First Impression: Emerald Star

Date toured: December 2007

I was quite excited to get onboard the 141-foot motoryacht Emerald Star, since she had just been delivered to her owner in October as the first-ever in a new series of 43-meter yachts from Italian builder CRN. There has been a lot of industry buzz surrounding the design—with ten of the yachts being sold before the first one was even completed. With two 43-meters expected to be launched every year, some of the first owners will have to wait five years to take delivery of their 20.9-million-euro yachts.
     Not so charter clients, who can get onboard right now, with Emerald Star available immediately in the Caribbean and then this coming summer in the Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of $175,000.
      “The nice thing was that we spoke about doing charter when the boat was under construction,” Capt. Ian Carter told me as he showed me around. “We got the chance to make things perfect for charter. Like the tender—it was supposed to be five and a half meters, but instead, now we have space for a 21-foot Castoldi [jet boat], the Rolls-Royce of tenders, so that all the guests can go ashore together.”
     One of the most innovative features onboard Emerald Star is in the spacious, main-deck master suite. “The owner’s wife likes fresh air in her cabin,” Carter explained, “so we have a balcony in the master cabin with a sliding glass door that opens up.” It’s a terrific little nook, something I’ve never before seen on a motoryacht. (See the photo at right.)
     Less exciting a feature in the master, but just as interesting for charter, is that there is a space beneath the master bed to stow the owner’s mattress—so charter guests can be assured they are sleeping on their own guest mattress. Again, not something I’ve seen on any other yacht.
     Even things that guests won’t see were built with charter in mind, to enhance the crew’s ability to provide top-notch service. “I built the galley with all the fridges and freezers on the same level,” Carter explained, “so the stewardesses aren’t always having to run downstairs to collect things.”
     Ideally, Emerald Star will take 10 guests with 10 crew, but there is a Pullman-style bunk for an 11th guest, such as a child or a nanny. There are two identical VIP cabins with king-size beds, one regular guest cabin with a king-size bed, and a fourth guest cabin with twin beds. Each of the four guest cabins was slightly reduced in size to enlarge the en suite bathrooms, so that even in the cabin with twin-size beds, the shower is large enough to include a seat.
     There is a Kaleidescape entertainment system onboard for digital music and movies, plus the satellite systems SkyTV in Europe and DirecTV in the Caribbean. WiFi is available throughout the yacht, and Carter told me VSAT was scheduled to be installed to reduce the price of Internet access for charter guests. Emerald Star was built with gyro stabilizers instead of the more popular zero-speeds, and Carter says that will be no problem in terms of guest comfort in rough seas.
     “We’ll never sleep in an anchorage slopping around,” as he put it. “I’ll cruise slowly thorugh the night to keep the boat stable, if need be.”
     Carter himself has previously commanded well-known charter yachts including the 187-foot Princess Tanya and the 180-foot Princess Lauren. I did not get a chance to meet any other crew members, though Carter said that chef Tim McDonald had just come aboard that very week, having previously worked onboard the 157-foot charter motoryacht Marathon.
     Emerald Star was not entirely ready for guests during my tour, with bare walls still awaiting the owner’s artwork and a few items still requiring final fit-out, such as stateroom watertight door openings and sliding door alignments. Still, I found the boat’s light cherry interior and leather accents quite welcoming, and I could easily imagine guests enjoying outdoor amenities such as the top-deck hot tub and the fold-down swim deck across from an air-conditioned gym.
     If you’re interested in chartering Emerald Star, my advice is to contact a reputable charter broker today. She’s truly one-of-a-kind on the world market right now, and Carter says the owner is going to allow only about four weeks of charter per season in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, as part of the Camper & Nicholsons International fleet.—Kim Kavin