Balista Superyacht

An inflatable water slide runs from the sundeck of Balista straight down into the sea, and it says how she is meant to be used: a 153ft (47m) Cantieri di Pisa superyacht, built in 2013 and refitted in 2022, finished inside in Italian woodwork and marble with leather-trimmed furniture, and carrying a long list of ways to get off her and into the water.

Water toys

Two jet skis and two Seabobs go over the side, with an e-foil for a single rider and two paddleboards and inflatable kayaks for anyone who would rather move under their own power. A wakeboard, a kneeboard, water skis and towable inflatables cover the towed sports, the 39ft Tesoro tender travels with her, and an inflatable swim platform extension with a jet-ski dock puts the climb on and off the machines at water level. Snorkelling equipment and fishing gear are aboard as well, for looking beneath the surface rather than skimming across it.

Where she cruises

Rendezvous Bay in Anguilla is her home port. From there Balista works Anguilla, St Martin, St Barths, the British Virgin Islands and the US Virgin Islands, which gives a party a choice of islands to lie off rather than a single stretch of coast.

Accommodation and crew

Twelve guests sleep aboard, her calendar at its fullest from December through to March, in a king stateroom, a queen, two doubles and two twins spread across her decks, so a party of twelve does not have to be made up only of couples. Nine crew look after them, and against twelve guests that is a service that never runs thin; she takes the same twelve by day.

Comfort under way

On passage Balista holds 17 knots and has 25 in hand for a leg that needs to be covered quickly.

On deck

The sundeck is divided into sections, with sun loungers, a jacuzzi, U-shaped seating and a bar, and an outdoor cinema shows films under the open sky. Meals in the open air are served on the skylounge aft, the formal table stands forward of the main salon and is where the crew lay on theme nights, and the main deck aft is set for a drink before dinner. Inside, the salon and skylounge carry a piano and a bar, and Asian-inspired sliding doors open onto a drop-down balcony, so the interior has its own step out over the water.

Charter notes

Balista is offered for charter by the week, and she suits two couples or a family whose days are meant for the water. Her hire brings a second boat as well as the first, a 14ft Castoldi jet tender alongside the Tesoro, so a run ashore and a tow behind the yacht can be under way at the same time.