The Charter Connection Blog

You can find many Virgin Island crewed charter deals on our website’s ’specials’ page, so we don’t post every one in our blog, but these two caught our eye.

Pas de Deux is offering 7 nights for the price of 6 from now until July 7th! Six guests can therefore have 7 nights on this great 60′ cat for $2786 p.p. instead of $3250, including all meals and open bar. Harvey and Tracy are an excellent young crew. This is a good price for a 60′ cat offering this standard of quality.

For two guests looking for an inexpensive 54′ monohull, the Gulfstar Verna Breeze is offering full board and half board specials up until December 15th, 2010.

Full Board all inclusive special - $5999 for 2 adults. $500 for each additional child.
Half board (7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 3 dinners) $5499 for 2 adults. $400 for each additional child.

This 1987 Lazzara design had a refit in 2006 and is in nice shape. She has a traditional interior with plenty of varnished wood and lots of charm.

For deals offered by bareboat charter companies check out our bareboat specials on the Ed Hamilton & Co website. Click on your favorite cruising ground for a full list.

For the full list you should go to our Crewed Yacht Specials pages, but here are a few examples. All prices and specials are for 7 nights, 8 days:

‘Spirit’, 46′ Hunter. A good example of how a crew can make the difference! One of the stand outs among the bargain priced boats. $5,500 for two, including all meals and reasonable bar. Current Special: $500 ‘Give Us A Reason’ discount.

‘Hypnautic’, 44′ Lagoon 440 cat. Popular boat with the new flybridge design and a nice master cabin. $9,900 for 2, $12,500 for 6, including all meals and reasonable bar. Current Special: Honeymoon Special - $9500 for 2, includes any romantic getaways!

‘Crystal Clear’ 54′ CT. Full of old world charm. Romantic ‘great cabin’ aft, with transom windows. Charly is a showman - prepare to be pampered. $8,250 for 2, $9,950 for 4, including meals and reasonable bar. Current Specials: Valentine’s Special - all inclusive for 2 people, open bar including champagne, chocolates, flowers & gifts $5950 for 7 nights. Good for all of February 2010! Book for 2010 before March 15, 2010 and save 10% on the listed rate!

‘Tonina’, 51′ Lagoon. One of the best of the 500s, particularly well run and nicely decorated. $15,990 for 6, including meals and reasonable bar. Current Specials: $1000 discount from regular price for charters 7 nights or more, for early 2010 (excluding holidays).

All the above are based in the Virgin Islands. For a charter in the Grenadines, try:

‘Sudiki’, 62′ Gulfstar. Roomy, comfortable monohull with a large master aft. Duff and Christine have lived in the Grenadines for many years and can provide a truly ‘local’ experience. $6,500 for 2, $8,500 for 4 including all meals, ex bar. Current Special: Honeymoon Special! $4950 for two, inclusive except 3 dinners ashore and bar.

‘Akasha’, 76′ Matrix cat. Top of the line in her class. $48,000 for 10, including meals and reasonable bar. British Virgin Islands to Grenada. Current Special: Two 40-minute complimentary massages per charter and 5 complimentary dives per week. This boat doesn’t need to offer specials to keep a full calendar. If you can afford her, book her - you won’t be disappointed.

You can find more specials on the Ed Hamilton & Co website. These are great examples but relatively few boats are offering specials and your best choice might not be on this list. They might already be priced right or perhaps offer more (remember, a good crew is more important than the yacht). With or without specials, the boats that have full calendars generally have them for a reason.

We have been personally selecting the best boats for our clients for 28 years and not only do we know these boats and crews particularly well, we have the experience to successfully match crews and guests, and to determine what really does represent good value. Email us or ask us to suggest some suitable yachts. All our advice and services are free, yet helping you choose the right boat and crew could make all the difference to your vacation.

The popular crewed charter yacht Anahita will sail to the Mediterranean May 1st. If you have ever dreamed of sailing the Atlantic, she has two berths still open.

Anahita is a 62′ Dynamique monohull. Bijan, her owner, has sailed her thousands of miles from Newfoundland and Maine, to the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. He came to the US from Persia in 1957, and was a celebrated ballet dancer in New York until the age of thirty. He became a successful real estate developer for ten years, before retiring to yachting. He loves watersports, boats, photography and exploring new places. He also enjoys teaching others to sail, if they should wish to learn. This would be a great boat and captain for a first transatlantic experience.

We have had several excellent charters with Bijan. He still has limited availability in the Caribbean this winter. Once in the Med, he will be available in France and Western Italy, including Corsica, in June and September, but will move to Croatia, Montenegro and the Greek Islands during July and August.

If this sounds interesting, call us at 800 621 7855 or email us. For more general information, look at the Ed Hamilton & Co site or tell us about your plans and we will send you suggestions of suitable private yacht charters.

Congratulations Liara on being selected as a finalist in the “Best Sailing Yacht in 30m to 44m size range” and also for a special “Technology Award” in the prestigious Boat International Media 2010 World Superyacht Awards.

I particularly enjoyed seeing all the revolutionary design features of this unique yacht in Antigua. From the way the bulkheads/wall panels are fitted to the hull, to the construction of the cabinets, everything has a solid feel, yet is incredibly light weight. What a thrill she must be to sail, yet she is no stripped out racing boat. The cockpit is spacious and there’s acres of flat deck space. Below she is sensibly laid out with the comfort and feel of the high end charter yacht that she is.

Captain Ross Appleby is justifiably proud of his new yacht. He ran the previous Liara and was involved in the building of Liara 2. With the talented Rosie Danby as chef, this is a first rate crew and a winning combination. Her high price tag is fully justified and we can think of several clients who would love this boat and crew.

She is available in The Leeward Islands, Grenadines, or British Virgin Islands this winter, but will be heading to the Western Mediterranean in the spring. For more information, call us at 800 621 7855 or email us. For similar yachts visit the Ed Hamilton & Co site or tell us about your plans and we will send you some suggestions of other private yacht charters.

Promenade, the popular 65 foot trimaran based in Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands, has lowered her summer rates. Between May 15th and September 1st, up to 10 guests can charter her for $17,990 for 7 nights, including all meals and ship’s bar. With approval, she can even carry 12 guests.

Sleek and fast, this older style trimaran was built in 1980, but is in great shape. Three cabins have double berths, the other two have twin beds that can be converted to a king. The pontoons are narrow (quite difficult access) but the accommodations are spacious and comfortable without being fancy. The pontoon cabins have private heads while the three cabins aft share two heads. The shaded cockpit is huge, running the width of the boat and there is unlimited sunning space on the enormous uncluttered flat decks. She carries a particularly wide range of scuba diving, ski and water toys.

If you have a large group, she might be the perfect choice for your summer Caribbean yacht charter. Call us at 800 621 7855 or email us.

Looking for something else? Browse through the Ed Hamilton & Co site or tell us your plans, so we can start selecting a suitable yacht for you.

For those who are just starting to feel winter’s chill there are some excellent Thanksgiving promotions to take advantage of!

The 85′ Azimut RUNAWAY is currently offering a 20% discount on Virgin Island yacht charters starting after November 18th and finishing before December 18th! This stunning power yacht can accommodate three couples or a family of 8 comfortably. They also offer scuba diving.

BEST REVENGE 5, a popular Privilege 58 based in the British Virgin Islands, is starting off the season with a 10% discount over the Thanksgiving Holiday. Their excellent new crew, Kelly and Jonny Coop, have moved their way up from the 45′ Leopard ‘Sail’s Call’ to the 57′ Lagoon ‘Double Feature’ (now ‘Soterion’), to this gorgeous catamaran.

Thanksgiving specials on other catamaran yacht charters include, the 50′ NAEJ, the 58’s TAHUATA and OCEAN’S SEVEN, and the 61′ MOTU. All are offering 7 nights for the price of 6 over Thanksgiving! These great Privilege cats offer comfort and excellent service.

These specials won’t last long, so contact Ed Hamilton & Co to reserve yours today! Call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or tell us about the type of holiday you have in mind and we will send you some suggestions.

“We just returned home from a fabulous week aboard the S/Y Swish.  Emily and Euros were absolutely amazing!  Euros took us on wonderful and unique dives and really did a spectacular job navigating for us.  They both took the time to maximize the sail from the US Virgin Islands through the BVI.  We really were able to see and do so much.  Emily’s culinary skills were just delicious!  She really made an effort to make every meal special.  It was 5-star dining at every meal.  In addition, Emily and Euros surprised us with a Birthday Party for Robert on our last night, including a beautiful birthday cake and a special music mix.

We had a wonderful time and would highly recommend Emily and Euros and the S/Y Swish.  Thank you for strongly recommending that we go with this yacht and this crew.  You matched us perfectly!  Thank you.”

For all but the largest charter yachts, we have always stressed that selecting the right crew is even more important than choosing the right boat. For more information on ‘Swish’, Euros and Emily, and the many other fine yachts and crews we book regularly, call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site and tell us about your plans. We know these boats and crews very well and will take the time to match you with the right combination!

‘Pas De Deux’ is one of our favorite Fontaine-Pajot 60s. She has three guest cabins, all accessed from the saloon. The master cabin is in the port hull and features a walk around queen size bed, desk with laptop computer and internet access. Two identical double cabins are forward, with queen size beds that taper at the foot. Each cabin has luxurious 1200 count Egyptian cotton sheets, true mattresses, individual air conditioning, an ensuite head, attractive portholes, DVD players and original oil paintings. The crew take the starboard aft cabin.

The decks are wide and uncluttered, and large trampolines and bow seats forward are great for sun seekers. Scuba diving is available and access to and from the dinghy is very easy with large, wide transom steps leading to the modern open cockpit. A center oval cockpit table easily accommodates 6 guests. Lovely china and table settings make both interior and outside dining a luxurious experience. The comfortable saloon has two large, soft leather settees and is separated from the fully equipped galley and dining area by a bar.

The boat is of course only half the story. Harvey and Tracy are a first class English crew.

Before he was 18, Harvey had raced J24s along the coast of England, delivered yachts for the Moorings worldwide  and passed his Yacht Master Certificate.  He used to be a competitive swimmer and enjoys skiing, bicycling and all other sports.

Tracy is a fun, energetic hostess. She was involved in competitive dancing for six years, from Disco Freestyle to Rock and Roll. She originally trained to be an air hostess and loves to travel.

Young and enthusiastic, they offer a high level of service to their charter guests. They work very well together and are a wonderful charter team.

‘Pas De Deux’s regular charter fee in the British Virgin Islands, is $3,250 per person for 7 nights, including first class meals, wines and open bar. Up until December 14th you can enjoy the same standard of luxury and service for just $2,600. This is a special worth noting!

If you would like to charter ‘Pas De Deux’ 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.