DJ Parker has been a leader in the charter industry since 1980. She is currently president of the American Yacht Charter Association. E-mail DJ
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
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.
Trina Howes has 10 years of experience in the charter industry finding great pleasure in creating the best yachting vacations possible. E-mail Trina
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
Luxury Charter Yachts Prepare for 2011 Miami Yacht and Brokerage Show
The 23rd annual Yacht and Brokerage Show will be held in Miami from February 17-21, and a good number of charter yachts are scheduled to be on display.
Some of the charter yachts that are scheduled to appear in Miami include the 112-foot Crescent motoryacht Shear Fantasea, the 122-foot Heesen motoryacht Perle Noire; the 124-foot Broward motoryacht Aquasition, the 112-foot Westport motoryacht True North, the 115-foot Hargrave motoryacht Missy B II, the 125-foot Palmer Johnson motoryacht Milk and Honey, the 128-foot Feadship motoryacht Go, the 141-foot CRN motoryacht Emerald Star, the 142-foot Feadship motoryacht Kingfisher, the 150-foot Trinity motoryacht Vita, the 123-foot Palmer Johnson motoryacht Muse, and the 161-foot Trinity motoryacht Zoom, Zoom, Zoom.
Unlike many charter yacht shows, which are open only to industry professionals, the Miami Yacht and Brokerage Show is open to the public. It is a good chance to get onboard charter yachts one after the next, to compare the layouts and amenities side-by-side.
Any reputable charter broker can help you schedule appointments to tour these yachts in Miami later this month.
FYBA Names Debra Blackburn Boggio 2010 Charter Broker of the Year
Blackburn Boggio is the second recipient of the award, which was created in 2009. The first winner was Ann Landry of Northrop and Johnson.
“I had no idea I was going to win,” says Blackburn Boggio, who began working in the charter industry with Broward Marine in the late 1980s. She has been a retail charter broker with Fraser Yachts Worldwide for the past 14 years and says, “I don’t intend to slow down any time soon. As long as I can physically get on the yachts to inspect them, I plan to keep doing this job that I love.”
CYBA International Names Board of Directors for 2011
The professional association CYBA International has just announced its new slate of officers for the calendar year 2011.
Filling out the 2011 Board of Directors are charter brokers Ed Hamilton, Ellen Stewart, Sharon Bahmer, Gail King, Trina Howes, Wayne Adeo, Louise Dailey, Deb Shilaos, Verna Ruan, Mike Johnson, and Michael Sawyer.
Founder Ed Hamilton Steps Down as President of Ed Hamilton and Company
Founder Ed Hamilton announced in early February that, after 30 years at the helm, he is stepping down as president of Ed Hamilton and Company.
“I’m delighted to announce that Steve McCrea, who has been our general manager since December 2007, has taken over the duties of president,” Hamilton wrote in the company’s February newsletter. “Being roughly the same age that Barbara and I were when we started the company, he has the same energy, enthusiasm, vision and willingness to put in the hours that a company like this needs, to continue to expand and achieve new heights. While I’ll still be very much involved here, this change means I can eventually do some of the other things I have had to put aside for many years, because of the demands of running a company.”
Hamilton says that he will still be present in the company’s office, and that his wife will remain the company’s controller.
We at CharterWave are big fans of Ed Hamilton and his entire team (and we appreciate their longtime advertising support). Good luck to you, Ed, in whatever you decide to pursue next!
Edmiston and Company, YCO Publish 2011 Charter Books in Digital Formats
Edmiston and Company, as well as YCO, have just released the 2011 editions of their promotional yacht charter books. Both editions are available online as well as in print.
Edmiston’s 220-pager, called “The Red Book,” is accessible in digital flip-book format here.
YCO’s 200-plus edition, called “The Yachts,” is accessible in digital flip-book format here.
The social media presence is in addition to the company’s blog, which has been published since November 2010. Readers can subscribe to the blog directly, read it online, or look for the newest headlines on the V.I. Sailing Facebook wall.
2010 Antigua Charter Yacht Show Photographs Now Posted Online
Organizers of the 2010 Antigua Charter Yacht Show, which took place in December, just published photographs of the event at the official show website.
2010 Monaco Yacht Show Virtual Tour is Now Online
Organizers of the September 2010 Monaco Yacht Show have just uploaded a virtual tour that gives viewers a feeling for what participants saw on the docks, day and night.
Hatteras Motoraycht Analisa Releases BVI Yacht Charter Video
The 60-foot Hatteras motoryacht Analisa—which is offering a discount of $1,000 for any charters completed before the end of February—just published this new promotional video for yacht charter vacations in the British Virgin Islands:
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Best of the CharterWave Daily Editor’s Blog
Big Feadship Discount Speaks to State of Megayacht Charter Market. I recently wrote about newly announced discounts of as much as 25 percent for charters aboard three motoryachts in the Ocean Independence fleet—one of them a 164-foot Benetti. Now, I can tell you about a discount of more than 30 percent aboard one of the largest Feadship motoryachts available for charter worldwide, a discount that I find significant not only because of its scope, but also because of the yacht that it involves … Read more …
Best of the CharterWave Sponsored Blogs
From the Boatbookings sponsored blog on CharterWave: Announcing StunningYachts.com! We are proud to announce a sister site to Boatbookings.com dedicated solely to luxury yacht charter - StunningYachts.com. Find destination guides, itineraries and of course "stunning" yachts for your next holiday, vacation or event charter … Read more …
Motoryacht of the Month: CaryAli
CaryAli was built in 2007 as the first-ever Nordhavn 86. While another eight or nine have been constructed since that time, CaryAli became the only one available for charter when she entered the market just before the winter 2010-11 Caribbean season.
“We still have our original owner, and he kept us quite busy during our first few years,” Capt. Adam Steel says. “We did the entire West Coast of America up to Alaska, then Mexico, Costa Rica, the Sea of Cortez, then the Panama Canal and San Blas Islands, then the Northern Caribbean, British Virgin Islands, and Bahamas, then the Western Mediterranean, Croatia, Montenegro, Spain, France, and both coasts of Italy, including Venice.
“We really enjoyed that,” Steel added, “but now we are looking forward to spending the winter in the Caribbean and the summer in New England, where we can share the boat with charter guests for the first time.”
Learn more about CaryAli—which just reduced her weekly base rate to $39,500 for winter Caribbean charters and summer New England charters—in our newly published First Impression review.
Sailing Yacht of the Month: Scheherazade
The 154-foot Hodgdon sailing yacht Scheherazade took a break from the charter market from 2008 until 2010, and has now returned looking as gorgeous as ever. She is the largest cold-molded sailing yacht in the world, a distinction that absolutely fascinates anyone interested in construction methods. The wooden-hulled beauty is also the largest design by Bruce King, a naval architect whose boats have an almost mythical quality among sailing enthusiasts.
Learn more about Scheherazade and her upcoming charter availability in our newly published First Impression review.
Captain of the Month: Stephen Martin
Once upon a time, a yacht owner asked Capt. Stephen Martin to help him solve a problem. The owner really loved to be onboard yachts, but his wife kept getting seasick.
Martin worked with the owner for an extended period to find a style of boat that would help the wife feel at ease, eventually settling on the SWATH design after she felt comfortable enough onboard to knit.
The owner immediately commissioned the 134-foot SWATH Silver Cloud, which is now entering the charter market after some extensive world cruising by the owner. Learn more about this unique charter yacht, and how she came to be, in our exclusive interview with Capt. Stephen Martin.
Chef of the Month: Grant McLellan
Grant McLellan is happy to share his recipes with charter guests aboard the 200-foot Lūrssen motoryacht Solemates, but since he never writes anything down, he's even happier to show them how to cook right there in the galley.
Our editor was welcomed onboard for a formal, six-course dinner whose plate of tea-smoked Wagyu beef left her highly impressed. The next day, McLellan welcomed her back aboard to show her how to make it—and now, we can share the recipe with you on CharterWave.
For that original recipe, plus more on McLellan’s background as a chef, check out our newly posted interview.
Broker of the Month: Hume Jones
Hume Jones spent 14 years as a charter broker with Camper and Nicholsons International before joining the London offices of YCO in December 2010. He brings a broad knowledge of the charter market to his new job, instead of specializing in a smaller segment of availability.
“I have no specialty whatsoever,” he says. “I know boats 80 feet and up, motor or sail, and I love them all. I’m happy to book an 80-foot sailboat or a 500-foot motoryacht.”
37 South says a good selection of charter yachts is available in the South Pacific. They include the 173-foot expedition motoryacht SuRi in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and the South Pacific Islands from April through October; the 134-foot powercat Seafaris out of Cairns, Australia; the 103-foot sailing yacht Pacific Eagle in New Zealand’s Marlborough Sound or the greater South Pacific islands; the 112-foot Alloy motoryacht VvS1 in Fiji from June through August, and then returning to her home waters in New Zealand; the 118-foot motoryacht Eendracht out of Cairns, Australia; and the 75-foot trawler-style motoryacht Escapade in New Zealand and Tahiti…
Atalanta Golden Yachts tells us that several of the yachts in its fleet still have open calendars for charters this summer in Greece. They include the 138-foot Intermarine motoryacht O’Pari, the 132-foot Golden Yachts motoryacht O’Pati, the 130-foot Hakvoort motoryacht Happy Dolphin II, the 125-foot Cantieri di Pisa motoryacht Kintaro, the 103-foot Azimut motoryacht Duke, the 100-foot Azimut motoryacht Noni, the 90-foot Maiora motoryacht Sefira, the 75-foot Azimut motoryacht Iris, the 68-foot Ferretti motoryacht Alexandros, the 68-foot Ferretti motoryacht Meli, and the 137-foot Perini Navi sailing yacht Christianne B… The motoryachts O’Rama, O’Neiro, and O’Ceanos will be available this summer in the South of France with no relocation fees from their regular cruising grounds in Greece…
Athens Yachts welcomes the 105-foot Italcraft motoryacht Celeste to the charter fleet in Greece. She takes eight or nine guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €42,000… Also new to the fleet is the 90-foot Falcon motoryacht Pouaro, taking eight guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €35,000…
BCR Yachts welcomes four sailing yachts to the charter fleet in the Western Mediterranean and Croatia. The 82-foot Swan Nikata will take eight guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €35,000, the 79-foot Conrad Intuition will take eight to 12 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €24,000, the 64-foot Baltic Pixelion will take seven guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €14,400, and the 56-foot Swan Sigrid will take six guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €9,900…
Bradford Marine Yacht Charter says the 100-foot Broward motoryacht Christine has had a cancellation. She is once again available for charters in the Bahamas through February 23. The lowest weekly base rates are $25,000 for six guests with three crew, and $27,000 for eight guests with four crew… The 70-foot Johnson motoryacht Charmer is available for half-day, full-day, and dinner charters in Florida and the Bahamas, with rates starting at $2,250…
Burgess Yachts says the 140-foot Baglietto motoryacht Le Yana will be available for tours during the Abu Dhabi Boat Show, which is scheduled to take place March 24-26. Le Yana is also available for charter this winter in the Indian Ocean at a lowest weekly base rate of €126,000 for 10 guests… The 105-foot sailing catamaran Necker Belle is offering seven nights for the price of six this winter in the Caribbean. To get the discount, you have to book before February 28, and you have to charter before June 30… New to the charter fleet are the 188-foot Abeking & Rasmussen motoryacht Excellence III, taking 12 guests with 13 crew in the Caribbean and Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of $450,000, and the 123-foot Fitzroy sailing yacht Ludynosa.G, taking 10 guests with six crew in the Eastern Mediterranean and Croatia at a lowest weekly base rate of €70,000…
Churchill Yacht Partners tells us the 130-foot Westport motoryacht Miss Michelle will be available for charters in the Caribbean until May. Then, the yacht will move to the Bahamas during the month of June, and finally to New England for the rest of the summer 2011 charter season… The 121-foot Crescent motoryacht Olga remains available for year-round charters in the Caribbean at a reduced weekly base rate of $65,000 for eight guests (previously she was $70,000)…The 98-foot Hargrave motoryacht Tiger’s Eye is available for day and weekend charters in Florida, as well as for week-long charters at a lowest weekly base rate of $38,000 for nine guests…The 154-foot Perini Navi sailing yacht Andromeda la Dea has just completed a $2-million refit and will be available this spring and summer in the Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of $125,000 for eight guests…The 116-foot Holland Jachtbouw sailing yacht Whisper is available for a spectator charter during next month’s St. Barth’s Bucket… The 110-foot Broward motoryacht Kaleen has reduced her weekly base rate to $35,000 for eight guests during the remainder of the winter charter season…
Edmiston and Company says the 180-foot Feadship motoryacht Illusion still has an open calendar this winter in the Caribbean and is available at a lowest weekly base rate of $250,000 for 12 guests… The 174-foot Perini Navi sailing yacht Atmosphere will return to the Mediterranean beginning in May, after a year of being available for charter in the Caribbean and United States. Her weekly base rate is €195,000 for 12 guests… The 112-foot Tecnomar motoryacht Mates is offering a 15-percent discount on charters this summer in Croatia, including the entire Dalmatian Coast and the cruising area between Venice, Italy, and the nation of Montenegro. You have to book before February 28, and the discount lowers the regular weekly base rate of €60,000 down to €51,000… The 144-foot Baglietto motoryacht Apache is available for MIPIM, the Cannes Film Festival, and the Monaco Grand Prix. She has the capacity to host 100-person parties at the dock… The 193-foot Austal motoryacht Idol has just completed a €1.5-million refit that includes a contemporary interior décor. She will be available in the Western Mediterranean this summer…
Fraser Yachts Worldwide welcomes three motoryachts to its charter fleet in the Western Mediterranean. The 137-foot Baglietto Oxygen will take 11 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €129,000, the 116-foot Tecnomar motoryacht Ginevra will take eight guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €75,000, and the 87-foot Cantieri di Pisa motoryacht Elena B will take nine guests at a weekly base rate of €40,000…
Luxury Charter Group says the 121-foot Dubois sailing yacht Bliss will become available for charters in French Polynesia from April through October. She takes six guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $89,000…The 82-foot Warwick sailing yacht Aiyana still has February availability for Caribbean charters, and then will become available again this summer in the Mediterranean for six guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €27,000…
Nicholson Yachts tells us that the 62-foot sailing yacht Makayabella has just received annual upgrades including a new spray hood, center cockpit sunshade, stern cockpit bimini, and center cockpit cushions. All were custom made for the yacht, which is a custom design herself… The 86-foot Nordhavn motoryacht CaryAli has reduced her weekly base rate from $49,000 to $39,500 for charters in the Caribbean during February and March… The 85-foot sailing yacht Taboo is available for short-notice charters in the British Virgin Islands…
Northrop and Johnson welcomes Russian native Katya Jaimes as a retail charter broker in the Fort Lauderdale office… The 198-foot Feadship motoryacht Blue Moon is offering substantial rate reductions for the rest of this winter in the Caribbean, as well as for this summer in New England. The yacht’s previous weekly base rate was $475,000 for 12 guests. The new rates are $395,000 in the Caribbean and $325,000 in New England… The 115-foot Crescent motoryacht Kapalua is offering eight nights for the price of seven, at a weekly base rate that has been reduced from $44,000 to $39,000 for eight or nine guests in the Caribbean, including Grenada… Charter guests can book the 122-foot Flagship motoryacht Shogun in Alaska at a 50-percent discount if they also book a week-long charter at full price aboard the 154-foot Admiral Marine motoryacht Ohana in the Bahamas, Florida, or New England. To receive the Shogun discount, both bookings must be signed before April 1, and the Shogun charter must be completed before September 31…
Ocean Independence welcomes the 106-foot CCYD sailing yacht Adesso to the charter fleet. She will take eight guests in the Western Mediterranean this summer at a lowest weekly base rate of €35,000… Also new to the charter fleet are the 137-foot Marinteknik Verkstads motoryacht AMZ, taking 11 guests this summer in the Eastern Mediterranean and Croatia at a lowest weekly base rate of €73,500; the 112-foot Feadship motoryacht Eleanor Allen, which will take eight guests this summer in the Western Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of €45,000; and the 84-foot sailing yacht Roma, which will take eight guests this summer in the Western Mediterranean at a lowest weekly base rate of €25,000… Capt. Fabio Mistri has left the 145-foot Benetti motoryacht More after eight years of service. The new captain is Luca Mosca, formerly of the 165-foot Mondomarine motoryacht My Tribu. More will be based in Monaco this summer and is available for charter beginning in March… The 154-foot motoryacht Arethusa is completing a refit and will be available for Mediterranean charters beginning in May…The 116-foot Horizon motoryacht Wheels, which is typically available for 10 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €69,000 and a high-season weekly base rate of €79,000, is now asking €53,000 and €63,000, respectively, for summer charters booked before February 28… The 164-foot Benetti motoryacht Cuor Di Leone, whose regular weekly base rates are €185,000 during peak weeks and €161,000 during low weeks, is now offering 15 percent on a seven-day charter, 20 percent on a 10-day charter, or 25 percent on a fourteen-day charter if you book for this summer before March 31… The 120-foot Broward motoryacht Sovereign, which is usually offered at a weekly base rate of $70,000 for 12 guests, is now available at $55,000 for any charters that take place during the month of February in the Caribbean…
Oceanstyle welcomes the 108-foot Mangusta motoryacht Ares to the charter fleet. She will take eight guests this summer in Sardinia at a lowest weekly base rate of €85,000…
Perini Navi has just launched a new website that includes a charter section featuring the yachts the company has built, with a direct contact form for client inquiries…
Primo Yacht says the 138-foot Saba sailing yacht Perla del Mare has dropped her high- and low-season base rates for charters this summer in Turkey. The 12-guest yacht has a high-season weekly base rate of €65,000. With the discount, the new high-season rate is €56,250, a savings of nearly 15 percent…
Regency Vacations welcomes the 76-foot Lazzara motoryacht King Kalm to the charter fleet in the British Virgin Islands. She will take as many as eight guests with two crew, though Regency describes the yacht as “ideally suited for groups of six guests” because two of the berths are child-size bunks. The weekly base rates for two to eight guests range from $27,335 to $30,636… Also new to the fleet is the 70-foot Hylas sailing yacht Magnetic Sky, taking two to six guests in the Caribbean this winter and in New England this summer at weekly base rates ranging from $15,000 to $18,000… The 50-foot sailing yacht Phaedrus has just become available for a charter in the British Virgin Islands from March 13-21. She also is available in the BVI this July… The 54-foot Jenneau sailing yacht Sayang, until further notice, will only accept charters whose itineraries are round-trip from Tortola… The 44-foot sailing catamaran Silver Moon is offering seven nights for the price of six for charters during the month of February in the BVI… The 44-foot sailing catamaran Blue Bayou will be sailing to the Grenadines in May, and is seeking charters both at the final destination as well as en route… The 44-foot sailing catamaran Double Exposure is offering Intracoastal Waterway charters out of Miami, with final destinations including Jacksonville, Florida, or cities in North Carolina…
Sunreef Yachts Charter welcomes the 70-foot powercatamaran Abuelo to the charter fleet. The red-hulled yacht will take up to nine guests with two crew beginning this spring in the Mediterranean…
Voyage Charters welcomes the newly designed Voyage 520 sailing catamaran to its fleet of charter yachts in the British Virgin Islands. The 520 is being marketed as an enhanced big sister to the Voyage 500, with improved sailing performance, increased area in the guest spaces, and additional creature comforts…
YPI Group congratulates the 200-foot ISA motoryacht Mary-Jean II and the 142-foot Claasen Jachtbouw motoryacht Lionheart on being named finalists for the 2011 World Super Yacht Awards.
New First Impression Reviews Posted on CharterWave
DJ Parker has been a leader in the charter industry since 1980. She is currently president of the American Yacht Charter Association. E-mail DJ
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
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.
Trina Howes has 10 years of experience in the charter industry finding great pleasure in creating the best yachting vacations possible. E-mail Trina
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
Shannon Webster is a longtime AYCA member. She books yachts worldwide from 80 to 400 feet long. Email Shannon
Luxury Charter Yachts Prepare for 2011 Miami Yacht and Brokerage Show
FYBA Names Debra Blackburn Boggio 2010 Charter Broker of the Year
Founder Ed Hamilton Steps Down as President of Ed Hamilton and Company
V.I. Sailing Launches Facebook Page
Best of the CharterWave Sponsored Blogs
Motoryacht of the Month: CaryAli
Sailing Yacht of the Month: Scheherazade
Chef of the Month: Grant McLellan
Regency Vacations