In-depth article and interview
June 17, 2001
The S/V Captiva is not your typical run of the mill bed and breakfast. She is a unique stay aboard exclusive, romantic traveling “boat and breakfast.” She is 68 feet on deck, 80 feet in overall length. She is 18 feet wide mid-ship, weighs over 79,433 lbs. and is 11 years old. The topmast is 94 feet above the water. This particular boat was built for Mr. Irwin, owner of the Irwin Yacht Marine Company. Ventura Assets is her present owner. Steve Carr, her captain, manages her. The Captiva carries full emergency provisions and equipment. She is operates as a bed and breakfast when docked in a marina at a destination but does not sail with guests. Most guests who come aboard the S/V Captiva Bed & breakfast are looking for a quiet place to decompress, to lounge, a romantic place to snuggle, etc. As a platform to live on and enjoy, staying on the Captiva has got to be one of the most pleasurable boats to be on that I have ever seen. It brings to mind such words as romance, luxury, elegance, decadence and the lifestyles of the rich and famous. No one else is operating a wandering yacht bed and breakfast that travels to different destinations.
The Captiva makes her own electricity and has plenty for all the systems on board. To make their own water from seawater they make reverse osmosis water and can make up to 120 gallons a day so there is plenty of fresh water always on board. In most cases the boat will be in marinas with services so that the Captiva will have shore power and water. The Captiva will be able to turn foreign power into the right cycles and right voltage and amperage for whatever appliances people bring. So, all appliances should work on US power on board. If the Captiva is docked someplace without shore power she has her own generator and can make sufficient power for all needs. The Captiva supplies basic hygiene products & a hairdryer but guests will need to bring additional items. The boat is fully air-conditioned with seven individual air conditioners each with it’s own controls.
The Captiva features a hot tub on deck and has a wave runner on board. Imagine relaxing in the hot tub under a canopy of stars and maybe a full moon with your loved one (mmmm). This contributes to making the Captiva a unique sailing platform. Ventura Assets, the current owner, tries very hard to keep everything on board as original as they can. This is important to the spirit of the vessel. They try to keep as much on hand in the way of original parts as possible. The main cabin (owner’s cabin) where guests stay is called Point Conception. This cabin is richly appointed with a huge king size bed, two skylights over the bed, a lounge area, a writing desk, TV/VCR and side portholes. Does that set the mood for romance or what!!! The adjoining bathroom has a Jacuzzi bathtub, marine toilet and sink. There are two other smaller cabins each containing a full bed and upper bunk as well as private bathroom with sink, shower and toilet. Generally there is only one couple on board at a time. They have the whole yacht to themselves. Scott, the first mate, lives aboard the Captiva. He has many years experience with boats this size and larger. He brings considerable Mexico and marine experience to bear. He speaks Spanish and has spent considerable time on the East coast of Mexico. He has owned and raced sailboats of his own. Scott has made four passages through the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean and delivered boats to various places on the Pacific coast. He has already been to each of the destinations on the itinerary for the Captiva for the next year. He lovingly maintains the boat and helps the captain Steve Carr sail it to each destination. He cooks a full breakfast to order for the guests each morning, cleans, and makes any kind of reservations or arranges excursions for guests. If the boat is in a foreign port and guests want a familiar meal, other than breakfast, for an additional cost Scott can prepare it or if they catch a fish Scott can prepare that too. Scott has the guest’s choice of wine waiting for them by the hot tub in the evening. The Captiva stocks a variety of mixers i.e. margarita, bloody mary, pina colata, etc. Liquor will be an additional cost but can be purchased by Scott ahead of time to have on board when the guests arrive. Scott asks questions and observes to determine what level of service guests wants when they arrive. He can make himself as scarce as needs be to suit guests. Scott is a funny, interesting sailor’s sailor and will make your stay on board the Captiva a real pleasure. Another thing that makes Captiva so unique is that you do have the whole yacht to yourselves if you wish. Guests never share the boat with strangers. But two couples can come together or one couple with one or two teenagers or even a small group of singles. Children under 12 are not encouraged as there are no facilities on board to entertain children and the boat is not child proof. But if parents really do need to bring a young child it would be allowed.
The Captiva, even though she is a traveling bed and breakfast, will never go anyplace too remote. The boat will need to be located where it will be convenient for guests to fly in and out. Scott, the first mate, said that they try very hard to have the comfort and services of a fine hotel with the seclusion of your own habitat. Scott makes it a policy whenever he and Captain Steve Carr sail the boat to a new destination to get to know what is available in the area and that those who offer excursions and the local restaurants are reliable, honest, and sincere. Scott said that so far he has been very fortunate in putting guests with local vendors. No one has been disappointed yet. The boat will always be in an area where there are things to do. You can do nothing but sun on the top deck or go out to do something. It seems that there are American entrepreneurs everywhere setting up business. Everything from surf lessons to massages and hair salons are available everywhere he has ever been when sailing. It is easy to put people with other people they can communicate with and relate to in a destination. With some people their hesitancy in traveling has to do with dealing with a foreign tongue and foreign customs. In the kinds of places the Captiva will go you will be able to sample as much foreignness as you want. But you will have the security of being able to come back to the boat where English is spoken and the language is understood and things are familiar. Where the Captiva sails to will not be so foreign that the passengers will be uncomfortable but not so Americanized that you might as well be in America. Scott will be able to provide US style cooking if needed and US style cleanliness. The local fruits and vegetables are washed in Captiva’s water. There is a freezer and refrigerator on board so local quality food can be bought in one location and stored on board for a period of months so that we always have it on hand. There won’t be any foods that can’t be safely eaten. Scott can go dive for local lobster and prepare it for dinner. There is nothing like really fresh, right out of the water lobster!
Wherever the Captiva goes the local laws will apply. If guests break those laws they will be punished by the local law system, not the US law system. The tentative itinerary for the next few years is to sail the Captiva down the east coast of Mexico to Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, through the Panama Canal. After going through the Panama Canal she will sail up the West Coast to Canada, over to Hawaii for a few years and on to Tahiti and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Now through the end of October the Captiva will be docked in Corpus Christie, Texas. In late fall the Captiva will sail to the Yucatan coast somewhere between Isla Mujeres and Belize and will be in that area for the winter 2001/2002.
In spring or summer 2002 the boat will be moved farther south to Panama or Costa Rica. There is a really special area in Panama Steve and Scott are thinking of taking the boat called Bocas Del Toro. Bocas Del Toro is an inland system of bays with nice deep water, flat water, because of the sheltering islands. Because you don’t have the big waves you can sail in 10 to 15 knot winds on flat water. There are great reef systems in the area of Panama. The government of Panama has set aside an area of Bocas Del Toro to be developed for eco-tourism only. There is to be no other industry in the area like mining, commercial fishing, etc. Development will be tourism oriented only. According to Scott, this will be the next “cool” tourist destination. Panama intends to keep this area clean and pure for as long as they can maintain it. The Bocas Del Toro area has three different kinds of sloths, 11 different kinds of monkeys, 23 different kinds of humming birds, and over 80 different kinds of jungle birds. The really neat thing about Bocas Del Toro, according to Scott, is that you can anchor up in 12 feet of water only 10 feet from a beautiful beach. You can see all of these things in their natural habitat going about their daily lives without intruding on them or changing their actions. This area of Panama is below the hurricane belt, which is another advantage. There has never been a significant storm in this area of Panama. The current plan is to have the Captiva in the Boca Del Toro area for five to seven months.
Once the Captiva leaves Panama and goes through the Panama canal over to the west cost the stops will be well known areas: Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Lapaz, Cabo San Lucas. The boat will probably spend a month or so in each area. Then the she will go on up the California coast and then to Canada. It has not been determined yet where the stops will be in California but she will stop in Vancouver, Canada. Whether the boat makes it north of there depends on the time of year that it arrives. The Captiva will spend at least a month in Vancouver. Vancouver is a great place to spend a summer as the weather and water is so nice there. What is really cool about Vancouver are the fjords that you can sail in. We call them arms here in the US. They are these long rock lined channels that go up to the mountains where you’ve got the glaciers. There are several fjords that go through areas that are deep, wide and safe for a boat like the Captiva. According to Scott, there is this one fjord that goes right through the city of Vancouver continuing on about 60 miles inland. Where you get to the heart of it you see a glacier melting.
After spending some time in Vancouver the plan is to take the Captiva over to Hawaii. The Captiva will spend one or two years in Hawaii moving from marina to marina, island to island. At some time in the future if things work out Steve and Scott hope to take the boat on to Tahiti then to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
Really the itinerary is open because Steve and Scott are concerned with where guests and passengers are interested in going. For instance if plans were to go to a destination and there was no interest then the boat would go to another more popular destination. Also if there were a lot of bookings for a particular destination then the time spent there would be extended. Scott did say that they should know within three or four months before they leave a place where they are going next and that information will be on the web site, or you can contact Kay Mitchell toll-free at 866-698-8005.
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
- Full breakfast
- On deck Jacuzzi
- Exclusively yours (no sharing with strangers)
- Private master suite
- Smoke free environment (smoking allowed on aft deck only)
- Your favorite wine chilled and waiting for you by the Jacuzzi
DETAILS
Price range:
$225/night for each of the first 2 nights
$190 for nights 3 and 4
$110 for an additional room for a second couple or child
$85 for a second additional room for another couple or child
Payment: Personal check, cashier’s check, cash, credit cards
Check in: flexible
Check out: flexible
CANCELLATIONS
Must be confirmed at least 48 hours ahead of time or 1 nights deposit will be deducted from the refund. The purchase of trip cancellation insurance is advised.
FOR RESERVATIONS AND MORE INFORMATION: call Kay Mitchell Seashell Travel an affiliate of Leisure Travel Desk at toll free 866-698-8005 fax 972-690-3043.
