Page 26 - SEA ALLIANCE

PRESS TALKS

Launched in 1994, MyStar was built by Alloy Yachts to an Ed In 2020, their trip paused, along with the rest of the world, and communicate well. We have a great connection now be-
Dubois design. She had undergone an extensive rebuild in when Covid-19 hit. The yacht had just arrived in French Poly- cause of that.” The family returned to shore in the summer
2015, which included a redesign of the transom. The couple nesia – the family didn’t do the crossing but had just flown of 2022 so their eldest daughter could have the high school
have since kept her up to date and in excellent condition over to meet MyStar there. Within a matter of days, every- experience, while the Talits look for inspiration as to what
with regular refit work. But what really drew them to MyStar thing shut down. They spent six weeks quarantining in a might be the next boat to pique their interest. “My husband
was her seaworthiness and spaciousness. A true ocean-going rental house on land. French Polynesia closed its borders, loves the idea of building something new, but I still need to
vessel, she draws a reassuring 3.5 meters with a fin keel. “We but allowed free travel within the country to those who were digest that,” Maya says with a smile.
thought, this is a boat that could sail us anywhere – she’s already there. So after the quarantine, they were free to ex-
strong and had a good track record for sailing while also be- plore the islands. They were stranded there, but there were Though once a reluctant sailor, Maya wouldn’t trade the ex-
ing comfortable and elegant,” Maya says. “And the cabins certainly worse places to be stranded. “We were in Bora Bora perience of going to sea with her husband and kids for any-
were big, and we could bring the nanny.” The latter was a without any other tourists,” says Maya. “It was paradise – we thing. She wholeheartedly recommends an adventure like
crucial point as at the time of setting off on their voyage their had gorgeous al fresco dinners every night in Bora Bora for this to other families who might be keen to throw off the
kids ranged from two-and-a-half to 14 years old. 30 days in a row.” They also visited Tahiti, Mo’orea and the bowlines. “My advice? Don’t wait!”
Tuamotu island group, where they dived with the sharks at
Maya says the previous owner had spectacular taste, creat- the Fakarava Atoll. “There’s a pass where the atoll meets the MyStar is currently for sale with Sea-Alliance Group.
ing an interior that was cozy and chic, and the yacht already Pacific Ocean – it’s an area where a lot of sea life comes in,
had single beds in the guest cabins, which were perfect for and we saw a wall of sharks,” she says. “My kids are all scuba
the kids. But they did take time to update the operating sys- divers and multi-certified.”
tems and sails. “For me to live with my four small kids on
board, we did everything to make sure she was as safe as THE TRIP HAS ALSO HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON
possible.” Liran was also guided by the maxim “happy crew, THE FAMILY UNIT OVERALL
happy cruise”, and so they upgraded the crew areas to be as
comfortable as the guest areas. The last stop was Alaska, where MyStar sailed up to Glacier
Bay. Moored in a bay where glaciers kiss the water’s edge,
In 2019, they started their journey in the Mediterranean, the girls all decided to jump in wearing bikinis and socks for
spending time in Greece and Italy, then crossed over to the a cold-water plunge. Alaska was also the setting for one of
Caribbean for winter, calling in at Grenada, Tobago Cays, Maya’s favorite memories of the trip. They spotted bears on
Mustique for New Year’s Eve and St. Barths: “We loved St. shore, catching fish from a stream that meets the sea, so they
Barths and stayed for some time,” says Maya. Then, it was boarded the tender in the pouring rain to have a closer look.
down through the Panama Canal and up to the US West “We just sat there in the dinghy in the rain and looked on in
Coast. In California, they took their daughters on a tour of awe. No one complained they were getting wet or wanted to
the Meta headquarters, the Tesla factory to see how the cars go in,” says Maya.
were made and to SpaceX, where the girls got to touch the
rocket that would later be launched into space. The experience of living on board and travelling the world
has given her kids a different mindset from landlubbers, says
They sailed down the Baja Peninsula and up into the Sea of Maya. “They are very centered, confident and open-minded.
Cortez in Mexico. “The Sea of Cortez has such incredible na- They know themselves well. They feel calm being in nature,
ture with whale sharks and seals, and the water is crystal blue and they make friends quickly.” Perhaps the biggest influence
and the mountains are red and dry,” says Maya. From there, was on their youngest daughter, who grew up on the boat
they headed further into nature-rich lands, visiting Cocos Is- from toddlerhood. “She’s so strong and optimistic and hap-
land and the Galápagos. “When we sailed from Cocos to the py,” says Maya. “She loves the boat and being at sea. When
Galápagos, it was the smoothest sail and then suddenly we other kids draw houses, she always draws a boat!”
entered an area where there was so much life in the sea –
whales, dolphins, tuna jumping, birds circling. It felt like we The trip has also had a positive impact on the family unit over-
were in an oceanic Circle of Life,” Maya says. It was these mo- all. “It definitely made us closer,” says Maya. “You have to
ments of being in tune with the natural world that Maya most learn quickly to show up as your best self, because if not, ev-
appreciates about her time at sea. eryone else suffers. You learn how to manage your emotions

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