By Jeff on 12/26/2005 1:52 PM

Well, if you've made it to today, you've survived the holidays! Woke up this morning to the typical Seattle December. Rain, 51 deg. F, and... well... more rain.

I hope all had a wonderful Christmas and holiday with good cheer shared amongst family and friends. Since birth, I alway get a little extra cheer - by birthday happens right before Christmas. On the big day (my birthday - don't ask which one), my lovely wife picked up some AMAZING croissants from a local Tom Douglas restaurant/bakery (along with an incredible coconut cream pie... coconut pie... in December... seeing a trend here? ;-)

Since I usually relate to the world through sailing or experiences I've had while around the water, the croissants sparked yet another memory. Sure, I've had them in Paris and other "typical" places. But, what I remember most (unexectedly) were fresh croissants and coffee in Tahiti while chartering there years ago. Maybe someone can help me understand from a culinary perspective why they just seem to have such a light and airy texture... From cultural perspective, there is just something about eating a sophistocated croissant while wearing wearing shorts and flip-flops anchored off of Vaitape... ;-) 

By Jeff on 12/19/2005 1:50 PM

Well, the only thing more surprising to me than this deal (links to PDF file) is the fact that it was hardly covered by the press! Apparently, Sunsail has decided to acquire Moorings. This has HUGE ramifications for the bareboat charter industry. Moorings, for 30+ years, has been seen as the leader in the business. While I realize there are some big holding companies that own Sunsail, I have to think this is a bit of a bitter pill for the Moorings folks to swallow...

How is this going to change the way Moorings does business? Does Sunsail begin gracing the mainsail covers of all Moorings boats? How do the individual owners of boats in charter for Moorings look at this?

Time will tell... In the meantime, I'm going to try to get some answers... ;-)

What do you think? Post your comments below.

By Jeff on 12/13/2005 1:49 PM

I read a recent article highlighting an interesting piece of data. Apparently, the average yacht owner uses his or her yacht about 30-33 days each year. With 52 weeks per year (or 104 weekend days), that means people use their boat for about 30% of their free weekend time. This doesn't include vacations or holidays, which would make the percentage even lower.

One option to make the total cost/day of yacht use a bit lower is through entering your boat in a charter fleet. Granted, a boat in charter takes a lot more abuse and you don't always know who is maintaining it. But, it certainly reduces the cost of ownership by offsetting expenses with shared revenue.

I'm curious - has anyone done this? Do you have experience - good or bad - with this ownership plan? If we get enough feedback, we'll do a full article on the pros and cons of putting your boat in charter.

Drop me an email at editor@charterisland.com or post your comments below.

By Jeff on 12/11/2005 1:48 PM

With throngs of people preparing for their winter charters to the Caribbean and Med, it is always nice learning about new and interesting charter locations that are off the beaten path.

So, here's an option worth considering: Thailand.

Here's a teaser from Australia's Sail-World magazine:

"Yet with over 1,609 km (1,000 miles) of mainland coastline and thousands of islands, it is hard to imagine Thailand’s waters ever reaching the high degree of saturation seen in today’s better known yachting havens. To be the only yacht in sight from horizon to horizon, anchored off a pristine, deserted, tropical island beach, may seem like a distant dream to most sailors – but in Thailand it is everyday reality."

"Unique, too, among yacht charter holiday destinations is Thailand’s climate. There is no winter; there are no hurricanes and no typhoons. Temperatures range between 25° and 32°C throughout the year, and the sea rarely varies from 28°C. The seasonal monsoon is gentle, while the geography ensures that somewhere in Thailand sailing conditions are always ideal."

That doesn't sound too bad does it? We'll be doing more in-depth discussion about Thailand chartering soon.

By Jeff on 12/6/2005 1:43 PM

Apparently, people are still spending money - in a big way. A recent study by Prince and Associates of Elite Traveler magazine suggests that the average "Elite Affluent Person" is likely to spend $367,000 on a holiday yacht charter this holiday season. This is apparently a "24% increase" over last years charter average.

Wondering if you qualify as an "Elite Affluent Person"? If your assets equal $10 million or more, Elite Traveler thinks you are.

Wow. One could do MANY bareboat sailing charters for $367,000...

By Jeff on 12/1/2005 1:42 PM

Since we spent a couple weeks in the Grenadines earlier this year, I'll probably be sharing some examples that are pretty focused on this area for a while...

A fantastic island in the Grenadines is Bequia (pronounced BEK-way). While many of the leeward Caribbean islands are more touristy, Bequia is a beautiful, quiet island, that at times made me feel like I was back in the South Pacific. With rolling hills, lush trees and scenery, it definately felt like an escape more than tourist paradise.

Lindsay and I took one afternoon to go ashore and walk across the island, from the main town of Port Elizabeth over the top of the hill to a beautiful bay on the northeast side of the island called Spring Bay. After spending a little while on the absolutely gorgeous beach there, we stopped by the Spring on Bequia hotel and restaurant for a cold drink.

Sitting at the open air bar under the palms and abundant birds chirping away, all of the stresses and hustle of home (nearly 5,550 miles away) disappeared. We sat there sipping ice-cold Hairoun beers as beads for sweat rolled down their green glass silhouettes.

What makes Spring so beautiful that it is was different than the typical "tropical bar" where you sit facing the crashing waves and people sprawled out across the beach. Sitting under the canopy of trees, it almost felt - quite unexpectedly - that we had been transported to a jungle setting that was both distant and intriguing.

Don't get me wrong - it's still has all of the wonderful aspects of the Caribbean, with the sound of crashing waves off in the distance, and the ever smiling hostess checking in on us from time to time. But, it is just a little different and unexpected and that is what makes it a great place to me.

Check it out if you ever get to Bequia - it's worth the 30-40 minute walk.

By Jeff on 11/23/2005 1:38 PM

 How cool is this? I am constantly reminded about how many amazing things you can do on a boat. Here's an example close to my heart: wine tasting!

This great article  from the folks at Motor Boating Magazine talks about chartering a nice powerboat out of Sausalito on San Fran Bay and cruising up the Napa River (Napa Valley in California) enroute to some of the most interesting new world wines available.

Want to visit the legendary Mondavi winery? Maybe you're into marquee Cabs from Phelps? Or, how about some smaller, family-operated wineries like Cakebread?

Wrap it up at renowned restaurant "French Laundry" and saunter on back to your boat! Now THIS is cruising in style.

Has anyone else done this trip?

By Jeff on 11/22/2005 6:52 AM

I've been a fan of Suunto sailing watches for years now and I personally own a Suunto Mariner (Click here for more info). Despite it's large size, it has great features for racing and other navigational features (like a barometer!) that really make it a handy tool even when chartering.

Sometime in early 2006, Suunto is improving their M9 Sailing Wristop Computer Watch w/ Barometer, Compass, & GPS with the new "M9i" model. It looks pretty damn cool. It has a USB port to connect with your laptop. It's actually smarter than you. (maybe...)

While these may seem a little extravagant, I can honestly say there is nothing like having your own GPS with you while chartering. By inputing some key coordinates before you leave, it gives you a navigation system you trust and can take much anxiety out of navigating in new waters.

Has anyone used one of the older M9s? I'm curious to hear how well they work.

By Jeff on 11/21/2005 6:49 AM

OK - I'm not afraid to admit it - I'm addicted to coffee. Traveling without coffee is not an option for me nor is drinking whatever gets provisioned to the charter boat for brewing in an old-style perk coffee maker.

So, I'm always looking for the best way to ensure that I have my favorite coffee to drink each morning while traveling without having to pack a ton of gear.

This is an interesting option: it takes a standard Nalgene water-bottle and and turns it into a nifty French-press style coffee maker. This would work perfectly on a charter boat where you can boil some water, pour it over the coffee grounds, press, and - voila - fantastic coffee to start your day in paradise.

Then, you can wash the indestructible bottle and fill it with your beverage of choice to keep on deck or carry ashore for your daily activities!

Check out the "Press Bot". For only $20, this is a cool solution.

And, you can buy Nalgene bottles here.

By Jeff on 11/17/2005 6:47 AM

My first charter experience was difficult to top. I was 18 and my parents decided to take us on a charter vacation to Tahiti. Although I had been there as a very young child, nothing could prepare me for the incredible experience of sailing through the islands that directly influenced one of the most well-known mariner tales - the mutiny of the Bounty.

An open ocean crossing between Riatea and Bora Bora... Snorkeling in the clearest water I've ever seen... visiting ancient marais. It not only opened my eyes - it marked me in irrevocable ways - ways that make me smile at the incredible experience AND dream of (and long for!) the next time I return.

I've read in recent years that much has changed on Bora Bora. It sounds as if the tourist drug has sunk it's teeth into the local community and the small, delicate island is starting to show signs of strain.

I'd love to hear from others that have been there recently. What's going on? Have you been before and how has it changed? Drop me an email or post a comment below!

In the meantime, here's a nice article from telegraph.co.uk about Tahiti charters.