Trina Howes has 10 years of experience in the charter industry finding great pleasure in creating the best yachting vacations possible. E-mail Trina
Shannon Webster is a longtime AYCA member. She books yachts worldwide from 80 to 400 feet long. Email Shannon
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.
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
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
| Captain Aims for 'Total Transparency' |
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It's not often, after a decade in this business, that I can tell you I saw something on a charter yacht that was completely new and interesting. But that's exactly what happened late yesterday afternoon as I sat in the pilothouse of the new Delta motoryacht Katya with her captain. The 151-footer is making her world premiere here at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, and I was fortunate to snag a personal tour with Capt. Alec Cunningham. He told me that Katya's owner--whom I also met and liked quite a bit--is keen to keep track of the yacht's fuel expenses. So keen, in fact, that Cunningham sends the owner a daily report about how much fuel was burned in the most recent 24-hour period. The photograph above shows the data as Cunningham reports it in Katya's log book, in a space custom-printed for the very purpose. Now, fuel is one of the biggest expenses on any charter yacht. And on many occasions, I hear stories about how surprised charter guests can be at how quickly they run up a high fuel tab in addition to any given yacht's base rate. Not so aboard Katya. Cunningham told me that he aims for "total transparency" in terms of keeping clients informed day-to-day, just as if he were reporting to the owner. "I don't go 15 knots to get somewhere at 3 a.m. when I can go 12 knots and get there at 7 a.m.," he explained. "The guests aren't even awake yet, so why spend their money burning extra fuel? It's the guests' money, and we'll of course do what they want, but I think there should be transparency in the process. They should be able to see, day-to-day, how their cruising decisions are affecting their overall charter expenses." What a fantastic idea aboard a new yacht that has all the makings of a great new addition to the global charter fleet. Katya is part of the Ocean Independence charter fleet. I'll have more about the yacht itself, including exclusive photos, soon in a full First Impression review. Until then, any reputable charter broker can give you more information. Comments (0)
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