Thursday, March 28

Browsing: Destinations

Phuket, the largest island in Thailand and one of the world’s most exotic cruising and charter destinations, is open again. And the Moorings charter base there also is open, with sail and power charters available. With a heavy reliance on tourism, Thailand’s economy took a big hit during the worst of the pandemic, and the country was off-limits to a lot of foreign travelers. There are still protocols (see the Thai embassy link below), but the Thai government adopted a separate plan called the Phuket Sandbox that has allowed vaccinated international travelers to visit the island. It’s easy to get…

Charleston, South Carolina, is one of the most historic and, to my mind, at least, most enjoyable cities to visit in the United States – particularly if you arrive by boat. The last time I was there, just a few years ago, I was on an Eastbay 50, coming down from Connecticut, and we arrived at the sea buoy on a mid-September morning. Coming in the long, well-marked channel took a while, and we could see the skyline and then the Battery district, at the juncture of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers that mark the edges of the town, bathed…

The Town of Palm Beach Marina, home to power and sail boats since the 1940s, is scheduled to reopen on November 1 after a major $40 million renovation. The marina, just across the Lake Worth Lagoon from the mainland, is not far from Palm Beach’s considerably upscale attractions, including the Worth Avenue boutiques, art galleries and restaurants. One of the most significant attractions, however, is the weather, which provides a 12-month boating season. Another is the location, along the ICW with easy access to the Atlantic for cruising and fishing and a relatively short ride over to the Bahamas. For…

If you’re heading for the Virgin Islands any time soon, or even if you’re just thinking about cruising or chartering there, take a look at the new Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands by Simon Scott. It’s an updated version of the guide that’s been helping cruisers in both the British and U.S. Virgins for 40 years. The new 2022 version of the guide has everything you need to enjoy your cruise there: detailed charts with aerial photography of anchorages, plus piloting, anchoring and shoreside information. It has key GPS coordinates, customs and immigration regulations, and information about marinas, chandleries,…

Sir Richard Branson’s original resort on Necker Island in the BVI wasn’t all that shabby. Indeed, you could relax there with the Private Family Hideaway package, including a six-person private jet, private pool, a DJ, and a Great House with 20 bedrooms, for $137,000 a week. But now Branson has opened a smaller and even more upscale resort on Moskito Island, only two miles away, where offseason rates start at $19,000 a night for the Oasis Estate and $17,500 a night for the Point Estate. But those rates include an estate manager, private chef and staff, all meals, drinks and…

If the old saying that the three most important things in real estate are location, location,  location can also be applied to cruising, then Cape May, New Jersey, is about as good a spot as you’re going to find. Cape May is particularly important this time of year, as more and more snowbirds are planning their cruises south for the winter. At the very southern tip of New Jersey, it’s where you make a choice about whether to continue offshore down to Norfolk, Virginia, or take the longer, but more scenic, route up the Delaware Bay, through the C&D Canal,…

The iconic Bitter End Yacht Club, one of the most popular cruising, charter and watersports vacation destinations in the world, is getting ready to open up again. Located on 64 acres with a mile of waterfront on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, the Bitter End, along with most other resorts and charter fleets in the area, was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017. Founded in 1969, the Bitter End got its name because it’s the last island outpost before the Caribbean meets the Atlantic. But its very location, on North Sound at the east end of Virgin Gorda,…

The Moorings just announced that its is starting power catamaran charters in the Abacos, one of the best cruising destinations in the world, on December 1. Two years ago, Hurricane Dorian devastated the low-lying islands, the marinas and the charter fleets there. But now The Moorings will start power charters from their marina in Marsh Harbour, while sail charters are scheduled to start in April. Here’s more from The Moorings: Resting in the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast of Florida, the Bahamas have become a sought-after destination for travelers seeking an intimate paradise. The chain of more than 700 islands,…

The Balkan country of Montenegro, about the size of Connecticut, has become of one of the preferred yachting destination in the Med this season. On the Adriatic, between Croatia to the north and Albania to the south, Montenegro offers about 180 miles of gorgeous coastline where sheer mountains dive into the deep-blue sea, with new world-class marinas designed to attract yachts and yacht owners for long periods of time. The often-preferred spot within Montenegro is the Bay of Koto (locals call it Boka) on its northern end, a historic fjord-like spot with charming medieval villages. Lately the superyacht set has…

Here’s a great story about the Ionian islands off the west coast of Greece, with some of the world’s most beautiful cruising destinations, from nationalgeographic.co.uk and the Greek National Tourism Organization: Imagine sailing across a shimmering emerald sea, bottlenose dolphins cresting the waves alongside your boat. Ahead lies a mountainous island thick with oak, hornbeam, cypress pine and olive groves. Closer in, a pastel-shaded fishing village tumbles down the hillside, its harbour quay lined with traditional tavernas. A nearby sheltered cove, fringed with a pale gold beach, offers safe anchorage and a refreshing dip in limpid lapis lazuli waters. It’s…

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