Now fully restored and fitted with state of the art equipment, the eighty year old Halcyon is truly in her prime.

A welcoming committee of dolphins turn playful somersaults beside Halcyon’s svelte copper-clad hull as I board this elegant vessel moored in Oban harbour. Captain Rob Hickman greets me with a glass of chilled champagne and introduces me to my fellow passengers and his crew, purser Annette, first mate Olly and resident chef Kerri, before showing me to my cosy cabin. Like the rest of Halcyon’s interior, it is traditional in style with acres of gleaming brass and golden varnished Burma teak and comes equipped with every modern luxury and convenience.

The original launching in 1929, in Southampton.

It’s easy to see why Halcyon has been described as the Orient Express of the Seas. Built in oak and teak for Sir Samuel Turner, a Lancashire industrialist, she was designed with luxury and comfort in mind. When she was launched in 1929 Halcyon was considered a thoroughbred; since then she has sailed the four corners of the world in various incarnations.

As minesweeper, private yacht, and naval training ship, Halcyon has always been sailed hard.

It was rumoured that, during the Second World War, she was the flagship of a flotilla of minesweepers in Greece before becoming the private yacht of Madame Renault. Between 1957 and 1988, Halcyon’s interior was altered dramatically when she became a training ship for Merchant navy cadets at Warsash. She came unscathed through the notorious 1979 Fastnet race which saw one of the worst storms ever to hit an ocean yacht race. She also raced in the Hamilton, Bermuda to Halifax, Nova Scotia leg of the 1984 Tall Ships race in which the Marques was tragically lost during a squall. From 1988 and 2004 she was used as a private yacht, cruising a number of areas including the Caribbean, Florida, the Canaries and the UK.

Not surprisingly, all these experiences had taken their toll and when Halcyon was discovered four years ago by her current owner, Andrew Armour, she was in dire need of love and attention.

These have since been lavished upon her and, now fully restored, renovated and fitted with state of the art equipment, she represents a perfect marriage between the golden age of sail and twenty-first-century living. She may be celebrating her eightieth birthday but this grand dame of the ocean is currently in her prime.

Outlining our itinerary, Rob suggests we cruise up the Sound of Mull to Tobermory. As Halcyon’s deck layout and fittings are almost as the original design with virtually no winches, all five sails must be hoisted and trimmed manually. Before weighing anchor, Olly takes us through the safety features and invites guests to lend a hand on deck should the fancy take them or simply enjoy the ravishing views. With only a whisper of wind to fill her sails, we motor gently through water-colour landscapes and an ethereal Scotch mist descends as we pass the forbidding outline of Duart Castle. Olly tells the chilling tale of Lachlan Maclean who, angry that his wife did not produce a son, left her to drown on nearby Lady Rock. Fortunately, she was rescued by a fisherman and taken to her brother who took revenge many years later and “dirked in bed” his rogue brother-in-law.

Gleaming brass and golden varnished Burma teak give guests a warm welcome.

Tobermory, established as a fishing port during the late eighteenth century, is the main village on the Isle of Mull. A painter’s paradise, the brightly coloured houses clustered around a busy harbour create a carnival atmosphere. After a tour of the Ledaig Whisky Distillery, we set sail for Loch Aline where we anchor for the night and enjoy yet another of Kerri’s first-class creations. How this talented chef manages to produce consistently exquisite cuisine – everything from Cullen Skink (a traditional haddock soup) to red onion Tarte Tatin and even home-baked chocolate biscuits – in the most compact of galleys is a topic for discussion over port served with locally sourced cheese.

The following morning we wake to Caribbean blue skies, shimmering sunshine and a fair wind. With all five sails glamorously hoisted we tack down the Sound of Mull attracting admiring glances from passing yachtsmen and hillside ramblers. Even a seal, surfacing from the placid water, seems to follow our stately passage with interest. Ghosting silently past the dramatic scenery, I draw crisp, clean air into my lungs and relish a serene sense of well being. The sun sharpens the tapestry of greens and cobalt blues comprising the surrounding landscape. It is perfect sailing weather and even I join in, heaving on lines and marvelling as the sails balloon satisfyingly above us.

Even with state of the art electronics, there is still room for a few classic pieces.

Mooring up for lunch in a secluded cove, the crew break out Halcyon’s water toys. Although the weather is glorious, this is still Scotland and the water is bone chillingly cold. Although some brave guests swim, snorkel and cling to a ringo drawn behind a speeding rigid inflatable dinghy, I choose to play “Swallows and Amazons” in Halcyon’s pretty clinker gaff rigged row boat. Rowing sedately to a deserted shore clothed in wild flowers, I watch a bustling family of ducklings and seals lounging on rocks whilst oystercatchers squabble overhead.

That evening as we head out towards the evening’s anchorage, Rob invites me to take the helm. Standing at Halcyon’s wheel and sensing her considerate response to my touch, I reflect on her long career and the pleasure she continues to bring to those privileged to sail with her. Few people know that halcyon was the name given by ancient Greeks to the iridescent kingfisher and that the phrase “Halcyon Days”, evoking periods of peace and calm, derives from a Greek legend. As I guide this perfectly named, legendary yacht into a fuchsia sunset, I realise I’ve fallen completely under her spell. I may be a fair-weather sailor, but believe me days don’t come much more Halcyon than this.

For more information about chartering in Scotland, visit our Scotland info page.

I first told you about Tachyon back in November 2006, when I met Capt. Eric Stahl and his wife, Jacque, who at the time had just become owner-operators. They went on to build a strong reputation for their charter yacht and continued to work aboard until about a year ago, when they created a yacht management company and moved ashore to have a family.

Now comes word that for the upcoming Caribbean season, Tachyon will be under Bodnar’s command, with O’Leary serving as chef. According to Jacque Stahl, the couple have spent the past few years running day charter boats together out of St. Thomas and all around the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, which will remain Tachyon‘s base of operations.

Bodnar and O’Leary sound like well-qualified, smart cookies to me. O’Leary is an Ivy League graduate of the University of Pennsylvania who also holds a dive master certification, while Bodnar has earned both a 100-ton U.S. Coast Guard Master license and an ASA Sailing Certification. Jacque Stahl tells me: “They are professional, respectful, active, lots of fun, extremely knowledgeable, and very eager to please.”

She also says that Tachyon itself recently got a few upgrades. They include new sail rigging, new cushions and towels, new helm electronics, and engine updates.

Tachyon takes six guests at a weekly rate of $13,250. For full details,visit Tachyon’s charter page.

The 151-footer is making her world premiere here at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, and I was fortunate to snag a personal tour with Capt. Alec Cunningham. He told me that Katya‘s owner–whom I also met and liked quite a bit–is keen to keep track of the yacht’s fuel expenses. So keen, in fact, that Cunningham sends the owner a daily report about how much fuel was burned in the most recent 24-hour period. The photograph above shows the data as Cunningham reports it in Katya‘s log book, in a space custom-printed for the very purpose.

Now, fuel is one of the biggest expenses on any charter yacht. And on many occasions, I hear stories about how surprised charter guests can be at how quickly they run up a high fuel tab in addition to any given yacht’s base rate.

Not so aboard Katya. Cunningham told me that he aims for “total transparency” in terms of keeping clients informed day-to-day, just as if he were reporting to the owner.

“I don’t go 15 knots to get somewhere at 3 a.m. when I can go 12 knots and get there at 7 a.m.,” he explained. “The guests aren’t even awake yet, so why spend their money burning extra fuel? It’s the guests’ money, and we’ll of course do what they want, but I think there should be transparency in the process. They should be able to see, day-to-day, how their cruising decisions are affecting their overall charter expenses.”

What a fantastic idea aboard a new yacht that has all the makings of a great new addition to the global charter fleet.

Katya is part of the Ocean Independence charter fleet. Any reputable charter broker can provide you with more information.

Hot off the digital press from management company Camper & Nicholsons International come these computer-generated renderings of Panthalassa, a 184-foot sailing yacht that is scheduled to launch from Italy’s Perini Navi shipyard on November 14. She is being promoted as the only Perini of her size with six guests cabins. Early marketing materials also say she will carry custom-built, high-speed tenders as well as an inflatable swimming pool.

Also note the top of the round skylight in the rendering above. It will serve double-duty as a dining table on the top deck while allowing natural light to filter through to the main deck interior. Even more dramatic is that LED lights are set within the glass to create dramatic mood lighting throughout the yacht at nighttime.

Foster + Partners worked on the design with Perini Navi, bringing an interesting eye to the world of yachting. The London-based architecture firm, which has worked on boats in the past, is primarily known for the contemporary designs of Chep Lap Kok Airport in Hong Kong, City Hall in London, and the still under-construction Crystal Island in Moscow.

Panthalassa is expected to be in the Caribbean this winter followed by the Mediterranean next summer. The lowest weekly base rate will be €200,000.

Below are a few more renderings to whet your appetite for what will, no doubt, be one of the most talked-about new yachts to enter the crewed charter market in 2010. Here’s a look at the expected styling of Panthalassa‘s aft deck, guest nook, guest cabin, and dining room: