The Charter Connection Blog

Ask any cruising sailor from the 70’s and 80’s about a Bowman - they were one of the great world cruisers we all dreamed of owning back then. ‘Elysian’ is an 84′ Bowman, built in 1984 and in great condition for her year. Owners have thankfully resisted the temptation of changing her 80’s styling below, which is a combination of metal and fine woodwork that was fashionable at that time. This is an incredibly strong boat, built to cruise any ocean at respectable speeds. Typical of most private cruising boats, there’s a fine master cabin with a centerline queen berth, a settee and plenty of storage for the owner. The other two cabins are smaller, one with a double berth and one with over/under singles (the top bunk is smaller than the lower). Each cabin has an en-suite head.

The salon is attractive, with red accents, a large table for formal dining and a periwinkle ultrasuede settee that comfortably seats six. There is air conditioning throughout the boat. The spacious cockpit is particularly comfortable, with large, royal blue settees and nice cushions. There is a table for outside dining and the large bimini provides ample shade. Her teak decks, nice sun mats forward and sundeck on top of the pilothouse, provide additional space for lounging. Elysian offers scuba diving for those certified.

She will be cruising New England this summer, from Newport to Maine. She is not as flashy as some more modern yachts, but for someone who values the fine sea keeping qualities of a great cruising design, this might be a perfect choice for cruising this area. She’ll fit right in with the lovely traditional yachts that congregate here in the summer.

Regular readers will know we try to pick specials that we find interesting rather than quote every special that comes along (see our crewed and bareboat specials pages if you need the full list). Her regular rate is $20,000 plus expenses. At $12,000 plus expenses she’s a steal, but you need to book her before June 1st to get that price!

We are based on the Maine Coast and know New England well. If you are planning on chartering in this area, call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site, and tell us about your plans. We can offer you a wide range of yachts, from smaller crewed sailing charters to the largest luxury motor yachts.

The popular 58′ Privilege Catamaran Best Revenge V is offering a 15% discount for any 7 day charter between May 1st and May 11th, in the British Virgin Islands. This is also the last chance to charter with Paul and Kate Westlake. This superb Welsh/Irish crew has done over 25 successful charters with us and we will miss them.

Best Revenge is a nice combination of modern design, beautiful woodwork, high tech electronics and tasteful furnishings. Her wide beam, high profile and ingenious design gives exceptional room below, even for a 58′ cat and she can comfortably accommodate 8 in two queen berth cabins forward and two aft cabins with king size berths.

Her new crew joins her in September, for the Caribbean winter season.

If you would like to charter ‘Best Revenge’ or would like information on other similar catamaran yacht charters, call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site, and tell us about your plans.

We introduced Dream Yacht Charters nearly a year ago as a new addition to the bareboat charter companies in The Caribbean. At the time, Dream Yacht, a company that started in the Seychelles and quickly grew to several Mediterranean locations, only operated bases in Martinique and Guadeloupe.

In November, Dream Yacht opened operations in the British Virgin Islands. They have taken over the Sunsail base at Hodges Creek Marina, (also sometimes called Maya Cove). Sunsail left this marina when they moved their operations to Wickham’s Cay II, next to The Moorings, in Road Town. Dream Yacht has now also opened a base on the Dutch side of St. Martin.

Many cat sailors noticed that Dream Yacht provides an interesting new option in performance catamarans, as they primarily use Catanas in their multihull fleet. What many sailors on this side of the pond aren’t aware of, is the performance that can be expected from their monohull line of Harmony yachts.

Harmony are built by Groupe Poncin, the same builder responsible for Catana catamarans. A Harmony 52 and Harmony 47, both chartered from Dream Yacht Charters, won their respective classes at the St. Martin Heineken Regatta, beating 19 other competitors to win all three races in the series. The performance Catanas are so well known for, carries over!

For more information on Dream Yacht Charters, or any other bareboat companies, call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site, and tell us about your plans. We would be happy to tell you how each company compares and make some suggestions for your group.

Texas Star, a popular powerboat based in Tortola, in The British Virgin Islands, has announced a low price for charters taken by August 1st. At $29,000 per week, plus expenses, she offers incredible value for this size of boat and standard of service. Unlike many boats of this type, she has 5 cabins so can accommodate up to 10 guests, making her ideal (and economical) for a larger group. This yacht normally charters for $53,500 inclusive for 10 guests.

She is decorated in an African Colonial style with walnut veneer and black trim. Her main deck master cabin is airy and has a queen size bed and en-suite head. Her VIP cabin immediately below it is very similar and just as nice. There are two additional double cabins and one twin cabin. Her spacious salon has large settees and a dining area. Her flybridge has a nice bar and seating area and there is also a bar on the aft deck.

She also has an exceptional crew. Marco and Robin have done some excellent charters for us and are ideally suited to this yacht. Very professional, yet with a relaxed air that guests enjoy, they will appeal to a wide range of families, couples or business charters.

If you would like to take advantage of this great opportunity or would like information on other luxury motor yacht charters, call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site, and tell us about your plans.

‘The Big Kat’, a 78 foot Hatteras will be in The Bahamas in March and is offering 25% off her regular rate for charters starting soon after March 21st. She won’t be in The Bahamas long, but this is a great opportunity to save on both the charter fee and delivery costs.

She can accommodate 6 guests in 3 cabins, and offers scuba diving.
The discounted price is $12,500, plus expenses, for 7 nights.

If you think you might be able to take advantage of this great offer and would like more information, call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site, and tell us about your plans.

February’s newsletter caused a flurry of additional votes to our January Survey, in which we asked how the economy is affecting your charter plans. With a fairly large number of earlier votes, the picture didn’t change that much, but these new votes have helped to confirm the earlier results. The current figures show only 24% of prospective charterers say they would not charter this year because of the economy. We expected this figure to be higher. 26% would use the great deals available to get a better boat for their money and 50% would try to charter a less expensive boat.

Of those looking to cut expenses, 8% would go smaller, 13% would charter for fewer days and 58% would do both. Only 21% said they would look for the cheapest price regardless of condition, which is generally not a good idea.

This survey is encouraging and has caused quite a bit of interest in various publications and organizations. If you haven’t already, do take a look at the original article and vote in the survey. You can also view the results and read some of the comments, both for this survey and past ones on different topics. Other surveys include ‘Is A/C a necessity on bareboat sail boats‘, ‘Vote for your favorite British Virgin Island beach bar‘, ‘Should the tip be included in crewed yacht charters‘ etc.. All our surveys are still open for voting.

A Yacht Charter Vacation is a wonderful way to blow away those Recession Blues, at a cost that’s probably lower than you think. Call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site, and tell us about your plans.