The superyachts are gathering this weekend in Edgartown, (possibly for the anticipated presidential visit next week?), and across the country, sailors and boaters are enjoying the last weeks of summer. Reluctant to turn our thoughts back to the indoors yet, here in Newport Beach we’ve found a few new items that might help you take advantage of the remaining warm, sunny days and late sunsets by the water.

While I’m not generally a fan of coasters, I’m giving up neither my summer G&Ts nor my perennial appreciation for beautiful wood surfaces. Thankfully, I don’t have to give up either with these handsome Maple & Mahogany Coasters. They’re made in the USA of entirely recycled materials. Four to a set, in a sloted wood holder.

To complement our newly well-heeled G&T’s, our thoughts turn to an outdoor late-summer barbeque, and the new collection of nautical-themed cleat-handle carvery boards. Each is handcrafted out of the finest Eastern Hard Maple and Santos Mahogany, hand-sealed with 100% Natural Tung oil, and then finished a second time with Mineral Oil and Bees Wax. The combination of these two finishes provides a safe and natural sealer.

Speaking of waterside entertaining, as soon as the Italians return from holiday, we should be seeing more of their unparalleled nautical serving pieces with layers of silky rope lines, knot accents, and inlaid teak bases. The trays can be used with or without the removable acrylic inserts, with multiple bottle and/or glass cut-outs. The inserts are a godsend when heeled over, or bringing a tray-full of cocktails up the companionway.

And of course, when summer’s finally over, you’ll need a stunning new coastal-themed frame to showcase a few of your favorite moments by, or on the water. From opulent Amythest-hued seashells, to airy, open-weave rattan, to sleek pewter waterscapes, we’re gathering a collection of frames to suit just about any waterside decor.

Reluctantly, we’ll soon be bidding summer goodbye. Until then, enjoy the sunny days at sea and the amazing joys of living and entertaining by the water.

DJ

Rare indeed, was the sight yesterday of the 100-ft maxi racing yacht Alfa Romeo at the dock by Gladstone’s in Long Beach, preparing for the TransPac yacht race to Hawaii.

Aside from the crews provisioning and readying boats for the race, most everyone else at Rainbow Harbor was enjoying the sunny Sunday afternoon and clicking away with their cameras at the impressive collection of vintage Alfa Romeo cars lined-up along the waterfront.

I don’t think the Alfa Romeo yacht has ever raced on the West Coast – maybe not even in the US? So, it was a truly special pleasure for Connie Crowley and me to be invited aboard by the yacht’s owner Neville Crichton.

A gracious host, Neville was kind- and patient enough, to endure my gawking at the sheer size of the winches and lines, the massive canting keel, the state-of-the-art electronics, and to answer all of my silly questions. I don’t think I’ve been surrounded by that much carbon fiber, ever! What an amazing yacht! Down below, it felt a bit like Reichel-Pugh meets Star Trek and Philippe Starck!

With the smallest/slowest TransPac boats already having started at about 1pm today, Neville and crew aboard Alfa Romeo have nearly a week longer to wait before their start on July 5th. That’s a lot of time/distance to make up on the water and, as Neville noted, not an easy task if the winds don’t cooperate.

After TransPac, Neville said he’s off to Europe, to race his 73-foot Alfa Romeo August-September, then back aboard the 100-foot Alfa Romeo for the Sydney-Hobart race on Boxing Day. An enviable schedule, to say the least!

Best of luck to Neville and his crew, and many thanks from Connie and me for the opportunity to be onboard such a magnificent yacht.

DJ

As the crew headed downwind during last Thursday’s Balboa Yacht Club Beercan Race, the wind simply shut off, stranding us a tantalizing hundred yards or so from the finish line. Springing into action, the finely tuned crew immediately… turned on the stereo. Then Dan pulled out a chilled magnum of champagne and launched the cork straight into the mainsail. A protestable case of ooching? An arguable example of pumping?

Whatever it was, it certainly reminded me of just how fun Thursday night racing in Newport Harbor can be!

Leave the papers on the desk – turn off the computer – it’s time to put on some gloves and go sailing! Or, in the case of this breeze-challenged Thursday, put on some sunnies, grab a light-air Regatta Gear jacket, break out the acrylic champagne glasses and pass the magnum!

Aaahh, another season of fun aboard Larry’s Cha Cha Cha, and (when not trimming), boating in heels!

Life is good. Spare no champagne!

DJ

Wind shifts on the water are, in many ways, an appropriate analogy for life.

While wind shifts are fickle and largely unpredictable, careful research on historic wind patterns, and a close eye on your instruments, and on the water’s surface, will provide important clues to what the wind wil likely do next – but there is never any sure bet on wind shifts.

Wind shifts can help or hurt you, depending upon where you are at any given time, relative to your destination. A helpful wind shift will set you on a shorter course to your goal. An unfavorable shift will send you on a longer course – if not force you to tack to even reach your destination.

Wind shifts are usually temporary. Eventually, things will revert to their historic norms.

Favorable or unfavorable, wind shifts are inevitable, and we cannot maximize their benefit or minimize their damage unless we first, recognize them and then adjust to them.

As I look out the window, the reality of the current economic downturn is at once imperceptible and profound. The morning’s bright sunshine and blue skies belie the winter storm that I know will be here by evening. There are still the same number of boats moored or docked in the harbor. There is still the same amount of construction and hustle and bustle attending to the homes here. People are still going about their lives and still appreciating living by the water. Yet the gorgeous waterfront home across the street now has a “BEST BUY” sign out front. The condominiums down the street have been empty for months. And wherever I go, I notice there are fewer, if any, lines.

Like many other retail and marine industry businesses, the present economic shift has put Nautical Luxuries off-course, requiring more than a tack; a complete re-evaluation of our destination. While charting the new course ahead, I look forward to sharing my thoughts, ideas, and experiences, through this Blog. I invite everyone who has enjoyed the Nautical Luxuries collection and shared my own passion for the sea, to join me, wherever this shift may lead.

DJ

Getting Started: Taking A Space Inventory

Even on a small boat, the prospect of decorating can be daunting. We recommend breaking the process down into individual steps. The first step, is to get a clear idea of exactly what spaces on the boat you want to decorate.

Your list of available spaces will vary, depending on your boat, and you may decide not to decorate all of the available spaces, but here’s a good starting outline for reviewing all available onboard spaces. While you might come up with many more decorating options, or decide not to include as many, the following list will provide you with a good starting point.

A thorough review of your boat will give you a detailed list of the spaces you have available to decorate as well as identify the usable items already onboard and the items that need to be added or replaced.

Here’s a sample inventory of Decorating Space Options and Needs.

From this thorough inventory, you can develop your decorating shopping list:

Boat Decor Shopping List:
Pillows & Throws
– 6 Outdoor pillows for aft deck settees & flybridge settee
– 2 matching throws for 2 aft deck & flybridge settees
– 4 Indoor pillows for dining table settee
– 4 Indoor pillows for main salon settee & 2 for chairs
– 10 Decorative pillows & 2 throws for 2 beds & 4 bunks – coordinate with bedding
– 2-3 Indoor pillows for master stateroom settee – coordinate with bedding
Bedding
– sheets, spreads, pillows for 2 beds, 4 bunks
Tabletop & Bar
– Non-skid placemats/matching napkins & rings for 8
– Special occasion placemats/matching napkins & rings for 8
– Non-breakable dinnerware for 8 (Corelle or melamine)
– Non-breakable all-purpose tall & short tumblers, red/white wine glasses & flutes for 8
– Stainless flatware for 8 (Serving Spoons/Forks)
Galley
– Airtight plastic containers for galley
– Non-breakable serving bowls, pitcher & platters – coordinate with dinnerware & linens
Florals
– Table centerpieces (main salon coffee table, dining table, aft deck, flybridge)
– Main salon floor & side tables, galley countertop
Decorative Accessories
– Main salon coffee table
– Main salon side & behind settee decor – sculpture? books? lamps?
– Wall art for main salon & 4 cabins
Heads
– Coordinating TP holder, towel holder, hooks (4 heads)
– Waste bin & tissue holder (4 heads)
– Coordinating towels (bath, hand, face) & mats for 4 heads
Misc.
– 8 beach towels – monogrammed?
– basket for beach towels & sun gear
– 2 teak lounge chairs?

Now that you have your shopping list, the next step to Feathering Your Nest is deciding on your decorating style and researching what’s available.

DJ

Revelations of a Boating ‘Betty’
I’ve been accused of being a ‘Betty’ on more than one occasion. Fair enough. Like many female sailors/boaters I suspect, I often prefer my heels to my Dubarrys, champagne bubbles to beer suds and an afternoon chat with friends in the cockpit to an afternoon in the engine room. And I have been seen more frequently sitting in the Princess Section on the stern with a glass of Chardonnay in my hand, than trimming the main with a winch handle… in my grinder’s hand…

Curiously, though, I am still drawn to the uncompromising and often inhospitable world of wind, water and boats; even more so, to the intense competitiveness of yacht racing. It is my passion- which I have indulged for the better part of 30 years, in an increasingly un-macho manner.

After crewing on everything from Olympic Class Solings, to first class superyachts, I have learned one unavoidable truth- the smaller the boat, the less ‘Betty-friendly’ it will be! Of course, once you get into the realm of million-dollar yachts, you truly DO have all the comforts of home – not to mention crew- but in the smaller ranges, compromise and inventiveness are a real ‘Betty’s’ best friends.

Wearing heels to the boat and deck shoes onboard? Sunscreen on the water and Chanel in the yacht club? Open-finger sailing gloves with a French manicure? Aigle boots with a pedicure? Champagne in an unbreakable acrylic flute? Ahh, now that’s my kind of Betty-boating.

You could say that my ‘Betty’ attitude was behind the very start of Nautical Luxuries. I saw no reason to compromise my own sense of style to create a nautical theme in my home decor, or find an elegant gift for a fellow boater. Nautical Luxuries has simply provided a better option for sophisticated nautical and coastal enthusiasts; one that matches their tastes without compromise.

Feathering Your Floating Nest
Over the years, an increasing number of customers have come to Nautical Luxuries seeking advice and ideas on decorating their boat interiors or, as I like to refer to it, feathering their floating nests. These are not superyacht nests, but an extraordinarily wide variety of boats, from harbor-cruising electric boats, to fractionally owned performance boats, to racing sailboats, to Sportfishing Boats. Each style of boat has its own decorating challenges and opportunities and owners with equally discriminating tastes and needs.

To the new owner, a boat can be an alien world that comes without ‘Betty’ instructions. To the veteran boater, West Marine may be a familiar outfitting resource, but their nest-feathering options are limited.

I’ve started a new series of Feathering Your Floating Nest posts to share some of the ideas and solutions that have proved helpful to many of our customers with the hope that they’ll be useful to you as well:

- Taking Inventory & Creating A Plan
- Indoor/Outdoor Fabrics – The New Options
- Space, Stowage & Bending A Few Decor Rules
- Galley, Cabin & Head Betty Basics
- Before & After Gallery of Ideas
- Entertaining Onboard

A well-feathered floating nest is a place you’ll enjoy spending time with family and friends. To this ‘boating Betty’, that truly is my favorite definition of “simply messing about in boats!”

DJ

The news of Mike Campbell’s passing came on Friday.

Since then, I have been reading the many tributes and memorials to Mike being posted on Scuttlebutt, but I still feel an unquenchable need for more – as if reading them will somehow extend Mike’s presence and defer my own acceptance of so great a loss.

Mike was a rare gift, a mentor, a fellow sailor, a friend, and I will miss him greatly. How many people’s lives have been enriched by knowing Mike and Victoria? Countless, I’m sure. There simply may not be enough tributes for such a man.

My heart goes out to Victoria now, in her all-encompassing loss. I am grateful for having known them both, and for having been a part of the wonderful world of people, boats, and gracious hospitality that Mike and Victoria so generously shared.

Ironically, Mike’s endgame with cancer happened the same weekend as the 17th annual Linda Elias Memorial One Design Regatta hosted by Mike’s yacht club, Long Beach Yacht Club. 17 years ago, Linda lost her own battle with cancer.

Linda would be pleased to know that the regatta has not only continued, but has thrived. This year every available boat in Long Beach Yacht Club’s Catalina-37 fleet was filled. There were more than 100 women racing on the water – one team from as far as Puerto Vallarta. It was a fine tribute to another departed sailing friend.

Coming across a pair of seals just beyond the weather mark – impossibly perched at least six feet out of the water atop the enormous steel rudder of an anchored cargo ship- I couldn’t help but wonder if Linda and Mike weren’t with us this weekend afterall, enjoying a perfect spectating spot overlooking the weather mark.

For now, I will enjoy every moment on the water that I can. I expect I will be thinking of you, Mike, whenever I feel the wind in my face, the bite of a line in my hands, and the sound of the ocean on a long beat to weather. I will think of you at unexpected times too – when I’m on a quiet pre-dawn run in my worn-out, but still prized Victoria crew shirt, or when I open the trunk to grab a few equally worn-out Trader Joe’s bags, to recycle just one more time. Certainly I will think of you every time I meet up with someone else who counted you as a friend – which, I imagine, could be quite often.

And one day, I hope to be in your good company again; to share a few favorite stories and even more laughs, on an excellent voyage that simply has no final port of call.

Until then, thank you for everything and farewell, my friend.

Daisy

It may seem hard to miss something more than two stories tall and 156 feet long, but superyachts have a habit of slipping quietly into the end docks on Lido, virtually unnoticed, staying for a few days, then disappearing again, as quietly as they came. Such was the case this past weekend when M/Y Slojo paid a short visit.

I managed to grab a camera early Sunday morning and get a shot literally minutes before she departed again, off on a world circumnavigation – next stop San Diego.

This photo does not do her justice. She is truly a beautiful yacht. Congratulations to her owners and to the Delta Marine yard on their new launch.

There is a great picture of Slojo in this month’s ShowBoats International magazine, as well as an article in MegaYacht News about Slojo’s chef, Cristina Topham. Topham’s entertaining blog, The Adventures Of A Wayward Chef, provides an insider’s look into the life of a superyacht chef – brings back a few memories of my own Chief Stewardess crewing days.

Oh, how I felt that familiar tug of wanderlust as Slojo and her crew backed out of the slip and glided off on the next leg of their global adventure! There is simply nothing like the feeling of freedom you get as you leave the dock, headed out on a long ocean voyage. Here’s to a fabulous trip around the planet and safe passage to Slojo and her crew.

The Lido dock is empty again now, but maybe not for long. You just never know who might slip in when you’re not looking.

DJ

I’ve often wondered how many homes on the island are second, third, or maybe fourth homes.

As an investment, Lido seems to be weathering the housing downturn better than many areas in Southern California – can’t say that I’ve seen more Open House signs than usual, and there are a lot of houses under construction lately.

During my pre-dawn runs with Mr Jones, I often see the “construction warden” as I call her, driving slowly street to street, Antibes to Zurich, flipping her clipboard papers in the dark and matching permits to every green dumpster and wire-fenced property- or so I imagine that’s what she’s doing. At any rate, she’s been busy.

So, what WOULD the criteria be for selecting the perfect second home location? According to MSN.com, “a beautiful setting is a must.” Beyond that, MSN includes:

• Proximity to growing urban centers.Within a 2-3 hour drive of a major city, or close to a big airport.
• Plenty of recreational opportunities. Lots to do beyond shopping, which is why most thriving resort towns are near ski lifts, beaches or mountains. Some cultural cachet – a theater or film festival, galleries or museums.
• Decent weather. You have to be able to get outside to enjoy all that recreation.
• Significant commercial investment. The old-timers may grouse about the new hotels or malls, but these are good indicators that others think the community is on the way up.
• The “it” factor. The community gets discovered by movers, shakers and celebrities — or at least enough other folks like you — for prices to get bid up.

By all those measures- with the arguable exception of Lido Marina Village, (which has so much latent commercial investment potential), and your own personal definition of “a beautiful setting”, (which would need to include water or beach), Lido would certainly rank near the top for perfect second home locations.

DJ

The Santa Ana winds are blowing and fires are raging in Southern California, but the air here is already beginning to take on a holiday chill!

Even Mr Jones seems to have made it through the fall allergy season and is diving head-first into the holiday spirit, donning one of our early-arrival wreath bases, soon to be elf-decorated as part of our new coastal wreath collection.

Halloween may still be a few weeks away, but the Nautical Luxuries elves are already well into their preparations for the coming holiday season.

The new holiday line includes many classic designs in the finest materials like sheer organza or gilded gold and cloisonne enamel for a truly elegant coastal look.

Each year, we feature a new Santa and Angel treetopper/centerpiece duo – this year’s pair are truly stunning. At two-feet tall, they make an extraordinary table centerpiece.

Natural seashells and starfish are the most popular coastal holiday decor theme. Our most popular natural ornaments have been our Deep Sea Natural Shells. We’ve added a new Starfish Ornament Set this year in natural or antique gold finish.

As in past years, we’re offering fresh and preserved coastal wreaths. The fresh SeaKeepers Wreaths are such a treat – to give or receive! Since they’re dependent on the growth of foliage in the Pacific Northwest, their availability is limited to a very brief window of just five weeks a year.

This year, shipping dates will be between Nov. 10th and Dec. 16th. Not only do they look beautiful with natural sand dollars and starfish set against lush green foliage, but the wonderful aroma of evergreens is a most pleasant experience from the moment you open the box, to the little whips of scent you capture every time you walk by.

A percentage of the sale of each wreath goes to supports the International SeaKeeper Society’s efforts to monitor the conditions of our planet’s oceans.

DJ