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My Adventures on Motor-Yachts

The Tai-Pan is a 172' CRN that was originally built for the Emir of Bahrain. I got the gig as Chief Steward right after a business mangement huckster bought it. I went aboard in Newport, RI but we spent most of our days tied to the dock in Weehawken, NJ, across the Hudson River from New York City.

This was one giant yacht, but it had fallen into disrepair. Things were always going wrong. I was aboard when we trashed the dock at West Point. She lost both motors and drifted perilously while cruising up The Potomac. The deck crew accidentally dropped the anchor while underway. On a run during an Atlantic storm things started to get hairy and the captain turned tail and raced for port. It was one problem after the next. The last straw was realizing that most of the fire extinguishers aboard were empty.
The Highlander is a 151' Feadship. It's the Forbes corporate yacht and has the well-deserved reputation as the hardest-working boat in the ocean. I joined up in Miami and stewarded many parties, cruises and corporate retreats.

This might be the best-run private yacht in the world. Everything is kept in top shape and mediocrity is not allowed. On the Highlander, it's all first class. This was my dream gig and I got it through serendipity. I happened to sit next to the Captain and First Mate in a bar and we chatted for a while. As they got up to leave I was handed a business card and told to please call. At the time, I was too naive to realize that they had already made the decision to offer me a job.

Siting in the stairwell right underneath the jet helicopter as it takes off is awesome!
The Halcyon is a 137' Feadship. I joined this ship down in Puerto Vallarta and we spent weeks cruising around the Sea of Cortez on a diving excursion. We tied-up up in La Paz & Cabo for before cruising up the coast.

One of my best boating memories is of a midnight watch while underway on the Sea of Cortez. I stood way up on the flying-bridge with a cup of coffee and watched the sunrise on a sublime spring morning. Dolphins and whales were breaking in all directions and a million birds worked the shoreline. The spiny mountains of Baja were all the colors of red and purple in the early glow. It was one of those moments when time stands still, and I recall the scene vividly.
The Chanticleer is a 110' Berger. It was owned by Francis Langford, the famous singer from the world-war II era. She is famous for the song I'm in the mood for love, which was written for and popularized by her. Later in life Francis married Ralph Evinrude, the outboard motor tycoon. Yachting became an important part of her lifestyle.

This yacht was usually docked at the Outrigger Marina in Jensen Beach, FL. We took nice cruises to places like to the Dry Tortugas, or maybe fishing off the coast. We always traveled with a companion 35' sport-fishing boat.