AVENTURE

A 29-metre classic ketch built in 2011 by shipbuilder Patrick Balta, she belongs to a tradition that has largely disappeared from modern charter fleets: a genuine sailing yacht, rigged and proportioned for long passages, rather than a motor yacht with masts. Accommodation is arranged across four cabins for seven guests — three with a double bed, plus a single cabin. The layout suits a family or a group of friends travelling together rather than a fixed set of couples, which is often exactly what this kind of itinerary calls for. Deck space is generous for her length, with room to spread out under sail or at anchor, and the galley is properly equipped for extended cruising well away from resupply. Her cruising ground is the real argument here. She works the southern Andaman Sea — Phuket and its surroundings, Phang Nga Bay and Krabi, the Phi Phi and Racha Islands, the Similan Marine Park, Koh Lipe and the Butang Archipelago, as well as Koh Samui and Koh Chang. Longer charters run north towards Myanmar's Mergui Archipelago, a scattering of islands still visited by very few yachts. The crew know these waters and the anchorages that reward an early arrival: quiet coves, empty beaches, reef systems that repay a mask and a set of fins. Snorkelling and diving punctuate the days, along with time ashore in villages where the pace has little to do with the marina.