Date toured: May 2008

The 155-foot sailing yacht MITseaAH really surprised me. I’d seen photos of her interior before getting onboard, and they promised an elegance that helps this yacht compete among the most divine sailing yachts available for charter in the world. What I didn’t expect—and what I found to be such a pleasant addition to that lovely interior—was a crew as lighthearted and fun-loving as they were professional.
     My introduction to this yacht, you see, happened to take place during a tea party that the crew put on for international charter brokers to show them the kind of fun that guests who book the yacht can experience. Certainly, the endless array of nibble-sized desserts was impressive, but it was hard to keep my eyes on them and off the crew, who were dressed as superheroes to keep the afternoon full of laughs for all the guests. The chief stewardess was Wonder Woman, the deckhand was Superman, and even the chef, down in the galley, donned a Zorro hat and cape (watch this vidcast for a look at that unusual sight).
     I can’t tell you how much that kind of attitude adds to the fun of a charter vacation, and how refreshing it is to see onboard a yacht as classy as MITseaAH. Built in 2004, she looks nearly as perfect as she did the day she launched thanks to an owner who uses her quite a bit, from what I’m told, and thus invests heavily in her upkeep. That included a yard period that kept MITseaAH out of charter during the winter 2007 season (she needed some $4 million in mast repairs, according to the crew) before she made her way over to Europe to charter for summer 2008.
     The crew told me the owner has used the yacht so much in the past that it made squeezing in charter time a bit challenging. Now, he is more keen to make the yacht available for charter clients, which bodes well for anyone who wants to take advantage of MITseaAH’s special features, including a large hot tub on the foredeck. The owner’s kids and grandkids apparently love it, and because they’re onboard regularly, the crew say they are used to dealing with children, including having important safety gear such as kid-sized life jackets (in addition to all those superhero masks and capes).
     MITseaAH’s brochure lists her as taking as many as 11 guests, but the crew told me six adults with four or five children is ideal. The master cabin is quite large, but some of those 11 beds are bunk-style Pullman berths, and one of the cabins is actually a study that converts. During my tour, I thought I would have been comfortable in any of the rooms, but the crew certainly know better than I do how comfortable people will feel during an entire week onboard.
     One last thing I’d like to mention is that MITseaAH’s interior has an interesting feature: display cases set right into the walls, as they might be in a home onshore. I’ve not seen that done to this extent on a yacht before, and it’s a lovely effect, not only in terms of the items it allows to be on display, but because it truly does make the yacht seem like a private vacation home instead of just another boat.
MITseaAH is bound for the Caribbean this coming winter, when she likely will be based in Antigua. Her lowest weekly base rate is $147,000 with seven crew, and she’s part of the fleet at Burgess Yachts.    Contact any reputable charter broker to learn more.—Kim Kavin