Montauk is where Yachting Editor-In-Chief Patrick Sciacca first found his love for the sea.
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Meet Technohull’s SeaDNA 999 G5, a 34-foot, 90-knot RIB.
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Get a new perspective on Scottsdale by checking out its picturesque downtown
Scottsdale, Ariz. is famous as a golf and spa mecca, surrounded by miles of luxury resorts and lush golfing greens with dramatic mountain backdrops. That being said, Scottsdale’s picturesque downtown packs a wide…
Joanne DiBona
Tuesday, May 2nd, 2017
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Ward Setzer’s passion for yacht design comes from a seemingly infinite font of ideas.
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Yes, there’s a large-screen retractable television. Watermaker? Check. Galley fit for a gourmet chef? Absolutely. KVH V-Sat broadband? Of course. Fifteen-foot center console aluminum rib with a 40-horsepower outboard? Yep. And a washer and dryer? You bet.
As expected, the bells and whistles are all there. But when I stepped aboard the stern platform of the custom Shannon Motorsailer 60 Ruby Kiss for a tour, my interest wasn’t just about the toys, it was also in the dual nature of this well-crafted motorsailer.
I love boats of all shapes, sizes, makes and models. New or old. Wood or fiberglass. Steel or aluminum. If it travels on the sea, I’m interested in finding out what makes it go, what makes it unique and what the owners have done to make it right for them. That is the whole premise behind our “Boat Notes” features. And that is why I wanted a full tour of this truly one-of-kind world cruiser. (Actually, I wanted to help deliver her from Hawaii to Seattle, but that didn’t work out.)
What makes Ruby Kiss so distinctive is her ability to take the “motorsailer” moniker to a whole new level. The knock on many motorsailers is that they motor and sail, but do neither very well. From what I can tell, and from hearing from the delivery crew and those who’ve sailed and motored Ruby Kiss, she bucks that trend and is just as capable a sailor as she is while under power.
On the one hand, you’ve got an impressive ketch rigged sailboat with Schaefer in-boom furling main and mizzen sails, and furling genoa and staysails. Her hull shape appears to be every bit a sailer forward and the boat looks as though she does quite well with canvas up. And from the top deck cockpit, you’d have quite a vantage point to watch the world whiz by.
On the other, you’ve got a powerboat with an inside helm station that includes a 270-degree view. Twin 110-horsepower Yanmar diesels with 640 gallons of fuel housed in five separate tanks give the boat plenty of power and range — 3,000 miles to be exact. And if the forward section is the look of sailer, the aft section is that of a spacious powerboat with stern platform set at dock level and an aft deck that would make an excellent fishing platform.
Ruby Kiss is the result of many years, a circumnavigation and over a hundred thousand miles of combined cruising by her owners. Thinking that a voyage through the Northwest Passage would be in their future, they wanted a go-anywhere yacht that was adept under sail and efficient with the engines running — and that’s exactly how she was designed and built.
What they decided on was a custom Shannon Motorsailer hull that was constructed in Bristol, Rhode Island and then finished by a team of independent contractors to meet their exacting needs. Redundancy of systems was a must for a boat that would be in remote locales for long spells and that is the cornerstone of her build.
When I got a chance to climb aboard Ruby Kiss in Seattle for a walkabout, I found myself oohing and ahhing more than normal at the thought and detail put into every system. There’s too much to list, but here’s a small for instance. The boat’s three Glenndinning engine controls are located inside at the helm and then outside at each helm in the top cockpit. But just in case one or all were to fail, the owner had backup cable controls hardwired in and ready to use, along with a fuel shutoff and halon fire extinguisher pull.
Hardwired engine controls are ready in an emergency.
On the sailing side, Ruby Kiss’ sail systems have clearly been set up with ease of use in mind. Boom preventers are rigged and ready to go, furling lines run cleanly and the sheets and halyards all meet the crew’s hands in a centrally located position at the opulent top cockpit. This is a flat out cool place to operate a sailboat from.
Dual helms with bench seats are positioned aft of L-shaped benches. Winches are located within reach from the helms or by stepping forward to the base of the mizzen mast. The whole cockpit area is enclosed and would be comfortable on a rainy day in the Pacific Northwest or while sailing under a bright sun in the trade winds. The full enclosure, which includes bug screens, can be taken off and stored in nice weather.
For accommodations down below, she’s got room for owners, guests and crew. Heck, the galley even has a sea berth and a nearby head! A large master cabin and head are located aft once you walk in from the aft deck. But the V-berth, with an ensuite head, is large enough to be considered a master as well.
Walking forward from the aft stateroom, you pass a workroom that can also be a berth to starboard before stepping up into the main salon and inside helm station. The view from here is incredible and one that clearly feels trawler-esq. I could imagine sitting here with a cup of coffee while powering up the Inside Passage.
Keep going through the salon and you’ll step down into the most impressive galley I’ve seen on sailboat. Its wraparound shape creates lots of storage and counter space and with the nearby accommodations noted above, you could literally live here.
Forward is a large V-berth with head. My favorite feature here has nothing to do with the bunk itself but in the storage system for Ruby Kiss’ impressive ground tackle. At the foot of the berth is a clever sealed hatch that provides a view and access to the chain for both anchors.
To take a full tour of Ruby Kiss yourself, walkthrough the 3D view below.
Though I realize that with a price tag of over a million dollars, this isn’t the boat for the common sailor, my interest in reviewing Ruby Kiss was to share some of these oooh and ahhs for the dreamers and boat lovers out there like me. When all was said and done, it was an entertaining afternoon getting a tour of this truly custom motorsailer. She’s an adventure mobile like none other and a place where your dreams could run wild.
To find out more about the Shannon Motorsailer 6o Ruby Kiss, visit swiftsureyachts.com.
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Weather report via Facebook friends (loopers just north of us ) –warnings of us severe wind and rain storms! Quick decision to stay an extra night on the mooring ball in Beaufort, SC. Hoping the storms move out of the area before we approach Charleston.
Heading out in a swift tidal current April 25 at 7:15 am, we made good time and arrived at the Church Creek anchorage by 3pm. having logged 49.4 miles. With light winds, intermittent showers and only 60 degrees; it was with heavy hearts that the sweatshirts , jeans and “gasp”…. Shoes were dug out for the day.
An indication we are traveling due east- the makeshift sun shade in the early morning!
The tide and current charts for this area indicated a 8 foot tide swing. That much water movement brings swirling fast moving currents as the waters switch directions from ebb to flood. We want to dock the boat at slack tide. This is the half hour of lull in water movement between the water coming in and when it starts to recede. With 17.5 miles to our destination, we expect to travel about 7 mph and need to arrive at 9:15 according to the marina contact. We arrived right on time; however the information given to us was for the previous day. The tides change about an hour each day with the moon cycle…. It was a bit turbulent in the marina, so we tied up to the end T dock for 40 minutes before actually maneuvering into the assigned slip. Just to be on the safe side and it paid off. Over the next few days, we watched boaters struggle to get into slips- throwing dock lines wildly; banging into pillars or being swept sideways with too much current. Better safe than sorry
If you live in a tide zone your dock may look like this- long enough to span the mudflats at low tide!
ST JOHNS YACHT HARBOR MARINA , SOUTH OF CHARLESTON SC
This marina is about 15 minutes from downtown Charleston and kind of middle of no where. We liked the price, the good reviews and free courtesy car. It is quiet and also has a swimming pool!
COURTESY CAR TO CHARLESTON
The first day we signed up for the courtesy car and went to the visitor center to get brochures. I have never seen so many marketing brochures- this town had tours for every interest.
This is not a complete list, just a sampling of the tours:
With all these choices, we went the budget route and walked the city. Every corner had tourists with a camera and a map in hand, so we fit right in. The historic district is quite compact- think about the early settlers and how they would have constructed the roads and shops with in a short distance of the water front. Much has been added over the years, and I wont try to give a history lesson, but suffice to say there is a lot of interesting things to see and do in Charleston!
PINEAPPLE WATER FOUNTAIN
A sign of hospitality is to display the pineapple. They are used often as a motif in the gates, fences or art. Here is the Pineapple Water Fountain near the water front park. The signs invite you to wade ankle deep, but no swimming or climbing!
Steeped in history, Charleston provides a glimpse into its past- preserving buildings and monuments and museums. The early settlers, the American Revolution and Civil War. The prosperous years of cotton and Rice made Charleston one of the main colonial ports of the 18th century, dealing in rice, indigo and slave trade. It must be a challenge to strive for any balance in representing such a varied history- providing a public display of any understanding of that American past and its legacy.
WROUGHT IRON – TRADITION
The city of Charleston has abundant examples of ornate wrought iron gates, fences and balcony railings. According to the history movie at the visitor center, much of the iron was done by Slave Craftsmen. Owners would have the slaves work at various trades in the off season of the plantations. While fires destroyed many buildings over the years, much of the old iron work was saved and reused during the rebuilding of Charleston.
This town is perfect for practicing photography- every nook and cranny offers a glimps of something to compose a photo.
SECRET GATES HINT AT HIDDEN GARDENS
Continuing on our self guided tour, we took a peak through garden gates to get a glimpse of what was hidden beyond. There are walking tours dedicated to the passages, alleys and hidden corners of the city to view courtyards and gardens barely visible from the sidewalks…. mmmm…. sounds intriguing.
ARCHITECTURE, OLD BUILDINGS AND RAINBOW ROW
The self guided walking tour booklet we purchased at the visitor center was helpful as we wandered up and down the cobblestone streets. Opting for a self guided tour worked out well. While at the Market, Colleen noticed several paintings and photos of “Rainbow Row” and “the Pink House”. These were two addresses we searched out to get our own photos! Each are historical buildings and easily recognizable landmarks.
Its early spring in Charleston, with the magnolia trees just starting to bloom, the streets often have the aroma of jasmine wafting toward the sidewalks, and many of the window boxes are in full bloom. Very inviting, and a very “walkable” city.
At risk of overload on the photos, I will stop here for now- check back as we continued to explore the city for two more days- learning the history of slavery at the Slave Mart museum, visiting the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, and more. Thanks for reading and stay tuned!
Filed under: Architecture and Gardens, Atlantic ICW, Monuments and Side trips, Moon Shadow Log Tagged: Charleston, Garden Gates, hidden gardens, photography, South Carolina, travel, Wrought iron gates 
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After a recent cruise you will agree this new destination offers spectacular scenery and top quality resorts and restaurants with exceptional food at Bali prices. We even found nice wine at reasonable prices.
Join me sailing and escape for seven nights and experience the joys of Thailand.
Visit James Bond islands and snorkel into caves in limestone cliffs.
An experience of a lifetime join the Superyacht 95’ Aphrodite (our mother ship), a little more expensive but includes all of your meals and most of the drinks on board. Air conditioned and a chef on board, of course. Just relax in the cockpit with your cocktail topped up with the ice from the Ice maker.
Sailing the Islands of Phuket © Sarah Wise
Or great value, is the not-so little 45 Lagoon Catamarans. Also, air conditioned, skippered by our sailing holiday veterans.
Istion Yachting lagoon © Sarah Wise
The sailing holiday is over seven nights and includes a welcome dinner, a prize giving dinner, air conditioned cabins, boat damage waiver, cleaning and transfers. Prices exclude air fares and personal insurance.
The superyacht experience | $4590 pp Based on six passengers. Captain Simon and crew will look after your every need with all meals and most drinks provided. (Simon was one of our skippers in the Greek Islands a few years ago).
The Luxury Beneteau 450s | $2650 pp Based on minimum six passengers, skippered by Brian and Terry. Not included food or drinks on board.
For more information – click here.
Suggested Sailing Itinerary – click here.
Getting There
Direct flights from Sydney with Qantas to Phuket (about 9hrs).
Life is too short to miss this one, join me, we need to make a decision on the number of boats by 30th April 2017 and commit to the deposits.
Please let me know if you are interested. Just SMS my mobile ‘Interested Terry’ or ‘booked Terry’ 0413 876184.
As always, in conjunction with Brook and his super experienced team at Charter World.
Costings/Commitment/Deposits
Berths are limited and bookings dependent on achieving minimum guests per vessel.
To register please forward $1000 deposit per person to the account below ASAP.
Account Name: Charter World Pty Ltd
BSB: 063136
Account Number: 10159905
Or credit card with 2% fee (please call Charter World on 1800 335 039).
You will be notified ASAP that your yacht is complete and at this point we recommend that you book your air travel.
by Sally Wise
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