First Impression: Drumbeat

Date toured: December 2007

There are two sailing yachts here on CharterWave that go by the name Drumbeat. One is a 72-footer that does charters in the Virgin Islands. This one is a 173-footer that used to be known as Salperton, and that offers charters in the Caribbean and Mediterranean.
     In yachting circles, the name Salperton has drawn oohs and aahs since the boat originally launched in 2002 from Alloy Yachts in New Zealand. She was sold in late 2004 to a second owner, and then got her third owner in June 2007. The new owner did some interior restyling, including adding furniture and carpeting with a more contemporary flair. The current crew came onboard just after the new owner took over.
     I toured Drumbeat with her Captain, Andy Russell-Smith, who told me that the yacht would be based in Antigua this winter and then in the Eastern Mediterranean this summer, including Croatia—a current chartering hot spot, for sure. There were already a half-dozen bookings scheduled, he said, since the owner “wants the boat pretty busy.” 
     My short time onboard didn’t allow me to interview each of the crew members individually, but Russell-Smith told me that the owner likes Asian food, so he sent the chef to Thailand and Hong Kong to learn in local restaurants for about five weeks. There is also a stewardess onboard who is a massage therapist.
     When I hear things like that, it makes me believe the yacht has an owner willing to invest in good service—always a good sign for charter service, as well.
     Drumbeat takes as many as 10 guests in five cabins. The master has a king-size bed, there are two cabins with queen-size beds (one is shown in the photo above), and two cabins with twin-size beds. The twin beds are sized for adults, having recently been enlarged from 70 centimeters wide to 90 centimeters wide (from 28 inches to 36 inches). One of the twins is higher off the ground than is typical, meaning you have to hop up a bit to climb in.
    The yacht’s lowest weekly base rate is $175,000, or about $22,000 per person with typical 25-percent expenses factored in. Drumbeat is part of the fleet at Edmiston & Company. Contact any reputable charter broker to learn more.—Kim Kavin