If Atuf was inspired by Silolona’s spirit, Patti Seery was inspired to build the 50-meter (164-foot) gaff-rigged schooner that bears the heroine’s namesake by the traditional Indonesian phinisi sailing ships that used to ply the Spice Island trade routes. An ex-pat American from Chicago who first traveled to the region 25 years ago to study Asian textiles, Seery was driven to build her own charter vessel after being abandoned with 16 guests by a local boat she had hired for the occasion. "Inspiration is a rather glamorous word for how it all came about," she admits, "but I knew I could build a better boat."

Amazingly, Seery had no boatbuilding experience whatsoever, but knew exactly what she wanted and where to go to realize the project. The Konjo people from the village of Ara in Southern Sulawesi have been building phinisi for generations, and Seery spent more than a year overseeing the build process in the mangrove swamps of Kalimantan Selatan in Borneo. Before starting construction, Seery spent months visiting boatbuilding communities to learn the specialized terminology and employed naval architect Michael Kasten, based in Port Townsend, Washington, to draw up the hull lines. (Click image to enlarge)

Last fall, ShowBoats International was invited to join Silolona on a short transfer voyage from Langkawi in Malaysia to Phuket, Thailand, where the schooner was booked as a hospitality boat during the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta. Our small group of five guests boarded Silolona after spending a blissful night at the luxurious Four Seasons Resort. An archipelago of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea, Langkawi is a tropical paradise of lush foliage, dramatic cliffs and golden beaches. Robb Report, in its Best of the Best 2006, described the resort as a "destination fit for royalty."

Top: Silolona’s RIB heads ashore. Middle: A double cabin. Bottom: Thai cuisine with local ingredients. (Click images to enlarge)

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Our route during the five-day cruise to Phuket was a casual affair based on passenger preference. Seery dislikes set itineraries and will specifically tailor each voyage to her clients’ interests. This is where her 25 years of sailing experience in these waters makes all the difference. She knows all the best places for game fishing when the marlin are running and the best dive sites. Called Ibu or "mother" by her crew, Seery has been adopted by three ethnic groups, and this gives her unrivaled access to remote villages. "I can organize hunting with bow and arrows, or visits to weaving communities," she explains. But Seery’s special interest lies in sharing the region’s cultures and customs that are increasingly endangered by Western influence. Many sacred ceremonies, for example, are falling by the wayside and, in one case, Seery offered to provide the sacrificial buffalo at the start of the rice harvest. The old folk had to re-teach the traditional chants because they were dying out. "That’s something you would never ordinarily be able to witness," says Seery, "but we were welcomed with open arms."

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That evening, we had our first taste of Silolona’s exquisite Asian-fusion cuisine. Chef Bill Collier will prepare Western dishes if preferred, but his flair lies in making the most of the finest local ingredients, from the organic meat and line-caught seafood to the whole gamut of fresh spices and pure white honey of Sumbawa Island. Upon completing culinary school, Collier embarked on an intensive 15-year period of work, study and travel, including working as sous-chef for some of America’s top chefs before taking time out from the hustle and bustle of restaurant work to join the crew of Silolona. Breakfast is served half-buffet style, while lunch and dinner are mouth-watering three-course affairs with accompanying wines. Justly proud of his creations, Collier appeared from his galley as each course showed up on the table to name the individual ingredients and their preparation.

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