Ah the lure of the Med! Just got an early morning call from clients (always tough to get the time difference right) who just got of a 30 meter power yacht that they had charterd along the Italian Amalfi Coast for two weeks. In spite of the fact that most of Europe is on vacation for the month of August and the beaches were crowded, they felt that the trip was spectacular with high energy and so much to see. Very different from their Caribbean trips, and certainly more expensive, but worth it for a very memorable family time.

St. Maarten has become popular in recent year — plenty of night life and the cobination of French & Dutch cultures is interesting. One thing to keep in mind is the difference between sailing in the British Virgin Islands where there are more than 60 islands close together providing lots of sheltered sailing and calm anchorages. In the Leewards, the number of islands is much smaller, as well as the choice of anchorages, so you want to be sure your group is up for more open ocean cruising. But the shopping in St. Barths! Oh la la!

I’ve spoken to quite a few client recently about scuba diving while on charter. To dive from the yacht or its tender. there needs to be a licensed Dive Master or Instructor as part of the crew — they also carry the proper insurance as yacht insurance does not cover this aspect of a trip. Generally we do not recommend that people try to become certified during their trip — there is a good amount of book work involved and it means the rest of the group is tied to a training schedule. Instead we recommend that people do their initial training at home, then do what is called an Open Water Referral and finsih just the diving portion during ther vacation. That way everyone gets to have fun!

Alan bought the most amanzing ‘dinghy’ — really it is large enough to rate the designation ‘tender’! Your dinghy is like your car — it gets used all the time every day from water sports — skiing, pulling a tube to jaunts to the beach or evenings ashore going dancing. So upgrading to a 16′ inflatable with 60 HP outboard is sure to be a big hit with Catalyst’s clients. You just can’t get more bang for your buck than this 44′ catamaran!

One of the most amazing things about hurricanes is that this huge destructive force can be only 120 miles away and you feel nothing! We had one family sailing on the charter catamaran Hypnautic and the skies remained blue and the winds moderate. The kids even learned how to scuba dive! What a great tale to take back to school — what did you do on your summer vacation?

This is Joie - I work in the Regency BVI office.  I began working for Kathleen February this year so needless to say this is my first hurricane season.  How unfair is it to have such a scare in your first season??  For this reason, not to mention the numerous weather reports that predict little to no activity in the VI’s, I have convinced myself that tonight is going to be very uneventful! 

 I suppose I should not make light of the situation, especially since Hurricane Dean has wreaked havoc on our down-island neighbors.  I do want to send best wishes and great luck to everyone that is or will be affected by this and remind people that when they book a yacht charter in July-October that it is a great idea to buy trip insurance.  Though charters will not be cancelled due to Hurricane Dean and it has been years since there has been a severe hurricane, it’s a good feeling to know you’re covered just in case!

Its official - this website, CharterWave, really works!  Yesterday afternoon I received a call from a man who had never chartered a yacht before.  He told me that he was looking through CharterWave, found my ad, and decided to call to book a crewed yacht charter.  I could tell by the enthusiasm in his voice that he had found out something new and exciting that he wanted to try - all due to CharterWave’s aim to reach people who haven’t heard of what a great vacation Yacht Chartering is. 

This man was looking for a catamaran to charter late this month.  I was a little concerned that there may not be too many options on such short notice, but there was no need to worry because there were several beautiful yachts to offer. 

Yacht Zingara

Yacht Tahuata

Yacht AdAstra

Yacht SlipStream

Yacht Hypnautic

I’m sure he’ll be happily on the water in a couple of weeks!

There has been an eerie feeling around the Islands lately.  There are fewer and fewer boats in the harbors, almost no people on the beaches, and most unobjectionably, no wait for my cold beer at the bar.  I feel as though I woke up in low season heaven!  With private yacht charters it is never very difficult to find yourself on secluded beaches and anchorages, no matter the season.   It’s just that in the winter months you run a slight risk of sharing it with one or two other people with the same idea.  (One always hopes it won’t be one of the people who wear a speedo though they really shouldn’t…) In the low season, specifically from May 1 - December 14, there are not only fewer people but often much lower prices. 

So if someone were to ask me about yacht chartering I would urge them to take a look at the summer months as an option.  Of course, if no one takes my advice I will happily spend my weekends with the beach to myself…