A small house,
at a slow pace.

Adriata was founded in 1987 by James Whitfield, a naval architect who had spent two decades designing racing yachts in Newport. He stepped away from design and switched to the charter business, quietly assembling a fleet of privately-owned boats that American families could experience as their own.

Forty summers later, the house is still in the family. James's daughter Catherine runs the charter desk from Dallas, while his two sons manage fleet operations and captain relations. Three captains and a single concierge in Fort Lauderdale round out a team that has never published a brochure. Our guests find us by introduction, and we accept a small number of new families each year.