First Impression: Ad Astra

Date toured: November 2007

I’m going to let you in on a little secret here: Boat shows make me tired. I typically get onboard at least 10 yachts each day, and at shows like the one in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, a lot of the yachts are exactly the same size and layout. They can all start to look alike, and blend together, and, well, make me want to head to the beach for a swim instead of to yet another yacht for yet another tour. I imagine it’s the same for you charter clients as you try to make heads or tails of countless brochures that all look alike.
     This is the frame of mind I was in just before I saw the 57-footer Ad Astra at this year’s Tortola boat show. I was, quite frankly, not in the mood to see yet another sailing catamaran. I was just about to pass Ad Astra by when a reputable broker I trust stopped me on the dock and said, “Don’t you dare leave this show without seeing that boat. The crew are so impressive, I can’t wait to book it.”
     And so, thankfully, I climbed aboard and spent some time getting to know the delightful, South African couple who serve as crew. Barry Miller and Bridget Kane-Berman, I’m sure, were also exhausted after a full week of hosting tours onboard Ad Astra, but they were fresh as flowers with enthusiastic attitudes and warm smiles. That’s an excellent sign that they’ll hold up well during even the most trying of charters, and their welcoming attitudes made me feel immediately comfortable and at home.
     The boat, whose name is Latin for “Reach for the Stars,” was built in 1998 and has been in charter ever since. The current owner bought her a year and a half ago and put her into the CharterPortBVI fleet. Barry and Bridget had been onboard just six months when I met them. Previously, they worked for the Virgin Islands charter company Tradewinds, taking 10 guests for charters on a 45-footer. This coming winter will be their first onboard Ad Astra, combining what they’ve learned about the cruising area with the level of service expected in her more exclusive price range.
     “We are here to deliver what they want,” Bridget said of future charter clients. “We are really invested in giving them a good time.”
     Both Bridget and Barry are licensed dive masters, and they take the “briefing” approach to charter itself. For instance, Bridget stands on Ad Astra’s bow with guests as they enter every new anchorage, explaining the harbor’s layout, its history, and anything else the guests need to know in order to make the most of their visit.
     “We want to be ambassadors for the BVI,” she says, “be it hiking, snorkeling, beaches, everything.”
     The yacht carries kayaks, wakeboards, kneeboards, tubes, and windsurfers to help guests make the most of their time in the islands. There’s WiFi onboard for Internet access, plus iPod docks and a flat-screen television in the main saloon. There are no TVs in the guest cabins, but each room does have its own air-conditioning control, a nice feature onboard a boat this size. Three of the cabins have queen-size beds, and the fourth has a twin bed, all with en suite bathrooms. The twin cabin is ideal for kids, as it abuts the crew quarters.
     Bridget does the cooking onboard, and, as she put it, “I like to have a menu that encompasses all meats, fish and poultry, and I will do low-fat menus, but I don’t hold back on desserts. I can do sushi on request, and I can cook with a Thai influence. I believe guests like to have traditional food, but with a local flair, so I give things a Caribbean twist.”
     Ad Astra’s weekly, all-inclusive rate (including 10 scuba dives a week if you want them, but not equipment) ranges from $12,900 for four guests to $16,900 for eight guests. That’s about $2,100 per person with a full boat. Any reputable charter broker can help you book a week onboard.—Kim Kavin.