Princess Iluka is a genuine classic, and one of very few large charter yachts working the Pacific. Built in Australia by Ray Kemp in 1979 with a timber hull, she carries the presence and craftsmanship of an era when yachts were made to last, and a comprehensive refit in 2023 has brought her interior and comfort firmly into the present. The result is unusual: the character of a classic with the finish of a modern yacht.
She is a displacement yacht in the truest sense, unhurried and steady, built for long, easy passages rather than speed. That temperament suits her cruising grounds. Where most yachts of her size never leave the Mediterranean or the Caribbean, Princess Iluka ranges across the Pacific and the Australian coast, opening anchorages and islands that sit well beyond the usual charter map.
Her interior is calm and elegant, dressed in cream upholstery against warm timber and lit by generous windows on the main deck. The main saloon is a bright, sociable room that flows into a separate formal dining area, and a full upper sky lounge gives a second, more private space to gather, read or watch the coast pass. The detailing is considered throughout, with artwork, soft neutrals and quiet good taste rather than show.
Accommodation is generous for ten guests across five cabins. A full beam master runs the width of the yacht, with its own seating and large windows, and is joined by a double, further guest cabins and a twin that suits children or a travelling pair. A crew of five looks after the yacht and her guests with the ease of people who know her well.
The 2023 refit was extensive rather than surface deep. Fresh interiors, updated systems and refreshed decks mean a yacht from 1979 now delivers the comfort a long charter needs, without erasing the timber craftsmanship and proportions that give her character. Little touches, from the quality of the joinery to the flow between rooms, mark her out as a yacht built by hand rather than a production line, and cared for since.
On deck she is built for the outdoors. The sun deck carries a jacuzzi set into the teak, flanked by loungers and served with towels and shade, while jet skis sit ready alongside. The aft deck is a shaded lounge for long evenings, and a full spread of water toys launches from the stern, with the swim platform turning the sea into an extension of the deck.
What sets her apart is the combination of provenance and place. A timber classic, freshly refit, cruising waters that reward patience and curiosity, from the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef to the wider Pacific. She rewards guests who want to travel somewhere genuinely different aboard a yacht with real history rather than another modern hull.
Princess Iluka charters the Pacific and the Australian coast across both seasons. She suits a group drawn to character, craftsmanship and a rare cruising ground over sheer size or speed, a classic Australian motor yacht refit for the present and ready for the long way round.
