I just got an e-mail from Capt. Andy Clements onboard the 63-foot sailing yacht Stenella. She’s a lovely monohull that we introduced to you in a First Impression review a few months ago.

As it turns out, Capt. Andy has just ordered a brand-new auxiliary engine for Stenella in his continued quest to keep his yacht in as good condition as possible.

That’s what I like to hear from an owner-operator, as there are many others out there who simply pocket all their charter income and let their guests “make due” with whatever condition the boat happens to be in. Their main goal is to subsidize their own cruising lifestyle with your vacation money. In Capt. Andy’s case, the goal is to provide a high-quality charter vacation and earn your repeat business.

Capt. Andy’s diligence and attention to detail are among the many reasons why Stenella continues to get repeat business and good reviews from reputable charter brokers worldwide–and why we’re happy to continue to give his crewed charter operation good reviews here on CharterWave.

Stenella still has some weeks available this spring and summer in the Virgin Islands. If you decide to book one of them, please give Capt. Andy our best wishes. He’s earned them.

So, I spent the past two days traveling to and from Port Townshend, Washington, to interview a fascinating woman who runs that city’s annual Wooden Boat Festival.

During my flight back to Newark airport yesterday, I ended up sitting next to two women who were talking about vacations. The woman in the window seat was relating the details of her recent cruise ship trip to the Caribbean, which she said she really liked, although she could’ve done without all the crowds and–in her words–”being dumped off in ports full of criminals.”

I was thinking to myself, How can anyone say they really liked a cruise where that experience was part of the plan? And that’s when the woman in the middle seat said, “Yes, I know what you mean. Our family doesn’t do cruise ships anymore. It’s a shame, too, because we really like being on the water.”

At this point, I of course couldn’t help but pipe up and explain a few things about private yacht charter vacations. These women reacted the same way most people do at first, saying they could never possibly afford a yacht charter and then asking me how much money I make from each of the trips that I help brokers to book.

I diligently explained that I’m just a journalist, pure and simple, and that I happen to have yacht charter as my area of expertise. I explained that crewed charter yachts are available at all price points, and that CharterWave is a resource they can use to learn the basics before even calling anyone to consider booking.

I gave them each a business card, and judging by the enthusiastic way they accepted them, I expect to see each of these women checking out the content on CharterWave soon. If I were a betting woman, I’d put my money on the woman from the middle seat booking her first charter in the Virgin Islands this fall.

Funny how little effort it takes to show people that they really can enjoy a safe, personalized, uncrowded vacation at sea, if they just step away from the cruise ships and contact a reputable charter broker.

There are a lot more converts out there just waiting to find CharterWave, I’m sure. And if I have to talk to them one at a time, so be it!

I’m working on an article for a boating magazine about a charter I did off the western coast of Italy onboard the 136-foot sailing yacht Infatuation. This particular boating magazine wants me to write about a typical day onboard, which is different from the articles most other magazines publish about an entire week onboard a charter yacht.

In going through my notes from the Infatuation charter, which was organized by Nigel Burgess, I remembered just how different sailing yacht vacations can be from motoryacht vacations.

Onboard motoryachts, you have powerful engines that get you from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible. The charter is quite a bit about the destinations themselves and less about the act of getting to them.

With sailing yachts, the opposite can be true. My charter onboard Infatuation was as much about the actual sailing from Point A to Point B as it was about actually arriving and looking around onshore. And it was gloriously relaxing–nothing but the wind in my hair, the sun on my face, and the opportunity to read, nap and watch the scenic coastline go by for hours at a time. Simply spectacular, as you can see from the photo below:

Of course, sailing yachts also have auxiliary engines that can get you where you need to be on time, but if you’re trying to decide between a sailing yacht and a motoryacht for your first charter, keep in mind the very different feelings you may encounter onboard.

And, as always, work with a reputable charter broker who can tell you exactly how much cruising you’ll be doing from island to island in whatever destination you choose.