First Impression:

Destination Fox Harb’r Too

Date toured: October 2008

I’d been hearing buzz from charter brokers about the new 161-foot Trinity motoryacht Destination Fox Harb’r Too for several weeks before I arrived for my tour at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. And the moment I stepped onboard, I understood exactly what all the excitement was about. Like the 164-foot Trinity Mine Games that wowed everyone on the Lauderdale docks this time last year, Destination Fox Harb’r Too offers an interior layout and décor that are, in a word, spectacular.

Both yachts have interiors by designer Patrick Knowles, who has made Destination Fox Harb’r Too as light, airy, and contemporary as Mine Games is ornate, heavy, and traditional. I’ll admit that my personal taste leans toward Destination Fox Harb’r Too’s natural stonework and wood grains, and that I lingered in virtually every room as I made my way around the yacht. I couldn’t help but reach out and touch everything from wallpaper to woodwork, given that Knowles had infused raw texture pretty much everywhere I looked. I saw few pieces of artwork on the walls; instead, the sheer beauty of the construction materials was allowed to shine through.

The woodwork onboard is a combination of mahogany, ebony, and lacewood. That last one was new to me, and it does indeed have a grain that looks like bits of interwoven lace. It’s gorgeous. Apparently, it’s rare to find in America and Europe because it grows almost exclusively in Australia, from which shipping costs are high. My guess is that as more yacht owners discover it, we’ll start seeing it aboard more charter yachts.

Stonework on Destination Fox Harb’r Too is a combination of granite and travertine with satin nickel detailing. One example of this is in the entry foyer on the main deck, where my bare feet felt as though they were walking on natural, polished stone instead of on the more common slippery, high-gloss slabs that so many yachts incorporate. The look is much less manmade and, some might say, less traditionally elegant, but to my eye and toes, in this age of environmentalism, the look and feel of the natural stone was a refreshing change of pace.

The same goes for some of the detailing in the guest bathrooms, which included what I can only describe as river stones suspended within clear resin that has been cut into the shape of tiles. The effect is of earthen pebbles hovering weightlessly up and down the walls where tile might otherwise be—again, a refreshingly natural look compared with many other yachts in this size range.

Guest spaces include a main-deck master suite much like the one on Mine Games, with a split-level design that puts the bed up high and facing a panoramic stretch of windows overlooking the yacht’s bow. A few steps down is the dressing area, with nine-foot ceilings. One deck below are the rest of the guest cabins, including three king-size beds and one twin-size bed cabin. That should be ideal for adult couples who want to charter together with a handful of children.

I didn’t get a chance to meet the crew onboard, so be sure to ask a reputable charter broker about the captain, chef, and others before booking. This winter will be the yacht’s first charter season, in the Caribbean, and if the crew are even half as good as the boat itself, my guess is that the waiting list for charters will be quite long.

Destination Fox Harb’r Too is part of the Northrop & Johnson fleet. She takes 12 guests with a lowest weekly base rate of $230,000.—Kim Kavin