The 30-Metre Class: Mid-Size Phinisi Listings Compared
Updated: August 2026
The 30-metre phinisi class is where charter economics work: six to seven cabins for twelve to fourteen guests, a crew of twelve to fourteen, twin generators as standard, and indicative asking prices of roughly USD 1,200,000 to 2,600,000. It is the most competitive band in Indonesia, which means the documentation decides the price.
Why this is the commercial sweet spot
Charter revenue scales with guest count; fixed costs scale more slowly. Below about twenty-six metres a vessel cannot carry enough guests to absorb a full professional crew at a competitive weekly rate. Above about thirty-four metres, crew numbers, fuel burn and haul-out costs step up faster than the achievable rate does, and the buyer pool narrows sharply. The thirty-metre band sits between those two effects.
The consequence is competition. More hulls are for sale in this class than any other, and more buyers are looking at them. That is good news for choice and bad news for anyone hoping to find an obvious mispricing. What separates hulls at similar asking prices is almost always the completeness of the file rather than the specification.
Typical specification
- Cabins: six to seven, usually a master with a private deck access, plus doubles and twins; twelve to fourteen guests.
- Crew: twelve to fourteen, with a dedicated engineer, chef, and cruise or dive guides.
- Machinery: a main engine in the 450–700 hp range, twin generators, watermaker, and usually a dive compressor.
- Tanks: fuel typically 15,000–25,000 litres, fresh water 10,000–18,000 litres.
- Draft: commonly 2.6–3.1 metres loaded — the point at which anchorage access starts to be a real planning consideration.
What separates the top of the band from the bottom
| Factor | Effect on asking price |
|---|---|
| Current operating certificate | Large. A lapsed certificate is months of work for the new owner |
| Documented refit within three years | Large, and larger still if yard invoices exist |
| Verifiable charter record | Moderate; see auditing revenue claims |
| En-suite in every cabin | Moderate; shared heads cap the achievable weekly rate |
| Build year alone | Small, and routinely overweighted by buyers |
Crew is the hidden variable
At this size the crew is a business unit, not a detail. Twelve to fourteen people need proper accommodation, a functioning mess, and circulation that does not run through guest space — the check described in reading a GA plan. Vessels that compromised crew quarters to add a guest cabin look better on the specification sheet and perform worse in service, because good crew leave and replacing an experienced engineer or chef in this market takes months.
When a hull comes with its crew, that is worth real money. Ask whether the crew intend to stay under new ownership, and whether their contracts and certifications transfer cleanly.
Where the money goes after purchase
Budget the first year properly. A thirty-metre hull entering new ownership commonly needs a haul-out with caulking and antifouling, a machinery service round to reset the maintenance clock on your own records rather than the previous owner’s, safety equipment renewal, and soft furnishing replacement if the vessel will charter. None of that is a defect; all of it is spend, and buyers who model only the purchase price are consistently surprised in month four.
How to shortlist efficiently
Because the band is crowded, filter hard and early. Require the tonnage certificate, the GA plan, a survey within the last two years or a willingness to permit one, both generator hour readings, and the certificate status in the first exchange. Hulls that cannot supply those in a week do not belong on a shortlist regardless of how well they photograph — see listing red flags.
A note on new build in this band
Because the thirty-metre class is the commercial sweet spot, it is also where the Bira and Bulukumba yards concentrate their output. That means a buyer here always has a genuine alternative: commission a hull to your own layout for a build window that commonly runs fourteen to twenty-four months, rather than accept the compromises in an existing vessel. The comparison is not simply price against price. A new build lets you specify tank capacity, generator redundancy and crew accommodation correctly from the keel, which are precisely the three areas where pre-owned hulls in this band most often disappoint. Against that, you carry construction risk, you wait, and you have no survey to negotiate against. Buyers who need revenue in the coming season buy existing; buyers with a two-year horizon should at least price both.
Request the vessel dossier
Ask for the mid-size shortlist with certificate status and last refit date stated on every hull. WhatsApp +62 811-3941-4563 or write to [email protected]. All figures on this site are quoted in USD.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 30-metre phinisi cost?
Indicative asking prices run from about USD 1,200,000 to 2,600,000. The spread within the band is driven mainly by certification status, documented refit history and charter record rather than by length or build year.
How many guests does a 30m phinisi carry?
Twelve to fourteen guests in six or seven cabins is the standard arrangement, with a crew of twelve to fourteen. Higher guest numbers at this length usually indicate converted crew space or additional upper-deck construction.
Why is the 30-metre class the most competitive?
Because it is where charter revenue best covers fixed costs. Guest capacity is high enough to carry a full professional crew at a competitive weekly rate, while crew numbers and running costs have not yet stepped up as they do above thirty-four metres.
Does the crew usually stay after a sale?
Often, and it is worth asking early. An intact crew with valid certifications and knowledge of the vessel has genuine value, particularly for a buyer entering charter operation. Confirm that contracts and certifications transfer cleanly as part of due diligence.
Phinisi Boat For Sale is a specialist maritime brand and digital platform under Juara Holding Group. Vessel-sale, construction, refit and repair contracts are issued by PT Komodo Galangan Nusantara. Brokerage, central agency and charter-marketing contracts are issued by PT Komodo Bahari Nusantara. Separate contracts, separate fees, separate ledgers.
Written and checked by the desk. Figures are dated at the point of writing — our editorial standards explains how, and what happens when something here turns out to be wrong.
