The Charter Connection Blog

Here’s an opportunity that doesn’t come along every day! Brett and Ronnie are offering $5,000 off the listed rate for 7 night bookings on Akasha, between March 3 and 16. This is one of the few slots available in this popular boat’s calendar and they are keen to fill it. Akasha offers wonderful luxury for up to 10 guests, in 4 queen suites and a lovely master suite with a king. Brett and Ronnie are true professionals and run a first class ship.

If the cold is getting to you and you’re in the market for a big cat this winter, it doesn’t get better than this. For $4,300 per person, a party of 10 can charter this huge 76′ cat for a week, including all ‘5star’ meals, reasonable bar and some scuba diving for certified divers.

Whether you’re going for the best money can buy or looking for great value, at Ed Hamilton & Co we’ll find you the perfect yacht. Use our online form to tell us about your party so we can start suggesting some boats. You can also call us at 800 621 7855 or email us at info@ed-hamilton.com

For the month of February, ‘Silver Moon’ is offering 7 nights for the price of 6 – a 14% discount! This inexpensive 44′ cat can be chartered as captain only with half board rates, or fully inclusive with cook and all meals, but other offers (children go free etc) cannot be combined with this one. During February, a party of 6 could therefore have a weeks charter for $1257 per person, captain plus half board, or $1587 per person fully crewed with all meals.

The pristine 45′ Beneteau, ‘Honiara’ is offering a $300 discount on their regular rates for charters of 7 or more days, between February 22 and June 15, 2011, providing confirmation is no later than March 18. This shouldn’t be combined with any other specials. Pierre and Adele will be in St. Martin until mid February and could be available for a charter in the Leewards starting February 21 if given enough lead time. This is a great, inexpensive 2 pax boat. With this special, a couple could be personally wined and dined for $2800 per person, per week, including all meals and bar. Two couples would be $1850 per person.

‘Safari’ is a 44′ Lagoon cat, in spotless condition. She is taking $1,000 off the price of any ‘all inclusive’ or ‘captain only’ 7 day charters that start in February. Charters of less than 7 days can be prorated after deducting the discount, but this special cannot be combined with other discounts. For 6 guests chartering for a week in February, she would be $1,950 per person including captain, cook, all meals and open bar, or $1,450 captain only, plus all expenses. The yacht can accommodate 8 for young families, using the salon or forward cabin.

We can find you the best value in every price range. You can call us at 800 621 7855, email us at info@ed-hamilton.com, read more on the Ed Hamilton & Co website, or tell us about your plans so we can suggest some suitable boats and crews!

For most people, it’s 3 to 4 months before the boat goes back in the water. Here in Maine we’re told we are having an easier winter than states further south. We’re certainly more comfortable coping with snow, but in reality, most of us are already ready for winter to end.

Book a Caribbean yacht charter in late February or March, and when you return, the weather will be improving and splashing the boat will be a tolerable few weeks away!

Additionally the best weather in the Caribbean is traditionally in later March and April, when the trade winds have settled and are blowing steadily, but in truth the differences are small. January and February are also great times to charter, with the added bonus of getting away from the worst weather up north.

Pick up the phone before the next Nor’easter arrives. The brokers at Ed Hamilton & Co. can have you on a plane before you know it. Tell us about your group and let us suggest some great bareboat charter companies or private crewed yachts. You can call us at 800 621 7855 or email us at info@ed-hamilton.com.

Here’s a way of having an inexpensive romantic Valentine charter and renew your vows at the same time! Tim and Angela are offering a special for charters over Valentine’s Day on their lovely 46′ yacht ‘Spirit’.

In addition to all meals and open bar, they are including free champagne throughout the week (let it flow), engraved gifts, a DVD of your happy adventures above and below the water, and champagne beach picnics! On Valentines Day itself, you can join the traditional group wedding vow renewal ceremony, held just before sunset at beautiful Trunk Bay, St. John. A tropical fruit platter and (of course) champagne, will be served after the ceremony, on the beach. Also included is a tandem ride rendezvous parasail with a bird’s eye view of St. John, St Thomas and the western British Virgin Islands.
All this for a total of $5900 for two, for the week, plus gratuity. Preferred pick up is the US Virgin Islands for this special.

Feeling romantic? Ed Hamilton & Co can provide the perfect setting for any honeymoon yacht charter or celebration, so tell us your plans and call us at 800 621 7855 or send us an email at info@ed-hamilton.com.

P.S. See if you can guess the name of the beach in the photograph (hint it was taken a few years ago)! The answer is on our company FaceBook page.

There are relatively few yachts that can accommodate a large party (30 guests) in such luxury, so if you want to treat your company executives, extended family or special group to a holiday of a lifetime, consider RM Elegant. Your guests will sleep well in 15 comfortable cabins, including two luxury suites, but the main attraction is the service they will receive and the sheer size, comfort and diversity of this 237′ ship.

The enormous sun deck runs almost the full length. Enjoy the view from a deckchair or the jacuzzi, or host a party, all without another uninvited guest in sight! Guests can dine in a variety of spaces, from casual to formal. Those that feel the need can utilize the state of the art business center, while others can spend their time being pampered in her excellent spa. For the active, she has every water toy you could imagine!

RM Elegant is currently in the Caribbean, on her way to her winter home in St. Martin, but this is a yacht that can go virtually anywhere, so ask us if you have a special request. In the summer she heads back to the Mediterranean, to her base in the French Riviera. Take a look at her brochure and dream!

So much luxury for just 30 special guests is obviously not inexpensive, but if you’re looking for a business or group treat, this is top end! At Ed Hamilton & Co we specialize in finding those perfect solutions, so tell us about your plans and call us at 800 621 7855 or email us at info@ed-hamilton.com.

Christmas is only 9 days away, but we are still getting last minute requests for the holidays. Almost more surprising is that we are finding suitable boats and booking them! The savvy shoppers are booking for NEXT year, where they can get what they want before the regulars rebook for 2011/12, but if you’re looking for a last minute get away, here are some suggestions for this year. Prices are holiday rates for one week and include all meals and open bar unless stated.

Open from Dec 27 - Jan 11, Tachyon has to be a deal in the Grenadines. Jacque is joining Eric for this charter, so this week she is fully crewed for up to 6 guests, for $11,900 (reduced from $14,900).

Magpie ($8,700/2, $10,300/4)and Sudiki ($9,400/2, $12,000/4) are two other options in the Grenadines, open for both holidays.

In the British and US Virgin Islands, the popular Sandcastle ($13,420/2, $14,420/4) is open for Christmas, up to Dec 27, and Reaction ($20,000 up to 8 ), with their fun crew, is open to Dec 28.

Honiara ($8,470 up to 4) and Crystal Clear ($8,950/2, $10,950/4) are open for both holidays and Amaryllis ($9,350/2, $10,450/4, $12,100/6) is open for New Year from the 30th.

123Relax ($5,445/2, $7,150/4, $8,778/6, plus bar in Leewards) is an inexpensive option in St. Martin but she needs to finish on the 1st.

Thinking of a different New Year in the uncrowded islands of Belize? Be pampered on the exciting Gunboat 66, Gazelle ($23,100 up to 4, $25,300/6), open from the 30th.

Check into flights first, but if you can get there, we can have you celebrating in the sunshine this holiday! Email us now at Ed Hamilton & Co.

The St Thomas charter yacht show was held for the third year at Yacht Haven Grande, in Charlotte Amalie. The setting is gorgeous with the landscaped area, host of restaurants and boutique shops surrounding the docks.

Twenty-eight yachts were in attendance, and brokers could see a wide range of boats from the 46′ Hunter SPIRIT, specializing in two guest vacations, to the 56′ Marquises Catamaran, GOOD NEWS, all the way up to the 120′ Broward, M/Y FREEDOM.

I had the honor of having lunch aboard the latter, and had an outstanding meal by chef Quinn Corbett, who incidentally hails from Maine. Quinn showcased his talents well and his menu was amazing. The starter was sauteed shrimp with house smoked bacon and sweet corn, finished with white wine, fresh thyme and butter and served on southern grits.

The main course consisted of a mixed grill of chicken breast with a cranberry-orange chutney, quail with dried fruit and nut bread stuffing, Merguez sausage with traditional Harissa sauce, and a fresh goat cheese crumble, served with grilled veggies and an Israeli couscous. And just when we thought we’d eaten too much, out came the dessert. A Chef’s selection of truffles, fruit fondu, mini whoopie pies, rosemary shortbread, mini ice cream sandwiches, peanut butter cups and blondies. There were clean plates all around. FREEDOM can host up to 9 guests in 4 cabins, the Master Cabin has a King bed, there are two Queen cabins and a cabin with twin beds and a pullman.

I was also treated to lunch aboard the 54′ Lazzara, Verna Breeze. Chris and Kelly are wonderful hosts and the online brochure does not do the boat justice. This comfortable sailer features amazingly spacious, flat decks.  Kelly prepared prosciutto wrapped asparagus spears, yin yan soup, and grilled lobster.  Dessert was grilled pineapple with dipping sauce. Stellar. VERNA BREEZE is a great boat for a single couple or a family with one or two kids. Her master has a queen and an additional cabin offers over/under singles.

The boat show was a great success, and I had the opportunity to visit with crews and yachts I was already familiar with as well as see some exciting new options for charter. Email us or give us a call at 800 621 7855, and we can help you find the perfect yacht and crew for your vacation!

We have talked to many friends in the islands and most of the news is positive. Power is gradually being restored and things are getting back to normal. There is however little news coming from Anegada which seems to have been affected the most, with flooding, several damaged buildings and many docks unusable. On Tortola, quite a few trees are down and vegetation damaged, but with all that sunshine everything grows back quickly and the island will look much the same in a few weeks. Bomba’s Shack will need to be rebuilt again, but being largely built of driftwood, he is used to doing this and it won’t be long before the full moon parties resume.

Thank you Tanya for permission to use your photographs. I particularly liked the one of Paraquita Bay. Few people know what goes into safeguarding all those bareboats when a storm threatens. Paraquita Bay has a narrow entrance and is not a popular charter destination but it has long been a hurricane refuge. The entrance has since been dredged, but in the early days we sometimes had to heel the boats over to get them in and then each bareboat company would try to anchor their yachts to avoid them hitting others.

As the top picture shows, much has changed. The companies have permanent storm moorings bow and stern, so more boats can be accommodated and damage between boats (always the biggest problem) is minimized. Companies often leave much of their fleet here through late August, September and October, which are traditionally slow, but once they move out, Paraquita is filled with empty rows of white mooring balls!

The first time we used Paraquita Bay in 1973, I remember a white knuckled Charley Carey, with his entire Moorings fleet safely inside, hoping that the heavy storm surge didn’t permanently seal up the entrance!

The second picture is of Maya Cove and the third of Beef Island, during the hurricane. To see more pictures and larger copies of these, visit our Facebook page.

Earl hasn’t finished quite yet and we are getting ready for him all the way up in Wiscasset, Maine! He’s due here Friday night and Saturday morning!