To most yachtsmen, one of the great challenges is to sail the Atlantic.

But the owners of these superyachts have neither the time nor the inclination to battle ocean swells, high winds and weeks at sea.

If you're wealthy and you want to spend December island-hopping in the Caribbean  -  but your boat is inconveniently moored in Monaco  -  you turn to the services of companies such as Dutch firm Sevenstar.

Enlarge   spiegelgracht spiegelgracht

The Spiegelgracht: Its multi-million pound cargo arrives safely at Road Town, Tortola, capital of the British Virgin Islands

Every November, the firm's giant freighter MV Spiegelgracht  -  seen here arriving at Road Town, Tortola, capital of the British Virgin Islands  -  collects a cargo of yachts in Palma, Majorca and Southampton and takes them to the Caribbean  -  without adding a single nautical mile to their ocean-going careers.

And next May, it will hoist them aboard again and ferry them back to the Mediterranean for the summer cruising season.

There are 17 vessels secured in specially designed cradles on the Speigelgracht's deck.

The multi-million-pound cargo is made up of an assortment of rich men's toys, from relatively modest sailing yachts to vast gin palaces and 90ft Sunseekers.

Each vessel has its own personal captain who oversees the transfer to the Spiegelgracht.

The sailing boats are lifted and transported on deck with the mast and the complete rig kept upright.

Before setting off, all stainless steel and chrome fittings are coated with Vaseline to protect them from the elements.

The Spiegelgracht is one of 80 freighters used by Sevenstar Yacht Transport to move more than 800 yachts around the world.

{"status":"error","code":"499","payload":"Asset id not found: readcomments comments with assetId=1092602, assetTypeId=1"}