About Flores Utama
We keep her bow into the current off Manta Point, engines just ticking over, while the guests slide into the water astern. At 76 meters, Flores Utama doesn’t dance in the surge like the smaller boats do – she holds. That’s something you learn after twenty seasons in these channels. Her length gives us room to spread out, but still keep everyone in sight. We run tight watch on the tides between Komodo and Rinca, and with only one cabin, there’s no confusion about who’s where.
Our guests are here for the full rhythm of the park, not just photo stops. We time the run to Padar before dawn, anchoring off Sebayur the night before so we’re close enough to catch first light on the switchbacks. The climb’s steep, but worth it – you see five bays unfold as the sun clears the ridge. After, we drift south to Pink Beach, where the sand gets its blush from crushed coral, not some marketing stunt. We anchor in the cove’s northern lip, sheltered from the afternoon swell.
By midday on Day Two, we’re in the flow off Batu Bolong. The current pulls along the reef edge – that’s where the mantas come to clean. We brief everyone on exit points, then let them go one group at a time. The crew keeps eyes on the surface, tracking bubbles. Afternoon brings us to Kanawa, where the sandbar emerges at low tide. Kids love digging for clams there, and the shallow bowl is safe for first-time snorkelers. We drop a line off the stern with a shaded net – perfect for floating after lunch.
On the final morning, we push east to Taka Makassar. It’s a longer run, but the water turns glassy blue once we clear Banta. The sandbar there shifts with the monsoon, so we check depth by eye before letting guests wade ashore. We’ve seen six reef sharks patrolling the edge during a single snorkel. By 15:00, we’re threading back through the islands toward Labuan Bajo, serving coffee and local fruit as the lights come on along the coast.
Dining is open-plan on the upper deck – no fixed seating, no rigid schedules. The galley runs on propane, not induction, so the fried banana fritters come out crisp. We use fresh catch when the skipper hooks a tuna during transit, but never push it on guests. There’s always rice, soup, and a vegetable stir-fry alongside. Water’s filtered onboard and stored in stainless tanks – we refill jugs twice daily.
We don’t claim to be the fastest or the flashiest. Flores Utama was built for presence, not speed. Her hull’s ironwood and teak, laid over a steel frame. She doesn’t need a dozen cabins to break even. That one cabin means we take one group at a time – family, friends, or solo travellers joining a scheduled leg. We handle the tides, the menus, the dive briefings – you just need to show up with your fins and a sense of timing.
