Secluded Sailing

A new luxury yacht that navigates the stunning seas around Indonesia’s 17,000 islands provides the ultimate getaway.

- Sanjay Surana

THERE’S A CERTAIN FEELING THAT comes with being on a boat, an air of complete escape, a clean, confident break from the daily routine. That sense of going beyond everyday life is hypnotic, liberating, and it’s apparent as soon as you step onto Rascal, an intimate luxury yacht that trawls the sumptuous waters of Indonesia, some of the most stunning seascapes on the planet.

Launched at the end of 2016, the 31m cruiser is the brainchild of three young British men who moved to Singapore, fell in love with Indonesia while travelling, and quit their day jobs to embark on their first hospitality project. The ironwood and teak boat was built at a remote fishing village in South Sulawesi, a five-hour bumpy drive from the nearest airport, by traditional builders who work by eye, without referring to plans or schematics. After two years of construction, the ship was relocated to Bali for the interior fit-out and installation. Rascal is modelled on a traditional Indonesian phinisi, the twin-masted teak yachts often seen in the country’s waters, but its design diverges from the classic moody phinisi look. The vessel has done away with the masts that dominate the vessel’s typical silhouette, creating an open-top deck that can be used for sunbathing, for leaping off the boat, or as an impromptu open-air cinema.