THE giant boats are like Noah’s ark, soaring under the azure sky. These are pinisi sailboats being built by the beach of Sapolohe, a coastal village in Bulukumba, South Sulawesi.

Men are lifting timbers, piling them up neatly. Then punggawa, skilled pinisi builders, match the wooden pieces, joining, measuring and combining them perfectly. Seven sails are prepared, bows and sterns are completed.

So pinisi sailboats are born, the most magnifi