First Impression: Barchetta

I had the chance to tour new the 157-foot Christensen Barchetta, part of the charter fleet at Churchill Yacht Partners (www.churchillyachts.com), on a May 2006 day when her owners and interior designer were all onboard. It was just before the yacht was completed, still at the shipyard but in the water, and they all were moving from room to room inspecting everything from the new couches to the granite countertops.

Had I not met them and enjoyed a personal tour of their new yacht, I don’t think I would have fully appreciated all the thought and excitement that went into designing Barchetta’s incredibly unique interior—a first for Christensen Shipyards, and one of the few art deco yachts available for charter anywhere in the world today.

Most motoryachts that go into charter, you see, are full of warm wood tones and beige fabrics. The idea is to make the boat as appealing as possible to as many people as possible. The more standard or traditional an interior décor is, the more likely it is to win charter business from clients like you who are looking through brochures.

Barchetta takes a sharp turn from this philosophy with her elegant art deco décor. The owner’s wife, working with her longtime interior designer, put their own tastes into every room of the yacht without apology or even a question that charter guests might not like the highly stylized look.

“Usually on a yacht, you find off-whites, browns and taupey greens,” interior designer Jacqueline Mann told me as we sat in the sky lounge. “We went a lot more dramatic with blacks and greens, golds, coppers, touches of reds.”

It’s exactly what the owner’s wife wanted, and she thinks it will attract plenty of charter clients. “I think that this boat is so appealing, even if somebody doesn’t like art deco, they’re going to fall in love with the sophisticated feel,” she explained to me while standing next to the granite-topped bar on the sundeck. “It’s not underdone, it’s not overdone. It will win people over.”

She thought for a moment before adding, “And even if the men don’t like it, they’ll love the submarine.” She was referring to Barchetta’s personal submersible, the first to be offered in the luxury yacht charter market. The yacht’s new captain was getting training in October 2006 for launching it, and I have already been invited to try it out later in the year.

I’ll get to know the crew then—and to live in the décor for a day or two—and will hopefully be able to provide a full-length CharterWave review of exactly what Barchetta provides for her weekly base rate of $220,000 per week for 12 guests (or about $23,000 per person with 25-percent expenses included).

Stay tuned. —Kim Kavin