Destinations

Mackinac: Horses, Boats and a Grand Hotel

By Peter Janssen on July 21, 2021 Destinations

A four-acre island at the top of Lake Huron, just around the corner from the top of Lake Michigan, Mackinac has been a major tourist – and boating – destination for more than a century. To visit Mackinac (pronounced “Mackinaw”) is to step back in time. Motor vehicles have been prohibited since 1898, ten years before Henry Ford rolled out his first Model T. Since then, you get around on the island by horse, bike, or foot. Mackinac is known for its fudge. The first fudge shop was opened in 1887, the same year that the iconic Grand Hotel was…

Saba Rock Resort Set To Reopen in BVI

By Peter Janssen on July 12, 2021 Destinations

Saba Rock, the relaxed and romantic destination resort with breathtaking waterfront views in the British Virgin Islands, will reopen on Oct. 15. The resort, on a private island in North Sound, Virgin Gorda, has undergone a dramatic reconstruction after it was largely destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017. You can stay in one of Saba Rock’s nine ocean-front rooms, but if you’re chartering or cruising through the BVI, you can enjoy lunch or dinner in the open-air restaurant or one of two bars; you also can sign up for diving (the resort has a dive shop) and for kite-surfing. Saba…

The Moorings Opens Charter Base in Historic Corfu

By Peter Janssen on June 1, 2021 Charter, Cruising Life, Destinations

The Moorings just announced that their marina in Corfu, in the northwest corner of Greece on the Ionian Sea, is now open for charters. One of the most glamorous destinations in the world, Corfu is one of the seven Ionian islands, and offers everything from gorgeous beaches and snug harbors to lively tavernas and waterfront resorts. With a charter from Corfu, you can explore the smaller Ionian islands, as well as make forays to historic ports of call along the Greek mainland. Many cruisers think the Corfu waters offer the best cruising in Greece. They certainly are among the most…

Branson Reopens Luxurious Necker Island Resort

By Peter Janssen on May 24, 2021 Cruising Life, Destinations

Sir Richard Branson’s luxurious Necker Island resort in the British Virgin Islands has now fully recovered from the hurricanes and has just come up with a Private Family Hideaway package involving a six-person private jet, a private pool, a DJ, and rooms for all for just $137,000 for a week. This month, Branson formed a partnership with evoJets to offer “the ultimate exclusive luxury experience in a setting that is just about as exclusive as it gets.” The exact price varies according to the departure city; the above far is from New York. The flight is round-trip to Beef Island…

New Covid Protocols Start May 15 in the BVI

By Peter Janssen on May 11, 2021 Charter, Destinations

The government of the British Virgin Islands has announced an update to its Covid-19 protocols that go into effect on Saturday, May 19. The BVI, of course, are some of the most coveted charter and cruising destinations in the world, and are the home of major charter operations including The Moorings and MarineMax Vacations. Here’s a recap of the new protocols are reported by The Moorings: Fully vaccinated travelers will be immediately released from quarantine upon receiving negative results from their Covid-19 test on arrival. The results take 24 to 36 hours to process. For unvaccinated adults, the previous four-day…

New Upgrades at Champlin’s on Block Island

By Peter Janssen on May 5, 2021 Cruising Life, Destinations

If you’re thinking about cruising in New England this summer, you’ll want to know about this: Among many other changes, the new owners of Champlin’s Marina and Resort on Block Island are offering seasonal dockage for the first time. Also, for transients, the marina will not allow rafting up. In the past, the marina had rafted boats three or four deep in crowded periods during the summer. Now, some boats will dock Med-style, stern-to, and occupants will get off on floating wooden docks that adjoin the fixed pier. Champlin’s, on Great Salt Pond, has been a major cruising destination for…

Dream Yacht Charter Starts New Flexible Program

By Peter Janssen on April 27, 2021 Charter, Destinations

The world’s leading yacht charter company, Dream Yacht Charter, just launched a new Sail Pass program to help you plan ahead in these uncertain times. With the Sail Pass, you can charter up to three times a year, twice in high season and once in low season, for one annual price. The actual price varies depending on the size and type of charter yacht you want. The people at Dream Yacht Charter recognize that with the world-wide Covid-19 pandemic in the past year, many people have postponed their vacations and some may be reluctant even now to commit themselves to…

The Moorings Starts Charters in Key West

By Peter Janssen on April 21, 2021 Charter, Destinations

The Moorings just opened its latest charter operation in Key West, the southernmost point in the United States; it’s actually closer to Havana than it is to Miami. Key West, just in case you haven’t been there, also exists in a different mind-set than the rest of the United States; it’s fun, it’s historic, and the boating is sensational. Once the home of Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams and Jimmy Buffet, Key West offers a vacation, on land or on the water, that you won’t forget. It has a unique architecture, and is full of pastel homes and colorful bars. You…

Foxy’s Iconic Bar in BVI Adds a Music School

By Peter Janssen on April 18, 2021 Cruising Life, Destinations

If you’re heading for Foxy’s Tamarind Bar on Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands, you may not find Foxy himself. That’s because Foxy (Foxy Callwood ) is spending a lot of his time at his music school down the road behind the restaurant, helping kids from the islands. Foxy’s has become an institution of almost folklore proportions ever since it opened on the beach in Great Harbour in 1968, a destination for cruisers and charter-boat customers from all around the world. (If you don’t have your own boat, you can take the ferry from West End, Tortola, across…

Bumfuzzle: Playing Tourist in St. Croix

By Peter Janssen on April 14, 2021 Destinations

The Schulte family, Pat and Ali and their daughter Ouest, 11, and son Lowe, 9, have been cruising on their 1984 Grand Banks 42 Bumfuzzle for a few years now. (Pat and Ali previously sailed around the world.) Now they’re in St. Croix, playing tourist while waiting out the pandemic, learning about the history, the flora and fauna, and the kindness of strangers in a new land. Here’s their report: A couple weeks back Ali and I were hiking back to the boat from the grocery store, where we had purchased way too much. We were struggling with all the…

Browsing: Destinations