ROLE PLAY
Having never experienced a skippered charter, let alone one
with a hostess taking care of crewing and catering duties too,
I genuinely didn’t know what to expect. However big the boat,
sharing your holiday with a couple of strangers paid to look
after you still sounded like a rather awkward concept to me.
I remember having a similar conversation with Theo Paphitis
at the Southampton boat show a few years back. The Dragon’s
Den star had just bought a new Sunseeker that was too big for
him and his wife to handle on their own so they’d reluctantly
agreed to employ a couple of crew. Despite this, his wife insisted
that she must have a washing machine installed in the owner’s
suite so she could launder her own underwear. I know what she
means, it’s not that I don’t like being looked after by someone
else, I just wasn’t sure how comfortable I would be with it.
My unease lasted all of a minute. Paul and his partner Victoria
welcomed us on board B4 on its home berth in Cala d’Or Marina
with Champagne all round, a
massive bouquet of fl owers and
smiles as broad and genuine as
Paul’s Northern accent. They
read the situation perfectly,
realised we weren’t the type of
guests who wanted a strict client/
crew relationship
and adapted their roles
accordingly.
Victoria became the hostess
with the mostess showing the
children excitedly around their
cabins while Paul ran through
the safety briefi ng and suggested itinerary. We had originally
planned a circumnavigation of Mallorca but with 35 knots of
wind forecast for that night, fi nding shelter and a good spot to
play with the boat’s arsenal of toys seemed a much better bet
than trying to bash round the island regardless. However
experienced a boater you are, having a local expert on board who
not only knows where to fi nd shelter in any wind direction but
how to get there quickly and comfortably, takes a huge weight off
your shoulders. Suddenly I was able to relax and enjoy the ride
free from the responsibility of looking after the boat as well as
my family and friends. This was boating as I’d never experienced
it before, and I was starting to like it. A lot.
With the wind behind us and the stabilisers doing a fi ne job
of fl attening out the waves, we motored NE around the island
at a steady 12 knots to the Bay of Alcudia, tucking in behind a
headland to fi nd some fl atter water. At the very beginning of
May the water is still pretty cold in Mallorca but our four teenage
boys couldn’t get into their wetsuits fast enough once Paul
offered to launch B4’s pair of Seabobs. The joy of these electric
water scooters is that after just a few seconds, briefi ng anyone
from the age of 8 to 88 can have a blast being dragged along the
surface or diving under water at quite a surprising speed.TOY STORY
With Paul keeping an eye on them from the Williams Sportjet
and Victoria busy making hot chocolate to warm them up on
their return, we were free to relax or join in the fun as we wished.
In fact once the boys were back on board, I couldn’t resist asking
Paul to take me for a quick ski behind the Williams. The boat
comes equipped with everything
from skis and kneeboards to
paddle boards and snorkeling
equipment, although Paul was
very apologetic that he had left
the better of the two mono skis
and tow handles back on shore,
giving me the perfect excuse for
my rather rusty but still very
enjoyable efforts.
With the sun dipping low on
the horizon we packed the toys
away and motored on round the
next headland to Pollenca,
dropping anchor in the shadow of Sa Fortaleza, the spectacular
private villa where BBC drama The Night Manager was fi lmed.
Within minutes of the anchor being set, Victoria was plying us
with chilled rosé and long, ice-fi lled G&Ts on the fl ybridge while
keeping the teenage gannets fed with a seemingly endless supply
of crisps and snacks. In between all this she somehow found time
to create a beautiful table setting in the saloon and prepare a
spectacular dinner of fresh gazpacho soup followed by tender
pork medallions pan fried with cream and mushroom sauce,
baby new potatoes and steaming broccoli spears. I have rarely
eaten so well in a restaurant let alone on a boat. Did I mention
that I could get used to this?CRUISINGL E F T Paul and Victoria serve up another round of drinks CENTRE Enjoying one of Victoria’s epic meals
on the fl ybridge RIGHT Moored under Sa Fortaleza where The Night Manager was fi lmed