Bareboat Cruising with Style
When I was trying to think of a name for this Blog, concepts like “adventures with style” or “civilized adventures” kept coming to mind. That’s because, while we don’t believe in always taking the easy route, we also don’t believe in roughing it for no reason at all. As Thomas Ritter, president of Unicat–a company that builds amazing expedition trucks–told me, “why would you take a rough dirt track when there’s a perfectly good paved highway running alongside”.
Practicality aside, we also find great appeal in adventures involving equipment or vehicles that embody a sense of style and fine craftsmanship reminiscent of a time when adventure was the domain of a privileged few. That is not to say that we are snobbish about this. In the past we have used whatever is available (or whatever we can afford); however, if given a choice, we may choose say a classic aristream travel trailer over a modern equivalent.
On the sea, nothing epitomizes this sense of style more than Hinkley yachts.  Today the company produces high end motor yachts for discerning clients but the company has a long history of building classic sailing yachts. We are longtime admirers of the Hinkley designs not only for their elegance but also for technical innovations such as coupling rugged diesel engines with Hamilton jet drives and using advanced composites to maximize economy as well as joystick steering.
Even though it is unlikely that most of us will ever be able to afford one of these amazing machines, it is possible to charter one through Hinkley Yacht Charters in Southwest Harbor, Maine. Weekly rates start at $2,675.00 for a 35-foot Hinkley Pilot Sloop; however, the only power yacht offering is a Grand Banks 36 named Caroline. The Grand Banks is not too shabby but we would love to be able to get behind the wheel of a new picnic boat.
