A Conundrum Solution
If you’re a regular reader of the CharterWave First Impressions sections, then you know I often make note of boats that seem to have a lot going for them, even if their crew doesn’t impress me right out of the gate. I wrote about a boat like this nearly a year ago, the 62-foot sailing yacht Conundrum. When she entered the charter market last winter, she had a crew who were nice enough but also were, in my opinion, lacking in some key areas of experience.
What you didn’t get a chance to read was an e-mail that I received soon after from the yacht’s owner, telling me how surprised her husband had been at the accuracy of my review. Sometimes, owners have to take on crew who aren’t ideal–and then hopefully either train them properly, or move on to hire better help onboard. Such was the case in this situation.
It’s always nice to see a yacht owner correcting problems to improve the charters her boat offers, as is the case now onboard Conundrum. I learned yesterday from management company Nicholson Yachts that the boat’s owner has hired new crew–a couple who have been steadily earning a great reputation in the charter industry since 2003.
That’s the year that Capt. Jonny Spector and stewardess/chef Meredith Hester fell in love while working onboard yachts in the Virgin Islands. They’ve been there ever since, working onboard a 50-foot and then a 68-foot sailing yacht before joining Conundrum for the upcoming winter season.
I look forward to meeting Jonny and Meredith at the upcoming charter yacht shows, where I also hope to see Conundrum’s owner–so that I can congratulate her on a job well done. It’s terrific to see an owner making the right investments in a yacht, the kinds that will pay off with better charter vacations for everyone who books a week onboard.