Trip Report Trip Report: Mermaid 1 (Route: Bali-Komodo-Bali)

[jetsettingbarista]

TL;DR: Maintenance issues plagued the trip, leading to the loss of 3 days of diving (⅓ of the trip) and a Coast Guard incident. Diving was overall excellent with the superb reefs, but viz was fairly limited. Crew was fantastic and did their best to accommodate the delays and issues.

ISSUES:

1. Initial maintenance problem - We were notified the night before departure that the trip was delayed by 3 days, as the boat needed to go into dry dock for extensive repairs on the propeller shaft. The company did a decent job of arranging an alternative land-based diving option in Tulamben. While the organization was not flawless, it was a decent accommodation in high season. The diving in Tulamben was fine, but below Komodo and general ID quality. Beware the rocks with shore diving!
2. Second maintenance issue - On the final night steaming back from Sangeang Island to Bali (~15 hours), the coolant intake pipe for the air conditioner broke, and the engine room started to flood. The boat sunk ~ 2 feet in the water, which we could tell because the dive deck was submerged. While the crew managed to patch the hole and make it back to dock on time, the Coast Guard had been notified of our emergency and was on standby to rescue everyone.
3. Bonus - norovirus went around the entire boat.

BOAT: Minus the repeated issues, the boat was overall decent. There was sufficient common space and the rooms were moderately comfortable. The ceilings were quite low, so for two tall people, that created quite a hazard. Additionally, the AC was central, so you have limited control over the temperature, which averaged 21-22 Celsius. Also, note that the bathroom is a wet room. We did really enjoy the sun deck and the couches for afternoon reading.

FOOD: Some of the best liveaboard food we’ve had. We particularly appreciated the variety and the mix of proteins every night. There was generally a balance of Western and Indonesian food options, and the quality was excellent.

CREW: Everyone was absolutely fantastic. People were friendly, kind, and accommodating. Rooms were turned quickly and efficiently, and spotless. Service quality was amazing. Dive guides were very knowledgeable, and there was a strong focus on safety, which we appreciated.

DIVING: For the remaining 6 days of diving we had left, the dives in Komodo National Park were stunning. The coral reefs were the best we’ve ever seen, and it was incredibly heartwarming to see such abundant and thriving marine life.

The dives on the way to and from Komodo were good, but significantly less fantastic. Note that this route does mean you spend more dives outside of the park than routes that involve a one flight.

 

[uncfnp]

Sorry to hear this happened to you. Do you know if the boat is now back in dry dock?

 

[Living4Experiences]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I know what it's like to lose valuable dive days on a liveaboard, so I'm sorry it happened to you. One more company to add to my list of "do not sail".

 

[Dan]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I know what it's like to lose valuable dive days on a liveaboard, so I'm sorry it happened to you. One more company to add to my list of "do not sail".

SH! Accident can happen at anytime, anywhere and to any boat.

Last year a yacht (as you see in the video, below) that I was on hit an uncharted pinnacle and wrinkled 2 out of 3 propellers. It had to be towed back to Jakarta.

 

[aquabluegreg]

Please find the following response from the Mermaid:

We had an incident on the return to port leg on of June 23-July 2 2024 cruise. The rudder V came away from the hull making a 15-20cm hole which was quickly and safely plugged, all emergency systems in place and as a CAUTION ONLY we evacuated the guests by another method to Bali. The boat was off Lombok west coast when this occurred. Mermaid I returned to Benoa harbour under her own steam with full crew on board without further incident. She went up in the shipyard on July 3-6. Problem was sorted in 3 days and the trip went out albeit short. We provided alternative diving and 5 star resort accommodation in north Bali for the guests till they could board.

On the way back home from that July 6-12 2024 shorter trip, a new clamp broke on the new ac hose, installed in May 2024, that is connected to the sea water valve. Immediately it was identified as source of water access, it was simply turned off. The emergency pumps cleared the water and we kept under way for Benoa arriving for normal disembarkation time. The vessel was 10 minutes from Padang Bai when this occurred… we headed towards that port till we were clear what was happening and after finding it was as simple as turning off the valve , we then turned back towards Benoa with all guests under no jeopardy/.and no jeopardy We checked and changed other clamps newly installed during that shipyard “to be reassured”

Categorically at no time were we “sinking/sunk” . But of course standard emergency protocol demands we head for nearest shore if taking on water which we did but then were able to divert back on course after only like 20 minutes. I know this for a fact as I am currently in Australia and I was called at 5.11 and 5.15am and it was identified very shortly after that.

 

[Living4Experiences]

SH! Accident can happen at anytime, anywhere and to any boat.

Last year a yacht (as you see in the video, below) that I was on hit an uncharted pinnacle and wrinkled 2 out of 3 propellers. It had to be towed back to Jakarta.

Beautiful video! I always enjoy your footage.

I agree, bad things can happen at any time, and that applies to anything in life. I place a high standard for liveaboards when it comes to maintenance and safety, more than other types of vacation experiences. IMHO, besides weather, most instances of a liveaboard to cease operation before and during a trip are avoidable and human driven. Proper and regular maintenance checks will keep the boat in tiptop shape. These liveaboard companies are insistent to turn the boat for the next trip, and I wonder how they can do any bow-to-stern inspections in the short time the boat is back at the dock. Well, they really can't, because greed drives the schedule.

An experienced captain who is well familiarized with the waters in which he/she is sailing should not hit obstacles in the ocean. My only experience on a boat is as a passenger, but it seems like GPS, gauges, nautical plotting maps, and advanced technology should keep any boat from impacting any fixed object in the water.

 

[also_anon_dc]

Thanks for your report. I was on the Mermaid I in October 2023 and my trip also started late due to maintenance. It was only about 8-9 hours late but still pretty frustrating. I can't imagine losing 3 days on a liveaboard trip. Land based diving does not compare to liveaboard diving- especially when it comes to the cost of premium liveaboards like Mermaid I.

 

[AlMitch]

I am super impressed how gracious your report was...not sure I would have been so generous towards Mermaid if I were in your shoes.

I suppose it does go to show that even though lemons were tossed about, the way a company deals with them really is important, and the Mermaid team seem to have done a fairly decent job of making lemonade from the dem lemons.

Glad you got some good diving in.

Were you offered any form of compensation for missing out on a third of your trip?

 

[jetsettingbarista]

Sorry to hear this happened to you. Do you know if the boat is now back in dry dock?

I don't know, sorry - I think they were planning to turn it around later that day, not sure if they had to delay it or not

 

[jetsettingbarista]

SH! Accident can happen at anytime, anywhere and to any boat.

Last year a yacht (as you see in the video, below) that I was on hit an uncharted pinnacle and wrinkled 2 out of 3 propellers. It had to be towed back to Jakarta.

Wow, sorry to hear that! But yes, these things definitely happen, we just hope to avoid them as much as possible