This post was written by Sarah Rees

MALAYSIA IS A PERFECT LOCATION FOR THOSE WITH A TASTE FOR LIFE ON THE OCEAN, AND SARAH REES MEETS THE MAN WHO OWNS ONE OF THE MOST FABULOUS YACHTS GRACING THE WATERS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA.

A stroll down to Straits Quay Marina in Penang is the boating equivalent of a child wandering in a sweetshop, and one of the gems of the mega-yacht parking lot is undoubtedly the Blue Dolphin. For owner Terry Mills, the sight of his shining vessel awaiting him on the dockside is one that still thrills him each time he arrives.

“I can’t tell you what a pleasure it is to turn up at the marina with the boat gleaming, all the supplies aboard, and the captain and crew in their best uniforms waiting to welcome you aboard,” says Terry. “Plus the marina itself is very special, very reminiscent of the Mediterranean.”

It was in those azure Mediterranean waters that Terry first fell in love with the Blue Dolphin after spending two weeks aboard what was then his friend’s yacht. When his buddy phoned him last year and announced that he was selling her, Terry didn’t take long to make up his mind.

“She had been used very little throughout her life in the Mediterranean,” explains Terry, “and it was obvious that she could easily be brought back to her original, fabulous condition.” With the help of a skilled team of craftsmen in Thailand, the yacht was given a facelift and the 80-foot vessel, which sleeps eight in the four roomy cabins, now comes complete with a covered deck and a granite-topped teak bar among her other impressive features. While the urge to be on the water was not something that Terry felt during his formative years spent in the UK, it has now been nearly two decades since he was introduced to sailing and bitten by the boating bug, and he began purchasing vessels of his own soon after.

“I learned the ways of the sea and how to navigate,” he remembers, “and took my first little boat from Florida to the Bahamas, Cuba, and Cayman. I had bought and sold several motor yachts before being invited to sail on a phinisi (traditional Indonesian wooden boat) around the Indonesian Archipelago. I enjoyed it so much I ended up building my own wooden boat in Java and eventually sailing it to Malaysia.”

Malaysia is now his home, and Terry, his Kadazan wife, and their six-year-old son share a stunning, unique property on the edge of the Crocker Range National Park, perched 425m above Kota Kinabalu. This extraordinary house is yet another sign of Terry’s eye for style and quality, as his “dream home” was built to his design and comes complete with a house for the family otters and a 360-degree observatory in the tower. The family home is now open to paying guests too, and it is worth visiting their website (www. borneocountrystay.com) just to admire this property and its stunning setting.

While the Mills family may be based in KK, some distance from the Penang marina that houses their boat, this doesn’t prevent them (and whoever is lucky enough to be invited along) from spending as much time as possible on the Blue Dolphin. The question of an ideal trip prompts Terry to paint an envy-inducing picture.

“We would spend the first night off the pristine beaches of Mantanani, take the dingy ashore, eat with the villagers before taking a midnight dip in the clear, warm sea. Then we would enjoy a fine bottle of wine watching the stars from the top deck, before being rocked to sleep by the gentle swaying of the boat.

“On the next day, we might set sail or just laze about and do a bit of scuba diving, fishing, or beachcombing with the kids. After an afternoon nap, we’d buy a couple of nice lobsters from a passing fisherman, drink a couple of piña coladas from green coconuts, then think about dinner. And that’s how it would go on, just drifting from island to island.”

The prospect is enough to whet anyone’s appetite, and while Terry is thrilled with his recent purchase and the years prior to that spent on the water, he has words of caution for those eager to get their hands on their first yacht. “Yachting is not for the faint-hearted,” he warns. “Have a long chat with someone like me or Simon (Theseira of Simpson Marine: Terry’s yacht broker and old friend). Charter a few times first, and make sure of the kind of boat you want. It’s like embarking on a marriage. Hasten slowly.”

Simon’s involvement has made all the difference to Terry’s experience with the Blue Dolphin, especially in assisting the transportation of the yacht from Italy where it was purchased, and Terry emphasises the importance of finding the right help. “A good broker who you trust and a professional surveyor will save you a lot of money and problems in the future,” he stresses.

Terry is still enjoying the honeymoon period with his beloved Blue Dolphin, and while the waters in the region are incredible destinations in their own right, he continues to be thrilled with the particular vessel he finds beneath his feet.

“I have loved seeing her come back to life,” he concludes happily. “Her previous owners had not used her for two years and though the captain had done a very good job of keeping her shipshape, it’s not the same as putting love into a boat. She is a very happy vessel now.”

And Terry, it is safe to say, is a very happy man.

Source: Senses of Malaysia July-Augt 2012
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