The 121’ (37m) Motopanfilo KOJU is a yacht that never rests. Since her owner took delivery of their dream boat in 2021, the yacht has enjoyed busy charter seasons cruising the Mediterranean in summer and the Caribbean in winter.

“We’ve cruised the Mediterranean twice, including the Monaco Grand Prix, did some fly fishing in the Exumas, and spent the past two New Years in St. Barts,” they say. “When we step aboard, it feels like home.”

And it’s not just her owner singing the yacht’s praises. The exceptional array of toys and facilities paired with Captain Nick Battaglia’s onboard setup has led to KOJU becoming one of the most popular and commercially successful charter yachts on the market.

“KOJU punches way above its weight class,” says one happy charter guest. “The deck space is the best we’ve seen; the toy assortment was excellent, and the crew was phenomenal. We recommend this boat to anyone and can’t wait to fit it into our schedule again.”

Accommodating 10 overnight guests in five cabins, the yacht has a multitude of communal spaces and amenities to appeal to a mixed group of friends or families alike. From the 'cocoon-style’ observation deck the spacious Hamptons-style beach club, and the foredeck outdoor pool lounge, KOJU provides myriad social areas to suit all needs.

“We’ve been on a lot of boats, most of them significantly larger than KOJU, and yet KOJU could be the best yet,” says another charter guest. “KOJU’s use of deck space is incredible, with several different outdoor areas (five not including the beach club) that are highly functional and get lots of sun. It gives the boat a much larger feeling.”

Following a stacked summer in 2023, KOJU attended the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in October before heading straight into eight charters for the winter season. A large part of the yacht’s appeal is the collection of toys, including an eFoil, flyboard, sea bobs, towables, a 10m tender for comfortable guest transfer and a FunAir pool/floating dock loved by many guests because it “makes the waterside beach club feel enormous!” 

“Captain Nick’s toy/tender options were fantastic and much appreciated,” one charter guest observed. “From talking to the Captain, it sounds like he has a strong relationship with the owner, who gives him a lot of discretion when outfitting the toy locker and investing in maintenance and new products, which certainly shows.”

Following more than 26 years at the helm, being hands-on, and working as a team to contribute to a successful operation is an ethos that Captain Nick has always carried forward.

“As soon as I saw KOJU’s layout, I knew the platform would make a successful charter yacht, but it also depends on how successful you enable your service team to be,” he says. “As a Captain, you need to be aligned with the owner, and he allowed me to make upgrades to improve serviceability, including adding a bunk above my cabin for the chief engineer so we could increase the number of interior crew from two to three. If guests are getting great service, great food, and have great company, it becomes less about the destination and more about the experience on board.”

In addition, KOJU’s size range makes it just as well suited to small European ports as it is to the shallow sandy bottom of The Bahamas. “We’re still decompressing after having left it all on the field with KOJU,” says one guest who shared a double family charter aboard KOJU on the Italian Riviera in summer 2023. “The location was spectacular – Port Venere, the Cinque Terre towns, Portofino, Santa Margherita, and Ropallo were all great to be anchored off. For two families with five children, it was the ideal blend of land excursions with a heavier focus on the boat, its crew, amenities and watersports.”

Around 80% of IYC owners choose to make their yachts available for charter. The secret to a successful program, says IYC’s Head of Charter Management USA, Liliana Lopez, is playing to the yacht’s strengths. “Later models with European style and pedigree are always popular,” she says. “KOJU specifically is a tri-deck version with a lot of gross tonnage – and a lot of yachts in that size range don't have a third deck – but the heart and soul of any successful charter program is the crew.”

That sentiment is echoed in the feedback given by another charter guest, who said: “Captain Nick and his crew were beyond spectacular. Friendly, professional, attentive, and most importantly, fun. We all know charter experiences are all about the crew, and KOJU’s crew was exemplary.”

Making KOJU available to charter was central to her owner’s plan from the start. “If KOJU books 15 charters or more a year – which it has so far – we are cash flow neutral, including my own expenses,” he explains. It’s a commercial approach that requires flexibility and commitment, not to mention development early on, says IYC Sales Consultant and Managing Partner in California, Matthew Stone, who represents KOJU for sale. 

"When starting from the infancy stages of a build, you can better guide the process, whether that's redundancy with key systems, toy storage, or fridge/freezer space,” says Stone. “Despite entering KOJU’s build process when 80% was complete, we were still able to make customizations to benefit the owner and guest experience, bolster toy capacity, and give the Captain carte blanche to make improvements based on his experience.”

Following two years of complete owner satisfaction, KOJU is now available for sale with IYC, and presents a rare and exceptional opportunity to acquire one of the best performing charter yachts on water, wrapped up in a stylish Benetti-built boat.

“There's a lot of wow factor to this yacht,” says Captain Nick. “Our goal was to dominate the charter world between 35 and 40m, and we’ve achieved just that.”

Interested in experiencing KOJU on an unforgettable charter? Find out more.

Looking to buy and think KOJU may just be the right fit? Find out more.