Phinisi yacht for hire: how chartering a pinisi works in Komodo and Raja Ampat

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.

A phinisi yacht for hire is a wooden vessel you charter from an operator. Whole-boat and by-the-cabin trips are both advertised, though we have no confirmed standard for either. The cost depends on the vessel, nights, guests and route. The one published rate we can confirm, for the 65.2-metre Lamima, is in the price table on this page; everything else needs a written quote.

What are you actually hiring when you charter a phinisi?

A wooden boat with a name that promises more than it may deliver. Strictly, a pinisi carries a particular rig, but Wikipedia notes the word is now used for most types of Indonesian wooden ship, charter and diving vessels among them. The trading fleet has been motorised since the 1970s and 1980s, and a charter boat sold under the name may do most of its travelling under engine. If sailing matters to you, ask how often the sails are actually set, and ask to see it.

The market itself is large. Balai TN Komodo figures reported by detik.com put visitors to Komodo National Park at 334,206 in 2024, of whom 226,948 were foreign and 107,258 domestic. The Manggarai Barat tourism office counted 58,926 visitors to Labuan Bajo from January to April 2025. And according to BPOLBF, whose acting president director made the statement without explaining how it was calculated, more than 80% of tourist movements in Labuan Bajo use boat stays instead of hotels. These numbers show a busy destination. None of them says anything about any one boat.

Should you choose a private charter or a shared trip?

The question is who controls the boat, and what follows is a working description and not a confirmed standard. In a whole-boat charter you hire the vessel and, within what the captain and the weather allow, shape the trip around your party. On a shared trip you pay by the cabin and join whoever else booked. Our explainer on pinisi liveaboards goes deeper into daily life on board.

What might a phinisi charter include?

We have no verified standard to give you. Inclusions vary with each offer, and no published list has satisfied us as typical of the market. So have the operator put every item in writing, against a list of your own. A blank space beside an item means that it is extra until someone says otherwise.

• Cabin, bedding and the number of guests allowed.
• Meals, drinks and alcohol.
• Crew, guide and any dive staff.
• Snorkelling, diving and water-sports equipment.
• Fuel, including any surcharge for a longer route.
• Park fees, permits and landing charges.
• Airport and harbour transfers.
• Taxes and service charges.

What does a published charter rate tell you?

Lamima gives the only confirmed example we have. Navelia Indonesia publishes her rate as a starting figure per night, shown in the price table on this page and checked in October 2026, and such rates can move with the season. According to CharterWorld, she is 65.2 metres long with 7 suites for 14 guests. That makes the rate a reference for one yacht of very unusual size, and you cannot scale it down by length to estimate a smaller boat. It is one very large vessel, not the limit of the market, and we hold no complete list to compare against.

Any quote you receive will be built from the same few parts: the vessel, the number of nights, the number of guests, the route and the fees on top. Ask for a single total with those parts visible, in one currency, with the date until which it holds.

Which park fees sit on top of a charter?

Treat them as additional until a quote says otherwise. For Komodo, the official tariff page of Balai TN Komodo is the place to check; the figures in third-party guides disagree with each other, so we do not repeat them, and our Komodo guide covers the park further.

For Raja Ampat, StayRajaAmpat reports a marine park entry permit with new rates effective 3 August 2026: valid 12 months for international visitors, charged per day for Indonesian citizens, with children under 12 exempt. It is sold at a booth in Sorong harbour, at the BLUD UPTD office in Waisai and online. The amounts are on our Raja Ampat guide.

When should you plan a charter?

Ask the operator for a month-by-month view of the route you want, and what changes when the weather does. Preferred seasons circulate for both Komodo and Raja Ampat, but we could not confirm them, so we print no months here. Allow for disruption on land too, since an airport closure is on record. A sound contract says what happens to your payment if you cannot reach the boat.

What should you ask before paying a deposit?

Ask for answers in writing, and be wary if the replies grow vaguer as the questions become more specific.

1. What are the vessel's exact name, flag and current documents? Our regulations page explains why the flag matters.
2. Which legal entity signs, and which one takes the money?
3. Will the boat in the photographs be the boat you board, and what happens if it is substituted?
4. How many guests and crew will be on board, and who is the captain?
5. What safety equipment is carried, and when was it last serviced? Our note on pinisi safety suggests what to look for.
6. Who decides on a route change for weather, and is any money returned?
7. What is the cancellation schedule, on both sides?
8. Does your travel insurance cover this kind of vessel and these waters?

Where does this desk stand in a charter?

A request sent here can lead to a contract with our own company, so hold our offer to the list above as you would anyone else's. The written offer names the company that signs with you; within our group, brokerage and charter marketing contracts come from PT Komodo Bahari Nusantara. Any fee and the payment terms appear in that offer too.

What are the short answers for charter guests?

How much does it cost to hire a phinisi yacht?

It depends on the boat, the route and the length of the trip. The single rate we can confirm is Lamima's, in the price table on this page, and it should not be scaled to a smaller vessel.

Are park fees included in a charter price?

Not unless the quote says so. Treat Komodo and Raja Ampat fees as extra until you see them named as included, in writing.

Is every boat sold as a phinisi a true pinisi?

No. A true pinisi has a specific two-masted rig, so ask to see it.

How many guests can a phinisi carry?

It depends on the boat. Lamima takes 14 guests in 7 suites. For any other vessel, ask for the deck plan and the passenger number on its papers.

Can I book a charter through this website?

No. The site has no booking engine. Requests go to the desk by WhatsApp or email, and any terms appear in a written offer.

Which sources support this page?

• Wikipedia: Pinisi
• detik.com: Komodo National Park visitors, 2024
• Antara: Labuan Bajo visitors, January to April 2025
• TravelText: BPOLBF on boat stays in Labuan Bajo
• Navelia Indonesia: Lamima charter listing
• CharterWorld: Lamima completion report
• Balai TN Komodo: official tariff page
• StayRajaAmpat: marine park entry permit

How do I reach the desk?

Tell the desk your dates, party size and preferred waters, or send a quote you already hold and want read. Reach us on WhatsApp 6281139414563 or at bd@juaraholding.com.