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She was born in the roaringtwenties in SouthamptonEngland with the very bestof pedigrees. The worldfamous yacht builders, Camper

and Nicholson, launched her in 1928, andin a shower of champagne, christened her“Deo Juvante II. When the brutal reali-ties of World War II stilled the flamboyantlifestyles of the yachting world, she wasconscripted to serve in the British RoyalNavy. True to her credentials, she compor-ted herself regally; playing an importantrole in Dunkirk, capturing a German torpe-do E Boat and even sinking a U Boat. Afterthe war she was destined to traverse thewaters of the world as the personal yacht ofthe powerful, rich and famous; includingSir George Tilley and WinstonChurchill. In 1951 Aristotle Onassisacquired her and renamed her the “Arion.”Onassis was a close friend and associate ofPrince Rainier of Monaco. When it wasannounced in 1956 that the Prince wouldmarry the radiant movie star Grace Kelly,Onassis could think of no finer wedding giftthan his personal yacht for the newlywed’shoneymoon cruise.

She sailed out of Monaco’s harbor to meetthe USS Constitution - just arrived fromNew York - to carry Grace Kelly to her newhome and the adoring citizens of thePrincipality. The Prince accompaniedhis bride-to-be aboard the yacht andtogether they disembarked to receive thecheers of the crowd. Thus, after the “wed-

ding of the century”, the newly crowned,Her Serene Highness, Princess Grace ofMonaco and her handsome Prince, sailedoff on their yacht for an extendedMediterranean honeymoon along the coa-stlines of Corsica and Sardinia.

“Deo Juvante II” sailed into rougher watersafter 1958. She was passed from hand tohand, carrying many different names over

almost 50 years, as she spiraled downwardinto total disrepair. In 2006, the ownerof the Quasar Expeditions cruise linein Quito, Ecuador received a phone callfrom a Fort Lauderdale, Florida marinaalerting him that they had a beautiful, butbattered yacht on hand. According to hiswife, Dolores Gangotena de Diez, thecommercial Vice President of Quasar, herhusband is a well known collector of eccen-

tric yachts.

One look at the faded beauty andfabulous lines of this former princessof the sea and he committed torestoring her to her formergrandeur. After extensive repairsand restoration, she was relaunchedin 2009 to join the Quasar fleet ofships cruising the Galapagos Islands.True to her history, she was christe-ned “M/Y Grace” - reflecting the ele-gance, beauty and prestige of hernamesake.

This story has a happy ending. Today,cruising at 147 feet, she carries 16guests in four suites and five pre-mium staterooms. With a crew of ele-ven and one elite naturalist guide shesails between the fascinating andhistoric islands of the GalapagosArchipelago . It is a cruise that PrincessGrace would have adored.

Cornelius Myers

The amazing story of the M/Y Grace has it all...wealth and power, glittering romance, royalty, war,tragedy, rebirth and adventure.text BY CORNELIUS MYERS photos by CHARLOTTE OTTO BRUC

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M/Y GRACE PRINCESS

OF THE GALAPAGOS

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It is just before sunrise, sailingaboard the M/Y Grace throughthe Bolivar Channel, on the cold,clear waters of the CromwellCurrent. I am on the bridge with the

Captain enjoying the rich, winey bouquet ofa cup of steaming Ecuadorian coffee. We aresailing to the western-most island in theGalapagos archipelago, Fernandida. It is thebest island for wildlife encounters, but forthe moment all we can speak of is the soultouching beauty of the Pacific, as the salmonsplashed sky is mirrored in the watersaround us. Dolphins, swarming ahead, cutthrough the multi-hued palette, splashingsparkling diamonds of light and color as theyfrolic ahead of the bow. The crisp, clear airof the dawn sky is suddenly filled with birdsof every description, crying out as if to greetthe rising sun. The Captain has sailed thesewaters for 26 years and has never failed tobe touched by this display of natural beauty.He turns his weathered face to me and says,“This is how it is meant to be.”

Our voyage takes us to eight of the 13 vol-canic islands located just under the equa-tor, about 600 miles (960 km) west ofEcuador. It presents, over eight days, theexceptional and rare opportunity to expe-rience close encounters with the wildlife,but on every occasion, the magnificent natu-

ral settings come close to stealing the show.Some of the islands are black, barren, twi-sted lava formations, while others are ver-dant, tropical jungles, but all are teemingwith wildlife - in the air, on land and in theclear, azure blue waters of the Pacific. Thedaily routine aboard the M/Y Grace doesn’tvary. Each day begins with an early, heartybreakfast. We then board the dinghys, orpangas, to arrive at our destination. Afterexploring, snorkeling, hiking, swimming,photographing, or whatever the day callsfor, we take the pangas back to the yacht,where we are greeted, as always when wereturn, by platters of local snacks and freshfruit juices. After lunch, we are off again tothe next adventure. Back onboard in theevening, we have time to rest and reflect onthe day’s activities, shower, change. Then,before dinner, we gather for our expert gui-de’s briefing on the next day’s adventure.These briefings are laced with information -not only about our destinations, but aboutthe nature, history, and ecology of theGalapagos.Each island has it’s own identity,history and variety of creatures.Collectively they have colored the values,science and attitudes of the Western worldforever. At the center of it all is CharlesDarwin and his theory of evolution by natu-ral selection.

SAILING

THE GALAPAGOSABOARD

M/Y GRACE

text BY CORNELIUS MYERS photos by CHARLOTTE OTTO BRUC

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A ONCE IN A LIFETIME

ADVENTURE

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the key toDarwin’s theories

Given that Darwin spent only fiveweeks on four of the islands,during his five years voyage onthe HMS Beagle - and the fact thathis earth shaking revelations were

kept locked away for more than two decades - it isamazing that the publication of “On the Origin ofSpecies”, published in 1859, had such a profoundeffect - an effect that endures even today. The booksold out on the first day of it’s release, and it’simportance, popularity and the controversy it crea-ted continue today even after 150 years. WhatDarwin witnessed slowly unfolds to us with eachisland we visit. We begin our explorations by settingout along the coast of San Cristobal Island, andthen by panga to the landing at Playa Ochoa. It isour first opportunity to mingle with sea lions asthey sunbathe along the powdery sands on thebeach. The animals have no fear of man andcontinue to rest peacefully as we wander throughtheir ranks with cameras shutters snapping away.There are mocking birds - the key to Darwin’s theo-ries - marine iguanas, and herons to be seen. Thebeach before us is suddenly transformed into aliving, shifting carpet of tropical color. It is a fulldisplay of the bright orange sally-light-foot crabs asthey scurry over the sand. We cruise overnight andawaken on the far northeastern end of the archipe-lago at Genovesa, or Tower Island. The pangatakes us along the base of the cliffs; formed on acollapsed volcanic caldera. The ledges are packedwith nests of the red-billed tropic birds - trailingtheir exotic tails. It is to be a morning of hiking upPrince Philip’s steps and on to the other side of theisland. We encounter red-footed and masked boo-bies and swarms of “Storm petrals” as we make ourway over the undulating black lava. It is easy tounderstand why this is also called “Bird Island.”

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What Darwinwitnessed

slowly unfoldsto us with eachisland we visit

text BY CORNELIUS MYERS photos by CHARLOTTE OTTO BRUC

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PuntaEspinosa.

unexpectedhundreds of

marine iguanas,

piled on topof each other,blocking our

path

photo by CHARLOTTE OTTO BRUC

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In the afternoon we land on thewhite sands of Darwin Bay. It ismating season for the frigatebirds and the males are everywhe-re, dramatically inflating the huge,

bright red sack under their beaks toattract the females, who circle lazilyoverhead, apparently unmoved by thefrantic efforts of the males to attractthem. We are fortunate to witness the dan-delion display of the white, fluffy balls of fri-gate chicks whose nests are everywhere inthis special season. The trail leads past shel-tered pools to a cliff overlooking the mouth ofthe extinct volcano. Pairs of swallow-tailedgulls - the only nocturnal gulls in the world -are nesting, while lava gulls, and pintail ducksfly overhead.

Tagus Cove, in the nineteenth century, was ananchorage for pirates and whalers. As weland, we spot the names of their ships carvedinto the lava rock. A hike takes us to a vanta-ge point to view Darwin Lake, Wolf and

Darwin Volcanos. Beneath us, nested in thesheltered cliffs are blue-footed boobies,brown noddies, pelicans and noddy terns.Flightless cormorants and penguins line theledges. Later in the day, we arrive at PuntaEspinosa where we are confronted by a basicfact of the Galapagos. It is an active volcaniczone; still being formed by the forces of natu-re in a never ending series of eruptions andlava flows. Reinforcing this awareness, LaCumbre volcano looms before us at 4,858(1495 meters) above sea level. It’s last erup-tion was in May, 2005. We are startled by theunexpected bizarre sight of hundreds of mari-ne iguanas, piled on top of each other,blocking our path. They are communallysoaking up the warmth of the sun, in awrithing mosaic of prehistoric appearingcreatures. Further along the trail we find acolony of the world’s only flightless cormo-rants in a cove shared by sea turtles.Galapagos hawks wheel in the sky as we head

back to the panga.

c r u i s i n gw i t h o n l ythe wildlifefor company

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text by CORNELIUS MYERS photos by CHARLOTTE OTTO BRUC

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Isabela Island, Urbina Bay and Punta Vicente Roca areour next destinations. This is home to the giant landiguana. These vivid, gaudy yellow skinned creaturesstand out against the gleaming white sand. Giant tor-toises also inhabit the beach and we take extra care

not to step on their nests. Masked and blue-footed boobies,Darwin finches, yellow warblers, brown pelicans and marine iguanashave a home here as well. Dominating the entire area is the imposing2,600 foot Volcano Ecuador. The Galapagos penguin is the only spe-cies of penguin found north of the equator. They waddle awkwardlyalong the ledges of Bartolome Island, sharing the space with sea lions,who are ready to plunge in and play with snorkelers. They pair-up toswim in figure eights and rush to the snorkel masks to blow bubblesand speed off. The pink and white beach is a nesting spot for sea tur-tles. The iconic, towering, spearheaded obelisk of Pinnacle Rock domi-nates the view from the summit of the island. On the northwesterncoast, James Bay is home to the only place on the islands where furseals can be seen.

After five days of cruising with only our fellow passengersand the wildlife for company, it is a bit of a culture shock todisembark and see the crowds on Santa Cruz Island. It has the large-st population of the four inhabited islands - about 10,000 - and ishome to both the Galapagos National Park, a UNESCO WorldHeritage site, and the Charles Darwin Research Station, the majorplayer in the protection and propagation of the very endangeredGalapagos tortoise. Looking at the shell of the Giant Tortoise it iseasy to see how it resembles a type of Spanish saddle, or Galapago.The first European to discover the islands was the Spanish priestFather Tomas Berlanga, who landed here in 1535. He probably namedthe archipelago after the shell of it’s most impressive species - la tor-tuga gigante. At the research center the plight of the tortoises iswell documented. During the period when pirates and whalers usedthe islands as their personal supply depots, they discovered that the

huge beasts could survive for one year without food or water. Thismade them the perfect food supply for the sailing ships. Each shipwould capture up to 800 tortoises, storing them by turning them upsi-de down in the hold of the vessel. It is conservatively estimated, thatmore than 200,000 tortoises were taken during this time. Add to thisthe introduction of destructive non-endemic species, and it is a won-der that any of these incredible animals survived. There were 15 spe-cies, of which 11 remain. The sorrow of the history of the giant tor-toises is summed-up in the sadness you can see in the ancient eyes of“Lonesome George” - the last survivor of the Pinta subspecies. He hasbeen brought to the Research Station as part of the breeding programto increase the tortoise population. with re-establishing the numbers,but old George still remains alone in his corner of the Station.Attempts have been made to breed him, but none of the eggs have hat-ched. A $10,000 reward is offered to anyone who can supplya female Pinta Tortoise, but so far, George has yet to findhis mate. He weighs more than 500 pounds and could be past 100years old - not old for his species, or too late to breed. It is hard to tellif the tears that stain his face are from age or the sadness of his lone-liness.

The southernmost island, Espanola (Hood) is our next port of call.The island has been restocked by the breeding center with over 1,000giant tortoises. It virtually teems with fauna of every description. Sealions frolic in the surf; the largest variety of marine iguana, withdistinctive red and black markings with flashes of turquoise nap incommunal piles; masked boobies nest along the cliff’s edge andGalapagos doves, cactus finch and mocking birds are everywhere... allunconcerned by our presence. The blue-foot boobies perform theirmating dance among the nests, at our feet. It is a dance that could onlyhave been choreographed by Monty Python’s John Cleese. Picture himwith enormous bright blue flippers on, trying to do the tango and youget the idea. The waved albatross perform a more graceful turn - theirfencing courtship done with great yellow beaks. Gardner Bay, on the

The Giant tortoises breedingcenter experiences success“Lonesome George” - the last survivor of the Pinta subspecies.

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Travel tips ECUADOR / MY GRACE

If you decide to go contact:Quasar Expedtions -Toll Free USA: 1 866 481 7790 Toll Free UK: 0 800 883 0827For more information go to: www.galapalgosexpeditions.com www.quasarex.com

other side of Espanola, has a magnificent mile long white sandy beach. Avast colony of sea lions lie stretched out on the full length of the beach. It isa perfect spot for swimming in the turquoise water, or snorkeling just off-shore. The variety, size and color of the tropical fish is quite amazing. Playfulsea lions, sea turtles, rays and white-tipped reef sharks glide by.

Our cruise ends at San Cristobal, back where we started just eight daysago. In that time we have experienced the most incredible adventure.Despite the fact that the islands are under numerous threats - from intro-duced species, illegal fishing, burgeoning populations (it is by percentage,the fastest growing population on the planet) and large scale tourism - theGalapagos is an Eden that remains unspoiled - thanks in no small part to thevigorous efforts of a dedicated few, who realize it’s uniqueness and value tothe world. It is truly Charles Darwin’s time machine - frozen in time, but fore-ver evolving in nature. The after images of what we have seen will remainvividly imprinted on our memories. Unlike a casual stroll through a zoo, pee-ring into cages to see the animals, we have walked amongst, peacefullycoexisted with, and witnessed at close proximity, fauna in it’s natural setting.The wildlife showed no fear of us as we shared their environment. As thecaptain of the M/y Grace said to me, “This is how it is meant to be.”

CORNELIUS MYERS photos by CHARLOTTE OTTO BRUC