Oct. 13 was a pretty ordinary day for most people, except for the owner and management team of Big Fish. That’s when the 147-foot yacht arrived in Fort Lauderdale, one-quarter of her way into a circumnavigation that will see her visit the Antarctic, South America and other rarely cruised regions among the yachting set.
Big Fish was built by McMullen & Wing in New Zealand for a new company called Aquos Yachts. The yacht was conceived and constructed to be a go-anywhere explorer. The steel hull is engineered for long-range cruising; in fact, Big Fish is reportedly capable of a 10,000-mile range.
That’s about how many miles the yacht has put under its hull so far. Upon delivery in June, Big Fish cruised around the South Pacific for three months. Charter guests were aboard in Tahiti after that, as were the owners, who explored the Galapagos Islands before having the yacht head for American shores.
The stateside visit serves two purposes. First, Big Fish is making its boat-show debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show later this month, where Aquos Yachts representatives will meet with clients interested in building similarly adventurous cruisers. A series of these yachts is in the works. Indeed, Aquos Yachts already has a larger sistership, StarFish, under construction at McMullen & Wing. Second, Big Fish will need some customary, minor warranty work performed before embarking on the next leg of her global trip: six weeks in the Antarctic. (Imagine the stories and photos that will be shared when the people chartering Big Fish down there over the Christmas holidays come home!)
Big Fish has even bolder plans for September of next year. That’s when the 147-footer will make what is reportedly the first-ever yacht crossing of the Northeast Passage. The Passage crosses the top of Russia, and it’s legendary for being treacherous due to ice all year round. Global warming has resulted in it becoming more passable in recent years, and Big Fish will have a team of scientists and film crews aboard to document the changes and see some of the most untouched areas on the planet.
You, too, can have once-in-a-lifestime experiences onboard Big Fish. It will be available in January and February for fly-in, fly-out charters in Patagonia and the Antarctic Peninsula. In early spring, the Amazon River will be on the itinerary. To make an inquiry about available dates, visit the dedicated website.
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