Beverly Parsons has been chartering since 1969. She is a licensed, bonded broker and a founding member of the professional groups AYCA and CYBA International. Contact Beverly.
Sharon Bahmer is an expert at booking charters in the Americas, from Alaska to Brazil. She's also a member of FYBA and CYBA. E-mail Sharon
Nicole Caulfield is licensed, bonded, and a longtime member of FYBA and AYCA. She brings a unique perspective as a broker, having worked aboard yachts for nearly 10 years. Email Nicole
Trina Howes has 10 years of experience in the charter industry finding great pleasure in creating the best yachting vacations possible. E-mail Trina
It’s Caribbean Boat Show Season! CharterWave editor Kim Kavin will be on the docks in Antigua this month, and we have reputable charter brokers reporting back to us about what they find on the docks in Sint Maarten, as well. Until then, you will want to take a look at this newly posted report from Steve McCrea, the general manager at Ed Hamilton & Co., about what he saw at last month’s St. Thomas charter show in the Virgin Islands, as well as this newly posted report from broker Kathleen Mullen of Regency Yacht Vacations about what she saw at last month’s Tortola charter show in the British Virgin Islands. In general, Caribbean charter business seems to be better right now than it was at this time last year, right after the global market collapsed, but many charter yachts in all size ranges still have availability, including for Christmas and New Year’s bookings. One prediction in the reports mentioned above is that the charter market will not truly rebound until winter 2010-11, at the earliest. Stay tuned to the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog, the CharterWave Twitter feed, and this space on the site for next month’s edition of eNews featuring more exclusive reports from the Caribbean boat shows.
Long-Weekend Charters Being Advertised In what is perhaps a sign of the continuing worldwide recession, several charter yachts from multiple management companies have announced “long-weekend” rates for charters this winter. U.K.-based Sunseeker Charters was first last month, with three-day winter rates for motoryachts from 72 to 90 feet long in the South of France. Not long after, Edmiston & Company announced a three-day winter special aboard the 145-foot Intermarine motoryacht Balaju, which is in the Caribbean. Technically speaking, all charter yachts are available for three-day bookings. Historically, charter brokers have simply arranged for the weekly base rates to be prorated in accordance with the actual number of days spent onboard. What is noteworthy about the current advertisements is that they are specifically trying to drum up three-day instead of (more lucrative) seven-day business, even in the popular Caribbean cruising grounds aboard a yacht of substantial size, at a time when, in years past, such yachts would have been long-ago booked.
Broker Report: Brazil Charter broker Clancy Weller of Neptune Group Yachting recently returned from inland Brazil, where she was among the first people in the world to experience a new 120-foot motoryacht called Zenith. It’s now part of the charter fleet at her company, which is promoting the area for “eco-friendly charters.” Weller’s experience included gator hunting, tribal dancing, and more. You can read all about it in this newly posted, exclusive interview, which serves as our Broker of the Month feature for December on CharterWave.
Broker Report: Galapagos Islands Charter broker Agnes Howard of Camper & Nicholsons International recently returned from the Galapagos Islands, where she spent a week onboard the 90-foot powercatamaran Queen of Galapagos. It is a new boat in the region that is hoping to shift from by-the-cabin bookings to true, full-boat yacht charters. You can learn Howard’s impression of the yacht and see how she felt about her first trip to this exotic charter destination by reading our newly posted, exclusive interview.
Aboard the New 212-foot Feadship Trident Charter broker Ann Landry of Northrop & Johnson recently enjoyed a three-day getaway in the Bahamas aboard the newly launched, 212-foot Feadship motoryacht Trident, which was the “Queen of the Show” at late October’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in Florida. Landry gave this newly posted, exclusive interview to CharterWave about all that she learned during her time aboard, including the chef’s specialties and her favorite parts of the yacht. Note: The main-deck office is apparently a must-see, for anyone interested in having all the comforts of an executive suite during a yacht charter vacation. Special thanks to Feadship for providing CharterWave with photographs of Trident.
Inside Scoop on Benetti Four Aces Charter broker Mark Elliott of International Yacht Collection gave CharterWave this newly posted, exclusive interview about the 183-foot Benetti motoryacht Four Aces, which was known as Allegro until Elliott helped sell it to a new owner in what was the largest-yacht trade deal of recent memory, if not of all time. (Our sister website, BrokerageBoss, has more about that in this article.) Since the boat never chartered as Allegro, she is officially entering the market this month at the Sint Maarten charter show with the nameplate Four Aces. CharterWave favorite Capt. Will Keiser, formerly of the 156-foot CRN motoryacht Azzurra II, is leading the crew—a good sign for anyone interested in top-notch service.
Before You Hop onto that Jet Ski… Insurance agent Gary Carroll of Comprehensive Yacht Assurance offered some interesting insights this month into the water-toy liability forms that some yacht owners are now asking charter guests to sign before they hop on a Jet Ski or Wave Runner. Carroll’s advice: Don’t do it, for several reasons, including the possibility that you could actually void all other insurance policies that cover you in case of an accident. He explains further in this newly posted article.
CharterWave’s Editor Launches New Website In late November, CharterWave’s editor, Kim Kavin, launched a new website working in conjunction with a dozen leading marine journalists. BoaterMouth includes a syndicated edition of the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog. All other CharterWave content will remain exclusive to the website, which of course will continue to be published as it is now in its fourth year online. “I’m excited about having my charter editorial featured alongside editorial from leading journalists covering megayachts, powerboats, sailing yachts, and all other marine segments,” Kavin says. “BoaterMouth is a great way to get the idea of charter in front of more readers, and a great way to drive more of those readers back to CharterWave.” BoaterMouth will accept advertising from all marine companies, including those in the charter industry, with rates starting at $100 per month. To learn more, please view the following promotional video or go directly to the site itself, which is in beta format until its official launch at the Miami International Boat Show in February:
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Three Brokers Say There is still plenty of time and a good number of yachts available for Christmas charter bookings. For the December edition of Three Brokers Say, we get the details about the most memorable holiday charters booked in previous years by brokers Liz Howard of Fraser Yachts Worldwide, Michael Sawyer of Infinity Yacht Charters, and Gertrud Annevelink of Charter Experience. It’s our guess that their combination of memories is unique, as it includes Antarctica, a divorce, and a broken hip!
Best of the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog An Ultimate Tandem Charter. Six little words. That's all it took for me to nearly drool into my telephone after receiving a call from sales broker Ann Avery at Northrop and Johnson in Fort Lauderdale. "Ranger," she said, "is becoming available for charter." … Read more …
Best of the CharterWave Sponsored Blogs From the Northrop & Johnson Worldwide Yacht Charters sponsored blog. New Year’s in St. Barth’s. Being in St. Barths for New Year’s is like being in San Tropez in August along the French Riviera: It’s the place to see and be seen, and a weeklong social and tropical whirl. And just like San Tropez in August, quite a bit of the action in St. Barth’s for New Years is all along the docks and on the visiting yachts. … Read more …
Motoryacht of the Month: Blue Moon We’re thrilled this month to offer this extended feature with exclusive photographs of the 198-foot motoryacht Blue Moon, which has just entered the charter market for the first time as the new flagship of the Northrop & Johnson charter fleet. The Feadship—which, at a weekly base rate of $525,000, is priced about $30,000 a week higher than the newer, bigger Feadship Trident—is aiming for an ultra-exclusive clientele. Our editor enjoyed a private, two-hour tour with Blue Moon’s captain, who talked about everything from the yacht’s construction to its newly hired gourmet chef. You won’t find these details about the yacht’s charter operation anywhere else, in print or online.
Sailing Yacht of the Month: Saga Boy Too The 57-foot sailing catamaran Saga Boy Too, in an effort to spark some winter charter business in the Virgin Islands, just announced that it will give charter clients a choice of six free scuba dives per adult, or one child cruising for free, for any new bookings this winter. Our recent review of Saga Boy Toois here, and includes the crew’s take on charters with children. Hint: They love ’em—as long as the wee ones can swim.
Captain of the Month: Mike Hein Mike Hein is now in command of the 138-foot fishing motoryachtMea Culpa, a job he found it hard to land because of his lifelong reputation as a world-class sailor. His experience includes having competed for the America’s Cup, having won a world championship, and more. Hein’s is not at all the standard resume of a skipper who ends up at the McMullen & Wing shipyard in New Zealand, going over diesel engine specs, before cruising the world with a fishing-fanatic yacht owner. In this exclusive, newly posted interview, Hein tells CharterWave about how he moved from a life of racing heeled over into a life of cruising in zero-speed stabilized comfort.
Chef of the Month: Mark Miles Mark Miles has been a co-owner and operator of the 72-foot sailing yacht Pacific Wave for just over a year. That short time span makes it all the more impressive that, last month, he beat about 40 other charter yacht chefs to take first prize in the St. Thomas charter show’s cooking competition. Miles talks in this exclusive, newly posted interview about his cooking philosophy, which was largely honed by time he spent learning the local cuisine in Portugal. If you think you can’t combine pork and clams into a tasty dish, think again.
Fleet and Management Company News 37 South writes in from New Zealand to say that Auckland will host a second Louis Vuitton regatta, this coming March. The company has several yachts available for charter during the event, including the 112-foot Alloy motoryacht VvS1 … The 108-foot motoryacht Askari and the 115-foot McMullen & Wing motoryacht Surprise are both available this winter in Tahiti and the surrounding South Pacific islands…
Absolute Yachting says the 147-foot motoryacht Bella Stella is actively seeking clients interested in charters on the Red Sea. The owner hopes to move the yacht there in the middle of this month, and to remain with charter availability through March 2010…
Blue Latitude Yachting welcomes the 67-foot Princess motoryacht Sorana to the charter fleet. Permanently based in the Caribbean, Sorana will have a lowest weekly base rate of $20,000…
BoatBookings.com told us on November 27 that it has options available for holiday charters in Singapore and the Bahamas, as well as during the upcoming Antigua Race Week in the Caribbean and the upcoming Football World Cup in South Africa…
Camper & Nicholsons International welcomes the 138-foot McMullen & Wing fishing yacht Mea Culpa to the fleet. See CharterWave’s newly posted First Impression review and exclusive interview with Capt. Mike Hein… Also new to the fleet is the 140-foot Feadship motoryacht Never Enough, taking 10 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $130,000 in the Caribbean… CharterPortBVI is the management company for the 58-foot sailing catamaran Braveheart, whose owner-operator, Capt. Jerry Blair, will mark his 15th year in the charter business in 2010. Braveheart is offering eight nights for the price of seven for a charter from Antigua to the Virgin Islands beginning January 12. Scuba enthusiasts are welcome… Capt. Euros and award-winning chef Emily Williams, the couple who previously ran the 58-foot sailing catamaran Swish in the Virgin Islands, are now in command of the 76-foot sailing catamaran King’s Ransom in the same cruising grounds… The 46-foot sailing catamaran Viking Dream—which was just voted “Best Multihull up to 50 Feet” at November’s industry-only charter yacht show on Tortola—has experienced a Christmas charter cancellation. The owners are offering discounted rates to fill the dates of December 19-26 in the Virgin Islands…
Churchill Yacht Partners says the 95-foot DeVries Lentsch motoryacht Zazu has a wide-open calendar for charters this winter while based in Florida and the Bahamas… The newly refit, 67-foot Alloy sailing yacht Jewel is new to the fleet, newly refit, and accepting charters for as many as six guests with two crew in the Caribbean at a lowest weekly base rate of $18,000… The 154-foot Perini Navi sailing yacht Andromeda la Dea is offering two weeks during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday at the regular weekly base rate of $125,000 per week. She takes eight guests… The 114-foot Hatteras motoryacht Camille has added a Wii game system, elliptical machine, new hot tub, and more for charter guest use…
C U Yacht Charters hosted the 2nd annual Fort Yachtie-Da International Film Festival on November 14. The event included a yachting lifestyle video contest with a $5,000 grand prize. The goal of the event is to give crew a creative outlet in between charters, when video production is possible. This year’s film festival was also a fund-raiser, with $1,100 collected for Kids in Distress…
Edmiston & Company has added the 194-foot expedition motoryacht Atmosphere to its charter fleet. Based in Southern Chile, the yacht takes 28 guests and offers everything from heli-skiing to dining atop glaciers. See this post from the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog for more information… Still available for Christmas and New Year’s charters in the Caribbean is the 144-foot Feadship motoryacht Kingfisher, whose owner will accept a seven-day booking instead of a two-week minimum… Also with Caribbean availability this winter is the 232-foot Feadship motoryacht Utopia. The lowest weekly base rate is €450,000 for 12 guests…The 178-foot Alloy sailing yacht Tiara has partnered with Dive Butler International to offer high-end scuba diving during charters. See this post from the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog for details…The Golden Fleet, which comprises four yachts from the same owner including a 262-foot Blohm & Voss motoryacht, is “open to offers” for summer 2010 in the Mediterranean. The lowest published weekly base rate for all four yachts in tandem is €700,000…The 252-foot Devonport motoryacht Samar continues to offer a reduced weekly base rate of €475,000 (down from €650,000) for charters during Easter in the Virgin Islands… New to the fleet is the 153-foot Amtec motoryacht Out, taking 12 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €165,000 for summer 2010 in the Mediterranean…The 155-foot Royal Huisman sailing yacht Hyperion is “open to offers” for charters this winter in the Caribbean. The lowest published weekly base rate is €90,000 for six guests…
Fraser Yachts Worldwide welcomes the 120-foot Benetti motoryacht Kai to the charter fleet. Previously known as Allegro, Kai was built in 2008 and refit in 2009. She takes 10 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $110,000 in the Caribbean, and is expected to move to the Mediterranean for the summer 2010 charter season… The 112-foot Nautor’s Swan sailing yacht Highland Breeze is offering 14 nights for the price of 10 in the Caribbean this winter. That’s nearly 30 percent off the regular weekly base rate of €46,000…The company says it is still seeing many charter clients hold out for last-minute deals during the winter season in the Caribbean, and that some owners are agreeing to discounts of 10 percent to 15 percent off published rates…
Hargrave Yachts tells us the 100-foot motoryacht King Baby is available for a charter in South Florida during the Super Bowl in February 2010. The weekly base rate is $45,000 for eight guests and includes dockage at Sunset Harbor Yacht Club in the heart of Miami Beach…
Hoa Yachting says the 70-foot Maiora motoryacht My Chiara will be available for summer 2010 charters out of Venice at a lowest weekly base rate of €29,000 for eight guests…
International Yacht Collection manages the 135-foot Christensen motoryacht Atlantica, whose longtime Capt. Roy Hodges tells us that he just completed his first charter with a crew that is almost entirely new. “The client was a three-time repeat and big fan of our former crew, but by the time the trip was over they told me it was their best trip ever. Our dynamic is a little different now. There is much more involvement in the guest activities from the entire crew. I think we're a little more well-rounded.” …
MYBA, the professional organization that controls this month’s boat show in Sint Maarten, has opened it to yachts for sale in addition to yachts for charter. Our sister website, BrokerageBoss, has full details…
Nautor Swan has seven sailing yachts available for charter in the Caribbean this winter. The yachts range from 51 to 112 feet long, with base rates from £4,940 per week to $60,000 per week for five to eight guests… Neptune Group Yachting says the 170-foot expedition motoryacht Latitude is still available for holiday charters in Panama. She takes 12 guests with 15 crew at a lowest weekly base rate of $99,000—a significant price drop from the $125,000 base rate when our editor did this charter aboard in January 2008… New to the fleet is the 120-foot motoryacht Zenith, custom built in Brazil and offering exotic eco-charters along inland rivers in her home country… Also new to the fleet is the 103-foot Johnson motoryacht Diamond Girl, which has four cabins and will be based this winter in the Caribbean…
Nicholson Yachts tells us the 62-foot sailing catamaran Diamond Girl II still has availability for charters this winter in the Caribbean. She takes two to six guests at lowest weekly base rates ranging from $19,500 to $21,500, which include food… The company congratulates chef Mark Miles of the 72-foot sailing yacht Pacific Wave on winning first place in the chef’s competition at the recent St. Thomas charter yacht show…
Northrop & Johnson welcomes the 198-foot Feadship motoryacht Blue Moon to the fleet. She takes 12 guests at a weekly base rate of $525,000, and is available this winter in the Caribbean. For summer 2010, she is expected to be on the Western coast of Mexico… Also new to the fleet are the 150-foot Trinity motoryacht Vita and, from the same owner, the 136-foot J Class sailing yacht Ranger. They are available this winter in the Caribbean separately or as an ultimate tandem charter experience… Also new to the fleet is the 123-foot Palmer Johnson sailing yacht Axia. She takes eight guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $65,000, and is available in the Caribbean… Also new to the fleet is the 98-foot MCP motoryacht Eagle’s Nest. She takes eight to 10 guests in four cabins at a lowest weekly base rate of $55,000 and is available after January 15 in the Caribbean… The 166-foot Oceanfast motoryacht Mystique is still available for a Christmas charter in the Caribbean at a weekly base rate of $120,000 for 10 guests (down from her previous rate of $140,000)… The 120-foot Broward motoryacht Sovereign is still available for a Christmas charter in the Bahamas. She takes 12 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $70,000… The 115-foot Trinity motoryacht Watercolours is available for a Christmas charter in the Virgin Islands. She takes eight guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $42,000… The 105-foot Diaship-Heesen motoryacht The Lady J has added VSAT communications to allow guests constant WiFi access…
Ocean Independence welcomes five new yachts to the charter fleet. The 147-foot Hakvoort motoryacht My Trust will be available in the Western Mediterranean and Croatia for summer 2010 at a lowest weekly base rate of €175,000 for 10 guests. The 98-foot classic motoryacht Chantella, built in 1966, is completing a refit and will be available for summer 2010 in the South of France at a lowest weekly base rate of €35,000 for eight guests. The 88-foot Tecnomar motoryacht My Andea takes up to nine guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €35,000 and is based year-round in Palermo, Italy. The 75-foot trawler motoryacht My Lord’s Warrior (what a boat name!) takes eight guests and is available year-round in the Western Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of €28,500. The 112-foot Tecnomar motoryacht Mates will be available for summer 2010 in Croatia at a lowest weekly base rate of €70,000 for eight guests…
OceanStyle welcomes the 88-foot San Lorenzo motoryacht Marcelina to the charter fleet. She takes eight or 10 guests in four cabins at a lowest weekly base rate of €42,000. For summer 2010, the yacht will be based in Varazze, Italy…
Paradise Yacht Charters tells us the newly refit, 70-foot Maiora motoryacht Wil Power is still available for holiday charters in the Caribbean. She takes six guests with two crew at a lowest weekly base rate of $23,000. If you book before December 31, you can get a 10-percent discount …
Primo Yacht says the 145-foot Feadship motoryacht Secret Life is still available for a charter during MIPIM, the real estate conference to be held in March in Cannes, France. The base rate for four days is €49,000, and the yacht accommodates 12 guests in five cabins…
Robert J. Cury and Associates welcomes the 80-foot Cheoy Lee motoryacht Aquarius to the charter fleet. She takes six guests in three cabins at a lowest weekly base rate of $33,000. If you book 10 days instead of seven, you can get a discounted rate of $42,000 (about $5,000 in savings). Aquarius is still available for Christmas and New Year’s charters, either in the Sint Maarten area or the Virgin Islands. For summer 2010, Aquarius will be based in New England…
Sunseeker Charters tells us that its Manhattan 70 motoryacht model will be available for summer 2010 not only on the French Riviera, but also in Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, and Italy’s Amalfi Coast. The yacht takes eight guests…
The Moorings is giving away an all-inclusive charter for two people as part of its Treasure Hunt Sweepstakes, which runs through February 7. Full contest details and rules are available here… The Sacks Group Yachting Professionals congratulates the 88-foot Broward motoryacht Essence on participating in the 22nd Annual ShowBoats International Boys & Girls Clubs Rendezvous. The yacht’s owners donated a pair of three-night, four-day charter vacations that raised almost $50,000 toward the event’s overall total of more than $1 million...
Voyage Yacht Share is offering captain-only charters aboard a 52-foot Sunseeker Manhattan based in Miami Beach, Florida. The weekly base rate is $14,800 for six guests, and includes dockage in Miami Beach…
YPI Group welcomes the 121-foot schooner sailing yacht Nautilus to the charter fleet. Built in 2008, she boasts a feature not typically seen aboard newer yachts: a working fireplace in her main saloon. Nautilus takes eight or nine guests in four cabins and is based year-round in Fethiye, Turkey. The lowest weekly base rate is €33,000... YPI Group has opened new offices in Monaco, on the 11th floor of the Panorama building overlooking the main port.
New First Impression Reviews Now Posted on CharterWave Aerie, 124-foot Delta motoryacht Blue Moon, 198-foot Feadship motoryacht Katya, 151-foot Delta motoryacht Mea Culpa, 138-foot McMullen & Wing motoryacht
New Crew Interviews Now Posted on CharterWave Mike Hein, captain, 138-foot motoryacht Mea Culpa Mark Miles, chef, 72-foot sailing yacht Pacific Wave
New Broker Interviews Now Posted on CharterWave Mark Elliott of International Yacht Collection, about the 183-foot Benetti motoryacht Four Aces Agnes Howard of Camper & Nicholsons International, about the 90-foot powercatamaran Queen of Galapagos in the Galapagos Islands Ann Landry of Northrop & Johnson, about the 212-foot Feadship motoryacht Trident Steve McCrea of Ed Hamilton & Co., about the 2009 St. Thomas charter yacht show Kathleen Mullen of Regency Yacht Vacations, about the 2009 Tortola charter yacht show Clancy Weller of Neptune Group Yachting, about the 120-foot motoryacht Zenith in Brazil
Shannon Webster is a longtime AYCA member. She books yachts worldwide from 80 to 400 feet long. Email Shannon
Beverly Parsons has been chartering since 1969. She is a licensed, bonded broker and a founding member of the professional groups AYCA and CYBA International. Contact Beverly.
Sharon Bahmer is an expert at booking charters in the Americas, from Alaska to Brazil. She's also a member of FYBA and CYBA. E-mail Sharon
Nicole Caulfield is licensed, bonded, and a longtime member of FYBA and AYCA. She brings a unique perspective as a broker, having worked aboard yachts for nearly 10 years. Email Nicole
Trina Howes has 10 years of experience in the charter industry finding great pleasure in creating the best yachting vacations possible. E-mail Trina
Nicholson Yachts
Paradise Yacht Charters
Robert J. Cury and Associates