The Charter Connection Blog

Following on from our last post, Virgin Traders, which offers luxury motor yacht charters and bareboat power boats in The British Virgin Islands and elsewhere, has announced an alliance with Del Airways. With the cutback of flights this season, several Caribbean yacht charter companies are looking into alternatives. Using a local air charter service, particularly for the short inter-island flights, makes a lot of sense. Virgin Traders has taken this concept one step further. The new service will start in January.

Charter flights are generally slightly more expensive than a scheduled flight but if your party fills the plane, the difference can be minimal. On the plus side, you get personal attention, a slightly more flexible schedule and a direct flight to your destination. Everyone in the party should be made aware that these are small planes, but unless you are very tall or don’t enjoy flying, they are comfortable and are a great way to get to your charter yacht in style.

As always, we are happy to help you with all aspects of your yacht charter, so don’t hesitate to email us, or call Ed Hamilton & Co at 800 621 7855.

With American Airlines cutting flights to The Caribbean, yacht charter guests are often having to find alternative carriers. Small companies, such as Cape Air, are becoming popular for short inter-island flights. In a trip to St Thomas and The British Virgin Islands last week, we decided to try them out.

Cape Air uses 9 passenger, Cessna 402s. These are small planes, so anyone particularly afraid of flying, even in the larger jets, might consider staying with the major airlines. Having said that, the pilots are personable and the flight can indeed be a fun experience - a great start to your Caribbean vacation.

When arriving in San Juan, the transfer is not quite as convenient as using the larger airlines, as Cape Air’s desk is hidden away and quite a hike from the AA terminal. The gate number is not marked on the AA monitors, so just ask.

When the plane is full, it often cannot carry all the heavier luggage, so try to travel light. Both Emily (flying the previous day) and myself lost bags, but they were delivered to the boat show the next day at no charge.

Avoid tight connections because, like most Caribbean carriers, things run on island time and flights can be delayed, sometimes through no fault of the airline. Smaller planes are also more effected by weather, which can also cause delays.

Seats are assigned as you board the plane, to distribute the weight evenly. If you are tall, as I am, the best seat is by the door. One lucky passenger gets to sit by the pilot.

The plane often flies lower than a jet so the views are spectacular.

If you need advice on getting to your yacht charter, email or call Ed Hamilton & Co at 800 621 7855. It’s all part of the service when you charter through us.

We don’t make a habit of quoting charterer’s comments in our blog, but this one really summarizes the service we offer!

Here’s what our client said:
“Learned about this company about 5 years ago and remembered them because they send very useful bareboat literature package. I didn’t use services of this company until this year - booking directly seemed to be simpler. However I gave it a try this year - it worked perfectly. Besides obvious options (Sunsail, Moorings, TMM) you get a ton of other choices and you still have a single point of contact.
The knowledge and helpfulness of staff is amazing - now on, this would be my first choice to book a bareboat charter.”

Thank you Roman for your kind comments. We hope you enjoy the Bahia 46 (his second charter through Ed Hamilton & Co this year).

Rather than offering our clients just a few obvious options, our brokers have always worked with a wide range of bareboat charter companies. We try hard to match each client’s requirements, so even when we book a client with one of the big companies, our clients have the confidence of knowing that this really is the best choice for them. No bareboat company is perfect for everyone and for some people, a boat in one of the smaller, less known fleets is the best match. Our principal aim has always been to choose the right boat for each individual client.

Whether this is your first charter or your thirtieth, you can gain from using our services. We book more charters, through more companies worldwide and our advice is based on 36 years of experience in the charter industry. Booking through us costs no more than calling the bareboat company directly!

Email one of our three bareboat brokers today, or call 800 621 7855 and ask for Susan, Jackie or Steve. To get started, just tell them about your plans and receive their specific suggestions by email.