AWATEA is a truly special boat; a 2019 63ft Balance catamaran, she is modern, fast, comfortable and specifically designed for expedition charters with all the luxuries. The crew are ready to provide you with an outstanding charter experience. Their love of the ocean is truly contagious. Whether you are interested in finding uncrowned surf spots, teaming fish life and sea birds or just drinking cocktails on isolated sand cays in the middle of nowhere, the crew of AWATEA are ready to turn your dreams into a reality. Young, energetic and motivated to explore remote areas, Fraser (35) and Olivia (33) are the ultimate team to guide you on your bespoke adventure aboard the luxury performance catamaran AWATEA.
Crew Profile
Captain: Fraser Cameron (37)
Fraser started out dingy sailing, and then coastal cruising on small sail boats and power boats on the northeastern coast of New Zealand. Boating, fishing, spear fishing, surfing, living off the land and adventure in general runs in Fraser’s blood. In his late teens and then early 20’s, Fraser worked as crew aboard various private luxury motor and sailing vessels ranging from 80 ft to 180 ft in length based in locations such as, New Zealand, Fiji, Australia, the Bahamas and the Mediterranean. After five years in the super yacht industry, Fraser returned to New Zealand to complete his Bachelor of Science in Marine and Coastal Ecology which is where he met Olivia.
License: RYA
Chef: Olivia Cameron (34)
Olivia started cooking at a young age and through the years has developed a wholesome culinary style that is sure to satisfy after a busy day on the water. With more than 10 years experience in the hospitality industry and through managerial roles she has developed great customer service skills. Olivia became fluent in Spanish while living there at 18 and is keen to practice her skills with any Spanish speaking guests. As a family, Fraser and Olivia sailed their previous catamaran, an Outremer 45, from NZ to Fiji which they then circumnavigated and then returned to NZ. Over the six month trip Olivia developed great practical sailing knowledge. Olivia is also a marine biologist and a keen water woman who is currently learning to surf and spearfish when she isn’t either homeschooling their three gorgeous kids or completing the many daily tasks she is responsible for with a life at sea.
Layout
Menu
A sampler from Olivia's galley aboard AWATEA
Breakfast
French crepes (selection of savoury and sweet options)
- Ham and gruyere cheese with a side of hollandaise sauce
- Strawberries, blueberries, maple syrup and whipped cream
- Classic lemon and sugar
Handcrafted muesli served with Greek yogurt and a medley of fresh, seasonal fruits.
Smashed avocado on toasted focaccia with crispy bacon strips, crumbled feta and cherry tomatoes.
Shakshouka - gently poached eggs cooked in a fragrant, spiced, bell pepper, spinach and tomato sauce. Served with crusty bread.
Freshly baked bagels served with a selection of cheese, cured meats, salmon, cream cheese, basil pesto and preserves.
Classic Eggs Benedict – poached egg sitting on an English muffin with crispy bacon, drizzled with homemade hollandaise sauce with a side of spinach.
Lunch
Spiced fish tacos served on a toasted corn tortilla, topped with fresh salsa, cheese, avocado cream and greens grown on the Awatea.
Loaded Mediterranean Falafel Bowl – falafel on a bed of hummus, served with labneh, pita bread and a couscous salad
Grilled chicken skewers served with a zesty ricotta, heirloom tomato and caper salad and freshly baked artisan bread
Tortilla Española (Spanish potato tortilla) served with a simple, green, tuna salad
Spaghetti alla puttanesca served with an arugula, shaved parmesan and balsamic reduction salad and crusty bread.
Chicken katsu – crispy panko chicken, steamed rice, shredded cabbage salad, tonkatsu sauce and Japanese mayo
Appetizers
Chacuterie board – a selection of cheeses, crostini, cured meats, olives and fruit Mini hash browns topped with salmon, cream cheese and capers
Pickled chilli, anchovy, olive, mozzarella mini skewers
Bruschetta - grated garlic, crushed tomato, ricotta, basil, olive oil
Smoked salmon rillettes served in a crispy tortilla shell Ceviche tostadas
Dinner
Paella - chicken, chorizo and artichoke sitting in a bed of saffron infused bomba rice, finished with a hearty squeeze of lemon and served with a crisp green salad.
Japanese tasting menu – tuna tartare on thinly sliced cucumber, sashimi, crispy rice cakes topped with spicy tuna, teriyaki chicken sushi, karaage chicken, pork gyoza
Pizza night
Classic margherita (mozzarella, fresh tomato slices, freshly picked basil)
Anchovy, garlic and extra cheese
Roasted aubergine, zucchini, onion and mushroom with feta
Pepperoni
Classic New Zealand pie – a slow roasted beef stew, topped with cheese, wrapped in homemade flaky puff pastry. Served with a simple green salad
BBQ pulled pork on a tangzhong burger bun with melted cheese and zesty coleslaw, served with hand cut wedges.
Sesame crusted seared tuna served with a fresh green salad topped with crispy noodles and an Asian inspired dressing
Dessert
Chocolate torte served with strawberries and whipped cream
Mango sorbet with an almond crumb and passionfruit coulis
Sticky date pudding with vanilla ice cream and butterscotch sauce
Vanilla and ground almond cake with blueberry drizzle and crème fraiche
Classic Tiramisu
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Awatea stocks up the bar aboard to guests' preferences.
Our "ship's bar" list includes these fine brands:
Absolute Vodka
Finlandia Vodka
Tito’s Vodka
Tanqueray Gin
Bombay Gin
Beefeater Gin
José Cuervo Gold Tequila
Mount Gay Rum
Cruzan Gold Rum (flavoured rums too)
Bacardi Rum
Old Nick Rum
Malibu Coconut Rum
Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
Johnny Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky
J & B Scotch Whisky
Seagram’s VO Canadian Whisky
Crown Royal Canadian Whisky
Jameson Irish Whiskey
Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey
Martell VS Cognac
Kahlua liqueur
Bailey’s Irish Cream
Grand Marnier liqueur
Amaretto Di Saranno
Budweiser
Bud Light
Heineken
Amstel Light
Carib
Coors Light
Red Stripe
Presidente
And a selection of wines based on the guests’ preferences that wholesale from between $12 and $25 a bottle, with the whites being lower end of the scale and the reds on the higher end.
Testimonials
Guest aboard catamaran AWATEA in mid February, 2025, wrote:
I wanted to be sure to tell you that we had a wonderful vacation aboard the Awatea. Frasier, Olivia and Jess were just delightful to spend time with and talk to. Frasier knew wonderful snorkeling spots, and he was always checking with us about what we wanted to do. Olivia and Jess made delicious meals that we all enjoyed, and they were terrific about catering to our specific likes and dislikes. My daughter-in-law and granddaughter have celiac disease, and they made a point of telling me how comfortable they were about their food containing no gluten when it was made by Jess and Olivia. I don't eat pork or beef, and they always had something delicious for me to eat. Midway through the trip my grandson wanted to fish, and Frazier and Olivia were quick to supply him with fishing rods and suggestions on what to do. He caught a tuna and a bar jack, and the fish were incorporated into dinner two nights later!
The boat itself was extremely comfortable, with plenty of spots for us to spread out, both in the sun or in the shade. Our bed was very comfortable, and the bedrooms as well as the entire boat were always kept spotless. The boat's generator was turned off at night, so it was very quiet, peaceful and easy to sleep.
I highly recommend the boat Awatea with its wonderful crew to anyone who wants to take a boat vacation. It was fabulous!
Carrie
Guests aboard AWATEA in mid-January, 2025, said:
It was literally the trip of our lifetime! All four of us believe no other vacation will come close to this - we were beyond belief with how everything was from the crew, the vessel, the food, the service, just everything!
How is the yacht? Is she clean and well-maintained? Were your cabins comfortable? Was the cockpit comfortable? Was there enough shade?
We literally have NO NOTES for this yacht! In fact, we could not believe how clean it was! The bedding was so comfortable that all four of us slept more soundly than at home. During lots of sun when we needed shade, there were always shades to be drawn outside or they created canopies for us on the fly. Awatea was just gorgeous.
Did you use all the water toys? If you were diving, how did you like the area?
We experimented with all the e-Foil which was a hit, the paddles board, fishing rods, flotations and we talked bout the boards, but didn't go for it - we were too busy snorkeling every day and taking in the other sights! We were so impressed with how much the yacht had to offer honestly.
Where your meals excellent and fresh? Spiced with variety and beautifully presented? Did the menus meet your expectations? Did your Chef and Crew pay close attention to your Preference Sheets?
Not only did they pay attention to our likes, dislikes and preferences, but the food was out of this world. Every single meal hit every mark and then some! We love a variety and one of us has a gluten intolerance which posed absolutely no problem. We honestly have never eaten so well in a whole week than on this vacation! To boot, the fish we caught was used to make a few different dishes the next couple meals which was incredibly impressive!
How about your crew? How would you describe your Captain and crew? Were they Courteous? Helpful? Friendly? Attentive? Knowledgeable?
We honestly can't say enough amazing things about Fraser, Olivia and Jess. Not only are they lovely people, inside and out, they worked beautifully together and seemed to never be in our way of our huge family and also were always there for us when we needed any little thing. We felt like we were not an imposition at all and almost like we had been around them before. It takes a great gift to make people feel so welcome while also providing for them! Their knowledge on all things water, boating and fishing was just incredible. We know we only scratched the surface with them and absolutely hope to be back!
How did you find the pace and the itinerary of your vacation?
Perfection! Since this was our first time going, we left it open for ideas from the crew so we planned each day as it came the night before which was perfect.
Any additional thoughts?
YOU MUST ABSOLUTELY recommend Awatea to all your clients! I am still flabbergasted at how incredible they made everything. They could make any family's vacation the most special and we are recommending this on our social media because they have made such an impact for our family.
Charter Guests aboard catamaran AWATEA over the New Years 2024/2025 week wrote:They were the BEST!! Very fun and up beat. It felt like they were our friends more then our crew which made the trip so fun and special!!
The food was amazing. Olivia (the chef) made everything special for us and when you ate the food you could tell the amount of time and energy she spent making it. The best food ever!
The water sports were my favorite. I got to go wake surfing and inner tubing and snorkeling.100% my family has recommended this trip to all our friends.
And...
Our overall experience with AWATEA was AMAZING! The crew were just lovely. They were very accommodating, communication prior to and during the charter was perfect, the itinerary was just what we wanted, the food was delicious. The AWATEA was well equipped for water sports and lounging, the rooms were clean, the beds comfortable, the overall condition was beautiful.
Captain Fraser and Olivia were so helpful with provisioning, setting up reservations for some dinners and lunches off boat, and creating a well thought through itinerary. They were super helpful and flexible with picking us up at the dock near our hotel in Tortola and then were able to drop us off at a resort closer to the airport that we were flying out from in Virgin Gorda.
They welcomed us onto the AWATEA with a delicious cocktail - coconut lime margarita and yummy fish tacos. We spent the afternoon at Soggy Dollar Beach and Bar. We snorkeled the Indians which was really beautiful and the boys climbed a rock with Captain Fraser and First Mate Jess and of course loved jumping off with them. They had a lot of fun Watersport equipment - wake board, a “biscuit” (we call a tube), surf board for “skurfing" behind the tender, paddle boards, snorkeling equipment, and the E-Foil. The boys had a blast! We went to the Baths and spent the morning exploring, climbing, and swimming. They were really cool. We went to Anegada where we rented jeep-like vehicles and went to a beach where we searched for shells, played soccer and threw the football, and swam. Oh, and there was a place they took us that was called something like “bubbles”- we hiked to the other side of the small isle and there were rock formations creating a place for water to bubble up in and created a great jump into pool. And lastly voted one of the favorites by the boys was a “secret” rock formation that created a deep pool with high jump off points. They had an epic time!
Captain Fraser always selected great coves / quiet areas at anchoring for the boys to play on the toys and to see beautiful sunsets. He was always up for an adventure and was great teaching some of the boys new skills. Jess was so sweet and loved participating in the adventures as well. Olivia is an amazing chef! My son wants her to give me all of her recipes. I suggested she create a cookbook with all the dishes she made - including homemade bageles, bread, and English Muffins! And I loved that they had fresh herbs on the boat :-).
We ate dinner off the boat twice. First was a cool outdoor bar/ patio called Nova at Oil Nut Bay. The decor was really well done, the food & drinks were great. The “sushi boat” was a beautiful presentation as an appetizer. The 2nd night off the boat we went to Peter Island and had dinner at the newly renovated and recently opened Drake’s Steakhouse. Beautiful venue and great menu and wine list.
So, as you can see, the trip was just amazing and we really loved the entire experience. Of course the BVI’s are the draw but the crew really made it special.
