The sight of a yacht is not unusual for someone who lives so close to the South Coast; yet, when I went to Brighton Marina for a dinner onboard Lady Sandals, I had to take a second look at this stunning vessel.

The very presence of it was majestic. When I arrived at the waterfront promenade just before twilight, I had the great view of all the boats that were docked, including the well-known Chinese Pergoda restaurant, fishing trawlers, smaller yachts, and among these, the colossal Lady Sandals, which was lit from top to bottom in a warm and welcome glow.

My first experience on board a vessel that wasn’t the ferry between Newhaven and Dieppe or a small diving boat while I was on vacation was looking promising.The incredible length of Lady Sandals is 138 feet, and she weighs 245 tons altogether.

In the yacht’s formal dining area, up to 12 guests can dine à la carte, while the space can accommodate as many as 50 people for buffet-style gatherings. We were among the fifty guests who were invited to visit the exquisite boat, eat dinner and beverages on board, and learn about the new endeavors being pursued by Sandals Resorts.

Among our other guests were colleagues from the travel sector as well as devoted customers. Gordon “Butch” Stewart, chairman of the board for the vacation resort corporation Sandals Resorts International, is the owner of Lady Sandals.

As a result of the fact that it is utilized by Mr. Stewart and his family, we treated it as if we were visiting someone’s home; nevertheless, a wonderfully planned, roomy home that is situated on water! As soon as I stepped inside, my shoes were removed, and I let my bare feet sink into the incredibly plush, light-colored carpet.

There was plenty of seating available thanks to the spacious sofas and cozy bar stools. There is also seating available outside, which would be ideal for the climate in the Caribbean but would go unoccupied on a night like tonight in Brighton, which is bitterly cold.

The Sandals Resorts staff was excited to welcome guests aboard who have a combined total of 1,500 nights spent at Sandals Resorts properties.

A supper was prepared, which included a wholesome and delicious selection of chicken chasseur, salads, shrimp, and asparagus that was cooked to perfection. What was made quite clear was that Sandals intended this to be a friendly gesture of gratitude toward its guests.

There was no’selling,’ but a TV screen that ingeniously promoted Sandals’ new resort in Granada did manage to get many of the guests talking.