The Charter Connection Blog

If a unique crewed yacht charter along the coast of Maine, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland sounds interesting, consider ‘Wanderbird‘. This beautifully converted 90 ft North Sea Trawler can accommodate up to 12 guests and specializes in expeditiond style, eco-tourism charters in more remote areas of the world.

For their New England charter season, they include a Pelagic Seabird Cruise (June 2-7), a coastal Labrador cruise to see Polar Bears (late August or early September), an Island Hiking Adventure (October 6-11) and even a Wine Tasting Cruise featuring local Maine wine (October 13-16). Prices start at $1000 per person for the shorter cruises, or you can charter the whole vessel depending on availability.

Owners, Rick and Karen are both licensed captains. This fascinating couple have created a beautiful home on the water and really do offer a wonderful cruising experience for anyone interested in nature, glorious unspoilt scenery and conservation.

For more information on their individual cruises or whole boat charters, you can email or call us (800 621 7855), or use our request literature format (please mention ‘Wanderbird’ if using this form).

How far out should we reserve is a common question we get. The topic is as complex as the answer is simple - book as soon as you know when, where, and what you want to charter.

Some people feel that by waiting to the last minute, they’ll get the best deal. While charter companies do often offer last minute discounts, it’s almost never the best value for your money as of course the only boats available are the ones that no one else wanted - there’s typically a reason for that! The average Caribbean bareboat yacht charter costs around $5000 when you factor in airfare and peripheral costs, so saving a few hundred dollars to get a lesser boat just isn’t a bargain, in my view.

Some of the best deals, and I mean a great boat at a lower price, are actually had by booking 8 months to a year out. Some of the smaller bareboat companies have newer, unique designs with great equipment in their fleets, and their prices don’t reflect the charge for the charter company brand that you pay with some of the big companies. Of course as they’re not big companies with a homogenized fleet approach, there aren’t many of these boats available, so you need to book early to get them.

A rough guideline of when to book goes a bit like this: Christmas/New Years - book a year out, specifically if you want a catamaran, and especially if you want a larger and/or newer one. Holidays like President’s Week, Easter, or any school vacation weeks - book 8 months out to get the pick of the litter. Any High Season, non-holiday week in the winter - book 6 months out. Even summer in the Caribbean, again especially if you want a catamaran, can be very heavily booked 6 months out.

Of course the above guideline is very rough; you could contact us for a charter to depart two weeks from now, and provided you were flexible, I’m sure we could find you something suitable. Sometimes the boats that are passed over by the general public are great boats, but they might have a layout not meant for the mainstream yet it could be perfect for you.

It is a complex topic in that there is no specific answer or concrete formula; but, if you’re considering a charter in the future, there’s no question that the earlier you start planning, the more choices you have. Even if you’re not going to be ready to reserve for months from now, we’re happy to help you start the planning and steer you in the right direction with recommendations, so let us know what you have in mind!

Many larger power yachts reposition for the spring and summer months to New England and the Mediterranean, leaving a shortage of luxury motor yachts for charter in The Caribbean. This year, SHALIMAR, a 118′ Benetti Tri Deck will be remaining in the Caribbean, taking advantage of the calm waters, sunny skies and minimal crowds. Based in Tortola, in The British Virgin Islands, she can also charter in St. Martin and any islands further south, as far as The Grenadines.

She is able to accommodate 10 guests in her 5 cabins and charters for $60,000 per week, plus expenses. Shalimar is also one of the few power yachts offering scuba diving directly from the boat, carrying 8 full sets of dive gear, a dive compressor and a nitrox mixer.

Call or email us if you would like more information on Shalimar (800-621-7855). If you would like more information on other motor yachts or crewed sailing charters, just let us know the type of private yacht charter you are looking for.