The PINISI is still used in many forms in Indonesia. The following comes from the book “ Aak to Zumbra”.
It refers to a style of hull built by the Konjo and Bugis peoples on the southwestern peninsula of Sulawesi (Celebes) and more recently on Kalimantan (Borneo). A PAJALA becomes a PINISI by adding 60-90cm to the sides and adding a stern gallery. Used by the Buginese and Makassarense peoples for trading and traveling to Singapore and northern Australia, where they were called MITJIANGS.
Through the years, the PAJALA hull has undergone relatively few changes, while the PINISI features have been modified as a result of outside contacts. Mainly sharp-ended. Prior to the mid-20th century, the bow was square abaft the curved stem; carvel planked, treenailed, with the starboard side slightly higher than the port side to provide intentional asymmetry; closely spaced treenailed ribs fitted after the hull completed; keel shallow short, and slightly curved fore-and aft.
Present day stem straight and overhanging; sternpost curved. Until the 1930s, two galleries extended out over the stern, now only one; sheer sweeps up at the stern. Decked, generally nailed down, but early boats had a loose bamboo deck; at the bow, deck is ca. 60cm lower to permit the lateral supports for the bowsprit to run inboard. bulwark abaft this deck.
Hold extends full length, steering cabin aft. Mainly employs quarter rudders, requiring 2 helmsmen at times, but actual steering may be done by the set of the sails. The initial single-masted boats carried a large, oblong sail set fore-and-aft; some carried 2 sails on the same mast. Then sloop rigged with a boomed gaff sail and a large, boomed jib. Later vessels were ketch or schooner rigged, and now set leg-of-mutton sails. Mainsail carried on tripod mast, set in pivots for lowering; gaff and boom fixed; sail extended with outfall of rattan hoops; mainsail boom often dispensed with; luff fastened to a vertical bamboo sprit that turn is fastened to the rungs of the tripod mast. Tall fixed topmast with crosstrees serving as platform for sail handling, not as spreaders for the topmast shrouds; jib-headed topsails. Three jibs to the very long, heavy bowsprit, supported by timber guys.
Some 3-masted.
Recent vessels mainly motorized (prahu layar motor), with masts down and hull modified. Crew my row or pole sitting on the bowsprit timbers.
Carried up to 20 crew.
Dimensions, length overall 12 – 45 m., on waterline 8 - 25 m., beam 2.4 - 8.5m.
The vessel type is recorded under many names.
Indoneaia 1980 60r sg1562, 500r MSsg1578,. 1986 75r sg1814. 1996 200r sg2256 and 700r sg2257. 1995 700r sg2188 and 2500r sgMS 2189 (she is the smaal vessel on the right, the larger sailing vessel is the training vessel DEWARUTJI.)
Source: from: Aak to Zumbra, a dictionary of the World’s Watercraft by the Mariners Museu