Famous phinisi yachts: Lamima, and how to read the names you see in brochures

By Pinisi Boat Editorial Desk

Sourced figures: prices in the table carry their source and check month. Asking prices are not sale prices, and nothing here is legal advice.

Lamima is the phinisi yacht with the firmest public record we can cite: 65.2 metres, launched in 2014, delivered in 2015 and marketed as the world's largest wooden sailing yacht. Most other names in charter brochures come without figures we can source, so this guide records what is established and shows how to test the rest.

What is on record for Lamima?

Two yacht-press sources agree on the essentials. CharterWorld reported the build in detail, and Boat International's superyacht directory lists her as a 65.2 metre custom sail yacht, delivered in 2015, with its design credited to a named designer.

Her type is given as a motor-sailer, so she carries an engine as well as that large sail plan. The phrase "world's largest wooden sailing yacht" is a marketing line, and we repeat it as one. We have no measurement register that would let us confirm or dispute it.

A broker's published charter rate appears in the price table on this page. Navelia Indonesia lists it, we checked it in October 2026, and such rates can move with the season, so confirm it with the source.

What actually makes a phinisi famous?

We know of no ranking that settles this, and we would not trust one built on charter marketing. In practice a vessel becomes well known through some mix of four things: size, a named designer, press coverage and a published rate. Lamima has all four. None of those things measures how well a boat is kept or how it behaves at sea.

Fame in the older sense belongs to working vessels and to one voyage. Wikipedia's Pinisi article records Phinisi Nusantara, a motorised traditional vessel that sailed from Indonesia to Expo 86 in Vancouver in 1986, and whose name gave us the spelling "phinisi". The same article describes a pinisi-rigged cargo vessel completed in Bulukumba in 2011 at 50 metres long and 9 metres wide, with a capacity of about 500 tons. It also notes that the pinisi featured on an Indonesian banknote, which is recognition of the type rather than of any one ship.

Keep in mind what UNESCO's 2017 inscription covers. Its title is "Pinisi, art of boatbuilding in South Sulawesi". It recognises a craft, and no individual yacht can claim it as a personal distinction.

Which other names appear, and what can we confirm?

Many other names circulate in charter marketing and in directories. We hold no length, year or rate we are prepared to print for them, so we do not list them here. A name in a directory says nothing about a vessel's quality, nor about whether it is a pinisi in the strict sense.

Some boats on the market carry no famous name at all. YachtWorld, for example, identifies a 1998 Traditional Phinisi in Labuan Bajo and a 2012 Phinisi Custom by year and type. That is a useful reminder that a name adds reputation and no facts; the facts have to be collected for each boat.

How should you read a yacht brochure?

Lamima works well as a model, because her published facts show what a complete record looks like. Ask any brochure to reach the same standard, line by line.

Two further lines deserve a look. One is the flag, which should be visible on paper; our regulations page explains why. The other is the word phinisi itself, since it is often applied well beyond the rig it once named. If a brochure uses it, check that the boat has two masts and a rig that matches. For a sense of how lengths and tonnage vary, read our guide to phinisi boat sizes.

Where do well-known phinisi sail?

Brochures commonly name Komodo, Raja Ampat and the Banda Sea. Treat any stated itinerary as something to confirm for your dates. Here is what can be sourced about two of those regions:

• Komodo: the national park was founded in 1980, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991 and covers 1,733 square kilometres. That listing belongs to the park and has no connection with the 2017 boatbuilding inscription.
• Labuan Bajo: the gateway town, and our Komodo page carries its visitor figures and the official statement on boat stays.
• Raja Ampat: the marine park entry permit has new rates from 3 August 2026, and it is valid for 12 months for international visitors.

Ask the operator which months a given boat works each of the three.

How do you charter one of these yachts?

Begin with the vessel's own broker or operator, and expect to confirm everything above in writing: the current rate, what it includes, who is on the crew, which flag the vessel flies and which certificates are in date. Our guide to hiring a phinisi yacht walks through that process, and the page on the phinisi yacht in Indonesia explains how a cargo schooner turned into a guest vessel in the first place. Treat any published rate with the same care: Lamima's figure belongs to a vessel of 65.2 metres with 7 suites, so it cannot be scaled down to a smaller boat, and our cost guide explains why charter rates and asking prices measure different things.

Naming a yacht on this page does not mean she is available through us. If you do ask the desk, know that a request can lead to a contract with one of our companies, so judge that offer against any other. The offer names the company and states any fee and the payment terms.

What are the short answers on well-known phinisi?

What is the largest phinisi yacht?

Lamima, at 65.2 metres, is marketed as the world's largest wooden sailing yacht. That is a marketing claim, so read it as one.

Can you confirm the length of Prana or Silolona?

No. Ask the operator for the documents behind any figure.

Is Lamima listed by UNESCO?

No. UNESCO's 2017 inscription is titled Pinisi, art of boatbuilding in South Sulawesi. It concerns a craft rather than any individual yacht.

Where can I see Lamima's charter rate?

A broker's published per-night rate appears in the price table on this page, as checked in October 2026. Rates can change by season, so confirm with the source.

Which sources support this page?

• CharterWorld: 65 m traditional phinisi yacht Lamima (checked Oct 2026)
• Boat International: Lamima in the superyacht directory
• Navelia Indonesia: Lamima listing
• Wikipedia: Pinisi
• UNESCO: Decision 12.COM 11.B.13
• YachtWorld: 1998 Traditional Phinisi
• YachtWorld: 2012 Phinisi Custom
• Wikipedia: Komodo National Park
• Stay Raja Ampat: marine park entry permit

How do I reach the desk?

Heard a vessel's name and want to know what stands behind it? Ask the editorial desk on WhatsApp 6281139414563 or at bd@juaraholding.com.