Yacht
Melinka was built as a 76-footer by the well-known company Nautor Swan, with design by the legendary naval architecture firm Sparkman & Stephens. Her launch date is 1981, and her transom was extended in 1995, making her an even 80 feet long.
     The transom extension does not compromise her sailing ability, and it adds a lovely sunbathing area behind the working cockpit so guests can lounge out of the crew’s way, even when the boat is under sail.
     She went through an extensive refit in 2003, and as of late 2006 was in virtually pristine condition with MCA Code certification for charter. She oozes class the way a finely aged brandy oozes smoothness, with deep, rich woods complemented by traditional red and blue fabrics. Even Melinka’s stationery and dinner plates scream gentleman’s yacht, featuring the crisscrossed flags of the New York Yacht Club and the Royal Yacht Squadron.
     Melinka is comfortable to be onboard, though you’ll feel an instant desire to treat her with respect because her owner clearly does the same. The yacht definitely has a presence, but one that’s just as welcoming as it is impressive.

Crew
Mate Jace Hector, a native of Antigua, has been onboard since mid-2003—the longest of any crew member onboard. He hasn’t done much chartering, but he knows the yacht inside and out—and he’s quite personable, which bodes well for how he’ll handle guests onboard. “I like to take people sailing and see them enjoy it,” he told me with a smile. And I believed him.
     Capt. Forrest Shropshire has a long and loyal history in boating, having worked for just three yacht owners during his entire career. One boss, he stayed with for 17 full years. The New York State native has cruised to Newfoundland, Greenland, Ireland and Scotland in the north, in addition to covering much of New England’s waters. Down south, he’s cruised the Virgin Islands and Caribbean, Venezuela’s coast, the Panama Canal, the San Blas Islands and Belize. From 1985 until 1992, he did charters on a 60-foot sloop based in Antigua, completing about five weeks of bookings each year.
     In other words, he’s been around and knows how to handle a boat in virtually any conditions you might encounter. He’s also a darn nice guy who knows how to make guests feel welcome, based on the two days we spent getting to know him.

Chef
The third member of Melinka’s crew is chef Sam Gordon, a native of Savannah, Georgia, who holds a photography degree from Prescott College in Arizona. While she was working on that bachelor’s, she did a side job cooking lunches in a health food restaurant. Eventually, she decided that she could combine the presentation skills she learned in her photo classes with the cooking skills she learned at the restaurant—and get paid to see the world while doing it.
      A yacht chef was born.
     “Sam was always cooking for the same people, for 10 days at a time, and coming back two weeks later to do it all again,” Capt. Shropshire recalls of her work with him on the sailing yacht Valkyrie. “So she had to really expand on good food and presentation.”
     She learned quite a lot, based on the dinner we enjoyed. Our appetizer was a bib lettuce salad with poached pears, cucumber and bleu cheese. Sam followed that with a main course of fresh wahoo (caught that day) with tomato and avocado salsa, mashed sweet potatoes, and steamed peas. Our dessert was a delicious key lime pie.
     “I’m a firm believer that if you like what you’re doing, you’ll do it well,” she told us as we nearly licked our plates clean. “And I like to eat, too. That’s the key.”
 
Accommodations
The three guest cabins onboard Melinka are nicely separated from the crew areas by the main saloon, so you’ll have plenty of privacy.
     All the way aft in the yacht’s stern is the master, with twin berths laid out in a V-format. The two other guest cabins are just forward of the master, each with upper-lower bunk berths and individual en suite bathrooms.
     The beds, though not doubles or queens, are nicely sized for single adults to sleep in. Couples who don’t mind sleeping apart should be quite comfortable at night.

Destination
We caught up with Melinka on the Caribbean island of Antigua, one of the most recognized charter yacht bases in all of the Leeward Islands. It’s big enough to use as your entire destination for a weeklong charter, simply poking in and out of the various harbors and coves as you circumnavigate, or you can use it as a base to reach destinations including Barbuda, St. Barth’s and Anguilla.
     Melinka’s home base is The Catamaran Club, which is off the beaten path a bit, across Falmouth Harbour from more sizable marinas such as The Antigua Yacht Club. Still, the Cat Club, as it’s known locally, is a lovely spot to begin and end a charter. It has a lively bar and restaurant, and because it’s a good 40-minute drive from the island’s airport, you will feel like you are in the real part of the island instead of in the tourist zone. Cruise ships don’t come here, and the hotels are few and far between.