The other revelation was just how comfortable a night on board
can be. The boats I’m used to sleeping on tend to be more like
camping than luxury living. This was like a fi ve-star hotel right
down to the turn-down service and chocolates on the pillow, not
to mention the piping-hot shower and his and hers sinks in the
ensuite bathroom. I know I’ve seen this a hundred times before
at boat shows but until you’ve actually experienced snuggling
down into a warm, soft kingsize bed in the owner’s suite of 72ft
motoryacht with moonlight fi ltering in through
the leather blinds on the oversized hull windows, it’s hard to
comprehend just how special it can be. The one drawback is
how noisy it gets when the wind kicks up. Admittedly, it was
gusting up to 40 knots at times but I was still surprised that even
in the mid cabin the wavelets slapping on the wide lateral chines
sounded quite so boomy. I suspect you soon get used to it or
opt to hole up in a quiet marina
when wind is forecast.
GLORIOUS FOOD
By morning the wind had died
down and we awoke to the
smell of freshly baked croissants
wafting through the boat. I’ve
no idea when Paul and Victoria
get the chance to sleep because
they seem to be on the go from
dawn until way past midnight!
By the time we emerged from
the comfort of our suite, the
dining table was already groaning with yoghurt, fresh fruit,
local honey, pots of freshly brewed tea and coffee, and baskets
of warm, doughy croissants. This was my idea of heaven and
as nobody was in any rush to get going and the wind was still
from the north we decided to stay put and make the most of
our glorious location.
Once again the toys came out and this time the adults got
stuck in too, splashing around on the paddleboard and trying
(but failing) to get going on the kneeboard. Before we knew it,
lunch was served – succulent garlic and chilli prawns followed by
a local dish of cod baked in rich tomato, olive and chorizo sauce.
We all feasted so well that half the afternoon was lost to a food
coma, dozing or reading books on the fl ybridge. I wanted to feel
guilty but isn’t that what holidays are all about?
When we fi nally mustered up enough energy to peel ourselves
off the sunbeds, I asked Paul to launch the Williams and took the
boys off for an adrenaline ride to kick start their energy levels
and refresh some of the helming skills they’d learnt on their RYA
Powerboat Level 2 course nine months earlier. With all of them
taking turns at the helm and the added bonus of sneaking in for
a closer look at the 96m superyacht anchored in the bay next
door, we returned to B4 revitalised and ready for a trip into town
and another unexpected surprise.
Now, I know I keep banging on about this but there is
something very special about being dropped off at the jetty of a
quayside bar by a uniformed skipper without having to worry
about where to leave the tender, whether the yacht’s anchor will
hold or how much you’ve had to drink. And when you can also
enjoy the sight of ‘your’ yacht at anchor in the bay while sipping
an ice-cold beer, well, life doesn’t get much better than that.
It’s only the thought of fi nding a suitable tapas restaurant
that eventually persuaded us to
wander into town and after a bit
of searching we settled on an
authentic looking family-run
restaurant tucked down a quiet
side street. We were just being
shown to our table when a
familiar voice piped up from
the bar, “Hugo, what on earth
are you doing here?”
I turned round to see Russell
Currie from Fairline North
Mallorca cradling a drink at the
bar while waiting for his weekly
takeaway. A couple of beers later and with Russell’s tapas getting
colder by the minute he wished us well and trotted off home.
We hadn’t even got as far as asking for a menu before food
started to emerge at our table. Lightly battered calamari,
chargrilled padron peppers, sizzling chorizo balls and delicately
seasoned prawns followed by a platter of barbecued lamb cutlets
as pink and tender as you could wish for.
It turns out Russell has ordered for us, asking for his usual
selection of the best local in-season produce. I’ve got to give it
to him, the man has excellent taste. Bellies heaving, we staggered
back to the quay, summoned Paul on the phone and watched
with barely disguised admiration as the underwater lights of the
tender streaked across the bay to pick us up. If there is a better
sight than the warm glow of the master cabin’s lights shining
out from the two big hull windows welcoming you back on
board, I’ve yet to see it.L E F T Full beam master cabin is the height of luxury and includes a full turn-down service
C E N T R E Forwar d VIP is almost as lavish RIGHT One of the two double guest cabinsCRUISING