THE MAJ OCEANIC

## The Maj Oceanic — 47m Phinisi Some yachts borrow their character from a design brief. This one inherits it from a boatbuilding tradition that predates every marina in the Mediterranean. Launched in 2019, The Maj Oceanic is a 47-metre phinisi — the Indonesian schooner form, built by hand, then fitted out to the standards a contemporary charter guest expects rather than merely tolerates. At that length she carries her scale comfortably. Twelve guests are accommodated across six cabins, arranged around an owner's cabin and a VIP cabin, with four further cabins completing the layout. Detailed bed configurations are confirmed on request, which allows the interior to be matched to the group actually coming aboard — a family charter and a group of diving friends do not want the same yacht, and there is room here to accommodate both. What genuinely distinguishes her is where she goes. Her season follows the Indonesian archipelago rather than a single coastline. Summer is spent out of Labuan Bajo in Flores, with Komodo National Park as the anchor point and cruising that reaches Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Alor and Timor. In winter she repositions to Sorong in West Papua for Raja Ampat — and from there to Ambon, the Banda Islands, Halmahera, Ternate, Kaimana, Biak and Wakatobi. These are not decorative names on a brochure. They represent two of the richest marine environments on the planet, reached by a yacht that is based in them year-round rather than visiting occasionally. That permanence matters more than it might sound. A crew that works these waters through both monsoons knows which bay is tenable when the wind swings, where the manta aggregations are actually forming this month, and which villages welcome a tender. Signature itineraries are available, though the more interesting conversations usually begin when a guest asks whether something else is possible. The Maj Oceanic suits charterers who want distance from the familiar circuit — and the reassurance of a modern, purpose-run yacht while they find it.