Yachting

As glamorous as it looks yachting is basically being in gaol/jail, with the looming threat of drowning. I think this is the perfect way to describe the true life style of the yachtie. If by drowning you mean in a pitcher of beer in Monaco that is. Sure there is some glamor and you cant help but have a little rub off on to yourself. Sure its packed full of debaucherous naughty fun, late nights, velvet ropes and global travel. Sure you are a grown man sleeping in a bunk bed above another grown man working seventeen hour days, seven days a week, in the same ill fitting uniform, often on anchor, far out to sea, never to set foot ashore until the seasons end. SAY WHAT!?

Yes. Careful what you wish for people.

Regardless, yachting for me was a wonderful way to experience the world. Primarily I love to sail, secondly I love to roam and thirdly I love to be creative and if that means in a galley, then I'll take it! So to arrive in wonderfully exotic destinations by sea and under sail, to pull along side casting lines ashore from one accidental location to the next. To live in the moment in the heart of cities like Venice, Dubrovnik, Cannes, New York, St Martin and Barcelona finally cooking in these fabulous locations with local ingredients, techniques and know how. What can I say, for a while it was the perfect life and career of a chef.



 Some would argue it's not real traveling. I would argue the apparent alternative being to fly hours in a cramped middle seat, navigate a countries airport and rail network loaded with an 80kg/160lb backpack on 3 hours sleep. Staying in cheap hotel after cheap hotel, though a great experience in itself, isn't what I would call traveling either. Besides traveling with a job is such a different perspective and with a group of friends the whole time a different experience. You are experiencing what it is to shop in different cultures and I mean really shop. To really tackle a large market in a different culture in an un familar language and city is not quite as romantic as in travel shows. It can be an overload of the sense that you must push past, for you have a job to do and a very limited amount of time off the boat to do it in. You learn what is abundant in France is impossible to find in Spain or Croatia. I am not talking exotic ingredients, I mean broccoli, cilantro, parsnips or sliced bread just to name a few.
 My travel experiences wasn't luxury yachts alone. I worked a treasure hunting dive expedition in the Philippines for a season searching for a sunken Spanish Galleon from the 16th century . I sailed the Great Barrier reef and her tropical islands of Far North Queensland, Australia with back packers and tourists for pennies. Then there was the ahhhhrrring like a pirate on square riggers in Sydney Harbor. I drove a '74 VW Combie bus around Australia for 3 years and cycle from Switzerland to Slovakia. All fantastic life experiences beyond yachts.

  I preferred the sailing yachts of course, as is my background. Much more adventurous and hands on sort of like camping vs a caravan. Though the motor yachts did have an air-conditioned comfortable kind of luxury that was wonderful too. After all one does tire of cooking on a 45° angle I can assure you. I was lucky enough to sail over 40,000 miles, crossing the Atlantic four times and learn from some fantastic people, with far more worldly experience and far wiser than I.  People and their perspective seem to have more worth on a boat.

As Emerson wrote:
"Aboard a boat there is no knowledge that is not valuable - In this little balloon of ours, so far from the human family and their sages and colleges and manufactories, every accomplishment, every nature or acquired talent, every piece of information is at some time in request"

What that breaks down to mean is when you are stuck within one hundred feet of ten other bodies for a full solid year, out to sea. You best find out their best and worst qualities and regardless, applaud them for it.

Here are a hand full of yachts and some of the locations they took me.

taTii

BUILD: Tamsen Yachts
YEAR: 2009
LENGTH: 41m
BEAM: 8.6m
DRAFT: 2.2m
GUESTS: 12 in 5 double cabins
CREW: 7
CRUISING: 12 Knots
Winner of several yacht design awards, the stunning 41m ex-demonstrator tri-deck from Tamsen Yachts offers a luxurious "boutique hotel" experience in a truly intimate and welcoming setting, while also offering unique design and lifestyle features to create the ultimate yachting experience.

   
MONACO                                FRANCE
 
TURKEY                                 GREECE

Felicita West

BUILD: Perini Navy
LENGTH: 64m / 209'11"
BEAM: 12.7 / 41'7"
DRAFT: Centerboard up 3.8m / 12'5
: Centerboard down 9.1m / 29'8
CRUISING SPEED: 12 knots
Crew: 11/12
ACCOMMODATION: 12 guests in 3 double and 2 twin cabins RECREATION EQUIPMENT: 2 x 6.3m Zodiac tenders with 235hp jet drives, 2 x Laser 2000 sailing dingies, 2 x Laser sailing dingies, wakeboards, kayaks, waterskis, inner-tubes, snorkelling equipment, boogie boards, fishing equipment, treadmill in master stateroom.


    

 

  
     
MONACO : ITALY : BARCELONA : MEDITERRANEAN SEA

Felicita West is the largest and fastest aluminium sailing yacht in the world. Everything about this magnificent yacht has been designed to provide the ultimate sailing experience in the greatest possible comfort. Her pedigree is highly impressive and her statistics are simply awesome. The flybridge is so large that all twelve guests can sit, eat and talk in the sun or shade, surrounded by gleaming mast machinery. A large swimming platform descends from the main deck with easy access into the water or onto the jet tenders. The most spectacular views are from the bow seat or a crow's nest 'lift' that ascends 40 metres (131ft). Dining can take place in the shaded, sunken aft cockpit, where the crew magically transform the scene from informal breakfast through
buffet lunch to a sumptuous dinner

Sai Ram

BUILD: Benetti
LENGTH: 51.80m / 169'11"
BEAM: 10.40m ? 34' 1"
DRAFT: 3.2m
BUILT: 2004
ACCOMODATION: 12 Guests in 4 Doubles, 2 Twin
ENGINES: 2 x 1,800hp Cat
CRUISING SPEED: 17 Knots
CRUISING AREA: Mediterranean
CREW: 13

Sai Ram is a complex blend of traditional yacht building combined with modern contemporary interior design. She is the result of a close collaboration between Benetti shipyard, Stefano Natucci for external styling and Lazzarini Pickering Architetti for interior design and design of the external deck areas. Her decks have large informal areas for guests to recline and relax in comfort. Her sundeck offers a spacious living area with sun beds, Jacuzzi, sofas, a bar and a dining area. Her interior has wide open spaces finished in contrasting light and dark woods, set-off with exotic oriental antiques and modern, bright, contemporary furniture.

Windrose of Amsterdam

LENGTH: 46.32 / 151'12"
BEAM: 8m / 26' 3"
DRAFT: 4.30m /14' 1"
RIGGING: Staysail Schooner
SAIL AREA: 1067m
YEAR BUILT: 2001
BUILDER: Holland Jachtbouw
NAVAL ARCHITECTS: Dykstra & Partners
ACCOMADATION: 8 Guests in 4 Cabins
CRUISING SPEED: 10 Knots
MAX SAILING SPEED: 26 Knots
CRUISING AREA: S
CREW: 7

 

 


M/Y Sealyon

Sealyon
Built: 2006
Builder: Overmarine
Type : Mangusta 105 Yacht
LOA : 31.50m
Draft : 1.3m
Main engines : 2 x MTU 16V 2000 M93 CR 1791kw (2400Hp) at 2450rpm
Speed : 31 knots Cruising, 35 knots Max
Number of Cabins: 3 (2 Double, 1 Twin)
Total Guests (Sleeping): 6
Total Crew: 4
Based: Cap d'Ail near Monaco, cruises throughout the Western Mediterranean

Unplugged

Length: 334.02m / 117 ft
Beam: 7.90m / 92'11" ft
Draft: 2.80m / 9'2 ft
Built: 1993
Builder: Valdettaro
Accomodation: 10 guests in 1 master & 4 double cabins
Cruising: 10knots
Crew: 6

Christina O'
Aristotle Onassis bought Christina O and named her after his daughter. She became one of the most famous society venues of the mid 20th century. Her short list of former guests includes Kennedy, Churchill, Sinatra, Monroe, Callas. Images include the bar with the famous bar stools made from the hide of whale fore skin (seriously) The spiral staircase. Dining table for 32 guests. Famous works of art such as this one by Renoir.


LENGTH: 99.06m / 325 ft
BEAM: 10.97m / 36 ft
DRAFT: 4.1m / 13.11 ft
YEAR BUILT: 1943
BUILDER: Canadian Vickers
ACCOMMODATION: 30 guests in 18 double cabins
CRUISING SPEED: 16 knots
TOTAL CREW: 36
CRUISING AREA: Summer - Mediterranean / Winter - Mediterranean

  

  

Sir Hubert Wilkins

Material: Certified steel with five epoxy coatings, filled and faired
Type: Chine hull, full-keel troller concept
Length (overall): 15.55m
Beam: 4.75m
Draft:1.85m
Displacement: 41,000kg(fully loaded)
Max. speed: 9.1kts(under power)
Cruise speed: 7 to 8kts CAPACITIES
Berths: 6 + 2
Fuel: 7500lt
Water: 1000lt (plus desalinator)
Black and greywater: 250lt

Sir (George) Hubert Wilkins MC & Bar (31 October 1888 – 30 November 1958) was an Australian polar explorer ornithologist, pilot, soldier, geographer and photographer

Solway Lass


Length: 33m/127ft including Bow Sprit.
Beam: 6.1m/20ft
Weight: 170 tonnes.
Built: 1902
Sails:11
Sail Area: 5500 square feet.
Berths: 36 guest in 11 quad cabins.
Crew: 6


Amazing History: Built 1902 in Holland of German Steel with Timber decking as a sail powered cargo vessel. Originally named Stina. In 1905 sold and renamed to "Adolf", working in and around the Baltic and North Sea. In 1915 seized as a prize of war by the British and used as a Q-Ship during WWI. At the end of WWI, worked as a coal, produce and stone carrying vessel between Liverpool and Scottish Ports. In 1924 sold to a Scottish firm in Solway Firth where she was renamed Solway Lass. When WWII broke out the Germans seized the Solway Lass as a prize of war where she was used to supply their armed forces. During the war, Solway Lass hit a mine and was badly damaged, however, the Germans repaired the hull for use as a sail-powered icebreaker. After WWII, Solway Lass served in the South Pacific as a cargo vessel. In 1983 a Sydney businessman purchased Solway Lass in Fjii and from 1983 to 1985 it was rebuilt. In 1988, it took pride of place in the 1st Fleet re-enactment of the Tall Ships into Sydney Harbour.

HMAV Bounty


Class: Armed Vessel
Tons: 220 26/94
Length: 90 ft 10 in (27.69 m
Beam: 24 ft 4 in (7.42 m)
Draft: 11 ft 4 in (3.45 m)
Builder: Whangerei Engineering & Construction
Launched: December 1978




HMAV Bounty is a faithful replica of the 18th century ship, built for the 1984 movie “Bounty” starring Mel Gibson(as Fletcher Christian) and Anthony Hopkins(as Captain Bligh) launched on December 16, 1978 by Whangerei Engineering and Construction Limited in Whangerei, New Zealand.



The original Bounty, scene of the now infamous mutiny near Tahiti in 1789, was burned at Pitcairn Island.