The Charter Connection Blog

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.

While Hurricane Gustaf, Hanna and Ike create headlines in The US, it seems that for now, The Virgin Islands and The Eastern Caribbean Islands (St. Martin to The Grenadines) have escaped any major storms. This has been the pattern in recent years, but it is imperative for anyone sailing there in September and October to buy a trip cancellation policy that specifically covers named storms. Ed Hamilton & Co offers their clients two choices of suitable packages.

Weather patterns have certainly changed over the years. When Ed started his bareboat charter company in the 70’s, he could honestly say the last hurricane to hit the British Virgin Islands was in 1927! In the late 70’s a hurricane did approach The BVI, but it conveniently downgraded to a tropical depression as it passed over, so the statement was still true! Incidentally, Ed remembers the eye passing right over Tortola. Suddenly the wind and rain ceased and the whole night sky was full of stars. Like a lunar eclipse, the eye wall then slowly covered the sky again and the rain and wind resumed - from the opposite direction.

All this changed in the 80’s, when some vicious storms hit The Virgins and later Grenada, but recent years have been kinder.

For people willing to put up with the possibility of trip interruption, there are certainly some bareboat bargains out there and the islands are delightfully uncrowded. Winds tend to be much lighter, so the seas are calmer and the water clearer - ideal for snorkelers and scuba diving. Most crewed boats haul out by August and the crews take well deserved vacations, but there are some who charter throughout the summer.

While storms are not impossible in November, this can be a great time to charter, before the winter snow birds arrive and the harbors start filling up

If a charter sounds interesting, we can help you find the right boat. Call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site, where you can tell us about your plans.

Thank you Dick for the photograph. It was taken from his house in Tortola a few days ago!

From Dalyan, we sailed southeast down the coast, to The Bay of Fethiye, arriving in time for lunch. We motored through a relatively narrow entrance between two islands, into the beautiful sheltered cruising ground known as Skopea Limani. This lovely area is strewn with pretty bays and places to explore.

Most yachts drop an anchor and tie a stern line to a tree ashore. In July and August these anchorages get crowded, both with charter yachts and local holidaymakers, but in May we could pick a bay and have it to ourselves. We anchored close to Kapi Creek for lunch and a swim. It’s possible to spend several days here, but schedules had to be met and we motored past such highlights as The Wall and The Tombs, to anchor closer to Gocek for the night.

Not only did Izzet produce a spectacular dinner for us, he also serenaded us with some beautiful local songs. We knew he was a talented chef, but learned he also grew up in a musical family. His singing was just wonderful in the warm clear night air. It was so lovely that the large white motoryacht anchored nearby stopped their expensive live music to listen! If you charter Blue Capricorn and enjoy Turkish music, encourage him to play for you.

The next morning we had business to do in Gocek and motored into the harbor. We met with the crews of Anam Cara and Panta Rhei, two conventional sailing yachts with British crews that offer good value in the 50′ range. I spent the afternoon visiting bareboat charter companies, as this is a popular bareboat cruising ground. Moorings / Sunsail have a large base here, as do some lesser known operations such as Top Yacht.

Gocek is a town expanding in every direction. On either side of the old waterfront and square, new marinas and upscale villas are being built everywhere, to accommodate the influx of new tourists in the season. It felt ironic to be sitting in an open-air cafe in the Square, uploading a blog to the internet, as the sounds of the ‘azaan’ summoned the faithful to mid-afternoon prayer. Turkey is such an area of contrasts, a fascinating mixture of old and new. Local people are amazingly friendly, unlike some of the more ‘discovered’ places and there is as much ancient history here as any other part of The Mediterranean.

Our trip came to an end early the next morning, when a driver took us to Dalaman Airport, now only a few minutes away using the new tunnel, and we caught a flight to Istanbul. Then it was British Airways to London’s new terminal 5, and on to Boston, where it was still daylight when we landed that evening. In one day we had moved from one world to another.

Contact Ed Hamilton & Co - we would be happy to give you more information on Blue Capricorn and other crewed charter yachts or bareboat charters in Turkey. Note - when using the above link to Blue Capricorn, you need to scroll down the page to see the yacht’s website.

With spring tides of over 20 feet (40′ tides and 9 kt currents are possible in the popular Channel Islands), steep seas, changeable weather and busy shipping lanes, chartering off the south west coast of England is not for the average Caribbean bareboat charterer. For the experienced sailor with plenty of offshore sailing time, this can however be a truly rewarding cruising ground.

The best time to charter is June through August. The coast is somewhat similar to Maine, with pretty fishing villages and beautiful English countryside, although the temperatures are far less extreme. Summer temperatures are around 65 to 75 degrees, but because of the Gulf Stream, winter temperatures rarely drop below freezing, so visitors are often surprised to see palm trees growing on the waterfront. All this in a country considerably further north than any part of the US! Plan to bring plenty of sunscreen, because even on overcast days, sunburn can be a problem due to the clear air.

Bareboat charter companies tend to be small and informal. Be prepared to be asked for documentation of your experience - ask us for guidelines if you are unsure if you would qualify. Yachts tend to be in the 30 to 47 foot range. Unless you plan to explore one area, allow plenty of time so you can wait for a suitable wind direction etc. The Isles of Scilly, off the extreme western tip of Cornwall are a popular destination (we took these pictures in the islands, in early June).
Private yacht charters with a crew are possible, as in the Caribbean or Mediterranean, but most crewed charters in this area tend to be headboats or more casual style yachts where everyone lends a hand. Except for localized charters, almost all are sailboats as the seas tend to be uncomfortable for any motor yachts under 100′.

If we have piqued your interest, contact us at Ed Hamilton & Co for more information. This is not for everyone, but if you love to sail and don’t need the warm Caribbean water, it might just be what you are looking for.

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While Emily is attending the Crewed Yacht Charter Show in the British Virgin Islands next week, Barbara and I (Ed) will be viewing crewed yachts at The 7th International Yachting Symposium, in The Greek Islands. The show is on the island of Poros, in The Saronic Gulf Islands.

To get there, we flew to Athens, where we were met by a driver who took us to the port of Piraeus. While it is possible to take public transport, we would recommend taking a private car, unless you are chartering from one of the bareboat companies that provides transportation to their base, such as Sunsail. The Friday afternoon Athens traffic was worse than usual and even in George’s fast Mercedes, the journey took over 45 minutes .

Although Piraeus has four marinas, it is primarily a busy commercial port and is not always the best place to start a private crewed charter. We boarded the huge, luxurious hydrofoil, Flying Cat 2, and literally flew to Porus at over 40 mph. The trip took just over an hour.

Yachts were already berthed all along the waterfront, ready for the show which starts tomorrow. With over 80 boats to see and all the crew to interview, the next few days will be extremely busy. Then it is off to the Marmaris Boat Show in Turkey.

We firmly believe that there is no substitute for seeing boats and crews first hand, and experiencing each cruising ground. This way we can give you honest advice and cover every detail, from picking the right boat to arranging a driver to pick you up at the airport!

You can call us (800 621 7855), email us, or use our request literature format to start planning your next Mediterranean charter.

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!

It’s always surprised me that the demand for either crewed or bareboat yacht charters in Belize isn’t far greater. Perhaps it’s one of those places that people simply don’t know enough about yet, and speaking selfishly that’s a good thing in many ways. I was reminded of this during the past week as I helped two different customers explore the sailing possibilities there. As is often the case, and one of the reasons I love working in the charter industry, fond memories of my own vacations are refreshed in chatting through various anchorages to visit and activities to take part in.

Simply put, Belize is a spectacular destination. It has all you expect from the typical Caribbean yacht charter destination - myriad low lying sandy palm-strewn islands with steady trade winds to afford easy island hopping. Some have larger towns with eclectic shops and unique restaurants, some have smaller towns, and some have nothing but what you bring along and a nice coral garden to snorkel.

As if that weren’t enough, Belize offers so much more. It’s of course known for its diving and snorkeling on the world’s second largest barrier reef; but, often overlooked by the sailor is a fascinating interior, filled with everything from Mayan ruins, (the ancient Mayan city of Caracol in Western Belize is believed to rival in size its better known neighbor Tikal, in Guatemala), to free-flowing rivers surrounded by lush jungle, it even has a pine forest as well as the world’s only jaguar preserve. While Ed Hamilton & Company specialize in arranging yacht charters, and it might not be in our best interests, I do recommend reserving some time in your vacation to do a land based stay to explore Belize’s mainland wonders.

Clearly I get carried away - back to the sailing. The cruising ground could be described as two halves. The northern half is accessed from San Pedro on well-known Ambergris Caye, and generally speaking, has larger islands with more population and development. San Pedro itself is perhaps the most touristy town in Belize with its many dive resorts due to a 5 minute ride to numerous dive sites on the barrier reef, but somehow retains its charm as a colonial village filled with friendly people who possess a disarmingly genuine nature. The island hopping is easier here, albeit the water is very shallow and I would choose to sail from here if I were more interested in a mix of culture and island ambience, with the easiest access to a variety of dive operators. TMM operates a fleet of catamarans from San Pedro, a 5 minute ride from the airport.

The southern ‘half’ of the cruising ground is accessed from Placencia, where The Moorings operates a fleet of both monohulls and catamarans. As you go south, the Belizean coastline bends in to the west, giving more, (and deeper), water in between the mainland and the barrier reef. This area has a wonderland of sparsely to uninhabited cayes to explore, many of which are part of national parks. One can still find a few restaurants at resorts on some of the cayes, and this area is a great choice for people who want to enjoy the natural beauty from their yacht, and don’t require nightlife. You have a bit more room to stretch your legs, so in my view the sailing itself is also better in this area.

On a bareboat charter, all of the sailing takes place inside the barrier reef, so you can explore all the cayes in relatively flat water sailing conditions. If you take a skipper aboard your yacht, or opt for a fully crewed yacht, you can also access the outlying atolls of Turneffe, Lighthouse, and Glover’s Reef, which are a must for the serious diver.

At Ed Hamilton & Company, our role is to paint as accurate a picture of boats, crews, and destinations as possible for our customers, and we strive to highlight the positives as equally as the negatives. As I’ve written this blog entry, I’ve been searching for the downsides of Belize to note, and have come up relatively empty. I do recognize my own bias, so will say that if you are looking for shopping, continuous nightlife, and 5 star resort after 5 star resort, don’t go to Belize; if you’re looking for the opposite of that, go there, you won’t be disappointed. I’ve been twice, and can’t wait to go back

The latest Charter Connection Newsletter asked readers to vote if they felt Air Conditioning was a necessity when choosing a Bareboat. The advantages of A/C are obvious, but the article pointed out some of the disadvantages which might not be so evident, particularly as most Bareboat Charter Companies charge for A/C in some form or another. The results are also interesting. Currently only 28% say ‘Yes’, 43% say ‘No’ and 28% are not worried, so an amazing 70% don’t feel it is a requirement. The comments are also informative and cover a wide range of views. If you are surprised that so many people feel this way, read the article! You can also add your vote to this survey, and any previous ones.

TMM was the first Bareboat Company to add A/C to a significant number of their boats. Sunsail and Moorings offer it on their larger cats and monohulls, but the trend is to not install it in the midsize and smaller monohulls due to the reliability of the smaller generators. Horizon, BVI Yacht Charters, Voyage, Footloose, Conch and The Catamaran Company all have boats with A/C, as do most of the bareboat power boats.

The Bareboat Charter Companies would be only too happy to do without the maintenance headaches a generator and A/C cause. Our suggestion would be to have it available on the premier boats, but add a charge for those that wish to use it, in fairness to those who don’t.

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