The Big Blue: A Family’s Megayacht Adventures

ALL PHOTOS: COURTESY THE MAYER FAMILY

The 138-foot (42-meter) expedition yacht The Big Blue has been taking her owners on the adventure of a lifetime for the past year. The Mayers—dad Tony, mom Delisa, and their three children—have been cruising all over the South Pacific. It’s the fulfillment of a long-time dream of theirs, and the education of a lifetime as well.

The long-time dream was to travel the world… but The Big Blue wasn’t in the initial plan. Tony and Delisa Mayer first thought about living abroad. But, based on feedback from friends who’d done it, they decided they wouldn’t really become immersed in the various cultures the way they wanted to. Next, they considered chartering a yacht. But, the itineraries of the yachts they liked didn’t fully match their desires. One day, Delisa practically dared Tony to buy a yacht instead. That led to the yearlong search culminating in 2012 in the purchase of Imbros, a 2010 build from Troy Marine.

A 15-month refit at Derecktor Florida turned Imbros into The Big Blue. The Mayers had the yard add a helipad for stowage, not just touch-and-go operations. With Tony being a helicopter pilot, and family flights around various countries in their plans, this was a must. They also added an Opacmare Transformer swim step, modeled above by the family dog, Levi, who accompanied them onboard. The Big Blue was also redesigned completely inside. Among the changes: creating a classroom for the kids. A tutor has been teaching an international homeschooling curriculum. That’s been supplemented by four to five field trips—attended by the full family—each week.

The Mayers planned The Big Blue’s journey with their captain, Gareth Sheppard, while the refit was ongoing. It was largely modeled after the circumnavigations undertaken by the residential cruise ship The World. Sheppard’s experience in the region, plus additional online research he and the Mayers did, complemented this. Why did they choose the South Pacific? “This was an area that was hard to get to, and we knew that we wouldn’t ever have an opportunity any other way to spend an extensive amount of time in this region,” Delisa explains.

The first stop in the region: Tahiti. Shoreside trips, plus plenty of swimming and diving were the orders of the day for two weeks. (Everyone in the Mayer family is a certified diver.) The Mayers wanted to visit as many countries as possible, so an average of two weeks was allotted for each location. The Cook Islands were supposed to be next on the list, but a cyclone changed that. Instead, The Big Blue changed course for New Zealand. The Mayers and The Big Blue spent far more time there than expected—two months—due to the stormy season.

It was a happy accident. Why? Some of the family’s fondest memories are from their time in New Zealand. The children attended school with native Maoris one day, learning a lot about their culture. (This was something the children did in several countries, too.) The whole family learned about the geology of the country and what makes the land formations special. The Mayers also dove in shark cages off Stewart Island and were mesmerized by Great Whites. Overall, they had such a positive experience that they filmed a video with the New Zealand tourist board to help get word out to the yachting community about the opportunities.

From Fiji to the Tuamotus, and from Palau to French Moorea, The Big Blue has provided abundant learning opportunities for everyone aboard. Local guides were invited aboard as much as possible for more in-depth information. Dive trips let the family get up close to stingrays, Humphead wrasses, lots of other fish and scallops, and more. Better yet, The Big Blue’s journeys brought the Mayers in touch with various villagers. “They invited us into their homes and their lives and later on into their hearts,” Delisa explains. It didn’t matter that neither side spoke the same language; the kindness was the ultimate communication.

The Big Blue crew has grown close to the Mayer family, too. Sheppard showed the kids how to navigate. The boson taught them how to fish. The chef instructed them on how to clean and cook fish, among other things. The engineer showed them how the watermakers process seawater for drinking. One of the deckhands even taught knot tying.

Lessons of a lifetime, from so many different perspectives.