 First Impression: Inukshuk
Date toured: December 2009
Inukshuk is a word from the Inuit language that means milestone. It is central to the culture’s ability to navigate in the frozen tundra of the Arctic, referring to points in the ice the way boaters might refer to day markers along a canal. The word breaks down as “Inuk,” which means person, and “shuk,” which means substitute. So, literally, a substitute for a person who can show you the way.
Luckily aboard the 82-foot Swan sailing yacht Inukshuk, no substitutes are needed. This yacht is a new launch from the same owner as the 63-foot sailing yacht Extraordinary, which is no longer chartering as it awaits a new owner. Capt. Ian Fagg from Extraordinary is now running Inukshuk, having gotten aboard when the boat launched in April 2009 and spent the yacht’s first summer working on final construction details at the Hinckley shipyard in New England.
“We haven’t done a single charter on this yacht yet,” he told me as we sat in Inukshuk’s spacious cockpit in December 2009. “This Caribbean season will be our first.”
Fagg’s girlfriend, Nikki Collins, served as chef aboard Extraordinary and will be in the galley aboard Inukshuk as well. They are not sure how many of their former charter guests will be interested in the new yacht—Inukshuk’s weekly base rate is $39,500, versus Extraordinary’s far lower $16,500—but they are both hopeful that new and former clients alike will enjoy all the things they so far have come to love about the new yacht.
“This boat is an entirely different league than Extraordinary,” Fagg told me. “The price is a big jump. But she sure is beautiful, and her layout is better for charter than Extraordinary’s was.”
Management company Camper & Nicholsons International is marketing Inukshuk as taking eight guests, which the yacht is designed to accommodated in four cabins. One has a queen bed, one has a double bed, and two have twin beds. However, Fagg told me, “based on our having three crew, and with the level of service we aspire to provide, I think six guests would be ideal.”
Inukshuk is expected to spend the winter all over the Caribbean before chartering in New England and Maine for summer 2010. Any reputable charter broker can tell you more or help you book a week onboard.—Kim Kavin
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DJ Parker has been a leader in the charter industry since 1980. She is currently president of the American Yacht Charter Association. E-mail DJ
Nicole Caulfield is licensed, bonded, and a longtime member of FYBA and AYCA. She brings a unique perspective as a broker, having worked aboard yachts for nearly 10 years. Email Nicole
Beverly Parsons has been chartering since 1969. She is a licensed, bonded broker and a founding member of the professional groups AYCA and CYBA International. Contact Beverly.
Trina Howes has 10 years of experience in the charter industry finding great pleasure in creating the best yachting vacations possible. E-mail Trina
Shannon Webster is a longtime AYCA member. She books yachts worldwide from 80 to 400 feet long. Email Shannon
Sharon Bahmer is an expert at booking charters in the Americas, from Alaska to Brazil. She's also a member of FYBA and CYBA. E-mail Sharon
