DAUNTLESS

DAUNTLESS — 28.05m / 92ft, North Star, 2002 Alaska is not a cruising ground you approach casually. It asks for a yacht with sea-keeping in her bones and a crew who know the passages — and DAUNTLESS, formerly VIKING SPIRIT and CONDALORA, was built for exactly this kind of work. Launched in 2002 by North Star, her 92 feet are dedicated to expedition-style cruising rather than marina posing, and she runs her season, summer and winter alike, in Alaskan waters. She cruises at 10 knots. That figure tells you most of what you need to know about the rhythm on board: long, unhurried passages through channels and inlets, coffee in hand as the shoreline slides past, time to actually watch the water rather than skim over it. Accommodation is arranged across three cabins for six guests, each with its own en-suite. One cabin is fitted with a king-size bed, the second with a queen-size, and the third with twin beds — a layout that works equally well for a single family or two couples travelling together with friends. A crew of four looks after the yacht and her guests. On an itinerary like this, that team is the real luxury: they know where the anchorages are calm, when the light is worth waiting for, and how to keep a small yacht running smoothly a long way from anywhere. DAUNTLESS suits charterers who measure a voyage in what they saw, not in what they were served.