Bonnie Lass Charters are a bespoke classic yacht charter company offering coastal tours and adventure charters from Port de Sóller on the northwest coast of Mallorca. The operation was created in 2014 by husband and wife team Roo and Pete Lucas who, after decades of working in the yachting industry, were looking for a new challenge and a place to call home for their young family.
Having fallen in love with the stunning Port de Sóller on a chance road trip, Pete and Roo started brainstorming a one-off business model to set themselves apart from other competition in the area, and to build something truly unique in Mallorca (and possibly the world!).
They found Bonnie Lass in 2014 outside the maritime museum in La Rochelle, France and decided that, despite the structural work needed, she would be the perfect platform as a day charter boat. After a long January passage through the Bay of Biscay and the Gibraltar straits, Bonnie Lass began her new life in Port de Sóller (bets were placed amongst the marineros at Marina Tramontana if she would ever be fit for charter!) and she has now become an icon in the port. Bonnie Lass is a 17m Ringnetter, built in 1949 at the Weatherhead Yard in Cockenzie on the east coast of Scotland.
She fished for herring in the North Sea and salmon off the east coast of Ireland, before being decommissioned from fishing in the 80’s and spending the next decades as a liveaboard and private vessel. A rare classic, she retains many of her original features (explore down below to see the original crew berths, or visit the wheelhouse for a walk back in time!).
After an extensive refit, replacing 30 metres of planking and 60 frames, as well as the safety work required for MCA coding and aesthetics for chartering, Bonnie Lass was ready to welcome guests aboard in the summer of 2015. She now provides a gorgeously barefoot-chic and versatile platform for day charter, with many fun extras including paddleboards, a rope swing, crow’s nest, an onboard BBQ and a huge handcrafted centrepiece table for lunches aboard.
With her stunning lines and a unique character, Bonnie Lass has captured the attention of directors from around the world and features in a wide variety of films and TV series, such as the Netflix No.1 White Lines, the upcoming Off The Rails (starring Judi Dench and the late Kelly Preston), IB3, Channel 4 and many advertisements including IcelandAir and Fisherman’s Friend.
The Bonnie Lass Charters fleet has evolved with the demands that each year brings, and is currently running with Bonnie Lass and the sweet 10m Heather Grace. Heather Grace was built in Weymouth, UK in 1979 and (originally named Sidewinder) was used for day trips viewing the Navy fleet in Portland. Her previous owners renamed her Heather Grace, running day trips in the beautiful Isle of Skye, where Pete and Roo found her in 2018.
This pretty little picnic cruiser has now been beautifully and imaginatively renovated and is the perfect day tripper for cruising the northwest coast of Mallorca. Each charter is customised and tailor made for the client, and Bonnie Lass Charters offer everything from large group team building events to an intimate sunset marriage proposal, family fun days out on the water with a freshly prepared BBQ lunch aboard, retreats, or an exclusive restaurant tour to the iconic Sa Foradada or the sumptuous Es Vergeret in Cala Tuent.
Pete and Roo are deeply committed to protecting the beauty of their surrounding natural environment. Since 2015, they have volunteered Bonnie Lass as a research vessel for Asociacion Ondine (now Save the Med Foundation), clearing ghost nets and organising cleanups at remote calas only accessible by boat, deploying BRUVs to collect scientific data on pelagic marine life and doing turtle releases with Debora Morrison and her team at Palma Aquarium.
This summer the Save The Med VolunteerExpeditions will be held aboard Bonnie Lass, taking groups of young enthusiasts out on the Balearic waters to explore global marine issues such as plastic pollution and its causes; combining science, nature and teamwork aboard a classic vessel. (Insider tip: look out for the Save the Med raffles; there is always a Bonnie Lass sunset charter up for grabs!) When asked about the success of Bonnie Lass Charters, Roo and Pete say they could not be where they are today without the extraordinary support of the local community in the Sóller valley, the diverse and awesome people they’ve met along the way (including the wonderful Weatherhead family), and their charter guests – those who kept them afloat through Covid, and all those who keep coming back for more Bonnie Lass Charters adventures year after year!
Whether you are based on the island full time, on vacation, or are looking for a great day out for your villa guests, contact Bonnie Lass Charters for a truly unique experience in a phenomenally beautiful pocket of the world.
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