 First Impression: Big City
Date toured: May 2009
If you read my “First Look” post on the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog about the 141-foot Trinity motoryacht Big City, or scrolled through my exclusive interview with Capt. Barry Bramhill about the yacht’s construction and features, then you already know I found this boat to be one of the most impressive new launches at this year’s industry-only charter show in Italy. Big City had yet to perform her first charter at the time I got aboard, but she had all the right ingredients for success: experienced crew, a smart layout, and terrific charter features.
Patrick Knowles did the interior design, which is rightly described as a look of understated elegance. As he did aboard another recent Trinity launch, the 161-foot Destination Fox Harb’r Too, Knowles skipped “classically elegant” materials such as high-gloss marble and instead opted for more contemporary designs made with travertine and granite borders—creating a more natural, comfortable ambience while still maintaining a high level of sophistication. The travertine flooring in the master bathroom is heated, which is a nice detail that shows Knowles thought about function as well as form.
There is a bar on each of Big City’s decks, if you’re a lover of cocktail hours, and the one on the main deck has a spectacular top that Bramhill called “bronze granite.” It looked like antique leather to me, and I haven’t ever seen it before, anywhere. If this bar’s top had had a scent, my guess would be freshly rolled Havana cigars with a hint of well-aged scotch.
Even the galley is finished to a high level, as opposed to looking commercial and feeling like a crew area unwelcoming to guests. There is a country kitchen-style seating area inside, too, which Bramhill told me is good for early risers who want to chat with the chef over coffee or for kids who want to eat amid the crew while their parents enjoy a formal meal in the dining room.
The master cabin is on the main deck, with four guest cabins on the bottom deck. Two of the guest cabins have king-size beds and two have twin-size beds. I found the twin beds more than adequate for adults, and the bathrooms in the twin cabins were plenty big as well (though not as big as the ones in the king-bed cabins). The guest foyer on this deck has a refrigerator where guests can grab drinks and snacks, plus a washer and dryer if you prefer to do your own delicates instead of handing them over to the crew.
 Up on the bridge deck, the sky lounge has not one, but two televisions: one a 65-inch high-definition screen and the other a small flat-screen above the bar (see the photograph at right). You can sit in the beautiful embossed leather bar stools and swivel your attention from one live sporting event to another. The adjacent outdoor area has misters for hot days as well as heat for cool nights. “If we’re in Maine or Egypt,” Bramhill told me, “we’re good temperature-wise.” There’s another high-definition television here, too, and its screen was visible to me on a bright and sunny day.
The sundeck has nifty charter features as well, including a guest bathroom that eliminates the need for you to run downstairs at inopportune times. There is a commercial-grade Viking barbecue grill (“It’s like a volcano,” Bramhill says. "You can really perk up some heat!”) as well as a hot tub with misters to keep your neck cool while your muscles soak up the heat. On either side of the hot tub, all the way forward, are bench seats that let you look out over the yacht’s bow. “The owner loves to watch the sunset from here,” Bramhill told me. You also can watch television on this deck, thanks to the flat screen above the bar.
One last detail is that the entire yacht, while appearing white in some photographs, is actually a shade that the Awlgrip paint company calls oyster. It’s not pure white, but instead has a hint of beige or yellow mixed in. It’s subtle, but makes reflecting sunlight easier on the eyes—yet another great feature on a yacht that has great potential for charter.—Kim Kavin
Big City is part of the International Yacht Collection fleet. She takes 10 guests with nine crew at a lowest weekly base rate of about $233,000. Any reputable charter broker can help you book a vacation onboard.
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Nicole Caulfield is licensed, bonded, and a longtime member of FYBA and AYCA. She brings a unique perspective as a broker, having worked aboard yachts for nearly 10 years. Email Nicole
Trina Howes has 10 years of experience in the charter industry finding great pleasure in creating the best yachting vacations possible. E-mail Trina
Beverly Parsons has been chartering since 1969. She is a licensed, bonded broker and a founding member of the professional groups AYCA and CYBA International. Contact Beverly.
Sharon Bahmer is an expert at booking charters in the Americas, from Alaska to Brazil. She's also a member of FYBA and CYBA. E-mail Sharon
Shannon Webster is a longtime AYCA member. She books yachts worldwide from 80 to 400 feet long. Email Shannon
