Charter

La Datcha, Explorer Yacht, in Antarctica

By Peter Janssen on January 23, 2022 Charter

At more than 252 feet, the explorer yacht La Datcha, pictured above recently in Antarctica, is a bit larger than the boats we usually cover. But I think it’s interesting in terms of seeing what’s possible in the charter and expedition yacht areas today. La Datcha was built in the Damen yard in The Netherlands and launched in 2020 as the company’s SeaExplorer flagship, designed by Azure Yacht for cruising the world’s most remote destinations. The hull is steel and the superstructure is aluminum, and it’s built to be IMO Polar Code compliant. It also can run 40 days without…

Tour Lefkada Island in Greece on a RIB Charter

By Peter Janssen on January 10, 2022 Charter

Here’s a different kind of charter in a different kind of place. Infinity RIB Cruises offers charters on its RIBs in the gorgeous waters around Lefkada Island on the Ionian Sea off the west coast of Greece. The RIBs can take you to some of the most beautiful beaches in the Med, with dazzling white sand and dramatic cliffs, or you can enjoy picnics and water sports on the turquoise waters surrounding the island. Infinity will be more than happy to customize your RIB cruise, all offered with an experienced captain, so you can enjoy your time on board, on…

MarineMax 545 Cat Ready for BVI Charter

By Peter Janssen on December 7, 2021 Charter

Here’s some good news. MarineMax Vacations just announced that they still have some charter time available before the end of the year on their flagship 545 power catamaran in the British Virgin Islands. There are few places that are more appealing at any time of the year for a charter than the BVI, but a holiday there, among some of the best cruising grounds in the world, would be a holiday to remember. Starting a new year there wouldn’t be too shabby either. The MarineMax Vacations fleet is at Nanny Cay on the south side of Tortola. On the 545,…

Phuket Opens Again for Cruising, Charters

By Peter Janssen on November 17, 2021 Charter, 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…

Sunreef Launches Luxury 60 Power Cat Charter

By Peter Janssen on November 9, 2021 Charter, Cruising Life

Sunreef now has its luxurious power cat Otoctone 60 for charter, joining the larger Sunreef Otoctone 80 in a successful charter fleet. The new 60 is a charter version of the Sunreef 60 that was recognized as the Best Power Driven Catamaran at the World Yacht Trophies last year in Cannes. Built in the historic shipyard in Gdansk, Poland, the Sunreef 60 power cat has an ultramodern design, lots of space on all three levels (due to its 35-foot-plus beam, representing more than half the cat’s length), and a seaworthy hull that delivers a comfortable ride in all kinds of…

Actor Matthew Rhys Restores 1939 Wheeler

By Peter Janssen on October 6, 2021 Charter, Cruising Life

One night four years ago, Matthew Rhys, the actor, was at home in New York, drinking a whisky and scrolling through eBay, killing time, when he saw an ad for a wooden 38-foot, 1939 Wheeler Playmate. It wasn’t in very good shape, and it was in California, but it was the same model as Ernest Hemingway’s Pilar, and Rhys was a Hemingway fan. It also was one of the four documented Wheeler Playmates in the world. And both Rhys and his partner, Keri Russell (his KGB wife in The Americans), liked chartering wooden boats. They had just celebrated her 40th…

Moorings Adding New 464 PC to BVI Fleet

By Peter Janssen on October 6, 2021 Charter

The Moorings just announced that it’s adding the new 464 Powercat to its charter fleet in the British Virgin Islands. The 464 is The Moorings’ second in its new generation of Leopard power catamarans from Robertson & Caine, after the 53. The 464 is designed to be a home-away-from home for people who are chartering in the BVI; it’s also available for a charter ownership, with significant advantages, for anyone interested in buying it. The new cat has more interior space than in previous version, plus redesigned cabins and furnishings, zoned air conditioning and separate engine rooms for its twin…

Kingfisher, a 1959 Huckins, Ready for Custom Charters

By Peter Janssen on September 8, 2021 Charter

Here’s a charter with more than a little touch of class: A totally restored 1959 vintage 48-foot Huckins named Kingfisher with the company’s trademark fairform flyer hull for cruising comfort and performance. Like many cruising snowbirds, Kingfisher moves with the seasons. It’s in the north from June through October, available for cruises in Sag Harbor, Shelter Island, Greenport and Montauk on Long Island, even over to the Hamptons. From January through May, Kingfisher can be found in Palm Beach, but you can charter it for trips to Miami or the Keys. The yacht is available for anything from a three-hour…

The Moorings Reopens Charters in the Abacos

By co_admin on September 1, 2021 Charter, Destinations

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,…

Ellis Boat Charters: Cruise Down East This Summer

By Peter Janssen on July 6, 2021 Charter, Cruising Life

Even though the Fourth of July is in the rear-view mirror, there’s still plenty of time left for cruising vacations and charters this summer. And it would be hard to find a more appealing or inviting cruising area than Down East in Maine, particularly in the iconic Southwest Harbor area, the gateway to Somes Sound and Acadia National Park. You can enjoy all this on the water, by chartering a Maine-built boat from Ellis Boat Charters, a branch of the Ellis Boat Company in Southwest Harbor. Then you can cruise the area on your own, or with a local captain,…

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