I had a disheartening conversation late yesterday with Ron Chase, a charter and sales broker in the Seattle office of Nigel Burgess.

Ron’s a former megayacht captain who understands that exciting, gorgeous destinations are one of the best things about yacht charter. I called him because I’m working on a magazine article about yachts that will spend this summer offering charters in Alaska, one of the most memorable destinations where I’ve ever chartered. I knew he’d have the local insider’s skinny on which big-name boats were heading his way for the upcoming season.

As it turns out, there are fewer crewed yachts than ever moving into Alaska, perhaps less than a half-dozen for the entire summer season. Ron explained to me that ever since new American anti-terrorism measures went into effect, the hassles that captains and owners experience when entering Alaskan waters onboard foreign-flagged yachts are simply too much to bear in exchange for finding charter business.

Most crewed charter yachts are, indeed, flagged by nations other than the United States (primarily for tax reasons). And if Ron’s logic holds, that means most crewed charter yachts are going to continue to avoid Alaska until the anti-terrorism measures are rescinded, or at least modified.

I can only hope that happens sooner rather than later, though I’m not optimistic given the current geopolitical situation. It would definitely be a shame if crewed yacht charter became rare in the waters off the Alaskan coast. It’s a market that was just starting to emerge for us all, and one that should be nurtured, not obliterated.

We put the new CharterWave Media Kit online yesterday for potential advertisers, who flocked to our site in record numbers. Their enthusiasm really made us proud, as several new advertisers were literally trying to get their company logos onto CharterWave the very same day we made our new ad packages available!

One response, though, gave me pause–and I think it’s important for you, our readers, to understand exactly why.

The response was from a charter broker who wanted us to give him a CharterWave advertisement for free. In exchange, he would give us a percentage of profit from every charter he booked through the ad. He explained that we would make more money from him in this fashion. And he was probably right.

This is the kind of arrangement that many websites have with their advertisers, but it’s not one that we here at CharterWave will allow–for the simple reason that it takes us out of the editorial business and puts us in the charter-booking business.

If we’re selling the charters, or taking any cut of the profits from them, then we are simply not in a position to offer you unbiased advice and information that you can trust. And that is our primary mission here at CharterWave: to be the world’s most trusted yacht vacation resource. We have advertising partners, yes, but we’re not in their pockets. Which means we have absolutely no need to help them pick your pockets.

So we turned down this broker’s offer, and the extra income that would have come along with it. Our integrity and our readers’ trust is simply not for sale, at any price.

Which is why, we hope, you will continue to look to us for all the charter information you need. We’re minding your business and keeping your best interests in mind, even when nobody’s looking.

I’ve been chatting up a few reputable charter brokers lately about boats available in Turkey, where I’m heading in a couple of months for some upcoming magazine articles. I’ll have a day or so to attend the nation’s annual industry-only charter show, and I want to make sure I don’t miss any of the yachts that have proved themselves with brokers who visit the region regularly.

An e-mail exchange with broker Ann-Wallis White of Annapolis, Maryland, reminded me once again that it’s not just the boats, but also the crews that are so important when planning a charter in Turkey or anywhere else.

“Do you know either Zarik or Shaitan of Vienna?” Ann asked me. “In my opinion, they are among THE best crews in Turkey.”

She’s worked with Zarik’s owner for 25 years, all of which the yacht has spent in the Eastern Mediterranean–learning the best spots to take charter clients. And she loves Shaitan’s crew not only for charters in Turkey, but also in Greece, Italy and the Caribbean, where the yacht will be moving later this year.

I’ve already added both of these 65-foot sailing yachts to my list of must-see boats for future CharterWave First Impressions. If either of them sound good to you and you want to discuss them with Ann, drop her a line at awwyc@comcast.net.