Having just become the proud owner of a new vessel, Eddie Jordan ponders an interior refit before heading for Sardinia – while lining up a riotous Easter family reunion...
The paperwork is signed, title has been transferred and, as a result, the Jordan family are the proud new owners of Blush (ex-Helios), a 45 metre Perini. The sea trial was fine. The boat had been sitting around for a while and obviously needed a few tweaks, and I was pushing for it all to be done quickly so I could go sailing. But overall the boat is extremely sound, as you would expect from Perini – it’s got new engines, new generators and it’s about to get a new suite of sails from North Sails. Alex Lees-Buckley from Camper & Nicholsons brokered the deal – and found the yacht originally. He did a top job. The yacht’s interior needs to be redone and I’ve just got off the phone with Holmes Interiors, which did both Lush the Oyster and Blush, my old Sunseeker. We’ve seen the mood board and now we have to figure out where the work is going to be done. We’re thinking about Malta. It doesn’t need extensive yard time and really it could be done anywhere.
Marie and I make all the decisions on the interior together, but she takes the lead. She’s designed our homes for years. We like our homes – and boats – to be really light and airy. When Blush was built in 2007, the typical Perini style was very elegant but using darker woods. The boat is currently mahogany from start to finish, and there’s some beautiful marble. So we’ve got to try and freshen it up and make it more light, while keeping the elegance. We were presented with one mood board that would have made the interior look like a bordello! It reminded me of a nightclub, and I think those days have passed for me, although I sometimes still fall into the trap.
Anyway, I want to wake up on board and think, “Wow, this is fresh and really cool”. One of the best features on board is that I can access the transom from the master cabin. For me this is perfect, so I can wake up, walk straight onto the platform that drops down in the transom and get in the water. It suits us brilliantly. Our first proper trip was to Sicily, where we had a reunion with some friends. Lush was there with her new owner and we anchored together and had an awesome time. The crew were all in civvies so it was a nice experience. Naturally there is a distinction between owners and crew but as often as possible, we like to let the crew swim and enjoy the boat and feel part of the party. This all changes in a charter situation, of course. But as long as jobs are getting done, it makes me happy when it feels like the crew is part of the family.
We headed to Sardinia later in the season for the Perini Cup where we were able to compete - we didn't win but it was great to take part. The Perini people have been amazing; I’ve been speaking with them on and off for about three years about a new boat, and they have always been so professional and so cool. They never put us under any pressure but were always there to offer their advice. The other thing I can’t wait to experience is having the whole family on board – all the kids and grandkids. We’ve had a look at the calendar, and it looks like next Easter will be the first time we can get everyone together on the boat, as long as we can get her back to the Med from the St Barths Bucket in time. We weren’t able to get everyone on Lush, so it’s going to feel special having all the Jordanians together on board.
Eddie Jordan’s fee for this column has been donated to charity.