CharterWave eNews

April 2007

CharterWave’s Popularity Continues to Climb
We're riding high this month as CharterWave enters its sixth month online—with our readership more than doubled and our popularity climbing.
We received a terrific review in this month’s PowerCruising magazine, which, among other things, calls our editorial content “refreshingly honest” and says we offer answers “to most any question you’re likely to have.”
We saw a nice bump in traffic after the review appeared, and those new readers have stuck with us, bringing us to just shy of 2,000 unique viewers each month. Some of those viewers are also coming from Google News Alerts, which is now regularly distributing newsworthy posts from our blogs to thousands of people worldwide.
Our readers are also becoming more interactive. We’re seeing more responses and conversations on our blogs, and we’re getting great questions about reputable brokers, charter contracts, and more through our Ask Our Experts feature, as well as by telephone.
All of this tells us that the format upgrade we did in February was a success, and you can bet every dollar in the bank that we’re going to keep moving in that right direction!


Welcome New Sponsors
Our growing, targeted audience is catching the attention of advertisers, too, as two leading companies came online with CharterWave this month.
Fraser Yachts Worldwide is the first company to feature a crewed yacht in our sponsored pages. The 130-foot motoryacht Charisma may be in the Caribbean, but you can get a firsthand look at what’s happening onboard from anywhere in the world thanks to the crew’s blog that is part of Charisma’s sponsored page. Click here to check it out. You can even respond with questions for the yacht’s captain, who plans to start blogging this month.
Camper & Nicholsons International broker Agnes Howard also decided to add a blog to her ad page as our first broker sponsor. From her desk in Fort Lauderdale—the yachting capital of America—Agnes plans to blog with suggestions and tips to help you make the most of your crewed charter vacation. Click here to see her page.
If you’re interested in learning more about CharterWave’s advertising formats, you can check out our Spring 2007 Media Kit by clicking here.

We’re Scouting and Signing in Fort Lauderdale
CharterWave editor Kim Kavin is heading to Florida this month to scout the latest news and best yachts on the docks.
Kim’s trip to Fort Lauderdale will include a book signing event at 6 p.m. April 12 at Bluewater Books on Cordova Road. The event will include Kim’s presentation about the most commonly asked charter questions, as well as a demonstration and free hors d’oeuvres by megayacht chef Liz Anne Sterling-Perkins, courtesy of charter agency Northrop & Johnson.
If you can’t make it to the event for a signed copy of Have the Whole Boat, that’s okay. You can get your own copy today by clicking here.

Update: Yacht vs. Cruise Ship Safety
Last month, we posted a special report on the important differences between cruise ship and yacht charter safety. Our report noted a surprising, and perhaps increasing, number of personal safety dangers onboard cruise ships—dangers that have now gotten the attention of the U.S. Congress.
On March 27, CharterWave editor Kim Kavin was an invited guest at a Washington D.C. hearing that included testimony from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cruise Ship Blues author Ross Klein, maritime attorneys, and members of the group International Cruise Victims. Kim posted an item about the hearing that same day on her blog, explaining that some of the witness testimony was downright horrifying.
Assaults, rapes, people injured and lost at sea—all seem to be a growing problem as cruise ships grow bigger and bigger with minimal security and no independent oversight of crimes committed against passengers, according to witness testimony. Congress now seems poised to put some laws into place to protect the estimated 10 million Americans who board cruise ships each year, but we won’t know for at least six more months exactly what, if any, kinds of laws those will be.
As always, we’re following this issue here at CharterWave to point out the stark contrast between the cruise ship and yacht charter industries. Charter is, plain and simple, a much safer vacation option for you and your family.
We hope that at least a few of those cruise ship passengers will use the resources we provide to make the switch to private yacht charter.

Check Out CharterFest
Are you interested in a bareboat or skippered charter in the Pacific Northwest this summer? If yes, mark your calendar for CharterFest in Bellingham, Washington, on April 14 and 15.
Now in its third year, CharterFest is a unique boat show that features only yachts that are available for charter, as opposed to yachts that are for sale. Most of the boats are bareboats, though some of the participating companies also offer skippers or guides (we don’t see any boats with full crews on the list of attendees).
We love the idea of CharterFest, which is perhaps the only boat show in the world that gathers charter yachts together for the public to climb onboard and look around. As we always say: The more information you have, the smarter a charter customer you can be. And there’s nothing better than getting onboard a bareboat to nose through the cabins and make sure everything is in order before booking your vacation onboard.
If you decide to attend Charterfest, bring your checkbook: Most of the participating companies offer booking discounts if you place your deposit at the show. Learn more by clicking here.

Best of the Crewed Yacht Blog
Who Can You Trust?
The Los Angeles Times ran an interesting article late last week titled “Blogging for Dollars Raises Questions of Online Ethics.”
The report caught my attention because one of the featured bloggers was being paid to write about “great yacht charter vacations.” Of course, there was a link in her blog to a single yacht charter agency. No doubt that particular agency paid a fee to have this person’s blog feature the link… Read more...

Best of the Bareboat Blog
Step-by-Step Decisions
So you’re planning your first charter, and you’re not quite sure where to begin. If you’ve never chartered before, you may feel a little intimidated by the decisions facing you, especially when you’re not sure what decisions need to be made!
It feels less overwhelming when you break it down step by step… Read more...

Crewed Yacht of the Month: Fredrikstad
CharterWave editor Kim Kavin discovered this charming 60-foot motoryacht in Antigua, complete with a gorgeous gentleman’s interior and witty British captain. The yacht is heading north this summer to Eastern Canada—a destination where it can be hard to find proper crewed yacht charters. Read our First Impression.

Bareboat of the Month: Luna Pacifica
CharterWave bareboats expert Heather Freckmann put this Beneteau 403 through its paces during a gale-force windstorm off La Paz, Mexico. The help she got from her charter company, and the comfort she experienced despite the weather, speak volumes about this bareboat’s operation. Read our full review.

Captain of the Month: Eric Stahl
As a newcomer to charter, Capt. Eric Stahl impresses us quite a bit. His 47-foot sailing catamaran Tachyon is already winning repeat business in the Virgin Islands, where he and his wife are filling requests from more clients in their first season than some owner-operated yachts get in their entire careers. Read our exclusive interview with Eric.

Chef of the Month: Betsy McDonald
A lot of top-dollar motoryachts have chefs who prepare delicious gourmet food, but few of them can also match the friendly, outgoing personality that makes Betsy McDonald one of our favorites. If you haven’t tried her pina colada pancakes, well, then you just haven’t lived! Read our exclusive interview with Betsy.

Broker of the Month: Ed Hamilton
A lot of charter brokers can help you organize a crewed yacht vacation, but precious few have the expertise to help you plan a bareboat charter, as well. Ed Hamilton is one of the most versatile brokers we know, at the ready whether you want to skipper your own yacht or book one with a full crew. Read our exclusive interview with Ed.

Fleet and Management Company News
International Yacht Collection: The 106-foot motoryacht MaryAnn joins the fleet at a weekly base rate of $38,500 for eight guests, or about $6,000 per person with typical 25-percent expenses included. She’ll be cruising with four crew this summer in Florida and the Bahamas. … The 125-foot motoryacht Milk and Honey is looking for a group of 10 guests to enjoy the Easter holiday onboard in Sint Maarten. The yacht’s base rate is $100,000 a week, or about $12,500 per person with typical 25-percent expenses included…
Merrill-Stevens Yachts: The 98-foot motoryacht Obrigado joins the fleet in the Mediterranean this summer. She takes ten guests with three or four crew at a weekly base rate of 50,000 euros, or about $8,300 per person with typical 25-percent expenses at the current exchange rate. … The 115-foot motoryacht Ragazza is moving into the Caribbean and has several available weeks for charters through May. The yacht takes eight guests with four crew at a weekly base rate of $36,000, or about $5,600 per person with typical 25-percent expenses included…
Offshore Sailing School: There’s a $500 per person discount available this month for the Fast Track to Cruising Program, which is designed to teach bareboating basics. If you’d prefer the Learn to Sail program, you can get $100 off per person this month plus a free fourth night onboard…
Southwest Florida Yachts: Company owners Vic and Barb Hansen are heading to Alaska this summer onboard a 65-foot trawler yacht, and they’re offering space for four charter guests on each leg of their cruise. The first leg starts July 9 in Sitka, and the second leg begins July 17 in Petersburg…
The Moorings: A new 4300 electric sailing catamaran is available for charters in the Virgin Islands. The yacht’s custom generator and propulsion unit are reportedly more environmentally friendly than other yachts’ equipment.


New First Impressions Posted on CharterWave This Month:
Arietta, 112-foot motoryacht
Belline II, 48-foot sailing catamaran
Chantal Ma Vie, 152-foot motoryacht
Force Blue, 207-foot motoryacht
Kaleen, 130-foot motoryacht
Sayang, 54-foot sailing yacht

New Bareboat Reviews Posted on CharterWave This Month:
Luna Pacifica, 40-foot sailboat


New Crew Interviews Posted on CharterWave This Month:
Eric Stahl, s/y Tachyon

New Broker Interviews Posted on CharterWave This Month:
Louise Dailey

New Helpful Articles Posted on CharterWave This Month:
Chartering with Special Needs, such as Handicapped Accessibility
Crewed Yacht Design Details and Your Comfort Onboard