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Captain Filip of 53m Maia: "The sea is in my blood"

Captain Filip of 53m Maia: "The sea is in my blood"

We sit down with captain Filip of 53m Maia | Weekly charter spotlight

Leona Caanen
June 03, 2026

Welcome to Yacht Charter Market, the weekly newsletter dedicated to the world of yacht charter.

In today’s newsletter:

Top story: Captain Filip of 53m Maia: “The sea is in my blood”
Charter Updates: Abeon joins the Hill Robinson fleet | Enjoy the Western Mediterranean onboard Champagne Seas | Charter onboard the 88’ Sunseeker Junior | Ocean Independence as new CA for Ephemere | Cada Dia available in the Sea of Cortez | Charter onboard the 45m Heesen Yami
Superyacht Spotlight: Our favorite place is Alaska during the summer 🐻

TOP STORY

Captain Filip of 53m Maia: “The sea is in my blood”

A year ago, SuperYacht Times sat down with the Jakir brothers, Filip and Luka, who had just launched their Croatian built 53-metre superyacht, Maia. Now, as the 2026 charter season is underway, we take a moment to tune in with captain Filip, how the debut charter season went and what’s in store for Maia this summer.

Credit: Otium Yachts

A family vessel

With a family history in seafaring, the journey to launching Maia and introducing her to the charter market was a deeply personal project, “the sea is very much in our blood,” Luka shared, able to trace their family’s maritime roots back eight generations.

Captaining and chartering Maia is more than a business venture for Filip, “I wanted to build a yacht that would do honour to all those before us, who sacrificed everything so we could build Maia.” The ship carries an importance to the entire Jakir family, as it continues their seafaring legacy. Filip and Luka grew up on their father’s vessel, Vruja, where they learned seamanship from a young age. Their father, Josip, built and rebuilt over a dozen vessels and their grandfather, Filip, was a captain and shipowner.

Read: Building on a legacy: Maia and the Jakir brothers

As Maia’s second charter season has commenced, the 53-metre yacht is already almost fully booked, and Filip feels ready for what’s in store: “I’m much calmer this year than I was last year,” he shares.

That sentiment is in part fuelled by a very successful first charter season: “Maia just came on the market and agents and guests were curious,” Filip shares, “it was an amazing first season.” The 2025 charter season already saw same-season repeat guests onboard, and who have already booked a ten day charter for this summer.

Captain Filip in the bridge | Credit: Otium Yachts

In preparation for the season, the winter months have been spent finetuning the details of the yacht. One of the biggest undertakings this winter was ripping out the bar on the upper deck, which was barely used, and exchanging it for a table that can sit six to eight guests comfortably. “The round table on the upper deck is not just a good space for dinner or lunch, but also for playing games and hanging out.”

The season ahead is already incredibly busy, filling up with various charter durations, lasting from a week to ten days to a four-week charter. “This will be a busy, busy season,” Filip shares, “once we start, we don’t have a day off until September.”

Credit: Otium Yachts

Crafting Croatian memories

Before any charter, Filip sits down with the guests or their contact person to understand what they want from their charter experience. “Making a good charter, it’s not that hard,” Filip shares, “95 percent of people are happy with good food, nice weather and enjoying the sun and the sea.” What makes captain Filip and Maia stand out is how they create an experience, “it’s about creating something worth remembering, not just a journey, but a true experience,” Filip shares. “It can be something like acting as a tour guide instead of captain for the day; it’s a small thing but adds a personal touch.”

It is that sentiment that Filip has also looked for when assembling his crew: “I try to look for crew that will match the energy I want to have onboard; to make people really feel welcome.” While there is a level of formality, Filip emphasises the importance of a personalised touch. “You want guests to feel that they aren’t just a number. It’s about creating memories onboard.” Having worked on more than 200 charters throughout his maritime career, Filip is still in touch with some of the guests “Some are Facebook friends, others i have on WhatsApp and they’ll send me a picture from the holiday, share a happy memory.” It’s a special feeling to create a charter experience that people still remember fondly years later.

Credit: Otium Yachts

A family enterprise

For the future, Filip’s idea is to get Luka onboard Maia as a second captain, and find a new captain for Tajna Mora, the yacht Luka currently captains. “If we can set up a rotational position between the two of us, we can plan charters for the Caribbean as well. Or maybe the Seychelles or another destination,” Filip shares.

A rotational captain would also be welcome for the summer season, “if you are burned out, you lose your level of service,” Filip notes, “I want the crew to feel good, have the opportunity to reset a little - no one can work a whole 12 months straight in this business.” Besides the opportunity to expand the charter season and provide everyone with a little extra rest, another perk of expanding the crew and integrating rotation, is that it’ll give Filip the opportunity to spend some more time with his wife and three-year-old son, knowing Maia is in capable hands.