You know how sometimes when something wonderful and totally unexpected happens to you. You have to pinch yourself to know for sure that it is real. Well, recently I had just such an experience when my husband I spent our first anniversary aboard the S/V Captiva, a 68 foot long yacht that is a "wandering bed and breakfast." I am a travel agent specializing in tropical locations so when a client contacted me wanting a b&b that was unique and different in a tropical area I started doing some research and stumbled on the S/V Captiva information.

 

What is so unique about the S/V Captiva bed and breakfast is that she sails to different destinations and is a bed and breakfast when docked at the destination. The Captiva looks like something you would see on that TV show "Lifestyles of the rich and famous hosted by Robin Leach. I knew I just had to have the experience of staying on her (for research purposes only J) I contacted Steve Carr, the captain and made arrangements for my first anniversary weekend June 15-17,2001.

 

The Captiva is docked at the marina in South Padre Island Texas until September. My husband, Mark and I live in Dallas so we just drove down. When we got to the marina Mark asked which one of the many boats anchored there was the Captiva and I pointed to the biggest sailing yacht there and told him that had to be it. Scott the first mate came out to welcome us aboard. I had never been about such a luxurious boat in my whole life. I just could not believe it so I pinched my self the first of many times that weekend. Right behind the cockpit where the steering where and steering communications is the HOT TUB!!! YUM! The deck was great but I wanted to go down below and see the rest of the yacht. Scott showed us how to go down the ladder to the salon. The salon is bigger than my living rooms all this beautiful teak wood and two huge couches. There was a pretty area rug on the teak floor. I want to go home and redo my whole house in teak! On one side of the salon is the galley, across from that is the washer/dryer and beyond that under the bow is Scott’s cabin. Scott led us through the salon to the stern where the owner’s suite "Point conception" was located. On the way to the owner’s suite on either side are two other cabins with a full bed and upper bunk in each and with their own full bathroom. But when Scott opened the door to our suite and we walked in I felt like I was in a dream again and had to pinch myself yet again. The owner’s suite has a beautiful king bed with two skylights located directly over the bed. Now if that is not an inducement to romance and decadence I don’t know what is. On one side of the bed is a settee area and huge writing desk. The bathroom has a Jacuzzi tub "cool".

 

Scott is very knowledgeable about every destination the Captiva sails to and made suggestions for restaurants and excursions. On Friday night we had dinner at a nice out door restaurant Amberjacks. We had perfect seats for the weekly Friday night fireworks.

 

Saturday morning we slept in and Scott made a wonderful cook to order breakfast. While cooking he chatted with us about some of his interesting life experiences. I really enjoyed the breakfast conversation. In the afternoon we went shopping out to lunch and rented a wave runner for some fun in the sun. When we got back to the yacht (I love saying yacht) Scott had made us reservations with someone to take us out on a private sunset dolphin watch on a 37-foot sailboat. That was a fun experience. But the highlight was our first anniversary dinner at a very good romantic restaurant Scott recommended.

 

On Sunday we slept late and again had a nice breakfast prepared by Scott. My husband, Mark’s, mother and younger brother live near South Padre so Scott said it was OK if they came by to see the yacht. They of course were very impressed with the Captiva. We all went out to lunch and then Mark and I cam back to the yacht to sadly check out and say goodbye until the Captiva was at the next destination where we wanted to stay on her again. I can’t wait to send all my clients an e-mail with an electronic brochure attachment of the Captiva. I think it is wonderful, romantic and so unique. I just wanted to pinch myself to make sure it was not all a dream. But I have the pictures to prove it was not a dream J