Yacht Charters GONE WILD

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Each of these charter yachts are luxury vessels in their own right, but they’re also equipped for big adventure.
ULTIMATE ANGLING ADVENTURE
For the very competitive angler, few things are more exciting than trying to match tackle and wits with the ocean’s most temperamental big-game fish: the blue marlin. Record-size marlin roam the waters surrounding some of the most exotic places in the world. Among them is French Polynesia, where top professional anglers go to watch boat wakes for the crashing strike of this electric game fish.
If raising a blue marlin is on your bucket list, one of the best ways to experience that type of adventure is aboard Ultimate Lady, a 90-foot wave-piercing catamaran. The yacht specializes in long-range adventures, and according to charter brokers, she’s one of the largest and most luxurious sportfishing boats available in the South Pacific. In addition, she’s operated by a crew with angling in its blood.
Capt. Tom Francis has been trolling lines since he was a child, when he chased king mackerel, wahoo and tuna, and raised billfish on homemade lures in the waters near his home in Papua New Guinea. More recently, he was the first captain to recreationally fish the Whanganella Banks. “We’ve been doing long-range fishing charters for the last eight years,” said Francis. “In the process, we’ve pioneered a few fishing grounds and broke some records. In between, we keep our charter guests busy with kite surfing, paddle boarding, spear fishing and scuba diving.”
This 30-knot yacht is based in French Polynesia year round to take advantage of the unique fishing opportunities near the Society Islands and the Marqueses, where trophy-size blue marlin are often seen. Ultimate Lady was purpose-built for fishing on the open ocean. With a 33-foot beam, she is a stable platform, and her wave-piercing hulls are highly efficient in blue water. Ultimate Lady received the International Super Yacht Society’s Super Yacht of the Year Award in 1998.
Price for a one-week charter is $49,000 aboard a yacht that can very comfortably accommodate eight guests in four cabins. www.charterworld.com.
BEYOND THE BEATEN PATH
When Big Fish debuted in the fall of 2010, the 147-foot McMullen and Wing motor yacht opened the door to new and unexplored destinations for even the most experienced yachtsmen. Custom built to travel to the most remote and pristine places on Earth in safety and comfort, Big Fish is at the forefront of a trend in expedition-style charter vacations.
The yacht’s global itinerary offers the promise of a truly spectacular charter experience. Following the launch of this steel-hulled displacement vessel at the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show last year, Big Fish headed for Antarctica, where few vessels are equipped to go. “She’s the biggest and the newest charter yacht in that region, which is a very fresh destination for those accustomed to cruising more popular places like the Med, the Caribbean or Alaska,” said Jan Henry, a charter broker at Fraser Yachts. “Few boats go beyond the beaten path the way this one does.”
After Antarctica, her float plan calls for stops in Patagonia, the Amazon, the Caribbean, northern Europe, the Northeast Passage, the North Pacific and South Pacific. She’ll probably make her way down to Antarctica again at the same time next year.
Not only are her destinations unusual, so too is her build. While most charter vessels are great-white megayachts, Big Fish, which charters for $195,000 per week, is a departure from those traditional designs. She has more and larger windows than other yachts her size, environmentally friendly outdoor decks made from flexible granite rather than teak, a 35-foot-tall video wall in the main foyer (see our article in the Jan/Feb 2011 issue) and a tender designed for serious exploring with a 200-mile range and sophisticated electronics.
Said Henry, “This boat isn’t equipped like the others. It’s a good choice for those who don’t want the same thing as everybody else.” www.fraseryachts.com.
ADVENTURE CLOSE TO HOME
You don’t always have to travel far from civilization for a big adventure. To emphasize that point, charter broker Ann Landry of Northrop and Johnson puts a number of her clients on the 122-foot Shogun for a cruise of the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California. “It’s a true wilderness destination, and for many charterers, it’s close to their own backyard,” she said.
Five of the eight islands in the chain are part of the Channel Islands National Park. Santa Catalina is the only island with a real town (Avalon) and amenities (theater, dining and jeeps for rent) but even so, this laid-back village can still feel like the wild west, particularly for those more accustomed to tying up in places like Newport.
The big draw here is nature, and specifically the interesting scenery and creatures found underwater. Scuba diving in the kelp forests is one of the most exciting sports here and an unusual thrill for even the most experienced divers, particularly those accustomed to swimming with lead belts in tropical waters. Because the kelp grows to heights of more than 120 feet, divers feel as if they’re moving through a lush forest of trees. In addition, giant kelp helps support the rare aquatic ecosystem, which means divers get the opportunity to see and enjoy up to 800 species of marine life, including sea lions. Although water temperatures are very cool at an average between 50 and 60 degrees, visibility can be sensational, ranging from 40 to 100 feet.
While there are smaller boats operating out of San Diego, Shogun is the only luxury motor yacht of its kind chartering in these waters, where it’s been for 10 years. Built in 1993, the boat was refurbished in 2005 and can accommodate up to eight guests in four staterooms, each with a king-size berth. “The captain, Mike Finnegan, is very sports-oriented and is an avid fisherman,” said Landry. “But he’s also a consummate professional who offers premium service to his guests.” Shogun charters for $69,000 per week. www.northropandjohnson.com.
MEGA MACHINE
Here’s a charter yacht for the person who finds big thrills in extravagant toys. Suri is a 165-foot expedition boat by Halter Marine with a 38-foot beam and enough deck space to cradle an incredible selection of machines engineered solely for the fun and amusement of its passengers.
Suri has the usual adrenaline-pumping craft on board, such as Sea-Doos, Jet Skis and Waverunners. Yet those feisty PWCs are a small part of the yacht’s unique fleet. Suri also carries a helicopter, a 30-foot mahogany speedboat, a 37-foot Intrepid center console, a 24-foot Munsun landing craft tender, a 16-foot personal hovercraft and a dune buggy. “Suri offers the ultimate adventure vacation for active guests,” said Reia Stannard, a charter broker at Charter World. “She has the most creative and exciting range of toys imaginable.”
Originally launched in 1978, this yacht was converted in 2007 and is now more luxurious than ever. The hull and superstructure are built with steel for rugged exploring, and thanks to an impressive fuel reserve, the boat is up to the task of venturing to exotic regions.
Available for $225,000 per week, Suri charters in the South Pacific and has made runs to far-flung locales such as Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu. For a true adventure, Stannard recommends cruising the Tuamotus Islands, where the pristine and species-rich reefs make this one of the most scenic scuba-diving destinations in the world.
A cruise in the Tuamotus, said Stannard, should include a stop in Rangiroa, the largest atoll in the region and the second largest in the world. Rangiroa consists of about 250 islands and sandbars, along with a vast and stunning turquoise lagoon. There are approximately 100 narrow passes in the fringing reef; the two largest (Tiputa and Avatoru) are entrances for shipping and also famous for drift diving. That sport is called “shooting the pass” in this part of the world, and it’s one of the most exciting ways to explore the waters. There are also submarine caves to see and the main lagoon itself, which looks particularly lovely when viewed from above, in the comfort of the yacht’s helicopter. www.charterworld.com.
WHALE OF A TIME
Here’s a big adventure for those in search of new and unusual swimming companions. The M/V Turks & Caicos Explorer II offers its charter guests the opportunity to glide side-by-side with humpback whales. Aquatic Adventures is the company that operates this 124-foot vessel, designed to comfortably accommodate passengers on the Silver Banks, a breeding and calving zone for humpbacks that’s located 100 km north of the Dominican Republic.
Research indicates the Silver Banks contain the largest population of humpbacks in the North Atlantic Ocean, if not the world. According to Aquatic Adventures, conservative estimates show 3,000 to 5,000 humpbacks pass through this 20-square-mile area in a single season (December through April). During that time, these creatures are extremely surface-oriented. Breaching, lob tailing and fin slapping are some of the postures charter guests witness on a daily basis. In addition, the waters resonate with the mating songs of these amazing mammals. “It’s a unique opportunity to observe their behaviors,” said Tom Conlin, the company’s founder.
Conlin and his crew have been working the banks for 21 years. That’s longer than any other crew, which could explain why NOAA chose to collaborate with this outfit on a two-year project to place satellite tags in female humpbacks. “Knowing how to work with whales and when to let them go is extremely important,” said Conlin. “We developed the process, and we’re extremely good at it.”
One highlight of a charter aboard this 20-passenger yacht is the opportunity to get into the water with these whales, which average 79,000 pounds and are anywhere from 32- to 59-feet long. “It’s one of the most overpowering experiences you’ll ever have,” said Conlin.
Once out of the water, guests will be very comfortable on M/V Turks & Caicos, as it has a wide, 22-foot beam and is equipped with hydraulic stabilizers. The boat also has two pristinely maintained 25-foot fiberglass tenders. Rates for a seven-day expedition are $64,000 per week for the whole boat (rates are also available per person). www.aquaticadventures.com.
Jeanne Craig is an award-winning marine journalist and editor based in Rowayton, Connecticut.

Jeanne Craig has written for ALL AT SEA since 2011.

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