The Mothership – Eleven Experience’s foray into boating has those destination-specific luxe touches we expect of the brand (like the floating pods in its Icelandic spa). Sailing in southern Florida, after a day of bonefishing in the Marquesas Keys or sportfishing for tarpon in the Everglades, you’ll eat snapper ceviche and wagyu tenderloin aboard your 74-foot, three-stateroom Hatteras motor yacht. If the fish aren’t biting, you can always take the boat’s stash of snorkel gear and paddleboards to explore historic Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas.
Tusitiri – This 60-foot wooden dhow was found abandoned on a Kenyan beach by its new Norwegian owners (who also run Enasoit Game Sanctuary in Laikipia) and restored over eight years. It sails with up to 10 guests from August through March alongside the humpbacks, dolphins, and eagles of the Lamu Archipelago (specialists are on board to school you on the surroundings). At night, brass lanterns cast a glow on linen bedrolls out on deck as you fall asleep to the dull cries of egrets and terns. (Yup, you’re literally sleeping under the stars.)
Blue Deer – Stefano and Giorgia Barbini—former CEO of Escada France and Italy and scion of Brioni, respectively—own this 74-foot custom catamaran, which sails the Italian Med from June through October and the Caribbean from December through April. Like their White Deer San Lorenzo Mountain Lodge in the Dolomites, every detail of the vessel feels especially considered. And then there’s the food: Stefano keeps the wine cellar stocked with Piedmont reds that go perfectly with that uni pasta made with urchin scooped from the sea that day.
Amandira – Since early 2016, Aman has been chartering weeklong voyages into Raja Ampat on its handcrafted 170-footphinisi, a two-masted Indonesian ship. Having 14 staff on hand means the up-to-10 guests can get in-cabin massages and bubbly top-offs around the clock. The real draw, though, is the specialty Nitrox diving, which allows for longer dives alongside wobbe-gong and reef sharks off Kawe Island. Novices, not to worry: An onboard scuba instructor can train you for mid-level plonks into the coral reefs.
Satori – The rose-lined pathways at Borgo Santo Pietro are alone worth a trip to Tuscany. So it’s not surprising that we fell hard for the property’s five-month-old sister ship on first glimpse of its 121-foot mast Danish owners Claus and Jeanette Thottrup gave this high-style Turkish yacht five staterooms with marble baths (the master has a to-die-for freestanding walnut tub), high ceilings, and a cozy on-deck cinema. Though our favorite touch is the salon, constructed eight inches below deck, ensuring clear views of the Spanish Med from every leather-saddled seat.
