The Charter Connection Blog

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.

This month’s ‘Charter Connection‘ Newsletter, which was emailed to subscribers last week, included an article describing the many different yacht charter destinations around the world. Readers were invited to vote on any cruising grounds they had visited on either a crewed yacht or bareboat charter and for the purpose of this vote, these areas were divided into the following categories:

BVI / US Virgin Islands, Leeward Islands, Grenadines, Western Caribbean, Bahamas / Florida, Western Mediterranean, Croatia, Greek Islands, Turkey, New England, Pacific Islands, New Zealand / Australia and Asia

You can view the initial results as they start to come in. It seems that most people only voted on their favorites, which they naturally rated as a ‘3′, so there are some ‘perfect scores’. We expect this to change as more people vote.

If you haven’t voted yet, feel free to do so, and if you only voted for your top choice, we’d love to hear about those other areas you visited and how you felt they compared.

You can also vote on the past surveys we have run, accessed via the results page. It is always satisfying to see a surge of votes come in after each ‘Charter Connection’ mailing, some for articles over a year old! For this reason we keep all articles open and update the results as they change.

If you would like us to describe any of these beautiful cruising grounds or the fine charter yachts that sail there, call us at 800 621 7855, or email us, or visit The Ed Hamilton & Co website.

We are particularly pleased to welcome back Geoff and Bambi Alexander, crew of ‘Alexis‘. Catamarans tend to be expensive for just two guests, but this 38′ Admiral is a perfect choice for a couple, though she can actually accommodate up to 4 guests in her two double cabins. ‘Alexis’ charters in the BVI and US Virgin Islands at a very reasonable inclusive charter fee - $6500 for two guests and $7900 for four. This South African crew offers high quality dining, conversation and hospitality. If you are interested in receiving more information about ‘Alexis’ and her crew, or any other private yacht charters, please email Ed Hamilton & Co or go to our website.

The British Virgin Island Port Tax, which has been causing so much heated debate, has been shelved, at least for now. Crewed yacht charters on compliant BVI based boats would not have been affected, but charter yachts sailing in The BVI but based in other areas, such as St. Thomas and St. Martin could have been faced with substantial additional costs, which probably would have been passed on to the charterer, possibly retroactively!

In a statement released today in Tortola, The Chief Minister, The Honourable Ralph O’Neal, said that the Government had received considerable representations by local associations, maritime agents and others, both locally and abroad, and had reversed the decision ‘in an attempt to protect the Territory’s competitive edge as a yachting destination.’ Just shows that voicing one’s concerns can make a difference!

The Chief Minister also announced a 7 member focus group, which includes some local mariners, so the yachting industry is represented.

At Ed Hamilton & Co, we are of course very relieved that this crisis has been averted, at least for now. We were not looking forward to making all those phone calls to existing clients, informing them their vacation would suddenly cost several hundred dollars more! Many thanks to all those involved.

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’ve been considering a yacht charter, but high airfares have been holding you back, now may be the time to take another look. American Airlines has launched a spring sale on flights to the Caribbean. As airline sales often are, the exact details are a bit vague, but it appears that tickets must be booked by March 31st for departure by May 30th.

Despite the seemingly nebulous details, a check of midweek airfares this spring yields some prices that are simply too good to pass up:

Non-stop New York to St. Thomas - $287

Non-stop Miami to St. Thomas - $257

With Tortola and the wonders of the British Virgin Islands cruising ground a 40 minute ferry ride away, flying into St. Thomas is a completely viable option. When planning your flights, remember to factor in that the ferry stops running around 5pm, so it’s best to land by 3:30 or so.

Remember to reserve soon, airfares like this won’t last long!

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!

The USVI tourist board reminded us that Sports Illustrated Magazine recently chose St. John, in The US Virgin Islands, as the setting for the cover of the famous Swimsuit Issue - claimed to be the most widely read single issue of any magazine worldwide. We’re not sure what that says about our reading habits but it says a lot about the beauty of The Virgin Islands. Many fashion magazines and clothing stores choose The Caribbean for their photo-shoots and quite a few use charter yachts as props. We have arranged several charters for film crews and fashion catalogs - it’s interesting to watch how it is done. Perhaps this could be material for a future article in ‘The Charter Connection’?