MORNING STAR

Gulet MORNING STAR — Croatia Traditional gulet lines, a 2021 refit, and an interior that leans into cherry wood, warm colour and a certain nostalgia rather than the cool minimalism found on so many charter yachts. MORNING STAR sails the Adriatic with the unhurried character that only a gulet delivers — and she does it with a level of finish that rewards a closer look. Below, six cabins accommodate twelve guests. Two are arranged with a double bed, two with twin beds, and the remaining two can be configured on request. Each cabin has its own bathroom with a massage shower and the full complement of amenities — towels, beach towel, hairdryer, toiletries — and each comes with a walk-in closet, which is a genuinely rare luxury on a yacht of this type. It means unpacking properly for a week rather than living out of a suitcase. Life on board centres on the open dining area on the main deck. It is where the day's plans get made over breakfast, where lunch stretches into the afternoon, and where the Dalmatian coastline slides past between courses. When the wind gets up or the sun becomes too insistent, the indoor lounge offers an alternative without feeling like a compromise: generous natural light, a proper dining space, a bar, television and DVD, USB connectivity for your own music, and a stack of board games for the slower hours. Forward, the bow deck is given over to sunbathing — thick cushions and mattresses, with a shaded corner for those who prefer to watch from the edge of the light. From there it is a short step into the water for a swim, and the yacht is equipped for scuba diving and water skiing when the mood calls for something more active. And when conditions align, the sails go up. Few things reset the pace of a holiday quite like a gulet under canvas on the Adriatic. The crew is what turns all of this into a coherent experience — attentive without hovering, and practised at reading what guests actually want from their week rather than imposing a programme on them.