The Charter Connection Blog

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.

Congratulations Aaron, Shannon, Michael, Stuart, Alyssa, Edyta, Kicki, Peachy, Scott and Kim. This fine crew from the yacht ‘Four Wishes’ won the ‘Best Charter Crew For Yachts Over 40 Meters’ award in Monaco recently.

The award was accepted by First Officer Shannon Nicholson. This is the second time Shannon has accepted an award for ‘Four Wishes’ at The Monaco Yacht Club. In 2005, Captain Aaron Clark won the award for ‘Best Charter Captain’. The awards are based on comments received from guests and brokers during the summer in The Mediterranean.

The 144′ luxury motor yacht ‘Four Wishes’ charters in The Caribbean during the winter months. She is fully booked for the holidays but is accepting charters for selected weeks this season.

Ed Hamilton & Co has booked four very successful charters on ‘Four Wishes’ in the last nine months - a significant portion of her total number of charters. We take great pains to find the best boats and crews for our clients and it is nice to have this confirmed by this award.

If you are looking for a luxury megayacht charter and would like to discuss ‘Four Wishes’ or any of the other fine yachts we can offer, please call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site, and tell us about your plans.

The 96′ luxury motor yacht Bermuda IV has four spaces open on a scuba charter August 9 - 14, 2008, sailing around Bermuda. At this late date, they are willing to reduce the rate by $600 per person for the remaining cabins. The discounted cost of the 5 day charter is $2,400 per person. This is all inclusive - there are no hidden costs (besides airfare and a tip for the crew). Even if you are not keen on scuba diving, there’s plenty to do. See St. Georges, Dockyard, Hamilton and Mangrove Bay. Bermuda is only a two hour flight from the East Coast. We know this luxurious boat and crew well and can certainly recommend her. See Emily’s Tortola charter on her in our newsletter.

Contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site or email us if you are interested.

The Marmaris Show is one of the most enjoyable Crewed Yacht Charter Shows. The rows of Turkish gulets confirm that this country is different, but one is also immediately aware of so much genuine goodwill. Boat owners and crews in Turkey really do want to encourage overseas visitors and take a genuine interest in everyone. Yes, of course shop keepers are keen to sell their wares, from carpets to ice creams, but they have learned that this can be done with kindness. Taking a cup of tea with a shop owner is often an expected part of the process, whether buying or not. This is not just a sales ploy - it is a mark of respect and friendship, and often occurs even when nothing is to be gained. Another lesson for the western world is how Turkish families look after each other, including less fortunate family members. We never saw any homeless people on the streets and no one asked us for money. American clients in particular are often initially concerned about traveling to Turkey for their vacation, but not only is this popular cruising ground one of the best values in The Mediterranean, it is also one of the friendliest.

The Charter Yacht Show started with a party in Marmaris Castle, overlooking the harbor. The setting couldn’t have been more romantic, particularly when the Turkish trio (piano, accordion and violin) started playing Carlos Gardel’s Tango, used in the film ‘The Scent of a Woman’, just as the sun set!

It takes many people to make a show successful, but Chem Boz and his New Zealand wife, Vicky, deserve special mention. They are based right in Marmaris and could not have been more helpful.
There were 55 yachts in the show. Most were locally built gulets - traditional wooden craft suited to this area. Standards, build quality, and prices vary enormously. Some of the more recent yachts have become very luxurious with little emphasis on the sailing, but we also enjoyed seeing some of the older, more original designs, such as ‘Timer’. There were also some excellent motorsailers, which are not traditional gulets but have somewhat similar lines. The 12 berth ‘Blue Capricorn’ was a particularly nice example and at around 8,400 Euros ($13,500) per week (May, September and October), plus expenses, offered excellent value for a yacht of this caliber and standard of service.

At the top end, the 12 berth ‘Mare Nostrum’ was exquisite and at around 40,000 Euros ($64,000) per week plus expenses, was priced 20,000 Euros less than some boats that were not as nice. The reason for this ‘lower’ price? The owner wanted to keep her affordable for the clients on his previous, less expensive yacht. Expect prices to rise.

For those interested in more conventional sailing yachts, there were also some nice monohulls in the 50 to 60 foot range.

Call (800 621 7855), email or request literature from the Ed Hamilton & Co website if you would like information on these yachts, or any of the many other crewed private yacht charters or bareboat charters we offer.

The show ended with a party at the upscale Maris Resort. The yacht ‘Trinity I’ provided stylish transportation to the waterfront restaurant. Incidentally this was another yacht that left an impression - a good, economical choice for those considering luxury motor yacht charters.

Following so closely after Poros, which incidentally was another fabulous show, it was very noticeable how much less expensive crewed sailing charters are in Turkey. Some comparable boats cost more than twice the price in the Greek Islands. The coast of Turkey offers wonderful cruising and some of the best archaeological sites in the Mediterranean (Ephesus, Dalyan etc.), but for those that want to visit Greek Islands, it is not difficult to cruise the Dodecanese while still starting and finishing in Turkey, and taking advantage of the lower prices. The best time to visit the area is from mid May to the end of June and from September to mid October. It’s best to avoid July and particularly August, when The Aegean can become too hot, too crowded and too windy.

Contact us - we would be happy to help you plan an Aegean vacation for this Fall!

If you’re looking for a getaway that’s not too far away and offers some spectacular scuba diving, why not consider Bermuda? Only 2 hours from most East Coast hubs, Bermuda features beautiful beaches and healthy reefs. The 96 foot luxury motor yacht Bermuda IV charters for less than many of the hotels on the island and is the perfect place to stay. Let native Captain Mike Davis show you the sites and take advantage of scuba dive instructor Christine East’s Underwater photography courses. This luxury yacht offers several different ways to charter, be it 5 day SCUBA charters, weekend getaways, honeymoon yacht charters, day cruises or week long private charters.

For more information and pricing, email or call us (800 621 7855), or use our request literature format (please mention ‘Bermuda IV’ when requesting literature).

Many larger power yachts reposition for the spring and summer months to New England and the Mediterranean, leaving a shortage of luxury motor yachts for charter in The Caribbean. This year, SHALIMAR, a 118′ Benetti Tri Deck will be remaining in the Caribbean, taking advantage of the calm waters, sunny skies and minimal crowds. Based in Tortola, in The British Virgin Islands, she can also charter in St. Martin and any islands further south, as far as The Grenadines.

She is able to accommodate 10 guests in her 5 cabins and charters for $60,000 per week, plus expenses. Shalimar is also one of the few power yachts offering scuba diving directly from the boat, carrying 8 full sets of dive gear, a dive compressor and a nitrox mixer.

Call or email us if you would like more information on Shalimar (800-621-7855). If you would like more information on other motor yachts or crewed sailing charters, just let us know the type of private yacht charter you are looking for.

The 56′ Sea Ray ‘CENTRE COURT’ is offering a super discount from April - June 2008. 2 guests will charter for $10,800 (down from $12,000) and 4 guests are $12,800 (down from $14,000)! She can start a charter in St Thomas, US Virgin Islands or Tortola, British Virgin Islands and even St Martin in The Leeward Islands, by special arrangement. This crew is known for their hospitality and Petra’s culinary skills - even offering a menu a’la carte! Call or email us for availability (800-621-7855).

If you can go this month (March) and are considering a luxury motor yacht, NSS Pattam has the deal you have been looking for! Six guests can cruise for 7 nights on this beautiful 84′ classic DeFever for $2250 per person, including meals and bar. If you’re looking for a super private getaway, she can be chartered for $5,250 per person for just the two of you - that’s a saving of $2,125 a person! This offer is only good for March. Check with us for available dates. She’s based in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands so getting there is easy, but like all private crewed yacht charters, she can also cruise in The British Virgin Islands which are only an hour or two away. Email us, fill out a booking form or call us now - the clock is ticking!