In 2005, the Charos family was on its way to the International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans when one of the sons saw an ad for a shipyard called Midship Marine, Harvey, La. The fishermen from Newburyport, Mass., were looking for a new offshore vessel, so they stopped in at the facility.
“It’s a family-run business, and we felt comfortable with them,” said Capt. Chris Charos, who owns Newburyport Whale Watch with his father George and brother Ryan. They ordered a new boat, the Captain’s Lady III. “We’ve stayed friendly with them through the last 20 years,” said Chris.
Captain’s Lady III was a 106'x24' Subchapter T boat rated for 149 passengers. In 2013, the Charos family had the opportunity to take over a local whale-watch business, and it expanded its offerings to include those outings and other tourism cruises.
“The boat fit the role nicely,” said Chris. “It was a fast boat and did the service speed comfortably.”
In the years leading up to the pandemic, the whale-watching and cruise business picked up, so the family decided to build a new, bigger boat to focus on those opportunities.
“We started the design process two years prior to Covid,” said Chris. “We picked it back up in 2022.”
Because Midship Marine is a small-to-midsized operation, the yard’s design team could easily collaborate with the Charos’ on the design.
“Their first boat was a traditional head boat,” said Midship Marine treasurer Randy Hinojosa, whose family founded and runs the yard. “This boat’s designed around all their parameters for evening cruises, whale watching, weddings. The design was a collaboration between them and us. It’s a group effort. They know their market.”
“In New England, our season is short, and it’s hard to build a boat for one purpose,” said Chris. “The boat has to be able to do multiple things to keep the operation running.”
The company’s new 130'x29' boat, Captain’s Lady IV, will have a triple-deck configuration and draw 8' with a deadweight under 100 tons. Construction is all aluminum with a 1" thick keel, ¾” bottom plating, and ¼" on the hullsides. At 300 people, passenger capacity will be double that of her predecessor, and its multiple decks are designed to host a variety of gatherings. The flagship of the company fleet is one of four vessels the Charos family operates. Captain’s Lady III has already been sold, so the team is looking forward to having the new boat for the 2026 season. Because of its additional size, the new vessel could be put into ferry service as well.
Captain’s Lady IV’s main deck cabin is being built with a galley with two concession stands and seven heads, offering a protected area for dinner cruisers, weddings, and corporate outings. Part of the second deck is enclosed, and the bow has a tiered, stadium-style platform so whale-watchers can see over the bow.
The boat’s design has passenger comfort in mind. “There are certain parts of the boat that are set up for whale watching and certain parts of the boat set up for a cruise atmosphere,” said Chris.
One of the most important upgrades is a climate-controlled interior space that keeps customers comfortable during hot summer cruises and lets whale watchers stay warm during early and late-season trips. Seven Dometic reverse-cycle air conditioning units will keep the interior temperatures consistent.
“Every program has a different role in the cycle of people,” said Chris. “It’s important to have a flow of people for each program to go through the boat.”
During the peak of the season, the company runs two whale watch trips per day, plus an evening cruise.
Quad 800-hp Caterpillar C32 diesels are expected to push Captain’s Lady IV to a top speed of 25 knots. Transmissions are Twin Disc with a 2.5:1 gear ratio, and they will spin Michigan Wheel 44"x44" 5-blade Nibral propellers on 3½" diameter shafts. Engine controls are Twin Disc EC 600 and steering is an electro-hydraulic system. Additional dockside maneuverability will be provided by a Sleipner bowthruster. “Where we operate, a propeller-driven boat is comfortable,” said Chris. Electronics are a full suite from the Garmin Phantom line with radar, chartplotters, depth finders, and night vision all tied into flatscreen displays.
Ship’s service power is two CAT 4.4 118-kW generators with a 25-kW backup unit. Five to six crew members will tend to passengers, and the boats are maintained in-house.
