We never intended to spend nearly two weeks around the French city of Antibes, the plan was a few days at best. But one thing led to another, and we zigzagged Berkeley East from marina to anchorage, to a different anchorage and back, and so on. We settled into a routine, a mix of chores, errands, exploration, and relaxation on the French Riviera, aka the Cote d'Azur, our temporary home.
We spent time with the locals in Antibes, enthusiastically watching the World Cup. We went out to the islands off Cannes, and into the chic city. We lounged at beach clubs, hiked in the parks.
We were in awe of our neighbors, so many mega yachts in one place. BE was surrounded by Russians! And Brits.
Le Grand Bleu was impressive. At 371 feet, she is one of the largest private yachts in the world and carries two additional yachts, a 73-foot sailboat (19 feet longer than Berkeley East) and a 68-foot powerboat, as well as a landing craft to shuttle the Range Rover to shore.
But Eclipse cast a shadow over every other yacht in the area. Owned by Roman Abramovich, Eclipse is a 533-foot luxury motor yacht that cost an estimated 340 million euros and requires a crew of 70. She has two helicopter pads, 24 guest cabins, two swimming pools, a mini-submarine, and is fitted with a missile detection system. We wondered what was done if a missile were detected.
In addition to most of the boats being well over 100 feet long, living on the Cote d'Azur also requires having an enormous collection of luxury water toys. Jet skis, paddleboards and kayaks, sure. But the jet surf, sea bob and flyboard are also essential. Some of the largest super yachts had separate support boats to carry all the playthings.
From time to time, we need to take care of US business in foreign ports, such as sending a letter via Fed Ex or DHL. One would think that this is a simple task, but it is not, and when living on the Cote d'Azur, it was far from ordinary. This particular time took the better part of a day to accomplish, and upwards of 300 euro to have a letter overnighted to the US. But the biggest difficulty was, when calling for an Uber to take us to the Fed Ex office, we didn't know if we should choose the Uber X, the Uber Black, or the Uber Copter.
We quit our jobs in July of 2007 and began our adventure, sailing the US east coast in the summers and then spending our winters in the Caribbean.
In 2010 we sailed across the Atlantic and will be cruising the Med for the next few years.
Extra:
FAQ
Q: Did you go to UC Berkeley?
A: No. The name Berkeley East came from a ferry boat, "the Berkeley", that we met on over 30 years ago in San Diego. The East came as a result of seeing the boat being built in Taiwan. There was 30-foot Chinese symbol on the wall behind her during [...]
construction. Thinking it would mean something profound we agreed to incorporate it into the name before we new what it meant. It turned out to mean East - the East side of the boat yard. Thus Berkeley East. While the name has a number of other meanings this is the true origin off our boat's name.
Q: What type of boat is Berkeley East?
A: She is a Hylas 54 Raised Salon hull #46. We had her built at Queen Long Marine in Kaohsiung, Taiwan and commissioned in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. She is a high performance offshore sailing yacht capable of long range cruising in comfort. We have equipped her with the latest safety gear, electronics, automation and creature comforts, so she can be handled by the two of us.
Q: What are your sailing plans?
A: In the summer of 201 7we plan to sail from the east coast of Italy, down the Adriatic Sea, over to Sicily and Sardinia.
A: We are currently living aboard Berkeley East in the summer (in the Mediterranean) and living at our home in Charlotte, NC during the winter. ,
Q: Who else is going with you?
A: The boat is designed for the two of us to handle alone, but we welcome friends and colleagues to join us when ever they have time.
Q: How can I contact you?
A: The best way to reach us is through email at BerkeleyEast@gmail.com.
In early July 2006 we made a quick from Sydney, Australia to Kaohsiung, Taiwan to check on the construction of our Hylas 54. She was a little behind schedule, but the build quality was excellent.
After 28 days aboard Sigrun Bolten from Taiwan, Berkeley East arrived in Port Everglades Florida. Mary and I helped unload her and motored up the river to be hauled and rigged. We where joined by our friends and next door neighbors (from CA), who were in Florida cruising from California to the Caribbean.