"He didn’t like the salt, and jumping off the side of the boat in the mid-Atlantic for exercise seemed like asking for trouble," Barnett said. He fitted a swim jet in the pool that allowed the owner to swim in place, much like a treadmill.

On the technical side, Barnett notes that the task of quickly filling up hot tubs and pools with water and emptying them is a challenging one. "It’s difficult for the crew to do, so a great feature is to have an insulated storage tank belowdecks. In rough seas, the water can be stored and UV-treated, and it adds to stability, rather than just heaving all that warm water over the side. The tanks are expensive but save fuel."

Starkey is not a big fan of saunas, saying, "Nine times out of ten, when I revisit a yacht with a sauna, it’s being used as storage, as in the case of Cakewalk. We took it out."

Rhode Island–based yacht designer Bill Langan has put an ingenious idea into practice: Put the sauna and steam room aft with stern doors from which guests can fling themselves directly in the sea. He also cautions that some commercial exercise machines should be recessed into the floor to assure adequate headroom.

Two spa features that Barnett can’t design but recommends are service and creativity. You might find a stewardess who is also a physical therapist, masseuse or hair stylist, but it is best to plan for the extra personal staff position—which means another crew cabin and more storage—from the beginning of a build. After all, delivering the perfect Napa Valley seed wrap is going to require some gear.

So, from little grape seeds, big ideas grow. Whether you decide to put it belowdecks or above, there’s every reason to have a luxurious spa on board—helping to define a healthy, relaxing yachting experience.

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