The Charter Connection Blog

The last few days we have been visiting Turkey. The cruising ground is between Bodrum and Gocek, on the southwest coast. Several major bareboat charter companies have bases here. The popular crewed boats are the local gulets, although there are some more conventional yachts available.

Your money goes further in Turkey than in any of the popular Mediterranean cruising grounds. The people are incredibly friendly, the crime rate is the lowest in Europe and the scenery is spectacular. There are some wonderful archaeological sites in this cruising area, including the Roman city at Caunos, but many people combine a charter with a visit to the magnificent Roman ruins at Ephesus, a short ride north by private coach/taxi.

Almost all routes home involve flying through Istanbul and if you have time, it’s well worth spending a night or two in this unique city. Straddling Europe and Asia either side of the Bosphorus, its people, its architecture, religion, everything, is a fascinating mixture of east and west.

We hope that when you decide to plan your charter, you will contact Ed Hamilton & Co. It costs no more to use our services and our knowledge of both boats and cruising grounds can make all the difference to your holiday. Incidentally, we take our own photographs and all pictures on this Med trip were taken by Ed.

We have headed east to Greece and the Saronic Gulf. Most people will fly into Athens and many will spend at least a night in the city. There are certainly plenty of sights to see, including the Acropolis, but the city cannot expand because of the surrounding hills and is very crowded. It can also be very hot in the summer. If you are passionate about history you will love it but others might be ready to get out to the islands. Piraeus, which is the closest port and where the bareboat and crewed charters often start from, is very commercial and not an ideal place to start a charter. We would suggest taking one of the excellent fast ferries from Piraeus to the Saronic or Cyclades Islands and begin the charter in a more central and beautiful area.

The Saronic Gulf offers easy sailing, more protection and some beautiful islands. Because it is close to Athens, many boat owners from the city visit these islands, particularly on summer weekends.

The charter agents at Ed Hamilton & Co can help plan your vacation, from the best time to charter to the best islands to see.

We are now on the other side of the Adriatic, in northern Croatia. We looked at many different charter yachts based in Split. Two were getting ready to receive our clients!

Split is an interesting mixture of modern marinas and ancient history. There is a Roman palace in the center of town, right on the waterfront. This was built by one of the Caesars in 293 AD, for his retirement. The original outside walls are still standing, though much of what is inside is more recent.

Further up the coast, Trogir is a pretty port and can be a better choice for starting a crewed charter. It’s closer to the airport and less commercial, though the docks can get crowded in the summer, particularly when several megayachts moor along the waterfront.

The many off-islands along the coast from north of Split, all the way to Dubrovnik in the south, are what make this area such a great cruising ground. They vary from barren but spectacular uninhabited rocks, to large islands with several villages, farms and a thriving community. Split and (magnificent) Dubrovnik are the two charter centers. You can start and finish in either one, or do a one way between them. Both have small airports with plenty of connecting flights to larger cities. For crewed boats that cannot start and finish in Croatia (which is normally the case), consider starting in Montenegro, just to the south.

Ed Hamilton & Co can advise you on starting/finishing ports and itineraries, for your particular group.

We are taking 16 days to re-visit some of the popular charter destinations in the Eastern Mediterranean, starting in N.E. Italy. Venice is like no other city in the world and is well worth a visit. There are some bareboat companies based here and you can start your crewed charter from the city, but any attractions outside the lagoon are a long sail away. We would therefore generally suggest visiting Venice before or after your charter, unless you are chartering a large motor yacht or taking a particularly long vacation, or the boat you wish to charter cannot start and finish in Croatia (many can’t).

The original Venetian settlers built their city on swampy islands off the Italian Coast, to avoid being attacked by the ‘Barbarians’ on the mainland. There are no cars beyond the bus terminal at the end of the bridge connecting the city to the shore, so all transportation is by water taxis or larger water buses. A 24 hour pass on the water buses for all routes is about 15 Euros. Smaller ferries take you to your hotel, or to get around in style, you can rent a gondola or a private water taxi (around 80 Euros for most routes in a taxi. A gondola costs about the same for a 40 minute ride). Art is everywhere, but for those people looking for more, you can buy a single pass for many different museums and galleries. The more expensive shops and restaurants are around Piazza San Marco, but as you head toward Rialto Bridge and beyond, prices get more reasonable.

From Venice, you can fly or take a ferry to Croatia (our next stop), for your charter. Ed Hamilton & Co can help you plan an itinerary to fit your specific requirements.

Another great special that just came across our desk - Motoryacht Monte Carlo will not be going to the Mediterranean and will be staying in Florida. She is available for charters in the Bahamas and has reduced her rate to $65,000/week plus all (from $85,000) for charters booked by March 31st and taking place in April and May this year.

We would be happy to send you details of this nice 130′ Amels. Email us if a discounted charter in the Bahamas sounds interesting this spring, which is considered the best time to visit these islands. For other luxury motor yacht charters, ask us to suggest some other suitable yachts or look for more specials on the Ed Hamilton & Co website.

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.

This picture of the Antigua Show at night, taken by Lucy Tulloch (thank you Jim Long, Caribbean Boating) gives a different view of this incredible show. With enough generating power to light a small town, the yachts illuminated the night Antigua sky and were visible for miles around. Of the almost 100 yachts in the show, more than half were over 100 feet and almost 30% over 150. The largest was 270 feet. This show has always attracted magnificent superyachts, but this year was a record. No hint of recession here.

Our brokers had 5 days to inspect these beautiful yachts and it was hard work. As usual, we all took copious notes on each boat, captain and chef, to try to decide which yachts would be most suitable to present to our clients. These shows are so important to us and we take them seriously, though sampling some of the fabulous meals the chefs offer is a nice bonus.

This was one of the best Antigua shows we have attended, which is very encouraging. The winter Caribbean yacht charter season is shaping up nicely and there is every indication that 2010 will be a big improvement over 2009!

We would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year. Perhaps, while the family is all together, this is also a good time to plan that winter getaway to the British Virgin Islands or the Grenadines, or a summer charter in the Mediterranean - fascinating Turkey, Croatia, the coast of Italy, or maybe the Greek Islands. Email us, call us at 800 621 7855, check out the Ed Hamilton & Co web site or tell us about the holiday you have in mind so we can suggest some yachts. We will be standing by!