The Charter Connection Blog

The Moorings kept a fleet for many years at the beautiful Secret Harbor Resort, on the south coast of Grenada. They closed this some time ago, but have just announced they will be opening a base in the new Port Louis Marina. Old timers will remember the somewhat run down Grenada Yacht Services Marina, in the lagoon just south of the main town of St Georges. This has been bought out by Camper and Nicholson and replaced with a new marina aimed at megayachts. The lovely marina, with pool, bar and restaurants, is mostly completed, but much of the surrounding area, which is being developed by Peter de Savary, is still in the planning stages. Guests can take a short ferry ride across to the center of town, and there are also US style supermarkets for provisioning nearby.

Grenada is below the normal hurricane route, but the lagoon is also particularly well protected from storms, which is a big bonus for bareboat fleet operators and the owners of the megayachts that plan to base their boats there.

When sailing in the Grenadines, it is important to remember the direction of the prevailing winds. Heading north from Grenada to Carriacou, and the popular islands of the Grenadines, involves sailing into the wind and seas. These can be considerable in the winter, particularly in the open sea just north of Grenada. It is not generally a good idea to visit the Grenadines from Grenada, but doing a one way the other way, starting in the islands and finishing in Grenada (which Moorings offers for around $1,100) is a different story. Once in the lee of Grenada you might run out of wind and have to motor, but if you particularly want to visit Grenada, rather than spend the whole time in the Grenadines, this is an easy trip and one we often recommend, particularly to our crewed clients.

Another option for anyone starting out of Grenada, is to head south. There are virtually no anchorages along the western side of the island, which is generally steep to, but the southern coast has many bays and beaches. It is even possible to explore some of the eastern (windward) coast but this is generally best left to crewed boats. If you have sailed the Grenadines several times, the south coast might be a nice (though smaller) alternative. Grenada itself is a fascinating island and taking a taxi to visit some of the interior forests, distilleries and sites is well worthwhile. Horizon Yacht Charters also has a bareboat base in Grenada, at True Blue Bay, conveniently located on the southern coast. They will deliver a yacht to the Grenadines for charterers looking for a one way charter, for an additional charge.

Moorings has a base in St. Lucia, so a one way to Grenada is possible, but we would recommend taking more than a week if starting this far north. There are excellent flights into St. Lucia (and Grenada), but starting from Marigot involves a relatively long sail across open water to reach the southern end of St. Vincent, Bequia, the Tobago Cays and the other attractions of this lovely cruising ground. Moorings also has a base in Canouan, but now that American Eagle has stopped flights to the island, getting there is not as easy, plus the base is in a very unprotected anchorage. Apart from this, Canouan is a very convenient starting point to see the highlights of the area. St. Vincent is another good starting port, both for crewed and bareboat charters.

We know these islands extremely well and have been booking charters here for almost 30 years. You can contact us at info@ed-hamilton.com, find more Grenadines information on the Ed Hamilton & Co website, or tell us your plans so we can send you some boat and itinerary suggestions.

SVG Airlines announced new scheduled flights into St. Lucia’s Hewanorra airport, which will connect with many international carriers. There are two airports in St. Lucia and it is not practical to transfer between them. Traditionally many of the commuter airlines flew out of the northern airport, Vigie Fields, so these new flights will make getting to the smaller islands in the Grenadines even easier. SVG now runs flights from Hewanorra to St. Vincent, Bequia and Canouan. They can also arrange charter flights to any island. Their fleet ranges from smaller Cessnas etc to Twin Otters and smaller jets (used mainly for charter flights).

Winair also announced they are resuming service into the British Virgin Islands, from St. Martin and Antigua. Flights are timed to connect with major trans Atlantic air carriers such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. The St. Maarten service will also connect with several US cities such as Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago and New York. There will be 21 flights between Tortola, St. Maarten and Antigua each week, using Jet Stream aircraft which carry 19 passengers. Winair enjoys privileges with several airlines enabling passengers to often check their baggage through to their final destination.

We are full service brokerage and can help you with all aspects of your yacht charter. Email us for more information, check out the Ed Hamilton & Co website, or ask us to suggest some crewed or bareboat options to start planning your holiday.

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.

Everyone’s talking about discounts, so rather than mention every boat that’s lowered their prices, we try to feature a few to give an idea of what’s available. In reality, it’s best to pick the boats you like and crews you would enjoy being with for a week, and then try to make the price work, rather than limiting yourself to a list of specials. Time and time again, we find the ’specials’ are not always the best value. Our job is to get you the boat you will enjoy at the price you can afford.

Our featured special is Magpie II, a nice 2004 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 54DS based in St. Vincent. There are several of these boats in The British Virgin Islands, but this type of boat is harder to find in The Grenadines. Ron and Karen are offering 8 days for the price of 7 or a 10% discount for 7 day charters, through April 30th. Like many of these modern Jeanneaus, the cabin layout is very flexible. Though she generally only charters with four guests, the berths in the two aft cabins can be made up as singles or doubles and the two forward cabins can be combined to make a large master stateroom. She is also a fun boat to sail.

If you are interested in more information, call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site, and tell us about your plans.

If my previous post on the Caribbean sailing seasons didn’t sufficiently allay your fears of tropical storm systems interrupting your sailing vacation; or if you can only get away from August to October when the statistical risk of storms in the Eastern Caribbean is higher, then you may want to consider sailing the Grenadines.

The Grenadines is a magical cruising destination, and when compared with the ever popular British Virgin Islands, a relatively undiscovered one. The beauty of considering it for spring and summer sailing is that it lies south of the route that tropical storms or hurricanes generally take. While it is known to have more aggressive sailing conditions than the Virgins, (which could be said of almost anywhere!), the summer affords far more benign conditions with its more gentle winds and lack of groundswell, making it the perfect time to sail this area for the first time.

Several bareboat yacht charter companies now operate from the heart of this cruising ground: TMM, Sunsail and Barefoot Yacht Charters operate from St. Vincent; The Moorings is located in Canouan; and The Catamaran Company has recently opened a base at Union Island. If you’d prefer to start further south, Horizon Yacht Charters operates from Grenada, and also offers complimentary one way charters to Grenada, embarking at Union Island.

If crewed yacht charters are more your style, there are usually more yachts to choose from in the Grenadines during the summer months.