It’s hard to believe just how much money there is out there but to see all the huge yachts here in Antigua makes it pretty clear that there is plenty to go around, at least among the .01% crowd.
I was meeting with a friend that runs a restaurant here in Falmouth this morning and she showed me an order for $2,ooo for sushi, something that happens most every day from one or more of the mega and giga yachts that fill the marinas here. She says that the amount of takeout is way up because many of the charter boats don’t want any of their crew to spend time ashore because of the risk of getting Covid, vaccination or not.
That makes sense given the fact that these boats charter for upwards of $250,000 to $500,000 per week. Having even one crew test positive could cause them to loose a charter.
Yesterday we moved Pandora out to closer to the entrance of the harbor so that we could enjoy some time on the beach. We try to stay out of the sun in the heat of the day but enjoy doing a bit of swimming in the late afternoon.
This was the view from the deck of Pandora last evening where we enjoyed a glass of nice rose. 
This boat passed us this morning. She’s huge at nearly 350′ and is owned by a Russian, if I recall. We have seen here before. Note the chopper on her aft deck. Wouldn’t want the owner to have to endure a cab ride from the airport. 
While Anna is only a few years old, Shemara is from the 1930s, rescued as a derelict by an owner with the resources to renovate her properly. She had been abandoned in the UK for many years. In order to make sure that the renovation went according to plan, the new owner actually formed his own restoration yard so that he could control the process and be sure that it turned out well. And, it did, She is a classic beauty.
She is a bit of a peanut compared to Anna but so classy. Her superstructure evokes a bygone era.
Check out this link to learn more about her 3.5 year refit. There are over 1,000,000 man hours in her and so much of her was upgraded and replaced that there is only about 15% to 20% of her that is still original. She is diesel electric with dual azimuth drives, a system where two pods are on the bottom of the boat that can be rotated in any direction, a blend of old and high tech.
Better yet, check out this 2.5 minute video of her. It begins with her launch in the 30s. Even though she is over 200′ long, she looks tiny compared to some of the other boats here.Another beauty that showed up today is Nero. She’s even bigger and is actually a new boat, launched in 2011, but designed to evoke a yacht from Shemara’s time. 
This short video gives a terrific tour of her, inside and out. I’d love to have a G&T in her salon.It’s hard to know where to stop with so much “candy” to talk about.
But, before I break, I have to note that the competitors in the Talisker’s Whisky Challenge have begun arriving in Antigua. These boats, some with only two crew, will have rowed across the entire Atlantic. It’s billed as the “toughest race in the world”, and I believe it. 
Given my choice, I would much rather spend time aboard one of the “big girls” here in the harbor than to spend months rowing across the Atlantic. But, perhaps that’s just me, getting softer as I get older.
One more thing. Speaking of getting older. Brenda’s birthday is today and this evening we will be having dinner where I am writing this. The evening will begin with a Zoom with friends and family followed by a really nice dinner. 
What a great spot to celebrate and enjoy the view of all the eye candy here in Antigua.
Happy Birthday Brenda!
3 responses to “Antigua eye candy.”