SY Sunshine
Mergui Archipelago

SY Sunshine is one of Ampersand's Top 10 Luxury Sailboats.

Sleeping up to 6 guests in two main staterooms and a spacious aft cabin, Sunshine is the ultimate in luxury when sailing Burma’s (Myanmar's) unexplored Mergui Archipelago. Built according to the original 1900 designs for Glen F. McAndrew of Largs Castle in Scotland, the hull and rig remain identical to that of her predecessor which was bought by the Portuguese Royal family in 1906. The current vessel began construction in 1999 and was officially handed over to the present owner five years later.

Measuring 31 metres above deck and with a beam of 5.6 metres, the interior is handcrafted from teak and rosewood and although it has been improved to comply with modern safety standards it remains luxurious and elegant. The cabins have en-suite bathrooms and air-conditioning with either queen sized beds or bunks. The salon is the full beam width with an impressive dining area, large couch and coffee table while the fully-equipped galley has a fridge, freezer, stove and microwave.

Virtually unknown to the outside world, the Mergui Archipelago is located in Myanmar's remote south: a group of 800 deserted islands with white beaches, swaying palm trees and dense jungle. Azure waters are swimming with colourful reef fish and spotting corals, and above water you can see eagles circling, gibbons and monitor lizards eyeing you from the thickets, while a sundowner is being mixed for you on board the yacht. Best of all, you can sail for days on end and meet not a soul but the odd fisherman in a dugout canoe. Just across from the Thai border, the archipelago opened to foreigners as recently as the late 1990s. With only a few of the 800 islands sparsely populated and a couple dozen visitors to the entire area each month, the Mergui Archipelago remains one of the planet’s most unspoilt destinations.

I dislike feeling at home when I am abroad.
George Bernard Shaw