My colleague Gail King and I were aboard the 226′ motor yacht SHERAKHAN at the Antigua Yacht Show to inspect the vessel and meet with the principals. Accordingly we were given a tour of the ship by stewardess Nicole and later met the Captain and a representative of the management company and also with the owner.
What was most surprising for us was the fact that that SHERAKHAN, in spite or her size and price point, is designed primarily as a family vacation ship.
Secondly, it was also surprising that, in spite of being a charter vessel, she faithfully maintains the style and décor imprinted by the owner. Put in another way, she is not an impersonal corporate ship but a very carefully maintained repository of the owner’s sense of style and his personal art collection.
Decor
Taking the style of the ship’s interior a step further, it should be noted that each state room, for example, is of identical size but carefully decorated in a unique decor. Each stateroom is named after a famous author and is decorated in a style associated with that author. There is, for example an Ernest Hemingway stateroom, a James Conrad stateroom, an Agatha Christie stateroom, and so on.
There are two separate staterooms obviously designed for small children that have bunk beds and are painted in bright colors.
Outfitting
She maintains a crew of 22 with capacity for a maximum of 30 guests. The average size of her charter groups is around 20 guests. As mentioned earlier, families represent about 80% of her charter activity with the balance of 20% divided equally between corporate groups and groups of friends. The nationality of the crew is mixed with Dutch being predominant. i.e. the captain is Dutch as are many of the officers and stewardesses.
Yacht highlights from our visit
- A long table in the dining area that can seat up to 25 guests. This table is located under amazing modern chandeliers and a glass panel that forms the bottom of the 18 person Jacuzzi on the sun-deck.
- An incredible Spa and Jacuzzi and exercise room that has to be seen to be believed. A very private indulgence where the crew do not appear unless you call them. The lighting is subtle with relaxing music in the background. There is a stocked bar area with coffee and tea making equipment and soft drinks available.
- A huge sundeck with a swimming pool and bar and a décor that is changed by the crew every couple of days or so. When we saw it, it was decorated in Polynesian style, and was due to be changed the next day to an African décor. Lots of space to relax and sunbathe.
- Being able to speak with the owner and know that he wants his guests to feel “at home” and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
- Amazing array of water-toys including 2 wave-runners, 2 jet-skis, custom built wooden powerboat, 2 x 24’ tenders and the usual “towable” toys like wake-boards, etc.
13 cabins include a Master, 2 twin cabins, 8 double cabins with 2 of these convertible to twins 2 twin cabins for children or staff.
SHERAKHAN brings a wealth of design, individuality and flexibility to any charter. The attention to detail and the superbly maintained exterior and interior make SHERAKHAN an absolutely unique vessel in every way.
For booking information please use our charter inquiry form or see the SHERAKHAN details here.
