First Impression: Milk ’n Honey

Date toured: December 2007

The 125-foot motoryacht Milk ’n Honey is often booked for charters by fun-loving families. Part of the fleet at International Yacht Collection, she has both a layout and a crew that should keep adults and kids alike happy for days on end.
     She was built in 2003 by Palmer Johnson and is filled with the fine woodworking for which the shipyard’s craftsmen are known. The interior décor is light cherry and is quite comfortable, managing to be simultaneously elegant without a hint of being ornate. Sofas are so plush that they suck you right in, and artwork is colorful and lighthearted in tone. The cabins are organized as a master on the main deck with three queen-bed staterooms below, plus a kids’ cabin on the bottom deck with bunk-style berths.
     Capt. Herb Magney has earned a reputation both for handling the yacht well and for knowing how to put on a party (see photo below) that leaves smiles on faces of all ages. He has been with the yacht for a good number of years, having previously worked in service capacities for resorts including Club Med. If fun is what you want, you will find it here. He also has a good reputation for pairing food and wine, in case you’re an aficionado.
     Interestingly, Milk ’n Honey is one of the few charter yachts in the world that was built to accommodate the Jewish lifestyle. That is the owner’s faith, and he lived onboard for three years before the yacht went into charter. I didn’t immediately notice anything “Jewish” about the boat, but if you require kosher cooking and other religious elements in your living spaces, you will be able to find them here. As one reputable charter broker put it, “If you know what you’re looking for, it’s here.”
     That’s true of general yachting amenities, as well, including zero-speed stabilizers and an aft deck that can be completely enclosed to shield guests from rainy days. There is an eight-person hot tub on the top deck, along with an iPod docking station and a buzzer for requesting crew service.
     Milk ’n Honey takes 10 guests with eight crew at a weekly base rate of $100,000. For an additional security deposit of $25,000, the yacht will consider allowing pets on a case by case basis--an unusual option on a charter yacht of this caliber.—Kim Kavin