An Anniversary Aboard the Juliet
Story by Nicki Miller
When Joanne and Tom Ashe had a tough time firming up the date of their anniversary party aboard their friend Bruce Katz’s yacht, they didn’t know how lucky they would be. Since their official anniversary date is August 7, they wanted it to be around then, but they moved the date a few times before settling on the ninth.
“It was the only day all week that was clear,” Tom says. “That whole week was stormy.”
Not the kind of weather for a party on the water, even when you’re luxuriating on a 143-foot Royal Huisman ketch named Juliet. The Ashes have been coming to the Vineyard for almost twenty years, splitting their time between their Chilmark house and New Mexico, where Tom is a builder and real estate developer and Joanne runs a nonprofit film foundation. They’ve been friends with Bruce, the yacht’s owner, for years.
Joanne says Bruce “enjoys sharing his passion for Juliet with friends and is always up for a celebration. One of Bruce’s favorite times is when he can bring all of his close friends together and inspire friendships among them.”
And that’s how the party went. The crew decorated with colorful lights and handed out glow necklaces and masks. Guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres by Island caterer Jan Buhrman and desserts by the yacht’s cook. There was swimming and dancing.
Having a party on a boat isn’t necessarily a breeze though, and Tom says it was “fairly nerve-racking” pulling everything together. Tom couldn’t contact the yacht much of the day because of spotty cell service; it arrived late and everything had to be shuttled on tenders at the last minute; there were travel delays for some coming from off-Island.
“Because it’s the Vineyard, all the typical Vineyard things happened,” says Tom. “At the last minute, it all worked out.”
“Tom made a wonderful toast to me and our family and our wonderful years together,” Joanne says. “It was just a perfect Vineyard evening.”