CharterWave eNews

September 2006

Excitement Builds in New Zealand
CharterWave editor Kim Kavin got a call recently from broker Allan Jouning in the Auckland, New Zealand, office of Fraser Yachts Worldwide. It seems he’s involved in the construction of a brand-new expedition megayacht at the well-respected Alloy yard in Waitakere—and the yacht is expected to become available for charter as soon as the beginning of 2007.

This is big news, considering the dearth of luxury megayachts available for charter on a regular basis in the South Pacific.

Based on the information coming out of Alloy, we can tell you that the 111-foot yacht will be called V V S 1, a term used in the grading of diamonds. Her owner is a New Zealander, which bodes well for her sticking around those cruising grounds for at least a few seasons even though she’s built to travel the world safely and in style.

The yacht is going to have stabilizers for added guest comfort, a seriously outfitted fishing tender for excursions, a minimalist interior featuring bamboo and ebony, a full-size gym and cinema room, plenty of scuba equipment, and a Teppanyaki bar on the top deck for outdoor Japanese-style grilling. Accommodations-wise, the design calls for a master cabin plus three double cabins, all with en suite heads (and hopefully excellent for couples looking to split the bill with similar rooms onboard).

Alloy says V V S 1 will be launched this coming March, which is the tail end of the high season in the South Pacific. No word yet on where this exciting new yacht will cruise for the June-October months, or on what her base rate will be, but we’ll let you know more as soon as we find out.

Motoryacht Sacajawea Offers Exclusive $2,000 Delivery Discount to CharterWave Subscribers
The newest addition to the members-only CharterWave Deals & Discounts section is the 130-foot Hatteras motoryacht Sacajawea.

The yacht, part of the fleet at International Yacht Collection, is offering free round-trop delivery from St. Maarten to Antigua or Tortola for charters that begin before March 1, 2006.

Sacajawea takes 10 guests with seven crew at a weekly base rate of $70,000 (about $8,750 per person with 25-percent expenses included).

Making a Splash: Sherakhan Wows Genoa
Camper & Nicholsons International introduced the new super-size megayacht Sherakhan at the recent industry-only Genoa yacht show—and word quickly spread from Europe that this boat lives up to the hype we’ve been hearing for months.

Sherakhan is a whopping 228 feet long, able to carry 26 guests at a time. She just came out of an intensive rebuild under the watch of the couple who previously managed the successful 124-foot charter motoryacht Jaguar. They saw a hole in the charter industry—lots of boats in Jaguar’s size range, but very few that could take the larger parties that more and more clients seemed to have in tow. That’s why the bought, gutted, and completely renovated Sherakhan and launched her into the charter market. The yacht will compete with boats like Christina O and Annaliesse, both of which are featured in our members-only First Impressions reviews.

Sherakhan’s weekly base rate is $457,200, or about $22,000 per person with 25-percent expenses included. Learn more at www.CnConnect.com.

Bareboating in Grenadines, Belize
Are you an experienced bareboater looking for a new Caribbean destination to explore?

If you’ve had your fill of the Virgins and the Bahamas, consider booking a bareboat powerboat or sailboat through TMM Yacht Charters, which has bases not only in popular places like the Virgins, but also in more up-and-coming areas including Belize and the Grenadines. A lot of charter brokers consider the Grenadines to be “the next Virgins”—with pristine waters and islands close enough together to navigate by sight—while Belize is more of a cruising challenge for experienced bareboaters who want to branch out.

Our CharterWave expert had a good experience with TMM Yacht Charters in the Virgins (check out our full review in an upcoming issue), so we can enthusiastically suggest you work with the company in other destinations, too.

Learn more at www.SailTMM.com.

Crewed Yacht of the Month: Joanne in the Exumas
If you’ve read CharterWave editor Kim Kavin’s new book, Have the Whole Boat, then you know she has a soft spot in her heart for the 120-foot crewed motoryacht Joanne. It’s a heck of a yacht—built for the King of Spain, who wanted to go rip-roaring fast and installed water-jet engines to outrun the coastal patrol boats over in the Mediterranean.

Today, those engines enhance charter vacations by helping guests spend less time cruising from Point A to Point B and more time actually enjoying Point A and Point B. Plus, because water-jet propulsion doesn’t take up as much room as traditional propeller systems, Joanne’s draft—her length below the waterline—is much shallower than other motoryachts her size.

For you, the charter guest, that translates into access to shallow nooks and crannies all over the gorgeous Exumas section of the Bahamas, where many other motoryachts Joanne’s size can’t get in. Talk about a private paradise!

You can read our full review if you’re a member of the CharterWave community. The yacht takes eight guests at a weekly base rate of $44,900 for eight guests, or about $7,000 per person with 25-percent expenses included.

New Members-Only Crewed Yacht Reviews Added to the CharterWave Database This Month
Motoryacht Askari in New Zealand
Motoryacht D’Natalin II in the Virgin Islands
Motoryacht Joanne in Exumas, Bahamas

New Members-Only Bareboat Reviews Added to the CharterWave Database This Month
Osprey on the New York State Canal System

New Members-Only First Impressions Added to the CharterWave Database This Month
Motoryacht Annaliesse
Motoryacht Touch