Sabai

The fifth Nauta Air 110 to leave Cantiere delle Marche, the Ancona yard that builds small ocean-going explorers, was delivered in 2019 as Mimi la Sardine and now sails as Sabai. She changed hands in 2023 and has carried two names since, but the hull and the interior that made her known are the same. Beneath the styling is a working platform: a steel displacement hull by Hydro Tec under an aluminium superstructure, built to cross oceans at an unhurried pace.

People who care about interiors tend to ask for this boat by name. Nauta Yachts drew the layout, but the decoration grew out of the first owner's own mood board, a collection of beachcomber finds and natural textures. The result has oak treated to look like driftwood, linen and hemp instead of lacquer, and planked ceilings with gaps that let light through the way sun filters through branches. That scheme took a prize from the BOAT International design jury in 2019, in the interiors category for motor yachts under 299 GT.

On deck the arrangement suits a small group well. The owner's suite is on the main deck forward, a sky lounge and a shaded dining table sit above, and the top deck ends in a Jacuzzi with open views. Aft, the transom folds down into a platform at water level, which becomes the base for swimming and toys.

The charter figure is eight guests, with Pullman berths for children on top, and six crew. That makes her best for one family or two or three couples who already know each other, rather than for a group that wants to entertain.

She has switched seasons too: winters are now spent in the Bahamas and the eastern Caribbean, where her range comes into its own. She is the wrong choice for anyone who wants to cover distance quickly, host a party for outside friends or come home to polished stone and gold taps. Her appeal is quieter, and it rewards people who like long days at anchor and a boat with a personality.