Having set down some thoughts on the classic yacht scene, I would like to add some comments on SAPPHIRE, the largest yacht in our fleet at 100′ and a pristine modern classic to boot. SAPPHIRE was launched in 1996, but her appearance is more akin to the Cruising Club of America designs of 1950’s and 60’s. Her dark blue hull, flush teak decks accentuated by white dorade vents, varnished trim with a graceful house and cockpit aft recall a bygone era. Yet her classic appearance belies sparkling performance under sail provided by a modern underbody and state of the art rig and sail handling systems. She is at once graceful, yet extremely comfortable for up to eight guests, in four private staterooms, each with it’s own head ensuite. Her systems include every modern convenience for the comfort and safety of guests and crew alike. And if you are lucky enough to spend a relaxing week aboard you will feel rejuvenated, ready to resume your hectic life, but savoring the time spent at a more leisurely pace and looking forward to your next SAPPHIRE Adventure. For more details on SAPPHIRE go to www.nymyachts.com.        

Last week I wrote briefly on the classics. This weekend the latest edition of WoodenBoat magazine arrived and it contained a variety of features on exactly the same subject. What a delight for anyone interested in beautiful wooden objects that float and sail. My mission today is to get people looking at a couple of the beautiful classics we have in our fleet, with an eye to generating some interest in a charter down the road. LION’S WHELP is a classic gentleman’s motoryacht, 83′ in length overall. She accommodates six overnight guests, in three cabins and as is typical of many of the classics the master cabin has it’s own head ensuite, while the two guest cabins share a head. LION’S WHELP cruises at a sedate ten knots and has a top speed of around 14 knots. She will draw envious looks regardless of the anchorage you’re in and people are likely to come over to chat with Captain Dave Thompson, as he has been a fixture aboard for many years and is well known up and down the coast. A detailed brochure on LION’S WHELP can be found online at www.charterbrochure.com/lionswhelp. The other classic I would like to mention is BURMA, a true 58′ motorsailer, designed by R. O. Davis, a protege of William Hand and impeccably built by the Nevins yard in City Island in 1950. BURMA is currently owned and cared for by Michael McMenemy and I can’t think of a person more perfectly suited to preserve and enhance the value of a classic yacht. Michael has spent the majority of his working life as a major construction project manager; he is not only detail oriented in his approach to a project, but he also happens to possess a number of the unique hands on skills required to keep an older wooden boat functioning flawlessly. Michael is so well thought of by his peers in the wooden boat world that he will again be teaching a course aboard BURMA on the WoodenBoat School Summer Curriculum. There are few people as knowledgable about the arcane art of motorsailing and the coast of Maine as Michael McMenemy. If you are interested in spending time with a true renaissance type character and gaining a unique perspective on life, think about a cruise along the coast of MAINE aboard BURMA. She can be found online at www.atlanticpacificcharters.com or give me a call at NYM, 401-683-1616, as you can proably tell, I love chatting about boats.       

There are a number of different categories within the realm of the private charter yacht world; classic yachts, both sail and power, comprise one of several subsets. Of late the classics have generated great appeal both here in New England as well as in the Med. In the last few years a number of aging vessels have been saved, restored to a very high standard and a whole new group, loosely described as modern classics, has come into existence. I am a real fan of the classics and modern classics. Perhaps this is because of my age, or as a result of observing numbers of them sailing into Edgartown Harbor as a kid or as a student of yacht design contemplating their graceful profiles in my mind and trying to evoke the same feeling on a piece of paper or more likely a combination of all of all of these things. What I have learned however is that although the science of yacht design has advanced considerably over the years there is still a significant element of art in every vessel created. Contemplating a true classic at anchor imparts a sense of well being, creating a harmonious feeling that all is right with the world. If day to day stress seems to dominate your life perhaps you need to consider a break aboard a classic yacht. What could be better for you than a week in the waters of Southern New England, enjoying a sparkling sail or exploring a new anchorage with friends or family and getting back in touch with lifes’ basic values. We are prepared to help you create the vacation of a lifetime experience. A simple email to trowe@nymyachts.com will start the process.     

While chatting with Kim last week and receiving instructions from her on how to begin our blog, I recalled a cartoon from several years ago showing a dog riding a unicycle, on a high wire, holding a balance bar on which several mice were dancing, with a chair on his head, and a cat on the chair, juggling several balls. The caption said that although Fred was an accomplished performer, he couldn’t help but think that he was indeed an old dog and this was a very new trick! In this picture I am Fred. I have grown up around the water and never lived very far from it. I have had an all consuming love affair with yachts since I was old enough to begin to learn to sail and I am fortunate enough to have been in the yacht charter business since the mid 1980’s. This blog is the new trick. I hope to share random bits of useful information with you from time to time and look forward to hearing from anyone concerning all things nautical.