First Impression: Conundrum

Update January 2008: I met the  new crew onboard this yacht,    Capt. Jonny Spector and chef Meredith Hester, in November.  They struck me as having the service skills and charter-industry knowledge that my original review said was lacking onboard this boat. In the past two months, they have had several successful charters, including one whose clients already booked another week onboard. That's what I like to see and hear, and it bodes well for this charter yacht being a real success in the future.--Kim Kavin


Date toured: December 2006

To be honest, if I didn’t know the owner of the 62-foot sailing yacht Conundrum, I might not have selected the yacht to be featured in the First Impressions section of CharterWave. This yacht was not quite up to its potential based on my first impression—but I am quite confident based on the owner’s expertise that Conundrum will be a contender in the market very soon, and that in the interim, she’s probably a good bet for a nicely priced entry-level charter deal.
     Conundrum made her public debut at the Antigua charter yacht show. It was one among hundreds of yachts on display, and its brand-new two-person crew were still learning the basics of how the boat and the charter business worked. Capt. Van Noorden is a lifelong sailor who’s done a few deliveries (meaning he took boats from one place to another on temporary assignments), but he’s never done a charter with guests. Chef/stewardess Colleen Walker has been in and out of boating for the past three years, but always onboard private yachts or those offering day charters as opposed to full weeklong vacations. They were both new to Conundrum, as well as to each other, and were still finding their rhythm of teamwork when I met them.
     The yacht itself was built in 1981 and had a single owner for all of its first 25 years—an owner who loved to sail. Conundrum was heavily cruised, having circumnavigated once or twice and performing at least a dozen transatlantic crossings.
     “She’s a proven boat,” as Van put it. “She’s seen some miles.”
     That’s an accurate way of saying she’s safe and substantial in terms of construction, a fun boat to cruise onboard. It’s also a kind way of saying her interior is not as modern or unblemished as a newer yacht’s might be.
     For instance, the master cabin is aft with a double bed plus a twin bed, as well as a private shower and separate head compartment. There is a ladder—and it is a ladder, not a staircase—up to the stern of the yacht, behind the main cockpit seating area.
     Three other cabins are forward, one with bunk beds and a wet head (a combination toilet/shower stall) that serves double-duty as the day head for guests to use while the boat is under way. The second forward cabin has a bathroom that adjoins the third cabin, so guests in those two cabins have to share facilities. Most of the onboard toilets are electric, but one is manual, meaning you have to pump it out after every use.
     None of this is ideal for charter, but will be perfectly fine for guests who are used to being onboard boats and who truly love to sail.
     “This boat will appeal to casual cruisers,” as Van put it. “We share the same space. Anyone looking for a clear division of guests and crew probably won’t be thrilled. Ideally, probably, we’re suited for four guests. Two couples, one in the master and one in the forward cabin.”
     Like I said, everything’s not quite perfect yet onboard Conundrum, but given the crew’s enthusiasm and the owner’s intense knowledge of the charter industry, I think this boat may be a good bet in the future. Right now, she’s certainly a good deal, charging $10,000 a week for two guests, $12,000 a week for four, and $14,000 a week for six (including all your food and ship’s bar).
      Conundrum is part of the fleet at Nicholson Yachts. Contact any reputable charter broker to book your vacation onboard.—Kim Kavin