Traditional wooden schooner
Phinisi for Sale in Indonesia and Bali
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Type | Indonesian wooden schooner with the pinisi rig, widely fitted out as a liveaboard |
| Where built | Tana Beru, Bira and Batu Licin, Bulukumba, South Sulawesi; on UNESCO's intangible heritage list since 2017 |
| Timber | Ulin ironwood for keel and structure, bitti for planking and frames, teak for decks and joinery |
| Length in current listings | About 22 m to 38 m |
| Cabins in current listings | 5 to 10 on most boats, up to 16 on one 38 m boat |
| Nationality papers | Pas Besar from 7 GT to 174 GT, Surat Laut from 175 GT |
| 2026 asking band | About $153,000 to $1,120,000 |
A phinisi for sale in Indonesia asks from about $153,000 for a simple 22 metre boat up to $1,120,000 for a 34 metre luxury liveaboard, going by the listings we tracked in 2026. Length, cabin count and the condition of the timber explain most of that spread. Most boats we see on the market sit in Labuan Bajo or Bali and come with a charter history.
Think of it as a small floating hotel rather than a yacht. The hull is wood, the flag is almost always Indonesian, and the registered owner has to be an Indonesian citizen or company. We find the boats, arrange a timber survey and a separate engine survey, and make sure the legal structure is settled before any deposit moves.
Phinisi prices
Phinisi are not built to a catalogue, so we group them by length and fit-out rather than by model. The bands below come from asking prices published in 2026 by Labuan Bajo operators and international listing portals. They are asking prices, not sold prices.
| Size and class | Asking range | Examples seen in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 22 to 28 m, simple or older fit-out | About $153,000 to $335,000 | A 22 m and a 27 m charter boat at $153,000 each; a 2023 wooden 91 ft dive liveaboard at $335,000 |
| 25 to 30 m, 5 to 7 cabins | About $445,000 | Three Komodo charter boats listed at $444,444 each |
| 33 to 38 m, 8 to 10 cabins | About $553,000 to $1,120,000 | 38 m boats at $553,000 and $682,000; 33.45 m at $833,333; 34.4 m at $1,120,000 |
| New build from a Bulukumba yard | Hull only about $200,000 to $800,000; turnkey from about $1,000,000 | Quotes from a Bulukumba yard network for 30 to 40 m boats; 18 to 36 months from keel laying to commissioning |
Why two 30 metre boats can differ by half a million
Timber species and age, the last major refit, engine and generator hours, the number of true ensuite cabins and whether permits and forward bookings can pass to the buyer. A tidy boat with no refit invoices is a guess. A plainer boat with a full paper trail is often the better buy.
Who can own a phinisi in Indonesia
Under Law 17/2008 on Shipping, the Indonesian flag is reserved for vessels owned by Indonesian citizens or Indonesian legal entities. A foreign individual cannot hold the registration personally. The structure most foreign buyers use is a PT PMA, a foreign-investment company incorporated in Indonesia, which owns and operates the boat.
How much of that company a foreigner may hold depends on the business line it is licensed for. Domestic sea transport has carried a foreign cap of 49% with an Indonesian majority partner, while other lines, marine tourism among them, have their own entries on Indonesia's investment list, which changes over time. We do not give legal opinions: a local maritime lawyer should confirm the structure, the ownership chain and the tax position before you sign. Walk away from any deal where the boat stays in someone else's name on a side agreement.
The papers you should see:
- Surat Ukur: the tonnage measurement certificate.
- Grosse Akta: the registration deed, issued in the owner's name and re-issued on transfer.
- Nationality document: Pas Besar for boats from 7 GT to 174 GT, Surat Laut from 175 GT, each resting on the deed and the measurement.
- Safety and seaworthiness certificates: checked by the harbourmaster, the Syahbandar at the local KSOP office, before sailing clearance is granted.
Registration is handled under the Ministry of Transportation's sea transport directorate (Ditjen Hubla); if the boat is classed, class surveys come from Biro Klasifikasi Indonesia (BKI). More background on flags, taxes and cruising permits is on our Indonesia country page.
Seen a phinisi listing already? Send it over and we will tell you what to ask the seller first.
Ask about a phinisiSurvey checklist for a wooden phinisi
A surveyor who mostly sees fibreglass production boats is the wrong person here. You want someone who reads timber, plus a separate mechanical survey. Tana Beru builders work shell-first: the keel is laid, planks are edge-joined with hardwood dowels and the frames go in afterwards, so the survey has to look at the shell as one structure. Book the haul-out so the hull can be sounded dry. For yards and slipways, see our Indonesia service page.
- Keel, stem and main structure in ulin: sound them, and look for rot where fresh water collects under deck houses and at plank ends
- Planking below the waterline: hammer soundings, moisture readings and any shipworm damage
- Caulking and seams: weeping seams, recent recaulking, and how often the bilge pumps run at anchor
- Fastenings: dowels, plus any steel bolts showing rust stains through the paint
- Teak decks: open seams and leaks into the cabins below
- Engines: hours, service invoices and matching; one 2023 listing ran a 150 hp and a 100 hp diesel side by side
- Generators, air conditioning, watermaker and wiring, which carry the whole guest load
- Rig and sails: whether they are used for passages or only for photographs
- Safety gear for the guest count on the certificates: liferafts, lifejackets, fire systems
Liveaboard and charter-ready phinisi
Most phinisi on the market were working boats last season, so you are buying a business as much as a hull. In Komodo National Park every visit runs on licensed boats out of Labuan Bajo, vessels anchor only at designated points, and routes, dive sites and anchorages follow the park's zoning. Park entry and conservation fees are collected per guest through the operator. Raja Ampat runs its own visitor fee and permit system, and rules in both areas are updated often, so check them with the park authorities and the local port office for your season.
Separate what belongs to the boat from what belongs to the seller's company. Certificates follow the vessel, but business licences, tourism permits and the booking calendar may sit with the operating PT and will not pass with the boat unless you buy the company or apply again. Ask for charter revenue by month, crew contracts and the list of permits held, then decide whether to buy the asset or the whole operation.
If you plan to charter, read our Bali and Phuket charter guide for owners first. It covers the company layer and how private and commercial use are taxed differently.
How a phinisi purchase usually runs
- Shortlist from current listings on our Indonesia sale page and seller packs.
- View in Labuan Bajo or Bali, ideally during a charter turnaround so you see the crew at work.
- Timber survey on the slip, mechanical survey and sea trial.
- Document audit by a maritime lawyer: deed, measurement, nationality papers, permits, company records.
- Staged payments against milestones, with the Grosse Akta re-issued in the buyer's company name before the final payment.
Catalogue photos flatter every phinisi. Ask us on WhatsApp for recent pictures, the equipment list and the survey file of any boat we shortlist for you.
Questions buyers ask us
How much does a phinisi cost in Indonesia?
Phinisi listed for sale in 2026 ask from about $153,000 for a simple 22 metre boat to about $1,120,000 for a 34 metre luxury liveaboard. Mid-size 25 to 30 metre boats with 5 to 7 cabins were listed around $445,000. A new turnkey build from a Bulukumba yard is quoted from about $1,000,000.
Can a foreigner buy a phinisi in Indonesia?
Not in their own name under the Indonesian flag, which is reserved for Indonesian citizens and legal entities. Foreign buyers usually own the boat through a PT PMA, an Indonesian company with foreign shareholders, but the permitted foreign share depends on the business line. Confirm the structure with a local maritime lawyer before paying a deposit.
Where are phinisi boats built?
Mainly in Bulukumba regency, South Sulawesi, in the boatbuilding centres of Tana Beru, Bira and Batu Licin. UNESCO added the pinisi art of boatbuilding in South Sulawesi to its intangible cultural heritage list in 2017.
What wood is a phinisi made of?
Builders in Bulukumba use ulin ironwood for the keel and main structure, bitti for planking and frames, and teak for decks, deck houses and joinery. A timber specialist should check all three, because rot, shipworm and failing caulking are the costly problems on a wooden hull.
Can I run Komodo charters with a phinisi I buy?
Only through a properly licensed operating company, and the permits held by the seller's company may not transfer with the boat. Komodo National Park requires licensed boats departing Labuan Bajo, designated anchorages and per-guest park fees, so plan the licensing before you plan the itinerary.
Looking at a phinisi in Labuan Bajo or Bali?
Tell us the length, cabin count and whether you plan to charter. We shortlist boats, book the timber survey and list what your lawyer needs to check before money moves.
Ask about a phinisi