a golden opportunity - Welcome Aboard Golden Compass

TRINIDAD AND
TOBAGO
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Venezuela
G O L D E N C O M P A S S : C AR I BB E AN , S O U T H A M E R I C A , M E D I T E RRAN E AN , M I DD L E E A S T , A F R I C A , A S I A
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BRAZIL
Of the 4,000 winding miles
A Golden
Opportunity
We began following Golden Compass as she cruised the balmy
waters of Cuba, now we catch up with our adventure-bound
photojournalist, Jim Raycroft, as he travels aboard this luxurious
151-footer deep into the heart of the Amazon.
Story and Photography by
Jim Raycroft
july/august
2010 | SHOWBOATS INTERNATIONAL
104116
MARCH
2010 | SHOWBOATS.COM
of the Amazon River, about 2,200—
the distance from the mouth to Iquitos, Peru—are navigable for a 151ft globe-trotting luxury
yacht such as Golden Compass. In terms of sheer volume, the Amazon is the largest river in the
PERU
Lima For the owners of Golden Compass, who have planned a two-year,
world with no close second.
around-the-world adventure seemingly plotted by following the road less traveled, visiting the
largest of rivers was high on their list. The fact that few megayachts travel deep into the heart
of the Amazon? All the better. Golden Compass will make her requisite visits at the posh ports
La Paz
of call as she treks across the globe, but much of the
voyage will find her at off-the-beaten-path
destinations favored by her intrepid owners, their friends,BOLIVIA
and a few lucky charter guests.
The owners’ plans called for Golden Compass to arrive in Belem, Brazil, in mid-March 2010 to
begin a 700-mile journey to Parintins, Brazil. Situated 100 miles upriver from the Atlantic Ocean,
the city of Belem (Portuguese for Bethlehem) is the gateway to the Amazon. With a population of
nearly 1.5 million, this capital of the Brazilian State of Para is the largest city on the river and also
the oldest. Dating back to 1616, Belem was the first European colony on the river and is rich in
history and culture with well-preserved colonial architecture, lively markets, and a working fishing
fleet. This is where Golden Compass’ AmazonianCHILE
adventure would begin, PARAGUAY
last-minute
provisions
Asuncion
obtained—including dozens of five-gallon freshwater jugs—and final negotiationsAsuncion
for river pilots
and private security secured. There are no marinas in Belem, and the main city dock designed for
oceangoing cargo ships is a formidable, rust-streaked structure built of concrete and steel, with giant
truck tires living out their second life as docking fenders. Couple this with a tide of 20-plus-feet not
only makes docking a challenge, but requires a diligent watch for the duration of time in port.
ARGENTINA
I was scheduled to meet the yacht up river at the port
city of Santarem, poetically known as “The
Pearl of Tapajos.” Santarem sits at the junction where the brown Amazon meets the blue Tapajors
River—known locally as “the meeting of the waters,” the two rivers flow side-by-side
for miles
URUGUAY
without mixing. Everything travels by boat here, yet there is precious little infrastructure needed to
Buenos Aires
accommodate the bustle of comings and goings. Built
of wood harvested from the rain
forest, riverSantiago
Buenos AiresMontevideo
Santiago
boats of all sizes simply nose up to the sandy bank, drop a boarding plank to the beach, and hang a
Montevideo
sign displaying destination and departure time. These boats are the workhorses of the Amazon;
their
unique design has evolved through necessity to accommodate the needs of travel on the river. Some
of the larger vessels carry livestock on the lowest level, freight and baggage on the next, and passengers on the upper deck. Passing a fleet of beached riverboats, passengers could be seen resting in their
hammocks in the shade of the upper deck, which is open on the side for ventilation but covered for
protection from the equatorial sun and frequent rain. My accommodations in the VIP cabin aboard
Golden Compass would be at the opposite end of the comfort spectrum. I couldn’t help but wonder
what it would be like to travel for days with a backpack and a hammock on one of these colorful
vessels that tie together the communities of the Amazon.
Brasilia
The November to June rainy
season causes 20-foot-plus
flooding, turning otherwise
dry land into floodplains and
lakes.
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The Santarem market is a maze of color, sound, and aroma
drenched in the smell of cooking fish and diesel exhaust. Geared
to the local economy with few tourist items, the most sought-after
provisions seemed to be shoes, hammocks, and machetes—I found
the hardware shops to be most interesting.
By evening, Golden Compass arrived and dropped anchor off the
center of town. We enjoyed a fabulous dinner prepared by Chef Rinos
consisting of stone crabs and steamed vegetables, introduced by a
salad of marinated local prawns in ginger syrup served with avocado,
julienne of carrots, and celery—all found locally in the Amazon.
Early the next morning, we met renowned guide and naturalist
Gil Serique in our 19ft Nautica tender and headed into Maica Lake,
a body of water created by the floodwaters of the November to June
rainy season—the water we were running over would be dry land
in a month or two. Gil informed us that stingrays are actually a
bigger threat in the river than the 10 species of piranha, and that
water buffalo being transported from India to Peru some 200 years
ITINERARY
2010-2012
Charter: International Yacht Collection
(888) 213-7577, www.iyc.com;
www.goldencompass.biz
Cruising Area: Amazon River system;
Brazilian State of Para
Language: Portuguese
Currency: Brazilian Real
Safety: Security is not required, but
is highly recommended.
River Pilots: River pilots are required
to navigate the river’s ever-changing
conditions.
Port Agents: Required in ports like
Belem, Santarem, and Manaus to
coordinate Customs and Immigration, moorage, fuel, and water.
To coordinate river pilots, port
agents, and security:
[email protected]
Visas: Those with U.S. and some
other non-European passports must
obtain visas before entering Brazil.
Vaccinations: The Yellow Fever vaccination is recommended. Malaria
is usually low and not required, but
check the U.S. Center for Disease
Control for up-to-date information.
www.cdc.gov
Golden Compass’ Amazon trip:
Total distance traveled on the
Amazon: 1,390 miles
Average speed heading up river:
8.5 knots
Average speed heading down river:
14 knots
Each mile reveals another scene of life on the river; colorfully painted homes along
the lush shore, myriad riverboats, local markets, and the playful Amazonian children.
2012:
2011:
2010:
GOLDEN COMPASS
FACT FILE
ago and shipwrecked along the river are now a major threat to the
environment, their hoofs compacting the soil while they devour
everything green in sight, including the incredible giant water lilies
that can grow to 40 inches in diameter and support as much as
70 pounds. Gil had arranged for a fisherman friend, Sabastiao, to
meet us in his handmade canoe to paddled us into the flooded
jungle. Silently gliding between the massive trees, Gil pointed out
an array of parrots, birds, snakes, and a few three-toed sloths.
Heading back, we stopped to talk with a piranha fisherman and
observe his catch of a type of piranha that has virtually no teeth
and crushes seeds with its powerful jaw. By noon, Golden Compass
was underway to the small village of Alter do Chao. Considered to
have one of the most beautiful beaches in the entire north region of
Brazil, Alter do Chao is located on the blue water of Tapajos River,
its sandy spit dotted with beach bars reminiscent of a Caribbean
hideaway. Kicking back at Bardo Gabi, one of the tiny beach
establishments, we ordered a round of bolinho de piracui (fried fish
balls) and caipirinhas (rum, lime juice, and sugar over ice).
Anchored off Alter do Chao in the glassy water of the Tapajos
River, looking to the distant horizon I could barely make out
the line where water met sky. But for the lack of salt air, the scale
of the place could almost trick you into thinking it’s an ocean,
not a freshwater river. Due to its great expanse that’s dotted with
islands—some the size of Switzerland—the Amazon has earned
the namesake “The River of the Sea.” To put it into perspective,
the mouth of the Amazon is wider than the full length of the River
Thames in England, and it is estimated that 20 percent of the
entire world’s river water is in the Amazon.
After nightfall, Golden Compass navigated into the Trombetas
River bound for Oriximina. The all-night run up the Trombetas
required a sharp lookout to avoid the debris drifting downstream.
With two searchlights scanning the water ahead and the watchful
eyes of our crew and river pilots providing lookout, we zigzagged
through the darkness, dodging massive branches and entire trees
capable of doing crippling damage to the yacht.
Dawn broke with a sky of a thousand colors and brought greetings from Boto Cor de Rosa, a rare and endangered species of
Amazonian pink river dolphin, diving and gliding along with us.
Oriximina, established in 1877, is the westernmost city in the
Brazilian state of Para and also sits directly on the equator.
“Crossing-the-line” (the equator) we would soon find out that it
brought with it a rite of passage deeply rooted in maritime tradition. Nautical legend holds that, “the sun shall not set on those of
us who have this day sailed across the equator for the first time
before they have been delivered to King Neptune and begged for
permission to enter his realm.” And so, the owners, two crew,
April: Canary Islands, Gibraltar,
June/July/August:
October: Turkish Islands, Israel
January/February: India,
September/October:
January/February: South Pacific
Cadiz, Genoa
Mediterranean—
November: Egypt, Red Sea
Maldives, Seychelles, Sri Lanka
SE Asia/Islands
March: Hawaii
May: Sardinia, Corsica
Available for Charters
December: Oman, Dubai
March/April/May: Africa, SE Asia
November/December:
April: Pacific Crossing
September: Greek Islands,
June/July/August:
Australia/New Zealand
Fall: Amazon
Turkey, Croatia, Montenegro
China and Japan
118 july/august 2010 | SHOWBOATS INTERNATIONAL
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The Amazon is home to
more species of animals
and plants than any other
ecosystem on the planet.
and I were bound, blindfolded, and led to “King Neptune’s
Court” on the sun deck. This once-in-a-lifetime experience
must be personally sampled, so I leave the details to your
imagination until you can experience it firsthand.
As the heat of the day was easing, we arrived at the village
of Boca de Valeria and dropped anchor at the mouth of the
Valeria, a narrow river winding into the marsh between
green hills, home to the primitive villages of Santa Rita de
Cassia and Betseme. Visiting yachts are a rare sight here, and
by the time the anchor was set the villagers had surrounded
us in their canoes—old and young, some laughing and
pointing, some quiet and unsure of our presence, but all of
them curious.
Our guide to explore the area, Mr. Anilson, arrived
shortly after sunrise the next morning on his handmade
boat, and we followed him with both tenders to a muddy
beach where we climbed the hill to Santa Rita de Cassia—
home to 62 families—accompanied by dozens of children
from the village. The villagers subsist off fishing, hunting
armadillo, making handcrafts, and government subsidies.
Typical homes are unpainted, wooden shacks, and there are
no roads or vehicles, but there was a modern school building
complete with computers. And while there was no refrigeration, most everyone had satellite TV.
The final stop on our journey was Parintins, where we
dropped anchor and headed to town beneath a threatening,
steel-grey sky. The occasional horse-drawn cart remains, but
the streets are now full of bicycles, motorcycles, and scooters.
Parintins isn’t a tourist destination until June when the town
hosts the weeklong, carnival-like Boi Bumba Festival, luring
tens of thousands of visitors. This being our most distant
port of call on the Amazon, it was time to pick up a gift for
my son. Back to the market—after all, what 15-year-old boy
wouldn’t want his own authentic Brazilian machete?
We cruised non-stop back to Belem over the next three
days. As the river twisted and turned, massive oceangoing
freighters and tug boats pushing heavy barges loaded low
in the water pulled into view, and children came out in
their canoes paddling madly to join us. The crew was
ready with dozens of goodie bags of candy and toys. Mileafter-mile, this scene was repeated as dozens of canoes
came out to meet us.
Of course, not all is straightforward on the river. One
morning, I had been alone on the aft deck as a man paddled
close and made a dash for the swim platform. A hook and
line ready, he snagged a stanchion on the platform, and with
his canoe secured was set to climb aboard when he noticed
me watching him, indicating with universal hand gestures
that boarding this vessel would not be in his best interest.
Perhaps he was on a friendly mission, but we had heard over
the radio earlier that a boat had been boarded and robbed in
the area. Andre, one of our security guards, was quickly on
the scene—dressed in full combat gear, including armored
vest, boots, and sporting a 12-gauge pump shotgun and
9mm pistol, he was all business. It took only the presence of
armed security to have our visitor change his mind. With a
smile and a “thumbs-up” he detached his canoe and slipped
away in our wake.
Back in the hub-bub of Belem, the quiet Amazon we had
seen seemed worlds away. The contrast of being carried
hundreds of miles into one of the more remote parts of the
world in total luxury was amazing and startling in itself.
The owners have planned their around-the-world journey
on just such a concept. Indeed, Golden Compass is the
perfect vessel for adventure travel. A five-star charter experience aboard Golden Compass is available across the globe
and back on the Amazon in 2012, transporting guests to
another world.
Planning a trip on the Amazon
Planning a yachting trip on the
Amazon is a daunting undertaking
requiring a significant amount of
interaction with a variety of local
contacts and government agencies.
A minimum three-month lead time is
suggested. The journey must comply
with all relevant federal and state
maritime requirements for
navigating on the Amazon. The
process will include hiring
appropriately licensed river pilots
and local agents for the duration of
the intended journey. Although
security is not required, it is strongly
recommended.
Attention to detail during the
planning stage will go a long way to
ensuring a pleasant journey once on
the river.
• Due to the ever-changing navigational conditions of the Amazon, up-todate charts are not available. There
were places where our plotted position appeared to be over land, making the local knowledge of the river
pilots invaluable.
• Local agents are required in all major
ports to coordinate with Customs and
Immigration officials.
• An excellent insider source for preplanning can be found at [email protected]. They were
instrumental in making the journey a
reality.
• Visa and immunization requirements
for all crew and passengers must be
completed prior to entering Brazil.
Check with the CDC for current vaccination advisories.
• The owners chose to make the trip at
the tail-end of the rainy season. Experiencing the river in a 20-foot-plus
flood stage was well worth the occasional tropical rain.
• River aids to navigation can be grossly unreliable or missing entirely and
should not be trusted.
• Give all river traffic a wide berth.
Local riverboats made of wood, often
carrying more than 100 passengers,
provide poor radar targets and frequently travel unlit at night. Likewise,
large, oceangoing ships move fast
and can pop up around a river bend,
as can huge, loaded barges pushed
by tugs barely up to the task of controlling them. Never count on the
alertness of their watch. Collision
could spell disaster and create enormous liability for the yacht.
• Beware of the “ratos d’ agua” (water
rats)—individuals operating fast
boats who are sometimes armed and
can sneak aboard the unsuspecting
boat with intent to rob. The most dangerous areas are the Breyes Straight
near Belem and the area of Macapa/
Santana. Golden Compass chose to
employ two armed personnel for
24/7 security.
• Health violations are a serious
offense. Having expired food aboard
can generate expensive fines.
ShowBoats International photojournalist
Jim Raycroft joins the 151ft Golden
Compass during her inaugural threemonth cruise. Cuba becomes the
jumping-off point for the first in our
around-the-world destination series
aboard this impressive charter yacht.
Story and Photography by
Jim Raycroft
Suki Finnerty
GOLDEN
ODYSSEY
104 MARCH
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2010| |SHOWBOATS.COM
SHOWBOATS.COM
What do you do after you’ve taken your family on a 16-month, five-star trip
around the world, home schooling your two children while experiencing the usual
and the unusual, the safe and not so safe, the wonders of the world, and the little
gems tucked away in the corners of the globe? After living a life-changing experience
that only extended travel can offer, what would you do for an encore? This was the
question one family faced. They chose to acquire a world-class yacht and turn it into
a unique, six-star travel experience for their family and a few, very fortunate charter
guests. After a five-year search, they settled on the 151ft Golden Compass, built by
the Italian yard Picchiotti. Following a nine-month, multi-million-dollar refit, this
luxury charter yacht has embarked on her two-year, around-the-world adventure.
When it comes to foreign travel, many people will not venture far off the beaten
path. Most are satisfied with the luxurious but predictable travel destinations and
experiences. And why not? From St. Barts to Portofino, Golden Compass will
certainly see and be seen at the world’s well-known, posh cruising destinations—
the Caribbean in winter, the Mediterranean in summer—but she also has some
rather exciting ports of call on her itinerary that may whet the appetite of the more
adventurous charterer. If winding 650 miles up the Amazon River, or tying up in
Saigon or Havana sounds more like your cup of tea, you may consider booking a
dream passage aboard Golden Compass.
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There are those who would ask, “Is it safe?,” while others would
exclaim, “When do we start?!” That’s not to suggest that a venture
such as this is handled in a caviler manner—quite the contrary. As
with any major undertaking, the success rests in the details, and
these knowledgeable owners know a thing or two about attention to
detail. A couple of world-traveling, high-level executives, the owners
knew what they wanted. During their worldwide search for the right
vessel, they even designed their own yacht and talked with several
shipyards about building it, but were put off by the three-year-out
delivery date. Instead, they teamed up with broker Noell Vawter
of International Yacht Collection in Fort Lauderdale and yacht
management director Graeme Lord, who acted as project manager,
GOLDEN COMPASS
ITINERARY
2009-2012
120 MARCH 2010 | SHOWBOATS.COM
and became intimately involved with every aspect of the refit, living
aboard for the nine months that it took to remove, replace, rebuild,
reposition, re-class, and ultimately transform Golden Compass into
their vision.
Prepared for ports less-traveled, Golden Compass is of sufficient
length—at 151 feet LOA and with a 29ft beam—to afford a voluminous interior space for her owners and guests. She features six cabins
accommodating 12 guests, dining and main salons, a skylounge,
and upper- and lower-deck al fresco dining areas. Her 8ft 6in draft
allows access to anchorages generally unattainable to many vessels of
similar length, while powerful stabilizers silently maintain comfort
aboard. Dual watermakers ensure a never-ending supply of soothing
baths and hot showers, while twin Cat D398 diesels propel her at
a steady pace with enough fuel to do it nonstop for 3,200 miles.
Golden Compass is under the command of former naval officer
and 25-year maritime professional Captain Fernando Silvano,
who holds an MCA 5000 GRT Masters license and leads an experienced international crew of eight. Having recently completed
a two-and-a-half-year circumnavigation, Captain Silvano has the
necessary background and knowledge to ensure a most memorable experience aboard while providing arrangements for off-boat
excursions into the local scene and local culture along the way.
Captain Silvano advises that “planning, patience, and flexibility
are the keys to maximizing the pleasure of
Golden Compass
this unique experience.” His vast knowledge
specifications
of local contacts and port agents, regional
weather patterns, legal requirements, vaccinaLOA: 151ft (46m)
BEAM: 29ft 6in (9m) tions, visa documents, and security issues will
DRAFT: 8ft 6in (2.6m)
facilitate sea travel and land-side excursions of
ENGINES:
the most interesting and intimate nature.
2 x Caterpillar D398 diesels The cuisine aboard Golden Compass is second
SPEED (cruise): 12 knots
NAVAL ARCHITECTURE:
to none—Chef Severino Contu, a native of
Arthur LeFever
Sardinia, is a highly dedicated and skilled profesBUILT: 1980/2009 sional. His qualifications extend to Michelin
BUILDER: Picchiotti, Italy
Star’d establishments and cover many years of
(Now owned by Perini Navi)
CHARTER:
experience creating culinary delights in Italy,
International Yacht Collection
London, and Mexico, as well as aboard large
www.iyc.com
yachts plying the waters of the Mediterranean,
Tel: 888- 213-7577
North Sea, Caribbean, and Venezuela. With a
www.goldencompass.biz
REFIT: Lauderdale Marine
new menu each day, Chef “Rino” masterfully
Center/Merrill Stevens
creates “the simple but elegant.”
Meal planning for such an adventure is no
small matter, and neither is the storage, refrigeration, or freezer capability of Golden Compass. Although he will
provision for the best local foods along the way, Chef Rino has
ample space for his standard of five-star provisions.
Golden Compass
boasts a large main
salon and aft deck,
both accented with
granite countertops
and comfortable
seating areas.
2009:
2010:
April 2010: Atlantic crossing to
(including Sardinia), Tunisia,
2011:
2012:
Dominican Republic, ABC
Eastern/Southern Caribbean
Barbados, Trinidad, Tobago),
Canary Islands, Gibraltar, Italy
Malta, Croatia, Greece (including
Mumbai, Maldives, Sri Lanka,
China, Philippines, Australia, New
Islands (Aruba, Bonaire,
(Bahamas, Turks and Caicos
Brazil (Amazon River), Brazil for
(Genoa charter show)
Greek Islands), Turkey (including
Seychelles, Kenya, Tanzania,
Zealand, South Pacific, TBD
Curaçao), Colombia
islands, Puerto Rico, British
Carnival (Bahia, Rio, Recife)
islands of Turkey), Israel
Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand,
(Cartagena), Panama, Costa
Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe,
May 2010–November 2010:
Rica, Jamaica, Cayman Islands,
Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia,
Spain (including Majorca), France
December 2010:
Mexico, Cuba
St. Vincent and the Grenadines,
(including Corsica), Italy
Red Sea, Yemen, Oman, Dubai
Vietnam, Hong Kong
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I caught up with Golden
Compass at Marina
Hemingway in Havana, Cuba,
Golden Compass is the
culmination of a family’s
quest to get more out of
their travels.
near the end of the owners’ three-month inaugural cruise
covering 3,050 nautical miles. Ports of call included
Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Isla Margarita, Los Roques,
Cartagena, Panama, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Cayman Islands,
and Cancun, Mexico. I arrived on board the Marshall
Islands-flagged vessel as a guest of Captain Silvano, having
been looking forward to visiting the island nation of Cuba
for many years. Generally speaking, Americans are still
prohibited from spending money in Cuba (see Reader’s
Resource). Non-Americans are, for the most part, free to
travel and enjoy the hospitality that the largest island in
the Caribbean has to offer.
With only a few days to cover as much ground as
possible, we dove into the Cuban scene our first evening
with a show at the famed open-air nightclub Tropicana,
where an explosion of rhythm, dance, colorful costumes,
and song presents 1950s Cuba. Surrounded by lush vegetation, we enjoyed a glittering spectacle featuring over 200
singers, dancers, and musicians.
The following morning, we set off early for the south
coast to the Bay of Pigs on the Zapata Peninsula for some fly
fishing at Salinas de Brito, the natural system of inland lakes
in the Zapata National Park about 90 miles from Havana.
As has been told, many areas in Cuba look as if time has
stood still. American cars from the 1950s are everywhere,
held together with whatever is at hand; many repowered
with Russian diesel engines. Chevys, Fords, and Cadillac
convertibles grace the streets, some looking remarkable for
their age and location, others looking a bit worn but still
proud. On the outskirts of Havana, horse-drawn carts begin
to outnumber old cars, but the road to the Playa Larga Hotel
is good and well marked. We met our fishing guides midday
and headed down the 25km of dirt road to the Horizontes
Don Pedro Fishing Camp, stopping several times along the
way to look out at the flocks of pink flamingos, herons,
egrets, and countless other birds that inhabit the park. This
area constitutes the main wetlands in the insular Caribbean
that have been declared a biosphere reserve and Ramsar site
by UNESCO. As the small flats boats have no outboards,
the fishing guides power them with poles. Curiosity eventually got the better of me, and I took a turn at the pole,
enjoying the fine weather in this under-fished environment.
Not far from the Playa Larga Hotel and set back from
the road is one of the unique scuba/snorkeling sites of the
speleo lacustrine system of flooded caves and sinkholes.
The water is fresh on the surface and transitions abruptly to
salt several feet down—the transition layer creating a visual
blur until you dive below it where the temperature
A country lost in
time, Cuba remains
much as it was in
the 1950s, with
cobblestone streets,
colonial-style
buildings, and an
unspoiled ecological
system.
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Pilar, Hemingway’s
prized Wheeler Playmate,
and his home office
remain—like most of
this Caribbean country—
frozen in time.
increases noticeably. Following this plunge into the jungle,
we headed across the road to the beach for an ocean snorkel
session, where the untouched reefs appear very healthy,
teaming with coral and tropical fish.
The next day we returned near Havana for a visit to Finca
La Vigía, the former estate of Ernest Hemingway where he
finished the famous novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls. A bell with
a long line hanging near the door waits for all so inclined to
haul down on it. The house is in surprisingly good condition,
loaded with his personal furnishings and art. The famous
1959 Yousuf Karsh portrait of Hemingway hangs on the wall,
while his books and typewriter remain in his office, looking
every bit as though it were still occupied. Every window
gives up another point of view into this fascinating life and
residence—all from the outside looking in. I slowly worked
my way around the house, sharing window space with tourists
Reader’s
Resource
U.S. State Department
www.travel.state.gov
Horizontes Don Pedro Camp
Tel: (045) 912 825/987 212
Ernest Hemingway
www.hemingwaypreser
vationfoundation.org
Cuba Navigational Charts
www.nv-charts.com
124 MARCH 2010 | SHOWBOATS.COM
from all over the world.
Hemingway’s fishing boat was
the 38ft Wheeler Playmate Pilar
built in Brooklyn, New York, in
1934 for $7,500. He was a major
player in the beginnings of sportfishing and had reportedly chased
around after German U-boats off
the Cuban coast. Pilar appears to
have been completely restored and
rests on what was the tennis court
under a protective roof next to the
swimming pool. I was able to get
aboard for a few minutes, sit in the
fighting chair, and slip down into
the cabin—what incredible stories
this boat could tell.
Back in Havana for the evening,
we had picked up tickets for the show at the Havana Club
featuring the lengendary Buena Vista Social Club. There
they were, live and in person—a great show in this intimate venue. The following morning we set off for Freeport,
Bahamas, but due to deteriorating weather conditions had to
put in at Key West, which allowed for a drink at Sloppy Joe’s,
ending the trip at another of Hemingway’s haunts.
The next leg of the Golden Compass odyssey will
include the Eastern Caribbean, Grenada, and Brazil for
Carnival (Bahia, Rio, Recife), continuing on to Uruguay
(Punta del Este) and Brazil (Amazon River). From there
the yacht will depart in April for a crossing to Gibraltar
and continue through the Mediterranean and eastward.
Those interested in taking part in any section of this great
adventure can contact International Yacht Collection’s
charter department.