Diving headfirst into the superyacht life

Anyone looking at the phenomenal superyacht, She’s a Ten, might assume that it belonged to a serial yacht owner. After all, who else would buy a 50m yacht and understand exactly how to remodel and modernise it so that it could reach its true potential? Carolyn Aronson, that’s who, the American entrepreneur and founder of It’s a Ten haircare. 

‘I dove headfirst into the world of yacht ownership,” says Aronson. “I didn’t grow up on yachts, so it’s pretty crazy!” That headfirst dive took place six years ago, when Aronson bought a home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “I knew that I wanted to buy a boat to go behind it,” she says. The search began – and two years later, she found the yacht that is now She’s a Ten – named after her burgeoning beauty empire. “I knew it had good bones because I remodel homes all the time, so I put an offer in on it that day and it was accepted.” 

At 50 metres, the yacht was bigger than planned – too big, in fact, to sit outside her intercoastal home – but Aronson is not one to do things by halves – and the transformation began straight away. “The boat has floor-to-ceiling windows, plus it’s very open, airy and light in colour – I knew those aspects were good to work with.” Aronson designed the interiors herself – but beyond the walk-in closet and big tub in the bathroom,there was far more to learn. “I’m the kind of person that when I get involved with something, I do it on multiple levels,” she explains. She set about teaching herself the ins and outs of superyacht engines, systems, generators and everything in between. “I’m definitely very involved – I really like to know what happens with it and what I’m spending my money on.”

Aronson was a single mother when the boat was completed and initially used the yacht for trips away with girlfriends, but today she is married, with a blended family of five – and She’s a Ten is very much a family affair. “My husband already had three children and I just gave birth to a little girl six months ago,” says Aronson. “It’s been amazing for my kids to experience yachting life growing up. For them to be able to grow up snorkeling, swimming with sharks whatever it may be – it’s amazing.” Of course, having a big family on board does present some unique challenges. “The person I feel sorry for is the chef! When you have five children and they all like to eat differently, finding the right person is tough.”

At just six months old, Aronson’s new baby has already been lucky enough to sample life onboard. “She can’t do much yet, we just dip her toes in the Jacuzzi but it’s just wonderful having her with us.” And for the older children, six years of incredible experiences at sea have left a lasting impression. “The memories we’ve created over those years have been life-changing. They sit around today and talk about the trips we went on.” For Aronson, the best memories are from the Exumas. “They are some of the most beautiful waters in the world,” she says. “There are enough islands in a small area that you can zip around and really have multiple experiences, from cave diving, to having a fun time on the rides at the Atlantis. It’s such a diverse area.” 

Beyond the destinations the family travel to together – it seems that half the fun happens on board, where jet skis, paddleboards, a huge slide and all kinds of other toys are on hand. “My husband also loves to fish with the kids on the tender,” adds Aronson. When they aren’t fishing or enjoying the ocean, the family spends a lot of time on the top deck. “That’s where the Jacuzzi is and where the music is playing,” says Aronson.  

After six happy years with She’s a Ten, it’s time for a new adventure and Aronson is looking for a new boat. “I’ll be sad to say goodbye, but it’s always good to create new memories,” she explains. “With my next yacht I want to explore the Med so I am looking for something that can cross oceans. The kids are older now so it’s perfect timing for them to really hug the coast and explore Europe. It’s one of those trips they aren’t going to say no to!” 

“When I started out, my dream was to take a cruise around the world. Now, it’s to take my own yacht around the world. I just tweaked it a little bit!”