Yacht charter trends, events and news Ed Hamilton & Company
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	An article written by our staff and featured in The Charter Connection REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS! by Gordon June 2005 Keep in mind that bareboats often do 30 plus weeks of charter a year, the equivalent of many years' private use. Unless she is only a few months old, your boat will not look brand new, but should be clean, well kept, with all equipment onboard and working. Boats are inherently unreliable things, so breakdowns can and do occur. The real test of a good company is how quickly they respond to a problem. If you have a breakdown, try to plan some other kind of activity so the day is not lost. It is unreasonable to ask the charter company for a full refund of down time just because the water pump failed, a sail tears or the batteries go flat. If you are seriously inconvenienced, companies will generally compensate you, providing you reported the problem and gave them a chance to fix it. Companies rarely give cash refunds, but you generally get more by taking free days against a future charter anyway. Make sure you give all the facts to the charter manager before you leave and if you feel that the company has not treated you fairly, let us know so we can go to bat for you. It is worth noting that a boat's condition and a company's service should be relative to the charter fee paid. If you are paying top dollar then expect the best, but it is unfair to compare a budget company with one charging substantially more. Return to the Charter Connection home page Receive new articles by E-mail   Return to our Main Site Sign up to receive notification and a brief summary of new articles by e-mail. We will e-mail you short highlights of new articles as they are added to the magazine. Subscribe Un-subscribe   Return to BAREBOAT Pages. Return to CREWED Boat Pages. Return to NEWSLETTER Home Page. Need help finding your way around? Click on the site directory . See where you have been and the best places to go next! Your Suggestions   How to contact us We are always interested in new ideas for our newsletter. If you have any suggestions, special concerns or comments, fill out one of our Suggestion Forms.   Ed Hamilton & Company 37 Washington St., Wiscasset, ME 04578 Call Toll Free 1-800-621-7855 in the Continental U.S. & Canada Tel (207) 882-7855 / Fax (207) 882-7851 Request literature or contact us via E-MAIL We look forward to helping you plan your vacation.