First Impression: Haida G

Date toured: May 2008

Editor’s Note: The photographs accompanying this review are brochure images supplied by charter company Ocean Independence. The company requested that our editor not take photos while onboard the yacht, as is typically done for CharterWave reviews.

A person would have to be made of stone not to love the 233-foot motoryacht Haida G. She’s one of those classics that envelops you the moment you step onboard, making you feel far more like a Golden Age movie star than a contemporary rock star. She is the harbor-side lawn of the New York Yacht Club’s Newport mansion, as opposed to a penthouse suite in a Las Vegas high-rise hotel. In short, this steel and teak beauty is evidence that good construction and classic taste never go out of style.
     She has quite a history, dating all the way back to her original launch in 1929. The millionaire yeast producer Max C. Fleischmann commissioned her and eventually sold her to the U.S. Navy in 1940. She remained in military service until 1946, when the Egyptian cotton magnate Maurice Ada returned her to use as a private yacht. Loel Guinness bought her in 1969, and then sold her in 1979 to film producer Robert Stigwood. She sold again in 1981, to a Greek owner, and then again in 1999 to her current owner.
     He undertook a refit that ended in 2006 with Haida G looking at once sparkling new and gorgeously vintage. She has tons of wood throughout, as befits a yacht of her age, along with plenty of beige and gold tones with red flashes amid her white walls, making her ambience a combination of cozy and regal. I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but I can’t think of any better way to describe it. I would have felt comfortable sinking into one of her sofas and putting my feet up, just as a king or queen might in their favorite parlor.
     One thing the owner did not replace was Haida G’s engines, which, to the best knowledge of those who have researched such things, are the oldest working diesels onboard any commercial yacht, anywhere in the world. They’re fascinating to see, and I felt as though I was enjoying a museum tour as one of the crew members showed me everything from the pistons to the antique oil cans. As with Haida G herself, this engineroom is proof that if you build something right from the start, it can last generations.
     Good parties, of course, never go out of style, and Haida G has a top deck that seems custom-made for them. In fact, the yacht hosted a party for dozens of people during the industry-only charter show in Genoa, and it was barely noticeable from the dock, given how large and secluded the boat’s top deck is. Privacy, unlike gold or diamonds, certainly holds its value in any year. I could imagine myself enjoying this part of the yacht with a small group, too, as there is a large projector screen where you can watch movies under the stars while sitting on Haida G’s large sunbed or in her hot tub.
    One note I would make about Haida G is that because she is a vintage design, some of her staircases are more difficult to navigate than the newer, wider, composite types onboard modern launches. I didn’t have any problem getting around, but I did feel the need to go slowly more than once—and anyone who is mobility impaired might find traversing between levels a bit challenging.
     I must say, though, I would have been disappointed had the recent refit included the addition of more modern staircases, as they would ruin the overall effect this yacht creates. Haida G is a true lady, to be appreciated as much as a living legacy as for the charter experiences she currently offers.
    Haida G has a lowest weekly base rate of 175,000 euro for 12 guests with 15 crew. Contact any reputable charter broker to learn more, or check out the yacht’s own website, which contains more photos and information about her storied history.—Kim Kavin