Members’
Logbook
Everymonth,youtellus
whereyouareonthesevenseas,
whatyoucanseefromyour
deckandyourtoptriptipsMap–JingZhangPHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK; 4CORNERS IMAGES; COURTESY OF OWNERS
Owner ofSaluzi
Length: 69.1m
Year: 2003
Location: PhuketHow’s the cruising in Asia?
Right nowSaluziis based in Phuket, and after
a successful Abu Dhabi Grand Prix charter,
wehavedoneacoupleofamazingcharters
in Thailand and Indonesia. There seems to
beahealthycharterdemandinthesewaters
rightnow,whiletheMaldivesseemstobe
rather disappointing
What’s your favourite destination out there?
All the islands around Phuket, including the
famous James Bond island; also Langkawi
and its rainforests are always a big draw
Any great cruising tips?
Yes – don’t miss the nightlife. It’s amazing!
The Slate resort in Phuket is particularly
good. Do not miss the Black Ginger bar
Where’sSaluziheaded next?
We anticipate a return to the Med in May
and a busy summer charter season, with ourfirst rendezvous being the Monaco Grand
Prix.Weareworkingwithanewcentral
agent this year, Camper & Nicholsons
How’s she running?
We changed the engines entirely last year,
and revamped the generators. Technically,
thevesselislikenew.It’sactuallyresulted
inaslightincreaseinspeedto14knotsmax,
and reduced fuel consumption
Spentmuchtimeonboardlately?
Only a week in
Thailand. I spent
most of it on the
sundeck, which
has two spa pools,
an outdoor cinema
and cosy lounge
areas – so it’s a
hard spot to leave!Mark Robba
Yacht:Dunia Baru
Length: 51m
Year: 2014
Location: PalauHow was Palau?
Incredible.It’sreallyoffthebeatentrackandthere’sso
muchtoseeanddo.But,asissooftenthecase,whatreally
makes a trip is not only the place but the group you put
togethertoexperiencetheadventurewith.Thegroupwe
went with this time was diverse and awesome, so it ensured
that every moment was unforgettable
Whydidyoudecidetogothere?
A repeat charter client wanted to charterDunia Baruthere
forfourweeks.IjumpedatthechancesinceIhavealways
wanted to visit the region too and this was the perfect
excuse.LastyearwedidMyanmarwiththesameclient,
which was also amazing. We have developed a wonderful
group of repeat clients – one client has charteredDunia
Barusixtimes.Itreallypleasesmewhenotherpeoplelove
theboatasmuchasIdoanditisevenbetterwhenthey
wanttotakehertoreallycoolplacesandIcancapitalise
on that too
Howlongwereyouthere?
Dunia Baruwas there for six weeks and I used the boat for
one week. After I got off the boat, my sister and some close
friendstookherbacktoIndonesiaviathenationalparkin
Halmahera and Raja Ampat, so it was adventure all the way:
the DNA ofDunia BaruIt’s pretty remote. What was the passage like?
The passage was a bit rough. It took four days from Raja
Ampat, which is already out of the way, with headwinds all
theway.Butitwastotallyworthit
How would you describe it to someone who’s never been?
Thereisareasontheysay:“Wow,Palau!”Youfeellikeyou
have discovered a secret – no other boats, pristine beaches,
picture-perfect sunsets and the diving was incredible.
Weevengottodivewithspawningredsnapper.Imagine
thousands of fish moving in unison
What was the highlight?
The highlight of the trip was the combination of the super
blue blood moon and lunar eclipse. It really was fantastic
and the next one won’t be for another 151 years. It was such
aspecialeventtowitnessfromonboardthesuperyachtin
a place like Palau. Truly epic
Any tips for owners following in your footsteps?
My advice to other boats that want to visit Palau is do it
now. Amazon delivers to Palau duty free so you can stock up
on hard-to-get items and be totally prepared. It does take
about three weeks for your order to get there, but advance
planning means you will have everything you need. We also
used Sam’s Tours, which is the best agent on the island.
They did a wonderful job for us