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Jun 29, 2023

Floating AirBnB Churns Up Comfort, Water Views in Barnegat Light

By Gina G. Scala | on August 02, 2023 LABOR OF LOVE: Tom and Deborah MacArthur, who made their dream a reality, take a break earlier this summer. (Photos by Ryan Morrill) On what was one of the

By Gina G. Scala | on August 02, 2023

LABOR OF LOVE: Tom and Deborah MacArthur, who made their dream a reality, take a break earlier this summer. (Photos by Ryan Morrill)

On what was one of the hottest days of the summer so far on Long Beach Island with ocean temperatures providing little relief, there seemed to be no respite. Yet, at the northern tip of the Island sat Lady Grace, a 92-foot Westship motor yacht with unrestricted views of Barnegat Bay and a cool breeze blowing through the top deck.

Docked at Bayview Harbor Marina in Barnegat Light, the yacht has 2,300 square feet of living space with five staterooms (each with its own bathroom) that can accommodate up to 10 people. Toss in sundecks with views of the bay and the Barnegat Lighthouse, and it’s no wonder Tom MacArthur and his wife, Deborah, wanted to offer the vessel as a floating AirBnB for the spring, summer and autumn seasons on LBI.

The Lady Grace is docked at Bayview Marina in Barnegat Light, where it is in use as a floating AirBnB.

“This has always been a project (we’ve wanted to undertake). It’s a great spot to watch the boats float by and the sun set,” MacArthur said, adding, “It’s blazing hot and there’s a breeze.”

The 22-foot by 20-foot salon, which he calls the “hang-out spot,” has multiple sitting areas and a table for dining or playing games. It is flanked by a covered sundeck where renters like to take their morning coffee and evening cocktails and a spacious dine-in kitchen that boasts a full-size refrigerator/freezer, range, conventional and convection ovens, a microwave, wine fridge, dishwasher and trash compactor.

“We’ve even got a potato masher on board – everything you need in the kitchen,” Deborah remarked, adding they had a good time bringing their vision for the 1997 yacht to fruition. “It was a lot of fun to decorate it.”

Gone are the former dark wood and Safari-themed hues of the Lady Grace. Deborah worked with Kristin Nissen, from Between the Sheets in Ship Bottom, turning to a coastal blue and sandy beige palette with coordinating colors to create a classic, tranquil beach home.

“We wanted it to have that ‘sigh’ feeling when you get on the boat,” she said.

“There’s nothing like it, and to my knowledge there has been nothing like it on LBI. It’s a floating house,” Tom added as the tour reached the top deck. “This is a great evening space because it gets cool.”

The MacArthurs purchased the Lady Grace in February of this year. They kept the original name of the vessel because Grace is the name of their daughter, and after looking at several boats to convert to a floating bed and breakfast, it seemed like fate had stepped in.

“The minute we got on board, she just felt comfortable. We were really bummed out about the other boat (which they were in contract to buy, but that had failed its sea trials),” Deborah said, recalling the day they first viewed the Lady Grace in Fort Lauderdale. “I was like ‘This is a comfy boat.’”

One of five staterooms, all with their own bathrooms.

Tom, who lived on the boat for the seven-day trip up from Florida in the spring, agreed.

“It’s a beautiful home away from home for people,” he added, saying for the journey he, the marina manager and mechanic left early one morning, traveling through the Keys diagonally up to the Bahamas, where they caught the Gulf Stream and came about 125 miles off the coast of the United States. “It was stunning. We took turns running the boat. There were nights when the sky was ablaze with stars and there were no other lights around.”

While the Lady Grace is currently stationary in port, there are plans to offer dinner cruises for those staying aboard, Tom said. There also are plans to offer it for charter along the Northeast in the fall and down to the coast of Florida during the winter, according to the vessel’s rental advertisements.

“It’s a whole different world,” Deborah said of being on a boat. “It’s peaceful.”

And on the hottest of summer days, there are cool Island breezes, too. For details on enjoying them aboard the Lady Grace, visit vacationrentalslbi.com.

— Gina G. Scala

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