EROS

Brooke Marine launched EROS in Lowestoft in 1939 as Jeanry, a composite schooner built for American businessman Henry von Berg on the occasion of his marriage to Jean White. William McMeek designed her for deep-sea cruising in 3-inch Burma teak over steel frames, and she was the largest vessel the yard had ever produced. After the war, Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos bought her as his private yacht and gave her the name she still carries. An 18-year museum-quality restoration and a 2019 refit have kept her sailing without compromising the original character.

Ten guests across four cabins. The master has a queen bed and a jacuzzi tub in its en-suite bathroom. A VIP cabin with a double bed has its own en-suite. Two twin cabins with upper and lower berths share a bathroom between them. Five crew handle sail trim, service, and everything in between.

On deck, the schooner rig is the experience. Under sail with the diesel off and the rigging working, EROS moves through the water in a way that nothing built this century can replicate. The teak decks, varnished woodwork, and open cockpit seating are original in spirit if not in every plank.

A Zodiac 470 tender handles shore runs. A tandem kayak, two paddleboards, and floating mats cover the quieter side. Wakeboard, water skis (adult and children's), and a towable tube handle the tow sports. Snorkelling and fishing gear are included.

EROS summers in Newport, Rhode Island, and winters in St Thomas for the Virgin Islands. She cruises at 9 knots with a range that crosses oceans, built by a yard that expected her to handle genuinely heavy weather, and she has been proving them right for 87 years.