To say that Bob Giles, who owns the yacht VivieRae with his wife, enjoys cruising is an understatement. Since taking delivery of their Nordhavn 96 (hull 1 pictured), they have been all over the South Pacific. In fact, the maiden voyage in 2017 was an astounding 3,000 nautical miles from the shipyard to Bali. VivieRae just wrapped up about 10 days of exploring some of the most remote islands in Australia. The journey involved epic diving, amazing scenery, and of course great company.
None of this should surprise fans of Nordhavn, of course. The builder attracts those who chase horizons year-round. Giles, however, takes it to a new level. In less than their first year of ownership, he and his wife put about 21,000 nautical miles under the super-rugged superyacht’s hull.
Among the reasons they felt so confident they could be this adventurous was previous experience. VivieRae sometimes gets referenced as VivieRae II because she is the larger successor to another Nordhavn. That Nordhavn was a brokerage buy, and the Gileses wasted no time putting her to good use, either. In fact, they spent a few years cruising some extraordinary places on earth. In their first few years of ownership, they logged about the same number of nautical miles that the current VivieRae yacht did in her first year.
With accommodations for 10 and three decks of leisure areas, the current VivieRae supports not only cruising, but also diving. Bob Giles is a passionate diver and gifted underwater photographer. Scrolling through the yacht’s Instagram page is sure to induce equal parts inspiration and envy.
As some of the video here reveals, though, not every journey involves perfect weather. For example, gusts upwards of 40 mph greeted them their first full day heading out from Cairns, Australia. Additionally, rough surf characterized a few other days during the overall trip. However, Giles and company—including a videographer from Nordhavn—still managed to make some outstanding dives.
From Three Islands’ crystal-clear waters and amazing wildlife to the Great Barrier Reef off Lizard Island, it was a terrific journey. At times, they even had the reefs all to themselves. No doubt, more adventures are on the horizon.
Nordhavn nordhavn.com
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