First Impression: Aerie

Date toured: October 2009

Aerie means “eagle’s nest,” which explains the spectacular inlays of petrified wood within this 124-foot Delta motoryacht’s foyer. With a backdrop of white-hued marble, the pieces of wood look like actual feathers. It’s a built-in piece of artwork that is just as captivating today as I'm sure it was when Aerie first launched back in 2001, a special feature that you simply will not see aboard any other charter yacht, anywhere in the world.
    At the time of my tour, Aerie had moved on to her third or fourth owner, and Capt. Keith Talasek had been aboard for less than a month. The yacht, earlier in 2009, had just completed a substantial refit at the Delta yard.
    Work included new exterior paint, the addition of a KVH satellite system for 24-hour-a-day WiFi access, the addition of Quantum zero-speed stabilizers, new soft goods throughout the interior, an upgrade to the audiovisual system including Crestron controls and a MediaMax digital library, the addition of a fair lead in the bow (which helps to absorb motion when the yacht swings with the wind and current at anchor), the addition of a new dry generator exhaust system to reduce noise, new artwork and wall treatments, new flatware, china, and stemware, and new Sunbrella fabrics on the sundeck.
    In the tender department, Aerie added a new 18-foot Nautica with a custom dive platform for scuba enthusiasts. And then, in July 2009, the owners went for additional refit in Fort Lauderdale. That  included the addition of two Intellian satellite domes for high-definition television access, and cleaning and sanitizing of all air-conditioning ducts—which is important aboard any yacht, but especially one that is eight years old.
    If you want to see some 360-degree photographs of the yacht post-refit, check out this website. And note that the eagle “flying” on the top left corner of your screen is a cutout of the petrified wood design that I mentioned at the beginning of this article.
    In terms of crew, Talasek told me that he had nine years of experience aboard private yachts, and that he served as crew aboard charter yachts. His wife, Silja Laakso-Talasek, is new to charter but has worked as a caterer on land.
    Aerie was destined for the Caribbean during winter 2009-10 at a lowest weekly base rate of $60,000, and she was actively for sale at an asking price of $13.9 million. Fraser Yachts Worldwide is the management company. Check with any reputable charter broker for recent charter references as well as information about the yacht's possible sale to a new owner.—Kim Kavin