Alaska No More?
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that means most crewed charter yachts are going to continue to avoid Alaska until the anti-terrorism measures are rescinded, or at least modified.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.