Yacht
Infatuation is the fourth 40T in the builder Jongert’s traditional series. She took 22 months to complete, and she is the second Jongert for British businessman Ricky Haskell, who previously owned a 100-footer that also was christened Infatuation.

The new motorsailer has a ketch design with a clipper stern and large transom windows that flood the master stateroom with light. From the exterior, the windows resemble features on historic caravels such as Columbus’s Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. Infatuation also has a retractable keel, which reduces draft from well over 16 feet to just 9 feet for entry into shallower bays.

Haskell chose the 40T, which has a length of 136 feet, 3 inches, in great part because of its spacious interior. He plans to cruise with friends, and all four guest cabins have en suite facilities and berths sized for adults. The split-level mahogany saloon has plenty of dining and relaxation space, as well as a high coachroof that accommodates men taller than 6 feet. “If you’re doing a long crossing in weather or something, you can be in here, you can drive, you can look out—do anything you want in comfort,” he says. “Also in the heat, you can put the air-con on in here and look out the windows.”

Infatuation, reportedly worth $8 million to $12 million, was built to MCA Code for charter guests’ safety. The yacht ran about $735,000 over budget during construction, Haskell says, adding, “You can’t think of everything.”

Crew
Infatuation usually comes with four to five crew—a captain, chef, deckhand and stewardess(es)—but during our charter, the yacht’s owners acted as hosts. We therefore had only the captain and chef onboard, with a deckhand who was new and perhaps not staying with the yacht over the long term. 

Still, we enjoyed excellent service under the watch of Capt. Graham Newton. He was just 27 years old when we met him, but this Brit really knew his stuff thanks to a decade working as crew and captain on various yachts. He’s not formal in any sense, but he definitely pays close attention what the boat is doing and to whether the guests are enjoying themselves.

He’s also a fan of families who come onboard, particularly if their children are 5 or older. That’s good to know if your charter party includes little tykes.
 
Chef
Catherine Thomas started out as a stewardess on boats, and now, at 28 years old, has earned her stripes as a yachting chef. She holds degrees from the Ballymaloe Cookery School and the Rosie Davis Cooking School, which specializes in cuisine at sea. 

She carefully reads the preference sheets that guests send in before each charter, but always makes sure to follow up once the guests are onboard to ensure the preference sheets actually indicate the kind of food the guests desire. “I find they have nothing to do with what people actually want,” Catherine says of the preference sheets. “Usually they write, ‘I’ll eat anything,’ but then they get aboard and say, ‘By the way, I don’t eat dairy or I don’t like fish.’”

Our favorite recipe was simple yet savory: Thai broth with prawns. Here’s the recipe:

• 3-4 pints chicken stock
• 4 sticks of lemongrass, “bashed up”
• a full finger’s size of peeled and chopped fresh ginger
• about 4 ounces fish sauce
• 1-2 TB sugar
• 2-3 limes’ worth of fresh lime juice
• 1 julienned red pepper
• 1 julienned spring onion
• ½ pound raw, cleaned tiger prawns
• Fresh coriander

Combine chicken stock, lemongrass and ginger in a pot. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Add fish sauce, sugar and lime juice, and let simmer another 10 to 15 minutes.

Add raw prawns and cook until pink.

In soup serving bowl, place julienned slices of pepper and onion. Add broth with prawns to each bowl and sprinkle with coriander to taste.

Accommodations
Infatuation has a stunning, full-beam master cabin all the way aft, plus three additional guest cabins in the same part of the yacht. One of the guest cabins has a queen-size bed while the other two guest cabins have twin-bed configurations. All four guest cabins have their own, en suite bathrooms.

The guest quarters are nicely separated from the crew area, with the galley and indoor lounge/dining room in between. This is good; it means guests will have plenty of privacy no matter where they choose to spend their time onboard.
 
Destination
We started our charter in the bustling port city of Genoa, but quickly found ourselves just offshore the quiet, charming Italian landscape of the Cinque Terra region. It’s everything you expect from Italy: gorgeous mountainsides, colorfully painted buildings, and hiking trails that let you get lost for hours or even days, if you so choose.

One terrific stop we made was on the island Elba, where Napoleon Bonaparte was once sent against his will. Not a bad punishment, in our estimation; the old fortress city on the water is spectacular, and you can still look around inside the crumbling walls that used to protect the harbor.

No matter where you stop along this southern route, be sure to try the local shops for coffee, breads and pastries. It’s not France, but it sure is tasty!