Today we were setting sail into the Burrard Inlet with Vancouver Yacht Life. They are a local yacht chartering company, offering a taste of the high life from spring to early fall.
This is a one woman captain and crew and the boat not only serves as her office, but home as well. The rest of the year she docks her yacht and spends her time in warmer weather.
On board is everything you will need to host an intimate party of up to 15 individuals. From mermaid tails to floaties, cozy blankets to bottle opener. Today I was privileged to be one of 15 invited down to the “The Orianna”. We were here to celebrate the release of the new book “100 Things to do in Vancouver Before you Die”, written by local travel writer Kat Anderson. And it just so happens that charting The Orianna (the yacht with the same name as its captain) from Vancouver Yacht Life was number 61 on this list.
We boarded at Granville Island Terminal and set sail out into the harbour for 3 hours on the water, anchoring when we hit our own patch of still water. As a smaller water craft I was feeling the bobbing on the waves under the hull. But thankfully our prepared captain had me covered. She had a pharmacy that included anti-nausea pills, which I greedily took and helped.
The ship offers deck top seating on both the bow and the stern. The back had stools and benches, the front is more spacious with waterproof cushions to lounge across on. There are also speakers to board cast music to help set the tone.
At the very top is where our captain steered and eventually dropped anchor. Down below in the cozy cabin is a secondary wheel and the living quarters. This enclosed space includes a bedroom, kitchenette, and washroom with pump toilet.
The evening’s small bite appetizers were from Granville Island’s Fish Company, plated and displayed by our host and the captain. Chicken salad croissants, bison tartar with taro chips and crackers, candied salmon, salmon ceviche, hummus and naan. People grazed and when supplies ran short our captain restocked with fresh fruit and charcuterie, gummies, chocolates, and other sweet desserts. For drinks there was punch to spike with sparkling and bottles of water.
The rest of the evening we gathered, engaged in conversation, got Kat to sign copies of our books, and took tonnes of photos. Our captain has a drone and helped us take group photos to capture the evening’s joy. And she even gave us access to said photos while we were on the boat, for in the moment posting. These were the perfect way to mark the occasion.
And before our time on the sea was over, she serenaded us with her saxophone, as we watched the sun set in the horizon. Then the sail back to the harbour, in the dim of the twilight, was just as magical.
So if you are looking for a fun way to celebrate an occasion, if you want to enjoy Vancouver views and weather in a different way, and are working through the list of “100 Things to do in Vancouver Before you Die”, then consider catering a yacht with Vancouver Yacht Life”.
https://vancouveryachtlife.com/
