Yachting Faire!

Back in the day when millionaires had yachts that were worthy of being called yachts, an invitation to cruise the Mediterranean on one was snapped up without a second thought. Nowadays the mega yachts are just examples technological excess, to see who can build the biggest and the fastest with the most amount of boy toys installed.

The yacht by which all others were judged back in the 50’s and the 60’s was the “Christina”, Onassis’ mega yacht named after his daughter. Onassis a man who had as about as much savoir faire as a mollusc on a hot rock, outdid himself when it came to the “Christina”!

One of the chicest places to be in the 50’s and 60’s thanks to Tina, Onassis’ first wife, a week cruising the Mediterranean was pure heaven, albeit with a bit of intrigue and drama.

Winston Churchill was a regular, Liz Taylor made several appearances, Maria Callas first started her affair with main man himself, and Jacquie O also laid the seeds for her future marriage on the yacht.

By today’s standard’s she is small and outdated, however her salons were hung with priceless works of art, and her dining room decorated with panels painted by Vertes. The aft main deck had an outdoor pool with a mosaic floor that rose at the push of a button to form a dance floor and the barstools in the bar were upholstered in very soft, fine leather made from the foreskin of a minke whale.

His first wife, shipping heiress Tina Livanos, said, “The yacht is his real passion. He is like a housewife fussing over it, constantly looking to see that everything is impeccable.” Impeccable indeed—a crew member once explained, “You could smash up a $20,000 speedboat into pieces and not a word would be said, but spit on the Christina’s deck, and you were out of a job.

Now available for hire at around $45,000 per day, you too can indulge. Just don’t forget to invite me!