Fraser speaks to the Captain of ROBBIE BOBBY

At Fraser’s recent beach clean event (read more here) we caught up with Captain Manuel Battaglia, from charter yacht ROBBIE BOBBY, and spoke about the yacht, its refit, and more. Read on to hear what he had to say.

Manuel Battaglia took precious time out from overseeing an extensive refit of Lynx charter yacht ROBBIE BOBBY, to take part in the Fraser Beach Clean on the Cap d’Antibes on Sunday 25^th March where he helped us with our efforts to make a difference in the combat against plastic. Discussing the new refit Manuel explained, ‘We’re going to have an entire new sundeck, there will be a large Jacuzzi on the bow, plus an entirely new mast with a much bigger design. In the aft area there will be a huge table to accommodate at least 12 people for lunch or dinner outside. The upper salon is being completely refurbished, with new carpet on all decks in all interior areas plus new entertainment systems for music throughout the guest cabins.’

After the refit, which is due to be completed in May and is being undertaken at Nautech Group’s shipyard in La Ciotat, charter guests will delight in the fact that the yacht feels much larger than its 33.5M. The new refit has been carefully thought out to maximise the comfort for charter guests staying aboard and with the features Manuel describes, it is clear the yacht’s charter potential will be even greater. ‘It really is suited to everyone. The exterior design is classic, but the interior promises much more. The new sundeck really creates space.’

Fraser appreciated Manuel’s participation in the Beach Clean since it is clearly such a busy time for him and his team, however it was evident that environmental issues are very important to him and the Owners of ROBBIE BOBBY. 'We are replacing the water toys with electric ones, to reduce consumption and pollution. We will also change the tender and the engine for the same reason, to be more efficient and reduce pollution. Next winter we plan to do the same with the generators.'

With a conscientious approach such as this, ROBBIE BOBBY is maintained with the utmost care and guests can take comfort that environmental factors are considered at all times. Manuel continues, ‘We always try to reduce the use of plastic on board, the crew have their own water bottles they reuse. It’s terrible, nowadays misuse of plastic is ridiculous.’

ROBBIE BOBBY is available to charter this summer in the Mediterranean and may be available in the Caribbean in winter.

Captain Manuel has cruised extensively, and while he regards the Caribbean as ‘magic’ he says that in the Mediterranean his preferred spots are Greece, southern Italy and Turkey though he admits, ‘I think in every area you can always find a lovely place to be.' Charter guests can rest assured that they will find some of these lovely cruising areas with Captain Manuel at the helm, with his multi-national crew, he is committed to making the charterer’s time spent on board as memorable as possible.

Manuel has been Captain of charter yacht ROBBIE BOBBY for just over a month, having joined the crew while the yacht refit was underway. Reflecting on this, Captain Manuel says, 'it is the best time to get to know a yacht while it is under refit because it is completely opened up which I like. I can’t wait to get out on the water with her though.'

If you would like to make charter enquiries regarding ROBBIE BOBBY, please contact a charter broker.