First Impression: Natalia

Date toured: May 2011

June 2012 Editor's Note: Natalia is now part of the Ocean Independence charter fleet.

Natalia is a 120-foot Palmer Johnson motoryacht that originally launched in 2005 with the name Stanley. She was kept private until 2009, when she got her current owner and entered the charter market. Since then, Capt. Troy Norton told me, she’s averaged five or six weeks of charter each year.

One of Natalia’s top attributes is her speed, which is fast for her size. She has a top speed of 27 knots, a cruising speed of 21 knots, and a delivery speed of 15 knots. Her fuel burn at those speeds ranges from a top end of 1,200 liters per hour to 300 liters per hour—costs that charter guests would be wise to keep in mind as they decide just how quickly they want to zip from one marina to the next.

Natalia is advertised as taking eight guests with five crew, but Norton told me that if all the guests are adults, then a party of six is actually ideal. There’s a king-bed master cabin plus two queen-bed cabins, all of which are great for couples. The fourth sleeping area is actually a belowdecks foyer that converts to a cabin when a sliding door is closed. The sofa inside converts to upper-and-lower bunks that are ideal for two children, or for a child and a nanny.

I enjoyed a nicely prepared lunch onboard and can enthusiastically recommend chef Casey Glover. He’s the first charter-yacht chef ever to find the time and courage to serve me pork bellies, and he prepared them so perfectly that I believe he could cook just about anything that a charter guest might desire.

Natalia is part of the charter fleet at International Yacht Collection. Her lowest weekly base rate is about $130,000. Any reputable charter broker can tell you more or help you book a week onboard.—Kim Kavin