The Charter Connection Blog

At the end of Lynne’s excellent article on how to access the internet, rent cellphones and connect iPods, we asked for a vote on how important these items are to charter guests. The results are interesting.

Responses are still coming in, but the surprise so far is how many people feel they don’t need an internet connection (currently 44%). True, many cruising grounds have plenty of internet cafes, but we find a wi-fi connection on a boat pretty useful (but then we’re not normally on vacation!).

iPods are of course incredibly popular and make a lot of sense, but we were surprised by how many people said it was a feature they actively looked for when choosing a boat (currently 68%). This is a pretty strong message to the remaining crewed boats that still do not offer iPod docks, particularly as they are so easy to install.

Take a look at the full results, plus the comments many readers have added. You can also see the results from other surveys we have featured in previous newsletters, and by clicking on the titles, you can add your own vote for any past survey that interests you. For more great articles on both bareboat and crewed yacht charters, check out this month’s newsletter.

The photograph shows how easy it is to view Ed Hamilton & Co ’s website on your iPhone, even in The Caribbean!

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.

It’s great to hear from old friends. ‘Lady Anne II’ was a popular yacht in The Caribbean, before Patrick and Pascale started living their circumnavigation dream. They spent the summer of 2008 in The Society Islands in the Pacific (Tahiti, Raiatea, Bora Bora) and are presently in Australia for the next six months. They then plan to sail to Thailand for the December 2009 to April 2010 charter season. This is a great chance for adventurous guests to charter a reliable catamaran with a known, well traveled and interesting, French crew, among some beautiful islands, far from the normal beaten track. If the winter works out as planned, they hope to stay in Thailand for the 2010/11 season also. They are in no hurry to rush back!

‘Lady Anne II’ was originally part of The Moorings crewed Caribbean yacht charter fleet with Patrick and Pascale as crew. In 1998 they purchased her and ran crewed sailing charters in the US and British Virgin Islands, but the plan was always to sail her around the world. Their slide show from The San Blas Islands to Tahiti is well worth a look.
Patrick owned an alarm security company and was previously a private investigator. He is a talented musician (blues and jazz) and has a keyboard on the boat, which he can play for guests if they wish.

Pascale has a passion for cooking and particularly enjoys Creole and Mediterranean cuisine accentuated with fresh herbs and oils. She is a “people person”, loves to dance and enjoys a good conversation.

The three guest cabins all have separate air conditioning controls and ensuite heads.  The two aft cabins have slightly larger queen size berths.  She has plenty of deck space and easy access to the water using the aft steps.

Sounds interesting? Call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site, and tell us about your plans.

To show how last minute some charters can be, at around 11:00 am on Christmas Eve we received confirmation that 5 guests had flights into St. Martin and wanted to charter a nice yacht starting Friday, December 26th.

These dates are always difficult, even when booking months ahead, but we managed to find him Campai, a beautiful 72′ monohull which was ideal for this client and his family. She was unfortunately in Antigua, so the yacht needed to provision quickly and the three crew had to start sailing that night to get to St. Martin in time for the charter.

It was therefore imperative to get each guest’s food preferences to the boat as quickly as possible. The last one was received and on its way by 1:03 pm. Our clients receive a nice printed booklet with separate food preferences for each guest in the party, but though not as pretty, all this information is also in the on-line preference form, which many guests end up using. It is particularly convenient when guests are scattered all over the country, as can submit their preferences individually. It is also useful when time is of the essence!

The contracts were prepared and emailed to the client’s agent by 11:46 am and the signed papers received at 2:28. The fully executed copy was returned by the yacht’s owner at 4:18 pm the same day, Christmas Eve!

The client and his family arrived 48 hours later and the captain was at the airport to meet them. They are currently sailing around the The Leeward Islands and will be in St. Barts for New Year’s Eve, which was one of his requests. We wish him, and all our readers, a happy and fruitful New Year.

A big thanks to Karen at Nicholson and to Matt and Jill on Campai - a true ‘can do’ crew. The picture shows Campai’s lovely master cabin.

We don’t recommend booking any charter this close, as we can do much more for you when we have time to talk about preferences and options. It’s nice to know however, that with all our paperwork, payment and preference services available on-line, we are fully capable of achieving the seemingly impossible.

Call us today at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site, and tell us about your plans.

Looking for a private yacht charter but don’t have a full week to spare? Amaryllis is offering a mini crewed sailing charter around St. John, in The US Virgin Islands. This 45′ Privilege Catamaran with crew, Bruce and Laura Masterson, is offering a 2-5 day USVI package with no short charter surcharge. Staying in US waters avoids clearing in and out of customs. The boat can pick up in St. Thomas or St. John so if you are looking to pair a charter with a villa or hotel stay, this is an ideal offering! St. John is 2/3 National Park and is studded with secluded anchorages, gorgeous beaches and wonderful snorkeling. Check out some of the less frequented bays on the south side, such as Great and Little Lameshur, and Salt Pond Bays (old personal favorites). There are also amazing hikes to historical ruins and the only petroglyphs found in the Virgin Islands.

Contact us today to check available dates for this great getaway! Call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site, and tell us about your plans.

New Year and Christmas have been heavily booked for months and some of the larger Catamarans have been sold out for a year, but we do have some nice options open, particularly in the $4-5,000 per person, per week range.

One of the more popular 80′ monohulls is still open in The British Virgin Islands for a party of 6.

The 76′, 10 passenger catamaran Zingara is one of the most luxurious charter yachts of her type available anywhere. Her holiday charter, which was booked months ago, had to cancel this week. She is open for Christmas but already has a tentative booking for New Year, which we can challenge if you can move quickly! They don’t get much better than this.

The 67′ Catamaran Marmot has also had a cancellation. She has four cabins but is really more comfortable for just six guests.

Smaller and mid-size sailboats are tougher to find, although there are more monohulls than cats available. The cost of flights over the holidays becomes more of an issue and they are difficult to get. If you missed out this year, you might want to think about booking for next year. You might be surprised by how many savvy charterers already have!

The owners of larger luxury Motor Yachts often announce their holiday charter plans much closer to the season, so availability is currently much better than for crewed sailing charters, but of course prices are considerably higher. Most are based in St. Martin or Antigua.

If you are considering a last minute Holiday Charter, don’t wait. Call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site, and tell us about your plans.

We occasionally hear from clients interested in exploring the Turks & Caicos. This beautiful cruising ground, just a short 2 hour flight from Fort Lauderdale, consists of 8 main islands and more than 20 smaller islands, with over 230 miles of beach front. The area has also been rated by some, as one of the top 10 Scuba diving destinations in the world.

There are relatively few yachts who charter here, but Arabella, the 160 schooner has added another trip to this destination after their first cabin-charter cruise to the Turks & Caicos sold out!  This trip will be held from May 30th - June 5th. She books charters by the cabin and rates for staterooms vary from $1050 - $1750 per person (based on double occupancy).

If you are interested in getting more information on this chance to charter in a new cruising ground, call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site, and tell us about your plans. .

ALOHA MALOLO, the 65 foot custom crewed charter yacht, is joining the Green Movement and offering a low ecological impact charter.  Guests looking for a more planet friendly cruise, without the sound of a generator, will be impressed that Eric and Evelin power their batteries with solar panels and wind. All produce and meats are bought from local sources when possible and they double filter their water so that guests do not feel they have to drink from disposable plastic bottles.

Unlike many US or British Virgin Islands based boats, Aloha Malolo spent the summer chartering in The San Blas Islands, off Panama. Their guests enjoyed plenty of live lobster and crab, deserted palm fringed islands with picture perfect white sandy beaches and lots of smiling faces!
They have made many improvements to the boat, including three additional opening hatches in the staterooms, new upholstery, new canvas, new dinghy, a new tapered queen bed in the forward stateroom (she has four queen beds now), newly painted decks, new over-sized fishing gear, bigger TV, 70 more DVD movies (almost 600 DVD’s total), new sound system, which is ipod compatible, new hammock and sun awning, 8 sets of new gear for scuba diving, new watermaker and a lot more.

Ask us for details of this and other fine charter yachts. We’ll help you find the one that’s right for you. Call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site, and tell us about your plans.