I'm just back after attending the Strictly Sail 2006 event in Oakland, CA. I spent half a day there on Friday and it was pretty impressive. The weather was great, there was a large selection of sailboats in the water to look at, and it appeared that many attendees were having a great time as they prepare for the upcoming sailing season.

I had the opportunity to talk with a number of charter companies and get the latest details about the hot charter areas, great deals, and more. It was particularly interesting to see how different charter companies approach a show like this. While most were there providing general info and brochures, Moorings had travel planners on-site with laptops ready to book charter vacations. A subtle yet telling difference.

I'll be posting some of the info over the coming week so be sure to check back daily for more news and details.

Tags: sailing, strictlysail, yacht+charter, moorings

I read an interesting story this week from the great folks at Latitude 38 that raises an important topic when it comes to planning a charter. Apparently, small airline "Aero California" has been shut down by the Mexican Civil Aviation Department due to safety concerns. So what, you ask?

Well, apparently, some folks from the San Francisco Bay area were planning a charter in the Sea of Cortez (out of La Paz) and relying upon Aero California to get them there. With little time to make alternate flight arrangements, the charter group was forced to abandon their charter vacation until a later date. Fortunately, Moorings is allowing the group to reschedule their charter for a later date at any of their charter bases worldwide. (Good on ya, Moorings - very nice gesture).

But, this does bring up the question of if a.) you can't find time in the next year or so to take a trip, or b.) the charter company you signed on with doesn't make such a generous offer, how do you recoup your lost charter deposits/funds?

Many of the large companies have an in-house charter protection program for their clients. But, for smaller, lesser-resourced companies, here are just a couple options that some companies recommend for travel insurance:

• www.travelproservices.com
• www.accessamerica.com

(Note: we have not used either of these services so we cannot speak to their prices, quality, etc.)

Have you used one of these services? Or, do you have any experiences with insurance packages - often referred to as "Charter Protection Plans" - offered by some companies? Let us know and we'll combine the information as part of a general tips article.

Tags: sailing, travel+insurance, aero+california, yacht+charter, moorings, latitude+38, charter+protection+plan

 With spring come a number of events worth checking out. Here are just a couple upcoming events - both of which we're planning to attend.

• Bellhaven Charters
• Bellingham Yachts
• Northwest Explorations
• Par Yacht Charters
• San Juan Sailing
• San Juan Yachting

Finding time for classes and hobbies can be a challenge - particularly if you have limited vacation time and a family life to balance with career. So, here's an interesting option for anyone interested in learning how to sail or simply becoming a better sailor and obtaining certification to add to your bareboat charter resume. Or, it might be a great way to accomodate the group that has people that want to sail all day while others prefer lounging on the beach!

An article from InsideBayArea.com mentions the American Sailing Association's (ASA) "Sailing Week 2006" hosted by Sunsail at their Club Colonna Resort in Antigua. For an incredibly low price of $890 (US) per person, you get an all-inclusive (meals, etc.) holiday with access to the daysailors as well as a couple Sunsail Beneteau 473 yachts for use during your stay.

In addition to plenty of sailing time and an opportunity to tap into some of the ASA certification programs, this might be your ticket to a great getaway. Here are some details and pics from the last event.

One thing to keep in mind though is that this is June in the Caribbean. Chances are it will be plenty warm and a fair bit humid. But, if you're willing to trade that for a lower price, you might want to consider this.

Tags: sailing, antigua, asa, caribbean, sunsail, beneteau

Let's face it - while places like the BVI are beautiful, some folks prefer chartering in locations well off the beaten path. As an alternative to the more common charter locations (which, by the way, are well documented and offer a very approachable charter experience), many countries in the Asia-Pacific region are beginning to host charter operations that may be a good fit for the more adventurous charter enthusiast.

Take, for example, Gulf Yacht Charters in Thailand. I haven't chartered with them but from what I know about Thailand, it's people, and traveling there, this option looks incredibly interesting. Chances are that there fewer charter guides and sketch charts (I'll admit this is my assumption and very possibly wrong...) which means it could be quite the adventure navigating new and exotic islands. The advantage is that you're likely to see very few other boats meaning you'll have paradise to yourself.

It's very intriguing to see these companies developing new areas. Not only is it good for the more experienced charter enthusiast that has done the "usual" trips, it also stands to help the local community as long as charterers respect the environment and leave it in better shape the when they arrive.

Tags: Thailand, yacht+charter, sailing, boats

I heard a rather interesting piece from the BBC's "Sport International" (via satellite on XM Radio) about next year's ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 that will be played at a variety of new or remodeled venues across the West Indies. A couple thoughts...

1. I don't know much about cricket other than that it is huge in a number of countries around the world. I've watched it and admittedly, I always try to apply my knowledge of American baseball with little success. I shouldn't be surprised! I would like to spend some time learning it and thought, "what better way to learn cricket than to attend the world cup? Even better, do it aboard a charter boat and hopefully find a couple venues on neighboring islands that would allow sailing to different matches on different days!
2. Given the devastation many of the West Indies experienced with Hurricane Ivan and others is rapid succession, many of the islands are behind in their preparations for the event. In addition to building the infrastructure to support an international sporting event, many are still busy trying to regain their pre-hurricane standard of living. The area where some islands are struggling (particularly Grenada) is on the hotel front. There is some concern that there will be enough hotels to support the volume of tourists. Dramatic measures, such as chartering cruise ships to serve as floating hotels, are being considered.

All of this made me wonder why the charter industry is not trying to do more to attract this audience? This would be a great way to attract new charter clients and help address the challenges these areas face as the address the demand for lodging to accomodate this infux of tourists.

I read a great story earlier this week on 'Lectronic Latitude (published by the folks at the Bay Area's Latitude 38) about a charter client bumping into Richard Branson at Anegada's Cow Wreck Restaurant and Bar. For those that have been living under a rock, Sir Richard is the outspoken founder of Virgin (you know - the airline, the media, the telecom, etc.) and apparently he enjoys Anegada in the British Virgin Islands.

It just goes to show that you never know who you might meet while sailing through paradise on a charter boat.

Have you bumped into any interesting characters while sailing the islands? Come on - tell us the story! Send me an email or post your comments below...

About this time of year, the weather starts to improve and I begin to have newfound hope that summer is getting closer... Days are longer. Baseball is starting up. The local yacht clubs begin having events. And, there are even sailboats out on the water!

So, when these events begin to collide, I start thinking about my favorite local cruising grounds and usually forget (or take for granted?) the fact that they are an absolutely outstanding charter location with great cruising and a number of quality charter companies to choose from.

I'm talking about the San Juan Islands in Northwest Washington state. With tons of great anchorages and plenty of interesting little communities and marinas, the San Juans provide a little bit of something for everyone.

One of my favorite all-time places is Roche Harbor. A newly renovated marina, good holding anchorage, and plenty to do for the entire family, this little gem is a perfect place to spend a couple days while chartering a boat out of places like Anacortes or Bellingham.

A favorite event each evening at Roche is the "Retiring of the Colors". As the Roche Harbor site says:

"Be sure to catch the traditional "Colors Ceremony" at sunset every evening during summer, where the British, Canadian and U.S. flags are lowered to the sounds of each national anthem. Beware of the loud shot from the village cannon! An event you surely will not want to miss!"

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.

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.