Boat International – September 2019

VOYAGE

One of the joys of travelling on your own yacht is

being able to get ahead of the crowds. The only

way into the cave is at mid-tide via a dark

20-metre tunnel that cuts through the rocks.

All daylight is extinguished as the tunnel curves

and some guests yelp in the sudden pitch-black.

The crew switch on flashlights and we soon

find ourselves stepping on to the sand of a hidden

beach surrounded by high limestone

walls, topped with a mass of shrubs and trees. It

is easy to see why pirates are said to have chosen

this spot to hide their booty. At the right

tide, the green-tinged

water reflects light on

to the walls, giving you the

sensation of standing in a

shimmering gemstone.

That might be enough

adventure for the day for some but we are just

getting started. While breakfast is served, the

yacht moves to anchor off Ko Rok Noi, where we

can indulge in some serious watersports. The

crew pull out all the stops, unloading one toy after

another, from the top deck waterslide and

inflatable jungle gym to electric surfboards and

Seabobs. “We can put you on the flyboard, the

flyride, the WaveRunner, and we also have the ski

boat for ‘skurfing’ [waterskiing on a surfboard]

and wakeboarding,” says Captain DuGas-

Standish. “In a two-hour period, we can work out

every muscle in your

body, and we haven’t even

gone diving yet.”

DuGas-Standish is a

former commercial diver

and dive instructor and is

I

Thailand, and the

Andaman Sea in

particular, is home

to some of the world’s

most spectacular

dive sites

as restorative oxygen facials. Rosic owned a
skincare centre in Palma that attracted crew and
after hearing their tales she sold her business and
came on board. New Zealand-born chef Barry
Orr concentrates on modern organic dishes with
plenty of flexibility. “We have a simple rule: we
like to offer you something naughty and
something nice and let you choose,” he says. For
breakfast, Orr offers up delicious gluten-free
muffins for those who decline his freshly baked
bread. Lunch might include his “house special”
Garden of Eden salad with a bed of colourful
vegetables, or a simple piece of fish cooked
exquisitely, followed by a decadent dessert –
chocolate mousse topped with berries, crowned
by a delicate sugar glaze.
One morning before breakfast, we take the
PHOTOGRAPHY: BURGESS; 4 CORNERS; GETTY IMAGES; ADOBE STOCKtender to explore Emerald Cave on Koh Muk.

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