco Nitrox (21-36%) compressor
• Complete range of AquaLung, UWATEC, Underwater Kinetics dive gear available for rental
• 40 aluminum tanks (12 Liter) with your choice of DIN or INT coonection, as well as a few extra large (15 Liter) and extra small (emergency spare air) tanks

Large and convenient dive platform, two dedicated dinghies

Our large dive platform is located at the backboard side of the vessel, three easy steps down from the main deck. For some dives, it serves as a starting point, while for others, you will board one of our two dinghies from here. Of course, in between dives, you can use it for swimming, snorkeling, or just relaxing over the water.

Our dinghies are equipped with dive tank racks holding your gear while on the way to/from your dive site. Where dive sites are close by, you can leave your gear on the rack in between dives, and your tank can be refilled right in the dinghy. Where dive sites are further apart, our experienced crew will carry all your dive gear to/from the dinghies.

SMY Tambora – Vessel Data (including spec., cabins, dive gears, food&drinks)

Our Cruise Itineraries

Our program has been carefully chosen, planned and designed taking into account our own experience, seasonal and weather patterns, and a desire to offer our guests great diversity.

Our cruises in Eastern Indonesia take in the country’s best dive sites, and are centered on the core areas – the Komodo National Park, the Banda Sea, and Raja Ampat.

We offer dedicated 9D/8N cruises into the Komodo National Park, where big pelagic action, critters and crystal clear waters await you.  In addition, our 2009/10 program also offers itineraries allowing you to combine Komodo with the equally magnificent although less-dived spots along the north coast of Flores, and along the string of islands stretching east all the way to the walls of Alor.

During wintertime in the Northern hemisphere, Tambora will cruise Raja Empat, believed to host the richest seascape of Earth, where only recently new species of corals, fish, shrimps and sharks have been discovered; sure enough, more new species are yet to be found here.  The scenery above sea level is no less stunning with its sheer limestone cliffs covered in virgin rain forest.

And twice a year, we will navigate the rich seas between Komodo to the South and Raja Ampat to the North, passing through the Banda Sea, and sailing along the New Guinea coastline to Triton and Aetna Bays.  Dives in Banda, the Lease islands east of Ambon, and the Seram Laut group are incredibly rich in pelagic action – expect schooling barracuda, whitetip and blacktip sharks, Napoleon wrasses, dogtooth tuna, giant trevally – all in one dive!  Further east, Triton and Aetna bay boast what are almost certain the most amazing coral gardens on this planet.

Next to these long-time favorite destinations, Tambora is the only vessel to bring you a new and unique location and experience in Indonesia, and perhaps the whole of Asia – a dedicated wreck diving cruise.  The Gaspar Strait, between the islands of Bangka and Belitung off Southern Sumatra, boasts the highest density of wreck sites across the country.  From centuries ago, sea traffic had to move through these treacherous passages – between the ancient kingdom of Sriwijaya in South Sumatra and Chinese emperors; between the Majapahit kingdom in East Java and China and India; Arab merchants, as they grabbed a foothold along the North coast of Java; Portuguese, British and Dutch colonial vessels; and, the Japanese and British during WW II.  We have a dozen great wreck sites already in our inventory, including Chinese djunks, British merchant vessels, and a Japanese WW II heavy cruiser.  And there’s more on our exploration list!

Tambora Dive Cruise Schedules: 2010 | 2011 | 2012 [pdf files]

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Indonesia Dive Resorts | Indonesia Liveaboards