Report from the May 2008 charter show on Tortola, BVI, with charter broker Gail Hartman of V.I. Sailing.

Gail Hartman, an 18-year veteran of the charter industry who is a broker with V.I. Sailing (a CharterWave sponsor), typically books more crewed charter yachts in the Virgin Islands each year than any other broker in the world. She recently attended the May 2008 charter yacht show on Tortola.
     Here’s our firsthand interview, exclusively for CharterWave readers:

How does the May boat show in the Virgin Islands compare with the one held each November, before the official start of the Caribbean season?
There were about 25 boats and 25 brokers at Village Cay Marina this spring, compared with about 45 boats and about 50 brokers who attended in November. I like both shows, but I find the smaller one is good because I actually have time to sit down and talk with the crew onboard each of the charter yachts.
     At the spring show in particular, I like to see the new boats that have come into the Virgin Islands fleet since November, and to see how the crews who were new in November are holding up at the end of their first winter season. I want to see how the boats look, and find out whether they were able to handle everything.

Why do you make a point of attending both shows in the Virgin Islands each year?
There’s always something new to see, or something new to talk about, or something new to learn about the crew. I go on every single boat. I never miss a boat.
     The majority this spring were yachts I’ve seen before, that did attend the November show, but there were some new boats and a good deal of new crew. I could be on a boat 20 times, but if it has a new crew, it’s just as important to look at that boat as if I’m seeing it for the first time. A boat can come back to life or totally go down with a new crew inside of six months.

What kinds of charter yachts were at this year’s spring show?
The majority were sailing catamarans, but there were five monohull sailing yachts and three powerboats, too, plus one motorsailer.  That’s the way the industry has evolved, mostly catamarans, to accommodate the clientele in the Virgin Islands.

Which yachts or crews stood out to you?
One of the crews that impressed me the most was the new crew on the 73-foot monohull sailing yacht Elektra. Their names are Holly and Larry, and they’re an absolutely lovely couple. He has a diverse background from running barges to forecasting weather. She is a true Southern gem. When I boarded the boat, she had a beautiful display of fruit. She had cut and made arrangements out of pineapple, cantaloupe, watermelon, the grapes looked like waterfalls—that’s what I want my clients to see.
     Another great crew are Arno and Petra onboard the 60-foot motoryacht Center Court. They made homemade pasta and sauces to serve to the brokers during the show. And homemade bread. How phenomenal is that? They had fettuccine one day, ravioli another day, plus two kinds of sauces. They’re one of the hardest-working crew in the entire Caribbean.
     I was very impressed with the 58-foot sailing catamaran Pride. They had just finished their first full year of charter, and the boat looked awesome. They still had great attitudes, and they were full of enthusiasm. It was terrific.
    The 60-foot sailing catamaran Pas de Deux, she also looked great. She has a new crew, a very energetic crew that’s happy to be on the boat and ready to work. 
    Two if by Sea, a 45-foot sailing catamaran run by a couple named Stu and Fran, I was impressed with everything onboard. They’re just such a great crew. They have a projector screen, and one night on the dock they played the movie Pirates of the Caribbean for any broker who wanted to go sit in their cockpit and watch. They’re just so welcoming.
     The couple who run the 47-foot sailing catamaran Viking Dream, they are true pros. This is their first year of being on their own yacht, and they’ve done several charters for me, and they just do wonderful charters.
    Last but not least, the 50-foot sailing yacht Sophisticated Lady has a man running it named Capt. Rick who is doing captain-only or fully crewed charters with his full-time, onboard chef. There’s an African gray parrot onboard named Lucky, and he’ll tell you to walk the plank. Capt. Rick has been doing private charters for a couple of years, and now he’s joined a clearinghouse to let them do the paperwork while he focuses on the guests. That’s what I like to see.

Were there any yachts that had improved since you last saw them?
Frangines, I’d like to mention. She’s a 55-foot sailing catamaran that is coming back to life. She’s been in charter for a while, but really was not up to standard anymore. A lot of work has been done on the boat—new floors, new soft upholstery, even a new hammock that makes the boat feel like it has a back porch.
     In that same category for me is Heaven Can Wait, a 66-foot motoryacht. When I saw her in November, I gave some advice on some things to be done to bring the boat up to standard. All the jobs were completed, and she looks good. She’s charterable now with a nice, professional crew.

Was there any talk on the docks about the current economic downturn in the United States?
I haven’t seen the economy hitting the Virgins yet. Some of the boats are raising their rates, but there’s not widespread panic. Everybody has their concerns, but everybody’s cautiously optimistic.
     Fuel is important to these boats, because a lot of them are all-inclusive. A lot of the motoryachts will include so many gallons a day of fuel in their inclusive price, so the client would have to pay for extra usage. Aside from rising fuel prices, though, I don’t hear any panic at all.

Did you notice any other trends at the 2008 spring show on Tortola?
Not so much at the show, but I’m seeing an unusual trend in my own bookings: People are booking a really long time out. I had a request today for September 2009, and I had a request last week for 2010. That’s a little early, since we can book a year out at most, and it’s an unusual request.
     But if that’s going to continue as a trend, that’s great. It means there’s really not a downturn coming in the Virgin Islands charter market because of rising fuel prices and the sluggish U.S. economy.




You can learn more about Gail's perspective on the Virgin Islands charter market by reading her sponsored blog here on CharterWave.