The Charter Connection Blog

We are heading back to the Cyclades Islands of Greece. Compared to Turkey and the Saronic Gulf, this area involves much more open sailing and winds can be particularly strong later in the summer. As the photographs show however, the weather we are having for this trip is just beautiful, with temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s. May and September are excellent months to visit these islands. The two most famous are Mykonos, which is everyone’s idea of what a Greek island should look like (small white box shaped houses with blue doors and curved edges) and Santorini, which is nothing like anything you have ever seen.

We have always said that if you like wild (expensive) nightlife and don’t mind all the trimmings and prices that come with the jet set,  then you will love Mykonos.  Be warned that we found some stores selling jewelry at twice and even three times the prices back in the US.  By local law, all residential buildings have to be the same design and while this keeps the traditional character, the sheer number of mostly holiday houses that have now been built on the island can make one wish for more variety. Having said that, the island is a photographer or artist’s dream and the narrow streets in the main town of Mykonos are very pretty. We just feel it is all a bit commercial.

Santorini is very different, but while it is on everyone’s list, it is actually quite hard to visit on charter. The islands are all that still shows of the rim of a sunken volcano, so the water in the center is extremely deep and there are few places to anchor. When the wind gets up, there are strong downdrafts and little protection, so some bareboat charter companies ask that you keep a crew member on the boat at all times, which can take away from the enjoyment. This is not as much of a problem for a private crewed charter, and we have sometimes used Santorini or Mykonos as a finishing port, allowing guests to spend a few days on the island after their charter.

Fira, the main town of Santorini, sits on the ridge. To say the view is spectacular is of course an understatement. The town is lively, with many narrow streets filled with stores, restaurants and nightclubs, but the atmosphere is more relaxed. Unlike many other islands, the town and even tourism, are relatively recent. Remember this is an active volcano (the last eruption was in 1950), but visitors should not be concerned as today these things are accurately forecast. There is an excellent ferry service from Athens and several nearby islands (and even a small airport), so you can visit Santorini before or after your holiday.

Santorini is the name given to the whole group of islands formed by this sunken volcano, but if you have trouble finding it in the atlas, look for Thira, which is the name of the main island and is sometimes more prominently marked.

Much of the Mediterranean can get crowded in July and August but the weather can also become unpredictable in the Cyclades during these months, with strong Meltemi winds, which is an additional reason to try to sail here in May and June, or September and early October, rather than at the height of the season. When chartering in the summer, your itinerary might well depend on the weather and in extreme conditions, boats can be ordered by the port authority to stay in the harbor. Keeping things flexible is therefore important. Ed Hamilton & Co can give you first hand advice when chartering in the Cyclades or any of the Greek Islands.

For lovers of modern boats built along traditional lines, they don’t get much prettier than the 57′ Bruce King designed cutter Saskianna. She’s offering lower rates if you book her in New England before June 15th. $8,500 for 2, plus expenses.

Email us for more details on Saskiana, or ask us to suggest some other private yacht charters in New England. There are also other specials and more information on the Ed Hamilton & Co website.

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.

Our clients have been particularly happy with the “Tahiti Twosome” program. This is an economical way for a couple to experience magical Polynesia and is a real step up from a simple bareboat charter with skipper. The focus is on couples and honeymooners, sailing on a nice one way itinerary from Raiatea to Bora Bora.

The package is based on a Tahiti Yacht Charters Lagoon 380 catamaran, and includes all meals (except 2 evening dinners), table wine with meals, 2 kayaks, floating sun mats, snorkeling gear, a complimentary Tahitian massage at the Deep Ocean Spa of the Intercontinental Bora Bora, plus a Skipper who is not only your host, but who also does the cooking.

Your skipper will either be Polynesian or a French ex-patriot who has been sailing Tahiti for years. Their ages range from 28 to 50, all are passionate sailors and experienced hosts, and of course fluent in English. Your skipper will be chosen based on the personalities and interests in your group; while this isn’t quite the level of crew matching offered by a fully crewed charter, it offers a great advantage over a bareboat with a completely unknown skipper.

The 6 night/7 day itinerary takes you through the 4 major islands that make up the Leeward Islands of the Societies, starting at Raiatea, sailing on to Tahaa, then to Huahine, and ultimately to Bora Bora, where you disembark on your final day. Activities can include visiting a vanilla plantation, dinner while watching Polynesian fire dancers at a pearl farm (dinners ashore extra), coral gardens, glorious snorkeling, with many types of sea life, including manta rays, visiting a black pearl farm (yes you can buy directly), deserted ‘motus’ with miles of incredible sandy beaches and sunsets you will never forget.

With the addition of a cook, this program is also adaptable to larger groups of couples or families, or if you would like all of your meals on board. The pricing starts at $3,450 per person for the standard Tahiti Twosome package.

The Tahitian Government places many restrictions on private charter yachts who wish to use these islands as a base, so unlike the Caribbean, there are very few smaller private crewed yachts available for charter. The rules are different for the bareboat charter companies, which is why TYC is able to do this. We think their program fits the gap nicely, offering a reasonably priced vacation with more personal service than a regular skippered bareboat. While these are not private boats with full time personal skippers, we can discuss your interests and requirements to tailor your cruise.

This program is very adaptable, so email us or tell us what you are looking for using our online form and we will help you plan your vacation. We know the area well. There is also more information on the Ed Hamilton & Co site and of course more luxurious options available. We look forward to helping you arrange a private vacation or a honeymoon yacht charter like none other.

Photo credits for this page: All photographs were taken by David Kirkland who owns the copyright. They were supplied by Tahiti Yacht Charters and are used with permission. They may not be reproduced without permission from the photographer/owner.

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.

Several private crewed yachts are offering Caribbean specials this winter season. For example, Stenella, the popular 63′ Richleigh monohull, is offering $1000 off for a 4 Pax, 7 night charter taken in the month of February ($1500 for a 6 pax). This interesting monohull was designed specifically for charter and has three almost equal cabins. She is based in the British Virgin Islands.

Texas Star is again offering an excellent discount for charters taken before March 31st, 2010. Her regular rate of $38,500 is reduced to $29,500 plus expenses for this period, which is an amazing price for a 105′ Azimut. Marco and Robin head this great crew. Wonderful service, fabulous value.

Check out some other discounts on our ’specials page’.

Now’s the time to plan your winter get away. Call us at 800 621 7855, email us, check out the Ed Hamilton & Co site or tell us about your plans and we will send you a selection of crewed yacht charter suggestions.