Among our most memorable getaways are those that have required a final leg of travel by small boat. We have taken mahogany launches with gleaming brass fittings, refurbished military craft, dive boats, rustic runabouts, and workhorse riverboats on these watery rites of passage across that unnamed meridian that separates work and play. We remember each boat's individual charms, the contrast to the hubbub we'd left behind, the sights along the way, and the promise of an extraordinary respite just ahead. Whether we were setting off to a villa on a tiny dollop of an island in the Caribbean or a luxury hotel in the center of Venice, these brief voyages previewed an uncommon experience . . . and the boats often doubled as our personal water taxis for brief ventures back to the hubbub or for lazy days at other deserted coves.

Strictly speaking, you can reach several of these secluded sanctuaries by small plane or helicopter, but we can't imagine why you'd want to. For us, each watery journey was a pleasurable, never-to-be-forgotten transition. A time for reflection and romance.

Fall/Winter 1999