The Phinisi Rig & Sail Plan — Ketch, Gaff and Seven Sails

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The word phinisi names a rig before it names a boat: two masts carrying seven or eight sails, a long bowsprit, and a gaff-headed working sail plan. Even on a modern motor-sailer, the rig is the vessel’s signature. This page explains how a phinisi is rigged and how we specify a sail plan for the way an owner actually intends to sail.

Two masts, seven sails

The traditional plan sets a main and a mizzen (fore and aft masts), headsails run out to a long bowsprit, and topsails above — seven sails in the classic count, sometimes eight. The rig is gaff-headed rather than triangular Bermudan, which is part of the phinisi silhouette. The masts and spars are stepped during the build and the standing rigging is set up before sea trial.

Ketch, schooner and gaff variations

Strictly, most phinisi are ketch-rigged (the aft mast shorter, stepped forward of the rudder post). Owners who want to sail harder sometimes choose a schooner variation with a taller aft mast — see schooner and gulet-style builds . The choice affects mast heights, spar loads and the deck layout, so it is settled in the design stage .

Standing and running rigging

Standing rigging — the shrouds and stays that hold the masts — is specified in stainless or galvanised wire (or synthetic, on some builds) and sized to the rig loads. Running rigging — halyards and sheets that move the sails — is arranged with modern blocks and, where the vessel carries guests, powered winches so a small crew can work a large rig safely.

Sailing vessel or motor-sailer

The honest question for most owners is how much they will really sail. A pure sailing phinisi is beautiful and demanding. A motor-sailer — a working rig backed by a strong engine — keeps a charter or liveaboard schedule when the wind is against you, while still sailing when it serves. We specify the rig to match, so you are not carrying sails you will never set or an engine that cannot keep time.

Masts, spars and where they come from

Traditional phinisi masts were single timber spars; modern builds may use laminated timber or, on larger vessels, steel or aluminium for the loads a big rig carries. The choice follows the rig loads and the maintenance the owner wants. Whatever the material, the mast step and partners are tied firmly into the hull structure , because a rig is only as strong as its foundation.

Reefing and handling under way

A working rig has to be reduced safely when the wind builds. Reefing arrangements, powered winches and a sensibly led set of running rigging let a modest crew shorten sail without drama. On a guest-carrying vessel this is a safety matter as much as a sailing one, and it is designed in rather than improvised on deck.

The look of the rig

There is no denying it: the phinisi rig is also about presence. The two masts, the long bowsprit and the gaff sails give the vessel its unmistakable profile, and for a private yacht or a charter boat that silhouette is part of the value. A rig that sails well and looks magnificent is not a compromise; it is the point.

Construction, new-build and refit contracts are issued by PT Komodo Galangan Nusantara. Part of Juara Holding Group.