It’s hard to beat the outright indulgence of a Virgin Islands crewed yacht charter. Every detail is managed by a trained crew. From operating the yacht, to preparing your customized meals, you are covered. From keeping the vessel tidy and shipshape, to reading charts, all is done for you.
WANT TO ESCAPE?
But what about those times you feel the need to escape? To be alone with loved ones? Have a chance to trade polite intrusiveness with no-frills quality family time?
WHY NOT BAREBOAT?
Families who routinely enjoy luxury yacht charter vacations with a full-crew compliment can now opt to go boating in total privacy. They can choose a bareboat yacht charter.
What is bareboating? The concept is simple – just as you would rent a car to drive yourself, with some basic training, you can rent a bareboat and take the helm yourself!
WHAT IS A BAREBOAT YACHT CHARTER?
A“bareboat”is just as the name sounds. It is a boat with just the bare essentials onboard. It comes with no food, no beverages, and most noticeably, no crew. You do your own cooking and cleaning. You operate and sail the yacht, yourself.
WHERE CAN I FIND A BAREBOAT?
Fleets of bareboats can be found in nearly every location you would expect to find a fully-crewed yacht charter vessel. Virgin Islands bareboat vacations are perhaps the most common. There are hundreds of boats available for rent in both St. Thomas, USVI, and Tortola, BVI.
Both sail yachts and motor yachts can be rented. They accommodate 2 to 8 passengers. A few bareboat catamaran yachts can even accommodate up to 10 passengers.
WHO RENTS BAREBOATS?
Companies such as 1-800-BAREBOAT, the Moorings, and Sunsail specialize in arranging self-skippered charters in destinations around the world; for example, Bahamas, Florida Keys, Greece, Corsica, Sardinia, France, Cote d’azur, Tortola, Tortolla, St. Thomas, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Tonga, Miami and South Florida.
GLOBAL FLEETS
Customers can choose from a global network of monohull sailboats with brands like Beneteau, Sun Odyssey, Dufour, or Jeanneau – and multihull catamarans with brands like Fountaine Pajot, Lagoon, and Sunreef.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Basic rental prices tend to be less much expensive than those of luxury crewed yacht charter vessels, but customers need to remember they are responsible to purchase and prepare their own meals. The cost to provision the yacht must be considered when comparing this bare bones charter option to the price of a crewed yacht.
WHAT IS INVOLVED IN BAREBOATING?
Another important factor – the customer’s qualification to operate a boat.
Just as it takes skill and normally a license to operate a motor vehicle, similar rules apply to bareboats. While formal licenses are not usually necessary, a solid level of competency is necessary. The ability to read basic charts, navigate, and to set the anchor are the most important skills required to rent a bareboat.
HOW CAN I GET QUALIFIED TO BAREBOAT?
Luckily, these skills can easily be mastered, either through formal boating courses, or simply by garnering casual boating experience with your own boat or the boat of a friend or neighbor.
Popular ideas for bareboat yacht charter vacations are anniversary celebrations, family reunions (with boats sailing in tandem), couples getaways, and snorkeling adventures.
WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE CREW OR SAIL YOURSELF?
So before you plan your next tropical odyssey, give some thought and compare bareboat vacations to crewed charters – one of them will surely be the right choice for you, your family, and friends!
Newly built Benetti motor yachtCHECKMATE, fresh from her inaugural stint in the summer 2013 Mediterranean yacht charter market, has arrived in Fort Lauderdale, in preparation for the upcoming winter season.
VIRGIN ISLANDS YACHT CHARTER
Unlike similar-sized yachts that relocate to the Caribbean to offer Virgin Island yacht charter vacations, M/Y CHECKMATE will be based in Nassau and seek Bahamas yacht charter bookings through May, 2014.
BENETTI VISION 145
Launched earlier this year in Italy, she is the 15th vessel built in the fabled shipyard’s Vision series of semi-custom yachts. The Benetti Vision 145 yacht CHECKMATE now joins the many Benetti yacht charter vessels currently in service, such as motor yacht MINE GAMES, and James Bond yacht, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER .
ACCOMMODATIONS
Five guest staterooms are available onboard. For instance, a master cabin on the main deck, featuring a King bed. In addition, ensuite baths featuring his and hers bathrooms. Next, below deck are four spacious cabins with accommodations for 8 additional passengers. These cabins contain two Pullman berths, suitable for small children.
FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW
The 45 meter yacht made her public American debut at the 2013 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, with newly-appointed Captain Phillip Nash onboard for the winter season. At the conclusion of the show, the Italian superyacht repositioned to the Bahamas.
Her owner then plans to send her north next summer. Specifically, to participate in the New England Martha’s Vineyard yacht charter market.
RATE
Weekly rates begin at $200,000 per week, plus all expenses.
“We live in the USA. I’ve been told crewed catamaran charters are the best way to enjoy a yachting vacation in the Virgin Islands. Do you have any suggestions as to the most convenient, best airports? Jenny S.“
ANSWER
Hi Jenny. We are thrilled to hear about your plans – a travel writer once described a Caribbean sailing yacht charter as, “One of the top five vacations in the world!”
If you wish to explore the US Virgin Islands (USVI), then the Cyril E. King International Airport (airport code: STT), inSt.Thomas is your best bet.
ANSWER CONTINUES
Note: There is also an airport in St. Croix, the Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport, St. Croix (STX). However, very few catamaran and sailboat rental companies operate from St. Croix, as there are very few calm anchorage areas.
So who flies into STT (St. Thomas)? As to major airlines flying from the United States to Saint Thomas, Delta has flights to Saint Thomas Cyril E King, American Airlines has flights to STT Cyril E King, and US Airways has flights to Saint Thomas Cyril E King International Airport. You’ll find both direct flights as well as connecting flights through San Juan, Puerto Rico in the Spanish Virgin Islands.
NOW WHAT?
Now that you know HOW to get there, here are three crewed catamaran sailing yachts available for charter in the Virgin Islands.Sunreef 70 catamaran MUSE
The 2013Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, October 31-Nov 4, 2013, has drawn to a close. Picture-perfect weather brought out record numbers of boating enthusiasts.
54th ANNUAL
The 54th installment of the annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, FLIBS, covers six locations and over 3 million square feet of space. Exhibits range from yacht builders and designers, to exotic cars and brokerage yachts. A variety of boats are on display, both in water and on land – runabouts, center consoles, cabin cruisers, skiffs, sailing yachts, tenders, superyachts, megayachts, powerboats, catamarans, and monohull sailboats.
Of course the star attractions each year remain the extraordinary superyacht vessels that dominate the Caribbean yacht charter marketplace each winter.
“For us, FLIBS represents the launch of the winter charter season,” says Jana Sheeder , President of SailAway Yacht Charters and 1-800 Yacht Charters. “This is our chance to introduce our clients to the winter season’s best options for Florida yacht charter vacations. Additionally, many of these yachts will consider relocating to the nearby islands to accept Bahamas yacht charter bookings.”
In addition to the hundreds of yachts on display, Sheeder points out the show is the perfect venue for inspecting and testing the hottest new watertoys.
“If we see a ‘must have’ toy that we feel will enhance the charter experience for our clients, we’ll be the first to promote it to the charter yacht owners. There is truly something for everyone at FLIBS.”
As the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season draws to a close, a number of sleek, stylish, and modern sailing charter vessels are making their way from ports around the world – to take their positions in the islands for the upcoming Caribbean yacht charter season.
MILK RUN TIME
November is the month many yachts make the “Milk Run,” sailing across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe to the Caribbean.As in years past, the Virgin Island yacht charter fleet is expected to dominate the market in terms of the number of available yachts for hire, especially in the category of crewed catamaran charters. Yachts such as Lagoon 620 catamaran yacht
ST. THOMAS WELCOMES THE YACHTS
THE CURE, and Sunreef 62 catamaran,TAHAA II are already in position to accept reservations (how does a Welcome to 2014 yacht charter vacation sound???).While the St. Thomas yacht charter market in the USVI, and the Tortola yacht charter market in the BVI are quite sizeble in terms of small to mid-size yachts, a large contingent of sail superyachts will choose the deeper water of the Leeward Islands for their winter base. The St Martin yacht charter fleet and the St Barts fleets are expected to include the following mega yacht charter stalwarts. For instance, 203 foot sail yacht ATHOS – 198 foot sail yacht KOKOMO – and 183 foot Perini Navi yacht PANTHALASSA
WHEN IS THE CARIBBEAN SAILING FLEET ARRIVING?
The Caribbean sailing yacht fleet will be in place from early December, 2013 through April, 2014.
Management announces the sale of the 68 meter motor yacht KISMET. She is a staple in the French yacht charter marketplace. Built in 2007, she features the charter-friendly layout ofEspen Oeino International.
INTERIOR DESIGN
The Mediterranean yacht charter superyacht boasts an Art Deco inspired interior by Reymond Langton Design. It includes black granite floors, mirrored ceilings, spiral staircase, and glass elevator. Talk about opulence! All baths feature Baccarat crystal and Sardinelli fixtures and fittings. The sinks have gold leaf scrolling.
ACCOMMODATIONS
The yacht accommodates 12 guests in 1 master stateroom, a VIP cabin, and 4 double guest cabins.
HER REPLACEMENT
Motoryacht Kismet, will be replaced in the charter market by another yacht. She is the new 94 meter (308 foot) Lürssen yacht Kismet II, scheduled to be available in 2014.
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