CharterWave eNews

August 2007

Welcome New Advertiser: Regency Yacht Vacations
Regency Yacht Vacations, led by longtime charter broker Kathleen Mullen, signed on this month as CharterWave’s newest supporter.
Kathleen and her staff have already started blogging on Regency’s sponsored page from her office in the Virgin Islands, where she has been booking bareboat and crewed charters since the early 1980s. Regency recently expanded with a new division dedicated to handling superyachts, too, so no matter how much you want to spend on your charter vacation or what kind of private yacht you want to book, Kathleen is ready to take your call and help find the right yacht for you.
You can also look to Kathleen’s blog for on-the-scene information about what’s happening in the Virgin Islands, where her office is based. The Virgins are the world’s most popular location for first-time charterers, so having an insider’s perspective is definitely a good thing.
Click here to go to the new Regency Yacht Vacations sponsored page and help us welcome Kathleen and her team to CharterWave!

MYBA Buys Sint Maarten Charter Yacht Show
The Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association announced in July that it has purchased the annual, industry-only charter yacht show held in December on the Caribbean Island of Sint Maarten.
The move will not affect anyone booking charter yacht vacations, but will ensure that reputable charter brokers have yet another high-quality venue for inspecting yachts, interviewing crew, and gathering information to help them organize the best possible charter yacht vacations.

Coming Next Month: Dream Cruises
CharterWave editor Kim Kavin has some big book news this month. Her insider’s guide to yacht charter, originally titled Have the Whole Boat, is going to be released as a fully updated second edition in September with a new title, Dream Cruises.
“The second edition is part of a push by publisher iUniverse, which recently named the book one of its Star Titles,” Kavin explains. “These are the most popular books in the publisher’s list, ones that have earned the benefit of additional marketing support. The publishers think one of the tools that can help encourage sales of my charter book is the new title Dream Cruises, since so many people search online bookstores for the word ‘cruise.’”
The mid-September release of Dream Cruises will include a two-month marketing campaign in U.S. newspapers and on U.S. radio stations. Keep an eye on Kim’s CharterWave blog for details on where you can call into radio shows to ask her questions about all things charter related, and of course for a sneak peek at the book’s new cover as soon as it becomes available.

Cruise Ship Safety—Interesting Admission
We here at CharterWave take a continued interest in what’s happening with the cruise ship industry, for the simple reason that we think yacht charters are a much safer, better cruising vacation option.
This month, the folks at Carnival Cruise Corp.—the biggest cruise company in the world—made an interesting admission. Following some Internet reports about yet another cruise ship passenger who was allegedly lost at sea, Carnival issued a statement saying that it will provide public statements about people going overboard, medical emergencies, and the like only at the request of media outlets.
In other words, the cruise company’s policy is to keep problems with passenger safety a secret until the media comes sniffing around.
As usual, we are left questioning whether these cruise ships really do have the exemplary safety records they claim. And as always, for personalized comfort and safety, we encourage private yacht charters instead of cruise ship bookings.

Exclusive CharterWave Feature: The Importance of Preference Sheets
When it comes to personalized cruising vacations, it’s tough to beat yacht charter. And the key to ensuring that your yacht’s crew provides everything you desire is taking the time to fill out a preference sheet before you even step onboard.
If you’ve never chartered before, then the term “preference sheet” may be new to you. Our exclusive feature, posted this month in the CharterWave Helpful Articles section, will help you understand what a preference sheet is, how to fill it out, and why doing so can be the key to making or breaking your next crewed yacht charter vacation.

Best of the Crewed Yacht Blog
A Wonderful Compliment: I received an e-mail yesterday afternoon from a woman named Lynn Jachney. You probably haven’t heard of her, since she retired from the charter business several years ago, but you should know her name. She’s one of the “Fearsome Foursome,” a quartet of ladies credited with having started the entire charter broker industry in the Caribbean back in the 1960s and ’70s. … Read more …

Best of the Bareboat Blog
And Here We Have the Top Ten: I was doing a little Internet research today, and I came across a “Top 10 Bareboat Cruising Destinations” list from the British magazine Motor Boat and Yachting. I thought I would share them with you here… Read more …

Crewed Yacht of the Month: m/y Enticer
This beautifully restored, classic 85-foot motoryacht is preparing to leave New England for a fall season of chartering along the U.S. East Coast, in destinations like the Chesapeake Bay and South Carolina’s golfer-friendly coast.
We got onboard for a firsthand look around with Capt. Bill Seiden at the Newport Charter Yacht Show in Rhode Island. Click here to check out our exclusive First Impression with photos.

Bareboat of the Month:Alouette
CharterWave bareboat expert Heather Freckmann discovered the 41-foot sailing yacht Alouette in Tonga, where she spent a week onboard as a guest of management company Sunsail. Read our full review by clicking here, or click here to go straight to The High Five.

Captain of the Month: Capt. Paul Roberts
If you’re looking for a laid-back, witty captain to show you around the Western Mediterranean, then you should consider a charter onboard the 97-foot motoryacht Georgia Rose with Capt. Paul Roberts.
He had CharterWave editor Kim Kavin laughing out loud during an exclusive interview at the Genoa charter yacht show in Italy. You can read the interview by clicking here.

Chef of the Month: Yannis “John” Kouteranis
Many charter yacht chefs in Greece know how to make a great local food, but Yannis Kouteranis brings fantastic international cuisine into the mix for guests onboard the 112-foot motoryacht Pandora.
We arranged an exclusive CharterWave interview with Koutteranis the day after he prepared a 15-course tasting luncheon that left international charter brokers raving with praise at the 2007 industry-only charter yacht show in Greece. Check out our interview by clicking here.

Broker of the Month: Beverly Parsons
Late summer and early fall are the best times to charter in Turkey, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a broker anywhere in the world who knows the country as well as California-based Beverly Parsons.
Learn how she got started in the charter business, and why she loves the idea of chartering in Turkey so much, by clicking here to read our exclusive CharterWave interview.

Fleet and Management Company News
Athens Yachts in Greece has added a 110-foot Cantieri di Pisa motoryacht called Astir to its fleet. She’ll take 10 guests with five crew at a weekly base rate of 87,500 euros, or about $15,000 per person with 25-percent expenses factored in …

BCR Yachts says the 86-foot motoryacht Indulgence of Poole will be available for charters in Italy and France later this month, and that the yacht’s owner is “very flexible” when it comes to negotiating the weekly rate… Also available in France this month and next is the 89-foot sailing yacht Moonlight II, which takes eight guests at a lowest weekly base rate of 26,000 euros per week, or about $5,500 per person with 25-percent expenses included … BCR also has a new charter broker in its Antibes, France, offices. Her name is Maud Collet…

Camper & Nicholsons International so far has released no details about the fire that sank the 97-foot motoryacht Lady Candida while it was on charter off the Mediterranean island of Corsica this month with 12 guests onboard, including four young children. See our CharterWave Crewed Yacht Blog post about the blaze ...

Fraser Yachts Worldwide announces the launch of the 124-foot motoryacht Perle Bleue from the Hakvoort Shipyard in Holland. She’ll be available for charters this winter in the Caribbean at a weekly base rate of $145,000 for 10 guests with six crew, or about $18,000 per person with 25-percent expenses factored in. Check out our CharterWave Crewed Yacht blog post following an exclusive interview at the home of Perle Bleue's excited owners ...

International Yacht Collection welcomes Mine Games into the charter fleet. She’s a 164-foot motoryacht expected to launch at the end of this summer. She’ll take 12 guests with nine crew this winter in the Caribbean at a weekly base rate of $220,000, or about $23,000 per person with 25-percent expenses included… IYC also welcomes the 135-foot motoryacht Atlantica, taking 12 guests in the Bahamas this summer, and the 126-foot motoryacht Dorothy Ann, available for eight guests off the coast of Croatia right now …

Merrill-Stevens Yachts has three motoryachts welcoming inquires for charters in New England this summer. The 112-foot Arietta takes eight guests with five crew at a weekly base rate of $49,000, the 110-foot Kaleen takes nine guests with five crew at a weekly base rate of $35,000, and the 97-foot Gigi takes eight guests with five crew at a weekly base rate of $35,000… Merrill-Stevens also is offering a $4,000 discount on seven-day charters through Sept. 1 in the Bahamas onboard the 115-foot Ragazza. She takes eight guests with five crew at a discounted weekly base rate of $32,000…

Northrop & Johnson reports that one of our favorite, good-value motoryachts here on CharterWave, the 120-foot Sovereign (see photo below), is going to spend the month of December offering charters out of St. Lucia. The yacht’s weekly base rate is $65,000 for 12 guests, plus expenses… The 115-foot motoryacht Kapalua just finished an upgrade and is available for charters in New England through September 15 at a base rate of $45,000 a week for as many as nine guests… The 122-foot motoryacht Shogun is returning to La Paz, Mexico to offer charters beginning in mid-December… And if you’re looking for a Labor Day charter later this month, Northrop & Johnson has the 100-foot motoryacht AR-DE available in the Bahamas. The yacht is promoted as ideal for fishing enthusiasts…

Ocean Partners International has three gulet-style sailing yachts available for charter in Turkey and is promoting September as the best month of the year to charter there. The 112-foot Ecce Navigo, the 125-foot White Wings and the 140-foot Hic Salta each take 10 guests at varying rates ...

Oceanwide Yacht Charter Group welcomes the 46-foot Good Medicine to its charter fleet. The yacht offers all-inclusive rates for charters in the Virgin Islands: $10,100 for two guests, $11,300 for four guests, $12,500 for six guests, and $13,750 for eight guests. Kids younger than 16 get a special rate. The yacht’s crew is yet to be hired… Also new to the fleet is 48-foot sailing catamaran Pentesilea, which takes eight guests and offers free scuba diving as part of the weekly charter rate…

Odysseus Cruising is offering reduced-price charters in Turkey onboard the 75-foot sailing gulet Odysseus. She takes up to 10 guests at varying rates depending on the services you desire, and will allow a 15-percent discount for children between 6 and 16 years old…

Southwest Florida Yachts is offering five days for the price of three onboard its sailing and powerboats alike through October 31… As an example, the popular Grand Banks 42 trawler drops from $3,444 to $2,175… Most boats are available as bareboat or with skippers…

Sunsail is moving its base on Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands, from Hodges Creek Marina in East End to Wickham’s Cay II in Road Town. The new location is also home to the Mariner Inn Hotel with a restaurant, bar and swimming pool, and is within walking distance of supermarkets, water-sports rental shops, and other boater-friendly shops…

Sunseeker Charters is promoting the 82-foot motoryacht Champagne Lady for charters this month on the French Riviera. The rate is £30,000 for eight guests, or about $9,500 per person with 25-percent expenses factored in…

The Moorings has begun construction on a $10 million expanision of its base on Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands. The new “Moorings Village” will include retail shops, a WiFi and multimedia area, a waterfront bar and restaurant, and oceanfront hotel suites …

New First Impressions Posted on CharterWave This Month:
Aegean Schatz, 85-foot gulet
Enticer, 85-foot motoryacht
Georgia Rose, 97-foot motoryacht
Perfect Persuasion, 150-foot motoryacht
Twisted, 82-foot motoryacht
Whale’s Way, 74-foot motoryacht
White Knight, 152-foot motoryacht

New Crew Interviews Posted on CharterWave This Month:
Capt. Paul Roberts, m/y Georgia Rose
Chef Yannis “John” Kouteranis, m/y Pandora

New Helpful Articles Posted on CharterWave This Month:
The Importance of Preference Sheets