Underway Alongside Harney & Sons Fine Teas, Soothing Sips

From Yacht Charters to Timeless Tea Blending

Some of my most treasured moments on yacht charter deliveries are the ones where the world is seemingly bathed in an ethereal violet-blue glow. The sun rising, reveals the crystalline Bahamian shallows and the energy of an extraordinary aquatic world. The sun setting, bids farewell to the sapphire depths of offshore waters, often between life-affirming island journeys. Harney & Sons Fine Teas have created beautiful signature blends that compliment the well-being yacht charter, as well as, island excursions focused on self-development. Indigo Punch struck a chord recently, sailing me back between The Bahamas and British Virgin Islands, over memorable nautical crossings.

Harney & Sons provides a beautiful summary of Indigo Punch, a tea that is truly blending legacy and luxury.

“Vibrant and full of crisp, fruity flavors, our caffeine-free Indigo Punch combines the delicate tang of rose hips and apple pieces. The earthy tones of the gorgeous Butterfly Pea Flower make this a unique blend. Bright lemongrass, lemon peel, and vivid raspberry round out this beautiful brew, along with natural honey flavor for a touch of sweetness.

For me, Indigo Punch embodies a place only 50 miles off the Atlantic Coast, a fragrant and floral sun-drenched expanse, exquisitely delicate and in harmony with the seasons. An ecological region, described by The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism as, “A group of shimmering gems sprinkled across 100,000 square miles off the Atlantic Ocean north of the Caribbean Sea.” With 700 islands, 2000 rocks, and cays with 16 main islands to visit, The Bahamas is full of exploration, discovery, and a meaningful essence of being—a worldly place to, as Harney & Sons describe their tea, soothe your soul daily.

When Tasting Becomes Believing

I was delighted to try Indigo Punch, one of over 300 varieties sourced by Harney & Sons. I could hardly wait to experience the aroma and color, reminiscent of the light reflecting off the waters in The Bahamas. One aspect that I learned about Harney and Sons Tea, and I imagine any tea for that matter, is that the taste and even the color of the brew changes with the mineral content in the water. For instance, Harney & Sons photograph their tea using mineral water from the Berkshires! This absolutely speaks to my inner artist and my inner spring hunter. Bruce will tell you that we spent a cross-country trip from California to South Carolina long ago, visiting every spring I could manage to find on the way! I think this calls for a revisit to Indigo Punch using mineral water. For my tasting, I used filtered water in Connecticut and happily drifted off to The Exumas, a 120-mile-long island chain, the most alluring of the out islands, defined by the Bahama Out Islands Promotion Board as a region “Where the crystal-clear tropical Atlantic pours over the deep cuts between the cays and the constantly shifting sandbars that look like meditative sand paintings.”

Mineral water is going to be an extraordinary experience for my next Indigo Punch experience. One aspect about The Bahamas that I fell in love with long ago was the changes in color from bright aquamarine to a deep sapphire, the most enchanting waters imaginable. My favorite part of all charter yacht deliveries was sailing through The Exumas overnight, welcoming a gorgeous morning and slipping through the infamously narrow Highbourne Cut the sun high for optimal eyeball navigation. Am I about to embark on an equally captivating sail around the world of tea blends? I think I will.

A Breakthrough Onboard

It’s in the seemingly small moments where transformation occurs: the contemplative light over the ocean, piercing the surface with sparkles and streams, the very ingredient for a subtle shift in perspective. I have felt this time and time again traveling to Bimini and Paradise Island, over The Exumas, and navigating through The Turks & Caicos. Though perhaps on a charter yacht, the formative moment has come after a passage offshore from one point to the next or maybe back on land after years of yoga and meditation. The work that got you to where you are or on the path to where you want to go is often overlooked, yet the moment where everything changes...here is where somehow, you find the deeper meaning in some aspect of life or a vision becomes clear. After practicing yoga and meditation for many years, I bring my practice in a variety forms wherever I go. One of the best practices for me onboard during my watch was listening to books by Richard Freeman and Eddie Stern. Tuning in to the Ashtanga Dispatch with Peg and Meghan, talks by my teachers Kino MacGregor and Tim Feldman. I developed this space of profound insights, watching the water slip past our hull, scanning the horizon, breathing the salt air, refreshed, my nervous system calm, and feeling the warmth and love of my inner-most being. The ritual of tea often feels similar to my yoga practice and thee is so much left to learn in both areas!   

I have come to realize that the various boat designs—whether a monohull, catamaran, powerboat, super-yacht, or mega-yacht—all share a common thread. They are all vessels providing the opportunity for meditative space to unfold, more than a yacht charter vacation, rather a self-development journey. Tea is the perfect complement; its nature, soothing and expansive, can also be stimulating and spirited—all creative attributes and qualities for creative well-being.

I appreciate the character of Indigo Punch, as magical and dynamic as The Bahamas. The dried indigo-colored pea flowers and elegant red rose hips drew me in. I found the apple pieces, lemon peel, lemongrass, alongside raspberry and honey flavors, uplifting and elevating. I brewed it in a porcelain teapot for 5 minutes and sipped it on its own, enjoying the medium-bodied tropical flavor.

A Well-Being Yacht Charter Brokerage and A Brilliant Blend

Harney and Sons Fine Teas reflect beauty, luxury, and authenticity through the cornerstones of tradition and innovation—the foundation of their brand delivering quality tea products as well as educating the world on tea history and taste. Embarking on a new path as a nautical lifestyle consultant, I wish not only to align and connect groups to the charter yachts that embrace life force and well-being but also to share inspiring products and services we have discovered along the journey. I am so excited to share Harney and Sons with you! If you happen to be in the Northeast, visit their shop in Millerton and Soho The Soho shop is only 150 ft. from Eddie Stern’s Broome Street Ganesha Temple—a sixty-second walk by Apple Maps! In the meantime click on the link below to have Indigo Punch delivered to your door. Enjoy!

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Stop by Underway and Alongside for an exploration of Chai Tea coming soon!