These renderings are of the 147-foot expedition motoryacht Go Fish, which is scheduled to launch from the McMullen and Wing shipyard in New Zealand next week. The images came my way courtesy of Auckland-based 37 South, which says “it is difficult to find adjectives” to adequately describe the yacht and the charter experiences that she will offer beginning this July in Tahiti.

I’ll give it a try with a few compelling facts. Go Fish is being marketed as an LEV, or Luxury Expedition Vehicle, by Aquos Yachts, a new company on the yachting scene. So new, in fact, that Go Fish is its first creation. Its second, a 164-footer, is scheduled to launch in 2011.

That’s not to say that Big Fish is a result of newcomers’ newfangled ideas. On the contrary: Her naval architecture is by the noted firm of Gregory C. Marshall, and you’ve seen me write with high praise for construction standards aboard motoryachts such as Surprise and Mea Culpa from the McMullen and Wing yard. Thus, I think it’s fair to say that Big Fish is the result of experienced experts’ newfangled ideas.

For starters, Big Fish is being called “sensibly green.” Hot water, as an example, is generated from heat exchangers on the generator and main engine, as opposed to being created by a separate, electricity-guzzling water heater. Low-voltage LED lights are used throughout the interior because they generate less heat than regular lights and thus require less air conditioning. Big Fish also will fly the burgee of the International Seakeepers Society, equipped with the latest ocean- and weather-monitoring systems for scientists to access.

From the perspective of charter guests seeking fun in the sun, Big Fish offers nifty features as well. The team at 37 South tells me that part of the yacht’s deck and swim platform fold down into a “world’s first” private beach made of epoxy-infused granite that bears some similarities to natural sand. (I can’t wait to walk on that barefoot and verify the claim for myself!) Apparently, this material is not only easy on charter guests’ feet, but also eliminates the need for the kind of cleaning that traditional decking leaves crew members doing with chemicals that then create runoff into the world’s oceans.

Also noteworthy from a charter perspective is that there are five cabins onboard. One is a master suite and the other four each have a queen-size bed. Those four queen-bed cabins can convert into a pair of suites, meaning that three couples could charter Big Fish, split the bill, and each have luxurious accommodations. Nice.

In the entertainment department, a 28-foot custom aluminum tender is being rigged for serious fishing and scuba diving, and Big Fish will offer a “video wall” of 20-by-46-inch high-definition plasma screens. Again I say: Nice. There also are zero-speed stabilizers installed, for guest comfort both under way and at anchor.

I can’t wait to see Big Fish for myself. If you feel the same way, it’s time to call 37 South and ask when the first charter dates will be available in Tahiti this July. Rates have not yet been announced.

I look at the photograph and see a Christmas morning stroll.

That’s because Auckland-based 37 South sent me this scenic as part of a promotion for Christmas charters in New Zealand. Since the country is in the Southern Hemisphere, its seasons are the opposite of those in the United States and Europe. Wintertime in Chicago or London is the height of summer from the Bay of Islands to Marlborough Sound, which means prime chartering weather for the late-December holiday.

37 South manages several yachts that are still available for Christmas charters in this part of the world, and I’ve had the pleasure of cruising aboard two of them. The 112-foot Alloy motoryacht VvS1 offers what I have seen firsthand to be a fantastic crew and well-run charter operation, especially for guests who love to fish and scuba dive. Another option is the 102-foot Alloy sailing yacht Pacific Eagle, which I cruised aboard back in 2004. Wine lovers, in particular, will be thrilled to enjoy Christmas dinner in this yacht’s home cruising ground of Marlborough Sound, one of the world’s premier regions for sauvignon blanc. (A glass of Cloudy Bay, anyone?)

Also still available for Christmas charters in New Zealand is the 75-foot Burch and Mason motoryacht Escapade, which I have not seen in person, but which the folks I have learned over the years to trust at 37 South are offering for “fine dining and attentive service.” Sounds like a recipe for a great Christmas ham to me.

Any reputable charter broker can tell you more about these three yachts, or help you book a holiday charter onboard in New Zealand.

This is VvS1, an expedition-style, 112-foot motoryacht built by Alloy Yachts in New Zealand. She is one of the few proper, crewed motoryachts available for charter in the South Pacific, she comes with a 21-foot tender and lots of fishing gear, and she is still available for charter in Fiji during the 25th Anniversary World Cup Blue Marlin Championship that is scheduled to begin July 4.

The World Cup Blue Marlin Championship is a global event in which competitors simultaneously attempt to land the largest blue marlin. The minimum size requirement for a fish is 500 pounds, and the largest winning marlin recorded so far weighed in at a staggering 1,195 pounds. Winners have fished everywhere from Hawaii to Bermuda to San Salvador.

Blue marlin that call Fiji’s waters home can weigh between 150 and 1,000 pounds, and they typically are caught by trolling–which you can do right from the large aft cockpit aboard VvS1. The yacht’s owner enjoys fishing, so the cockpit is outfitted with refrigerators, freezers, and live bait tanks specifically for the purpose. The crew, too, are well-trained fishermen who would love to help you land a possible record-breaker. (When a yacht’s engineer describes himself as a passionate spearfisherman and hunter, you know you are in good hands.)

And, to keep the non-anglers in your charter party happy, VvS1 has an elegant interior decor plus a fully equipped gymnasium and teppanyaki bar. Take a look at the main saloon, and I’m sure you’ll agree that this yacht is not at all for “fishing enthusiasts only”:

Management company 37 South has package deals available that include the VvS1 charter rate, onshore accommodations in Fiji, and entry into the World Cup Blue Marlin Championship. The maximum number of guests aboard the yacht is eight, and the lowest weekly base rate is $79,000.