Date toured: December 2007

The thing most people notice first about the 143-foot motoryacht Starship is that she carries a helicopter on her top deck. It looks like a super-nifty charter feature, but the crew tells me it’s not typically part of guests’ onboard experiences. You can arrange to use it at a separate rate from the yacht’s, if you’d like, but in general, the only place you’re going to see it flying is in this yacht’s brochure.
Luckily, that’s the opposite of all the other great toys and amenities onboard—including Jet Skis, Vespa motor scooters, a 28-foot Intrepid tender for fishing and water sports, a separate 18-foot dinghy for more water sports, a windsurfer, and two kayaks. And you can watch your friends or kids using any or all of them from two L-shaped couches with cocktail tables on the yacht’s swim platform, an unusual feature that I have never seen aboard another charter yacht.
I could rave about the elegance of Starship’s interior, or about the repeated rave reviews I hear from reputable charter brokers about her captain, Jesse Badger, but to be honest, the thing I love most onboard this yacht is the flooring inside its pilothouse. I showed some photos of it on the CharterWave Editor’s Blog back in January, when I explained how craftsmen inlayed dozens of types of wood to create murals right there within the flooring. They’re absolutely gorgeous, and incredibly memorable. They were done as part of a refit the owner undertook a few years ago to ensure the yacht was properly outfitted for charter.
The cabin configuration on this charter yacht is two with king-size beds, one with a queen-size bed and a bunk-style Pullman berth (ideal for a nanny and children), and one with large, twin-size beds.
Starship is based in New England this summer, and in the Caribbean this winter. The owner is aiming for six or seven weeks of charter each season, and there was still availability when I saw the boat in June 2008 at the Newport charter show.
The lowest weekly base rate is $125,000 for 10 guests with nine crew. Starship is part of the fleet at The Sacks Group Yachting Professionals. Contact any reputable charter broker to learn more.—Kim Kavin