Myra is a schooner in the traditional manner, her hull built of steel, her decks laid in teak and her bulwarks varnished until they shine. She was refitted with an eye to keeping that character intact, and it remains the first thing a guest notices on stepping aboard. Under canvas she heels with a gentle, steady motion, and when the sails are furled she offers the ease of a well-ordered home. Broad teak side decks and tall rails mean that walking forward to the bow, even while she is sailing, feels natural rather than daring.
Inside, warm timber sets the tone, from panelled walls to teak floors inlaid with holly. The salon is raised above the deck, and its broad windows fill it with daylight and keep the water in sight. Dining tables run along the port side so everyone eats together, while opposite a sofa and coffee table make a quiet corner for a book or a board game. A flat screen TV with home theatre, the salon stereo, device hookups and WiFi serve evenings in. Doubles lie forward of the salon and twins aft, all en suite, so couples and those who prefer separate beds each find their place.
Life aboard moves outdoors for most of the day. On the aft deck, a permanent tent keeps the sun off a table for meals in the open air, with comfortable seating and sunbeds looking back over the wake. The foredeck has sunbeds of its own for those who want full sun and the feel of the wind as she sails. A deck shower washes away the salt after a swim, and bathrobes for each guest and hairdryers are provided. In Greece, where she cruises, the rhythm suits her: a morning under sail, lunch at anchor in a quiet cove and a calm night at rest, with her crew attending to sheets and service alike.
Once she is at rest, the inflatable platform is launched alongside and the sea becomes another deck. The Zodiac tows water skis for adults and a wakeboard, while the kayak and paddleboard are for slipping along the coast at your own pace. With snorkeling equipment and a sea scooter, guests can follow fish over the sea bed, and a fishing rod waits for anyone with patience. Under the sun awning, those who stay aboard keep the shade and the view, so that a day spent at anchor feels as full as one spent sailing.