Vivere makes brief stop in Lewes harbor

After a busy weekend, Ted Haas, assistant Lewes dock master, was looking forward to a stress-free day Monday, Aug. 2. Then at 11 a.m. a call came in.

“They asked if we could handle a 116-foot boat around 1:30 p.m.,” Haas said. “We had 150 feet available.”

Hass then had to maintain a vigil to keep other boats from docking on the three spaces he had reserved for the incoming ship. But that didn’t bother Hass – it’s not every day that a 116-foot Italian-made yacht makes a stop in Lewes.

The Azimut motor yacht Vivere came around the corner of the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal by the Lightship Overfalls around 3 p.m., dwarfing every other boat in the harbor.

When owner Philip Rinaldi purchased the customized yacht in 2007, the first thing he did was cruise the coast of Italy for a month before bringing her back across the Atlantic Ocean to a berth at Liberty Landing on the Hudson River in New York City. The yacht’s winter home is Miami Beach Marina. The family has a summer home in Cape May, N.J.

It was a short visit, as Vivere, the Italian verb “to live,” was headed back down the canal by 5:30 p.m. ahead of low tide. After a brief lunch, family members and friends left Vivere to shop in downtown Lewes.

With everyone off the yacht, Haas was given a tour by Australian Capt. Jonathan Stone. He was impressed, especially that the captain was only 36 years old.

The interior is highlighted by marble floors and has five cabins for family and guests and three cabins for the crew.

A state-of-the-art entertainment system and spa-pool are among amenities on the spacious yacht.

The dark blue painted hull, a first for the yacht maker, is distinctive and attracts attention wherever it goes, according to a recent article in Boat International USA.

“This visit shows the strength of our port,” Haas said. “People come here to dock and eat in our restaurants and go to our shops.”

Yachts of this class typically sell for $13 million to $15 million.