First Impression: Apache II

Date toured: May 2011

Few charter yachts are promoted with “party charters” in mind, but the crew aboard the 144-foot Baglietto motoryacht Apache II are not shy about the matter. The yacht was built in 2009 to accommodate either quiet family vacations or big, at-the-dock galas, with a massive sundeck and a formal dining room that sits between not one, but two balconies that fold out of the yacht’s hull on both sides.

“We are a party boat as well as a family boat,” a stewardess told me as I toured Apache II. “We’ve had young, Russian clients who like to have big events, and we had 12 nights with parties on the dock last year in Cannes, France. We are ready for those kinds of charter clients, as well as for families who want a more relaxed experience.”

While Apache II can accommodate as many as 100 guests for parties at the dock, the maximum for overnight stays is 10 or 12 guests in five cabins. The master is on the main deck forward and features a spectacular walk-through shower with skylights and rain shower sprays. Belowdeck are two cabins with king-size beds and two cabins that each have a pair of twin-size beds plus a single, bunk-style Pullman berth.

Capt. Jean Pierre Nario—a 24-year veteran of Mediterranean cruising—told me that Apache II’s best qualities are that she is fast, stable, and comfortable. The yacht is equipped with zero-speed stabilizers, and Nario says the soundproofing is good throughout the build. With a 25-knot cruising speed, Apache II can get charter clients from Cannes or Monaco to the island of Corsica in about four hours, which is a good two hours faster than a more typical motoryacht whose cruising speed is 15 knots.

“At 25 knots, we burn 1,500 liters of fuel per hour,” Nario told me. “Yes, that number is high. But if a boat does 12 knots and burns 750 liters per hour, it looks better in the brochure, but it is the same amount of fuel that the charter client pays for overall—and Apache II has arrived much faster at the destination.”

To complement Apache II’s sleek exterior styling, she has an interior décor filled with limed oak and amenities such as televisions that look like mirrors when they’re not in use. I thought the styling was reminiscent of a luxury beach spa. To me, the yacht had a lovely zen feeling about it, at least when a hundred people weren’t milling about with cocktails in hand.

The lowest weekly base rate to charter Apache II is €130,000. Edmiston and Company is the management house, and any reputable charter broker can help you book a week onboard.—Kim Kavin