By Jeff on 2/1/2006 2:19 PM

I'm a big believer in the fact that if you ask the right questions, you'll get incredibly insightful answers. (Whether you actually do something with the insight is a completely different topic...). This morning, I stopped by one of the many Starbuck's Coffee locations in Seattle to grab a quick espresso and scone. While waiting for my drink, a nice guys standing there asked me, "Sir - Starbucks cares about what our customers think and I am asking then about their experiences. Would you be willing to spend 3-5 minutes answering some questions? In exchange, we'll give you a free $5 coffee gift card for your help."

I took him up on the offer. He asked about specific products, as well as my feelings about the barista's expertise and service, as well as other products I use and how often. I was honest - and - in some places, quite candid (I don't particularly care for Starbuck's drip coffee nor do I buy the products for use at home). Afterwards, I thought to myself: "wow - this huge, world dominating coffee company, with over 2,700 stores in 34 countries, cares about what me and my three dollars thinks of them. Amazing." As a consumer, it made me feel great.

It also brought other questions to mind: if Starbuck's cares enough to do this for a $3 customer, why don't charter companies take the time to do this (or more!) for customers usually spending at least 1000x that amount?

The last time I spent thousands of dollars on a relatively exotic vacation with a global charter company, they asked me to fill out a feedback card which was reviewed by one of the dock boys working at the charter base. In fairness, he was sincerely interested in my experience. But, do you think the important details ever got back to corporate? Do you think that the concerns I expressed were ever reported to the someone focused on correlating trends indicating areas where service could be improved? I doubt it. How does that make me feel? Well, a little underappreciated.

Hopefully this is something that the charter companies will embrace. Ask the customer - we'll tell you what is good and bad, what we like and dislike, and even how you can make things better. For charterers out there - when asked for feedback, take the 5 minutes to give it. It will ultimately help you and others experience the absolute best charter vacation.

By Jeff on 1/30/2006 2:18 PM

A particularly fun aspect of bareboat chartering is that you can often visit places most only dream of for a relatively modest price. A great example of that is Mustique Island. It's a pretty exclusive postal code, boasting homes of Rachel Welch, David Bowie, Mark Cuban, and Mick Jagger (I can verify this - we saw him - a story for another time ;-). In other words, you either need to have a net worth way north of $10M USD or be willing to rent a villa for $4,000 ECD/week or more to visit.

Although the anchorage is pretty rolly and exposed, Britannia Bay, the main harbor, is quite charming (as you can see from the picture below, shot looking SSW). But, for about $50 USD, we were able to tie on to one of the Mustique Company's moorings, take the dinghy ashore, and visit the shops and bakery. In fact, the bakery has real-time print out for an amazing array of worldwide newspapers so that you can get your information fix, even while in paradise.

I won't even get started on our experience at Basil's Bar... (visible in the picture at lower right with waves crashing near the deck). Stay tuned.

I plan to write a more detailed article about Mustique soon, but thought I would post this picture. It's just a beautiful island - one of the cleanest and most quiet islands I've seen - and something that is accessible by charter boat if you choose to visit.

By Jeff on 1/23/2006 2:17 PM

It's January. You're probably cold. I am. But, it warms my soul to recall places like this (below) that are actually warm right now. If I close my eyes and concentrate, I can go there, even if it's for just a few minutes. I can look to the east and feel the wind blowing down down the channel from the Atlantic at about 12 knots. As I perform that habitual check of how the boat is sitting at anchor following my 30-minute nap, I do a slow spin around and look towards the west from the cockpit and see this...

Sure - it's a beat up charter boat dinghy. But, it's not about the dinghy - it's about the shadow. How do I know when I'm in a special place? When I see the shadow of the dingy projected on the bottom 11 feet down and if I look closely, I can see the ripples in the sand on the powdered sugar bottom created as the current flows across it...

(we took this pic while anchored off of Petit St. Vincent. But, I borrow a line from Mr. Buffett and refer to this, and places like it, as St. Somewhere...)

By Jeff on 1/14/2006 2:15 PM

We attended the Seattle Boat Show earlier this week and enjoyed walking the aisles of vendors. (Side note: something I just love about the boat industry is that while attending a boat show, you can find a lavish booth featuring the latest satellite gizmos for watching your favorite reality TV show right next to a small business booth selling the latest "clean everything" snake oil. Just like life, the boating community offers a little bit of everything...)

But back to my point. While chatting with all of the charter companies and brokers from the area, we had a great conversation with a woman (sorry - wish I had caught her name!) from Ship Harbor Yacht Charters based in Anacortes, WA. She was very friendly. We talked about how nice chartering (and boating can be) for kids and family. We also heard how she really enjoyed working for Ship Harbor after previous experiences. To her, it was about personal touch and not spreading the operation so thin that customer service becomes an afterthought.

I've never chartered from this company nor do I have any experience working with them. But, after meeting a member of their team, my first impression is that they foster an environment of good service and concern about the customer. They also have a very informative web site. So, if you're considering a charter in the Pacific Northwest (San Juan Islands, Gulf Islands, Desolution Sound, etc.), you might just want to put them on your short list and at least give them a call or drop them an email.

By Jeff on 1/13/2006 2:11 PM

One of the primary reasons we started this site was because we felt there was an opportunity to help charter enthusiasts sift through their options and successfully find the right bareboat or crewed charter companies to work with. Here's why...

My wife and I recently chartered a 43' sailboat, from a reputable charter company, in a beautiful tropical locale (read my other blog posts a bit - you'll probably guess where...), and it was a marvelous trip. The only downside? The "reputable" charter company, for whom we paid a premium to work with, really "missed the boat" on some areas that are what I would consider basic requirements for creating a satisfied customer. For instance, here are just a few examples of what happened:

• When checking out, we had to make corrections to the provisioning. To exchange 3-4 sundry items, it took about 2 hours.
• When provisioning the boat, the staff packed ice on top of the food in the refrig. I suppose that makes sense when the outside temp hovers around 80DegF all day. But, during the onboard briefing, the assistant manager neglected to point out that the refrig did not have a scupper/drain nor was the switch for the pump visible (actually hidden under the sink). Result, after only 36 hours, the ice had melted and ruined about 35% of our food provisions.
• Not one, but TWO outboard motors failed. When chartering in a place where you plan to do a LOT of snorkeling and day trips, this doesn't work well.
• When trying to remedy these issues with the base office, the manager appeared to embed herself in the "base manager office" while the staff fumbled around aimlessly
• Oh yeah - the head failed. Fortunately, our boat had two...
• There were even more issues, but you get the picture...

The point is this: when chartering, clients spend a respectable sum of money to see amazing places. But, it is their precious holiday time which many would say is more valuable (i.e. costs more) to them then their hourly wage while at the office. Further, many have their own boats (where they get to experience the joys of failed outboards, drained batteries, flakey heads the plug regularly, etc.). Paying a premium to experience this can feel like self-inflicted, expensive torture.

I believe that therer are small charter companies that deliver impeccable service. I also know first hand that within the big companies, there are good regional bases and bad bases. This also goes for crewed charters, whether independent or part of a larger global charter companies.

My (lone consumer) advice to charter companies and owners is this: take care of the little things (outboards, heads, etc.) - they matter. And, realize that customers (repeat and future) have a choice about how they spend their money. Pinching pennies to avoid a decent outboard (maybe $1500?) or rebuild a head frequently (maybe $100?) will cost at least three - maybe ten - times that in customers taking future trips elsewhere (charter companies or - frankly - beach resorts).

Will we charter again? Absolutely. We will go to the same location? I hope so. We will use the same company? I doubt it.

The same goes for being a nice person. Here is an entertaing article, somewhat related, that shows why it makes sense to be a decent person operating a charter boat (i.e. "hospitality" business - see definition below).

More to come on this topic... And, share your thoughts! Post a comment.

From dictionary.com...

hospitality

n : kindness in welcoming guests or strangers [syn: cordial reception] [ant: inhospitality]

By Jeff on 1/10/2006 2:09 PM

This time of year, I'm always combing the web for the latest and best deals on charters in warm places. So, I was scanning some of the larger charter vendors today and ran across this. Not a bad deal if you have some travel flexibility are located somewhere that makes flights cheap and short. Get more details here.

Winter Catamaran Savings with Sunsail

Save 25% on the Sunsail Lagoon 410 when you sail from Tortola between February 11 and March 31, 2006! Just book by January 31st.

* New bookings only sailing from Tortola February 11 or later and return by March 31, 2006.Must book by January 31, 2006. May not be combined with any other discounts or offers.

By Jeff on 1/5/2006 2:07 PM

If you're interested in chartering some of the nicest sailing yachts around, you're in luck. Nautor Swan, notable for incredible craftsmanship, timeless design, and boats that are surprisingly quick for their luxurious appointments have now opened a charter office based in Rhode Island. According to Nautor, this development provides access to some pretty exceptional charter boats that most only dream of owning.

Now, I highly doubt you'll be able to bareboat charter one of these boats - most are well in excess of $1M (US) in value. But, it is an opportunity to experience chartering on beautiful yacht that is stable, comfortable, and guaranteed to get looks in whichever harbor your visit!

While I haven't actually sailed aboard a Swan, I have been aboard a few over the years. This past summer, I had the opportunity to check out an older Swan 47 built in the 70's. The owner had spent 3+ years refitting the boat resulting in an impeccable yacht. Even without the great care, you could tell the boat had amazing grace and power and just felt... well... powerful and elegant.

So, if you're looking for a top-shelf charter experience with some thrilling sailing potential, you might want to check out the Nautor operation.

By Jeff on 1/4/2006 2:04 PM

When planning a charter vacation, it always seems like an additional opportunity to get some new gear! As in life, some of this "gear" is essential while other gear is simply nice to have.

A basic, and essential piece of gear, is a dry bag. What is a dry bag, you ask? These handy dufflebags are evolved from the kayaking industry where you want to keep important things (like clothes, electronics, etc.) dry during long kayaking trips. The bags themselves are nylon coated with plastic to ensure the water cannot penetrate the fabric. Further, the opening of a dry back is easy to seal, roll up, and lock in place so that water cannot leak into the bag as it can with a zipper.

There are a variety of options. For instance, clear dry bags make it easier to see what you're looking for when in a hurry to grab things like a camera. (see pic below)

Some bags even have backpack straps.

Dry bags come in handy when heading out for a day day of exploring in the dinghy. They also help keep valuables - cameras, GPS units, etc. - safe and dry. We've used one many times when heading out for a snorkeling trip to places like the Tobago Cays. I've also used the same bag when fly-fishing. They roll up and pack very easily and help keep your valuables safe while in a wet and even sandy environment.

Put simply, this is the best $15 you'll spend as the applications for these cool bags are unlimited.

By Jeff on 1/3/2006 2:02 PM

One of my favorite aspects of bareboat chartering (and cruising, for that matter) is that you get to see many things that are pretty special. While staying at a nice resort can be a wonderful experience, it just seems to me that I always end up seeing things I would have otherwise missed had I been land locked. 

For instance, Latitude 38, a favorite sailing publication of ours, posted a great article today about their recent New Year's exploits in St. Barth.

So - do not wait - reserve your charter sailboat today for cruising the Caribbean hot spots (like St. Barth) during the holidays next year. You never know - you might just find yourself singing along with Jimmy Buffett!

(Photo from Latitude 38)

Any great New Year's Charter stories to share? We want to hear about 'em! Post a comment or send me an email at editor@charterisland.com.

By Jeff on 1/2/2006 2:01 PM

I read an interesting article today about some of the people credited with starting the bareboat charter industry in the BVI during the 1970s. When you consider how much places like Road Town have changed over the past 40 years, there is no question about the importance of chartering to the communities that host sailing charter vacationers.

Most of my charter experiences have been over the past 10 years. But, I'm sure some of you out there have some great stories about the early days. We would like to hear about them! So, if you have a few minutes, post a comment and take the rest of us down "memory lane" and the early days of bareboat chartering!

Or, if you would like to write an article about your great experiences, let us know - we would love to post it.

Post your comments below...