First Impression: Blind Date

Date toured: October 2009

August 2011 update: Blind Date is now part of the charter fleet at International Yacht Collection.

Patrick Knowles is my favorite interior designer working aboard yachts today.

There. I’ve said it. Damn the consequences.

The thing is, I can’t help myself. What Knowles is doing in tandem with builder Trinity Yachts has kept me impressed since October 2007, when I stepped aboard the 164-foot Mine Games. Now, if I’m being completely honest, I must tell you that the décor aboard Mine Games is not my personal taste. It is beyond elegant and downright ornate, with layers of gold and paint and marble and fabric so beautifully arranged that I was afraid to touch anything. Yet despite my personal preferences for the more contemporary and casual, the designer’s work was exquisite. I made a mental note about Knowles at that time and awaited his next offering.

Fast forward one year to October 2008, when I got aboard the 161-foot Trinity Destination Fox Harb’r Too. I would step aboard this yacht again that December, and again in summer 2009 for several days of cruising. Each time I got aboard, I saw something new about the décor that I loved. This yacht was nearly a polar opposite of Mine Games, with natural stone and woodwork used as the interior’s highlights, and comfortable elegance the order of the day. It was this boat that moved Knowles up another notch in my mental list of interior designers, as he had shown great range as well as something that tickled my personal sensibilities.

Add another year, and it’s October 2009, which is when I stepped aboard the 161-foot Trinity Blind Date. This is the yacht that sealed Knowles’ top spot on my personal list, as it not only once again was entirely different from anything he had shown before, but also made this particular yacht look and feel unique compared with the similarly laid-out Destination Fox Harb’r Too. I thought, having spent so much time aboard the latter, that I would not be impressed with the new launch. Instead, I once again saw new things at every turn thanks to Knowles’ work on the interior décor, which is a welcoming blend of soft blues and grays bathed in shimmering and textured fabrics.

I happened to see Knowles aboard Blind Date and congratulated him, watching his smile shine almost as brightly as the yacht’s newly painted hull. An even bigger smile, though, was on the face of Blind Date’s owner, who sat with me for this exclusive interview about what he feels separates Blind Date not just from other 161-foot Trinity builds, but also from other charter yachts in the same size range.

His pride and joy is the master cabin (shown in the photograph below), which is the same split-level design that Trinity has used before, only laid out differently. Typically, the bed is on the upper level while the sitting area is below. Aboard Blind Date, it’s the bed that’s below with the seating area up, perfectly positioned for lounging with a private view over the yacht’s bow.

It’s important to note that the owner was a longtime charter client himself before buying his first motoryacht (a 135-foot Lurssen, also called Blind Date), and it is key to him that guests take care of his crew with ample gratuities. “We’ve never had an unsatisfied charter client,” he told me, “but we did have one who left the crew only a 2-percent gratuity, even though he said he'd had a terrific time. That made me livid. I have always taken care of the crew when I chartered boats, and I expect our charter clients to take care of my crew just the same.”

Some of the crew aboard this Blind Date came from the previous boat, including chef Eduardo Garcia, who continues to receive high marks from guests, according to management company Peter Insull’s. That should help to make for service and standards well worthy of the highest gratuities.

Blind Date has a lowest weekly base rate of $235,000 for 10 to 12 guests with 10 crew. She will be in the Caribbean this winter and is expected to cruise in New England during summer 2010. Any reputable charter broker can help you book a week onboard.—Kim Kavin