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When California couple Mark and Anita Richardson chose their new Riviera 6800 Sport Yacht, they decided to visit Riviera’s headquarters in Australia to witness her launch.
“We would advise any American, in fact anyone, who has purchased a new Riviera, to visit the facility where the motor yachts are built,” Mark said. “It is extraordinary.”
“We were welcomed to Riviera’s private Yacht Club right on the waterfront and were treated like royalty! We were given a detailed commissioning of our new motor yacht.
“The Riviera team arranged for us to meet and talk with a number of important suppliers as well. A senior Garmin representative explained how their systems integrate into the yacht. There were also representatives from the water-maker and Fusion sound system manufacturers. The entire experience was overwhelming and exciting.”
‘Vrolijk’ anchored in the Percy Isles, a remote, mostly uninhabited cluster of islands located off the central Queensland coast, southeast of Mackay in the Coral Sea.
Mark and Anita were also surprised and delighted by the speed with which Riviera representatives were able to accommodate changes and additions to the yacht they requested.
“We love scuba diving and one of the benefits of the 6800 Sport Yacht is the two-tier swim platform, making it particularly easy for us to slide into the water and return. Riviera installed a scuba compressor to refill our tanks and they custom-made tank holders for us. The entire setup is now easy to refill tanks which is normally the worst part of scuba diving.
“They custom-mounted spare props in the garage and also custom-built stainless hanging bars for our wetsuits, towels and BCDs (buoyancy vests). They added a fresh water hose in the garage for easy cleaning of the tender and garage area. They also raised the second pilot’s seat so Anita has a better view while we are under way.
“Nothing seemed too difficult and every task was performed quickly and professionally.”
With the red carpet rolled out, a guard of honour was formed by some of Riviera’s apprentices to welcome the Richardson’s aboard their new 6800 Sport Yacht at the commencement of their commissioning at the Riviera Yacht Club.
Enjoy this short video showing the moment the Richardson’s were welcomed to the Riviera Yacht Club for their commissioning and to see their new 6800 Sport Yacht for the first time.
“Nothing seemed too difficult and every task was performed quickly and professionally.”
Mark Richardson
With their commissioning completed, the couple were welcomed aboard their new yacht, named ‘Vrolijk’, at the Riviera marina with a guard of honour by a team of uniformed Riviera apprentices.
Anita explained the yacht’s name is a Dutch word translating to “jolly” or “cheerful”. Her parents migrated to the US from the Netherlands.
Mark said the couple selected the new 6800 Sport Yacht with a four-cabin layout “because we plan a number of long-distance ocean adventures and we want the flexibility to invite family and friends to share some of the adventures.”
The Percy Isles are renowned for their sheltered anchorages with Middle Percy Island, the main island, being the most famous with it’s A-frame clubhouse decorated with boat names, memorabilia and found nautical objects.
Easy docking
“One early concern for us when we first saw ‘Vrolijk’ was that she seemed so large,” he said. “How could we double-hand a 70-foot-long motor yacht? The answer came quickly. It was as if she began to shrink as we became used to the yacht’s technology. In fact, she is easier to dock than a 21-foot sport boat we have at home.”
Mark and Anita decided to spend some time on Australia’s east coast waters and, after a couple of cruises in local waters to test the systems aboard ‘Vrolijk’, Riviera recommended a skipper for their first long cruise to the Whitsundays.
“We were particularly happy to have a skilled local skipper as we navigated through the Sandy Straits inside K’gari (formerly Fraser Island). With narrow channels and many sandbanks, it can be challenging,” Mark said.
Left – The Great Sandy Strait is a tidal estuary on the Queensland coast that separates the mainland from K’gari (Fraser Island). Top – The Daintree Rainforest in tropical north Quuensaland, is the world’s oldest surviving rainforest at over 135 to 180 million years old. Right – Hill Inlet is a stunning tidal inlet located at the northern end of Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island.
“We were welcomed to Riviera’s private Yacht Club right on the waterfront and were treated like royalty!”
Mark Richardson
Mark and Anita returned south to meet their son and his family before returning with them to the Whitsundays to explore the islands and points further north.
“Australia does such a good job at protecting nature,” Anita said. “We discovered that there were many mooring buoys through the Whitsundays, so we didn’t have to anchor and potentially disturb the wonderful corals.”
They also explored the Daintree rainforest during their time in the north.
“Once again, local authorities were taking care of their natural environment, with timber boardwalks on most of the paths through the forest,” she said.
The family’s greatest surprise and delight came on their return south.
Boating allows you to enjoy nature and the environment in such a spectacular way. Whilst in Hervey Bay this whale surfaced very unexpectedly alongside ‘Vrolijk’ surprising and delighting all the crew.
“We wanted to do some whale watching in Hervey Bay,” Mark explained. “But the whales had other ideas. They joined us during that trip south, coming incredibly close many times, diving under the yacht and coming so close that we could reach out and pat them.”
Continuing their exploration of the east coast, Mark and Anita turned ‘Vrolijk’ south and arrived in Sydney in time to experience the New Year’s Eve fireworks on the Harbour.
“Again, Riviera helped us,” they said. “The local Riviera dealer organised a berth and then a skipper to take us onto the Harbour for the fireworks. It meant we could relax and enjoy the experience without having to worry about nearby boats. And there were a lot of them!”
After the spectacle, Mark and Anita headed ‘Vrolijk’ further south, exploring Jervis Bay and Shellharbour.
“Over our time in Australia we spent 325 hours cruising on board ‘Vrolijk’,” Mark said.
The Richardsons are not new to long-distance cruising. They took their previous yacht, a Riviera 5400 Sport Yacht, from Florida to Maine and back in one season.
Enjoying the time of their lives, the Richardson’s were treated to New Years Eve, Sydney style. The glorious harbour, the amazing fireworks and their new exceptional 6800 Sport Yacht were the ultimate cause for celebration.
Cruising experience
Mark has extensive experience not only with boating but also onshore adventuring and the demands of living in a mobile home. Early in his career, he joined the family car rental and sales business. That evolved into RVs and caravans. Over time Mark and his brother built one of the largest caravan and RV sales businesses on the US west coast, selling the business only a few years ago.
“Many of the components in recreational vehicles come from the marine industry,” Mark said. “So, we are well aware of the maintenance required to keep a yacht in top condition.”
In between the many hours on board during their Australian adventure, Mark and Anita also explored beyond boating.
“While we were here, we took some time to fly to New Zealand. There we took a helicopter trip and landed on a glacier. We visited Tasmania and flew across to Perth. That was when we realised that Australia is a very large country. Flight time from Brisbane to Perth is about the same as from New York to Los Angeles. And there does not seem to be any civilisation in between.”
The Richardson’s enjoyed spectacular sunsets at anchor from the Gold Coast north to the Whitsundays and south to Jervis Bay on the South Coast of New South Wales coast.
Back in the United States, Mark and Anita are already planning their next adventure aboard ‘Vrolijk’. They have arranged to have her shipped to the Mediterranean in time for the European summer.
“I have already organised a berth for the summer there and we can spend a few months exploring,” said Mark. “That is when the ability to raise the yacht’s swim platform will be particularly helpful where Europe has a lot of fixed marinas. We will simply be able to adjust the platform to marina height and step off with ease.
“We plan to leave ‘Vrolijk’ in Europe for two seasons. Then we will bring her home and we are debating about where she will go. We cruised to the Bahamas from Florida aboard our 5400 Sport Yacht. Of course, ‘Vrolijk’ is capable of comfortably taking us further afield and the Virgin Islands would be intriguing. Then, of course, there is the Pacific north-west of America.
“We took a 42-foot Hydrosport around the San Juan Islands, Victoria Canada and Seattle during the summer of 2019. I would like to return in the 6800 someday.
“But that is a few years away. The 6800 Sport Yacht offers such comfort and there is so much of the world for us to explore.”
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