This photo shows the roomy cockpit aboard the 63-foot sailing yacht Dulcinea, which I was aboard about a year ago following the arrival of Capt. Jon Keen and chef Hannah Davies as new crew. Now comes word from management company Nicholson Yachts that Keen is steering the yacht south as I type this, bound for the Caribbean following a substantial summer of yard work and upgrades in New England.

Dulcinea, built in 2002, looked lovely when I toured her last winter, and thus most of the upgrades were to parts of the yacht that charter guests might not notice at first glance--but that will be much appreciated under way. Work included a complete rebuild of the Yanmar engine (which is now quieter when the boat cruises under power), adding a new propeller and transmission (which makes the ride smoother with less hull vibration), adding a new Onan generator (which means the yacht is quieter when the air conditioning runs at night), upgrading the air conditioning in the saloon (where the steamy Caribbean heat is most likely to intrude through the cockpit door), and adding a new genoa (for better sailing performance).

I know these types of upgrades aren't as sexy as new furniture or cushions that look pretty in marketing photos, but trust me when I tell you that they can have far more impact on your comfort during a charter. 

Dulcinea takes as many as six guests. Her weekly base rates this winter in the Caribbean range from $17,500 for two guests to $19,500 for six guests, and include everything except taxes, dockage, communications, and crew gratuity.

Any reputable charter broker can tell you more about the recent refit or help you book a week onboard.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/hide comment form