First Impression: Anna J

Date toured: May 2011

Anna J is a 120-foot, 2000 build from Palmer Johnson that previously charter by the name Mostro. She got a new owner in 2010 who immediately set out to change her entire interior. In May 2011, when I got onboard, Anna J had just emerged from a €1.5-million refit and was preparing to re-enter the charter market with her new name and new, contemporary décor.

Previously, the yacht had lots of light-brown wood that looked dated compared to newer builds. Now, Anna J has dark wood throughout. The stain is best described as gray-brown, and it is accented by dark marble countertops in the main salon, a mirrored wall in the formal dining room, and light-colored furniture that creates an ambience of masculine chic.

“The owner changed everything that wasn’t built in,” chief stewardess Coria Massari explained. “He left the things that were built in, but he did not leave them the same. He changed the fabrics on the bulkheads, the tops on built-in furniture, pretty much everything that guests can see. And it was all done in 11 months—a real championship job.”

One important change that charter guests cannot see, but that will affect them greatly, is the addition of sleeping quarters that will allow Anna J to increase from four to five crew members. The owner has also ordered a 30-foot tender that the yacht will tow, and the tender’s cabin will make it possible for a sixth crew member to be aboard during charters. With as many as nine guests being accommodated in four guest cabins, a six-person crew will be a substantial improvement compared with a four-person crew.

Outside, Anna J now has a teak sundeck (it used to be painted nonskid) as well as all new cushions and fabrics in the guest lounging areas. On the main level, a new swim platform rises and falls hydraulically, creating a personalized diving board, an underwater teach beach, and an easy landing spot for swimmers and Jet Skis. The crew call the new platform “the transformer,” and rightly so.

Anna J’s own transformation is not quite complete; the owner intends to refit the crew areas next, and a few final items are still on their way for charter, including an inflatable slide that was scheduled to arrive in time for the summer 2011 season. Anna J is expected to cruise primarily in the Eastern Mediterranean, with opportunities to book charters in Montenegro, Greece, Croatia, and Turkey.

Anna J is part of the International Yacht Collection charter fleet. Her lowest weekly base rate for eight or nine guests is about $94,000. Any reputable charter broker can tell you more or help you book a week onboard.—Kim Kavin