Canadian Yachting December 2017 - 27

The custom-designed galley of Journeyer.

houses a mattress - turning the one bed stateroom in to a
two-bunk room as required. Neptunus also crafted a beautifully utilitarian kitchen with a dishwasher and wine
fridge to their specifications, along with a full-size oven to
cater to their love of cooking.
In choosing colours, fabrics, and woods, they were provided with an interior designer, Kelly Jackson-Sorge. She made
suggestions, created vision boards with sample materials, and
helped accommodate their specific requests for custommade wood floors (as they wanted a specific grey that was
not available) and helm seat combinations (tan seats with a
very thin grey piping, inspired by the interior of a Mercedes
they had seen at a car show). Everything from the gorgeous,
modern grey-and-white tiling in the showers, down to the
accent cushions for the salon had been discussed, analyzed,
and sourced with direction from the owners. The result of
this combined effort is a sleek interior, with tans, greys,
whites, and blues being showcased around the inside space.
Beyond the thoughtfully designed and meticulously crafted interior, the area that one of the owners of Journeyer was
most excited to show us was the engine room. With an
incredible 6'2" of headroom, at this height he is very comfortably able to navigate around. Judging by the gleaming and
spotless surfaces, this amazing space is clearly one of his
favourite spots on the entire yacht.
In the space aft of the engine room is a day head and crew
cabin. Initially they didn't see the need for a crew cabin,
being as they always run the boat by themselves or with family and friends. Jan, in what seems like his infinite wisdom,
managed to convince them; they are now happy to use it
either as storage or as a fourth berth to which they can relegate one of their sons.
Another one of their favourite features of Journeyer is
the Yacht Controller, which allows for one of the owners to
manipulate the thrusters and engines from a small hand-

held remote device while the other mans the fenders. This
means that they can both be on deck, beside each other,
steering the boat into its berth with ease and with unhindered visibility. Gone are the days, they laughingly joked,
when they used to have to yell wildly or use headsets to
communicate while docking.
The Ivy Lea Yacht Club, where Journeyer was docked
since her launch in April, was just another reason for the
owners to be excited about spending long weekends onboard.
Impeccably designed, in the summertime it has wildflower
gardens that spill down terraced flower beds and onto beautiful flagstone paths. Altogether, it gives the impression of
Eden-like beauty (belied by the large staff of gardeners who
were at work). Even the bathrooms one of the owners
likened to a spa, and after being taken on a tour I found out
that she was not exaggerating. A swimming pool overlooks
the waterfront, and an impressive restaurant perches welcomingly at the end of the yacht dock. When we visited the
gym - a high-ceilinged, bright building with a wide variety of
equipment - we found a small yoga class in session, open to
any members or guests.
While they planned to spend the winter of 2018 down in
Florida, they were very happy to be cruising in the St.
Lawrence River region and using Ivy Lea as their home base.
"Since we've been back to Canada and boating in this
area, we haven't left. I've tried some other marinas along the
river and we always came back to the Thousand Islands. It's
just beautiful. There's such a variety of places to go and see."
Spending time onboard Neptunus' Journeyer, knowing the
local waterways, and experiencing the luxury of Ivy Lea, it
seems that Canada has a lot to offer - with the potential of a
lot more to come. *

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting December 2017