Category Archives: Destination Information

Post about great (or not so great) places to charter and see

Boatbookings Onboard Westport 112 RESILIENCE: Chic and Child Friendly

RESILIENCE is a splendid Westport 112, as ideal for charter families as it is for a honeymoon couple. Boatbookings went on board for some intimate insight into this appealing yacht and her delightful crew.

Entering the elegant main salon on RESILIENCE we immediately feel relaxed and welcome. New upholstery, soft goods and bedding throughout the yacht are the design of the very talented Stewardess, Margaret Hill, who also owns a design and furniture shop on Cape Cod.

RESILIENCE has the inviting ambiance of an elegant Cape Cod seaside home, the gentle palette of blues and greens, of seashells and sea creatures, is utterly charming. The entire yacht features new carpeting selected by the owner who also designed the vogue pattern in the main salon.

The master suite onboard luxury yacht RESILIENCE is roomy and features plenty of built-in storage, including a cedar-lined walk-in closet. In the stunning his and hers bath, mirrored walls and ceiling infinitely expand the generous space. The VIP stateroom forward, positioned off by itself, is very private and romantic.

RESILIENCE is an excellent family charter yacht that is very child friendly. The owner has two children aged seven and nine that according to the captain “live in the cabin with twin bunks and regularly destroy it.” Of course, one would never know, the playful yet sophisticated marine-themed room is in immaculate condition.

One of the features we love about the Westport 112 design is the homey eat-in galley kitchen. It also provides a great place to let the children eat, watch the Chef, and perhaps lend a hand with the pancakes or pizza dough.

We could smell the aromas of the sumptuous appetizers being prepared for us by Chef Jason Wagner literally all the way down the dock. His menu included sinfully delicious mini beef Wellingtons (and nobody could eat just one). Salmon canapés with a delightful hint of hot, and prosciutto with Parmesan and champagne strawberry jelly, were among the chef’s other creations. We are standing by for promised recipes.

RESILIENCE has a sundeck that beckons a gathering for cocktails at the bar or a soak in the Jacuzzi. The deck is also equipped with exercise equipment, installed for the owner and guests as a battle strategy against the allure of Chef Jason’s irresistible cuisine.

In addition to being a charming and knowledgeable Captain, Ian O’Connell is also a carpenter and mechanic. He likes to take on annual projects during “down time” that would be daunting to most of us. For example, this year he laid down all new teak on deck and built new cabinet mounts to flush mount the brand new flat screen TVs throughout the yacht.

On the bridge the Captain remarked, “I have the best office of any of my friends at work, and the bestview that always changes.” We cannot dispute this, and comfortable seating overlooking the helm allows charter guests to share in the privileged view.

Captain Ian and the rest of the crew, except the chef, all hail from the Cape Cod area, the summer home of RESILIENCE. Because they are natives, they take exceptional pride and delight in providing charter guests with a particularly intimate view of the region. They are also very familiar with the Caribbean and are particularly enthusiastic about the BVI as a winter charter destination.

Boatbookings.com features detailed information about luxury yacht RESILIENCE and other stunning charter yachts and yachting destinations world wide. Here are some useful links to help launch your vacation of a lifetime: Crewed Yacht Charter,  Yacht Charter Destinations, Super and Mega Luxury Yacht Charter

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REEF Experts Reveal Luxury Yacht Destination Palm Beach Boasts Awesome Snorkeling and Diving

Palm Beach has a plethora of activities to offer yacht charter clients. Designer shops and gourmet restaurants line Worth Avenue, excellent museums, upscale marinas and the Blue Heron Bridge, which according to Mike Phelan, REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation) Expert surveyor, is a little known biological hotspot.

This is a top dive destination for sighting unusual species that can be added to your lifelist. Mike Phelan and two other REEF members often dive this site. The day before Thanksgiving, they were treated to quite a sight – a large school of Cownose Rays! This is a rare sighting in Florida, but it’s just another day at the Blue Heron Bridge. Some of the more unusual and recent sightings include the Blackwing Searobin, Roughtail Ray, Northern Stargazer, Orange spotted Blenny, Polkadot Batfish, and the Chain Pipefish. In fact, the Blue Heron Bridge has over 282 species recorded in the REEF database and this number is on the rise.

The dive site is located in Phil Foster County Park. Dives must be shore based and dive at high tides when depths range from 8 to 17 feet. Mark Phelan suggests that divers may combine their bridge dive with offshore diving in Jupiter to witness the winter Lemon shark aggregation, or in early summer for the active Loggerhead, Green and Leatherback turtle-nesting season.

REEF is an active organization of divers and marine enthusiasts committed to ocean conservation. Their many projects include a lionfish research program. Lionfish are exquisitely beautiful but unfortunately an invasive species of voracious predators that pose a serious threat to the marine environment. In an effort to stop the rapidly expanding population, REEF has just published The Lionfish Cookbook, with the aim to make the fish a catch in high demand. The book makes a novel holiday gift for Atlantic and Caribbean divers, with proceeds that support marine conservation and lionfish research.

Photos by Mike Phelan, courtesy of REEF.org

Boatbookings.com has an extensive selection of yachts available for charter equipped with dive gear and dive masters onboard. Here are a couple of links to begin exploring the possibilities:  Florida and Bahamas Yacht Charter,  Caribbean Yacht Charter,  BVI Yacht Charter

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Boatbookings Onboard Oceanco 168 LAZY Z: The Quintessential Luxury Family Charter Yacht

What makes a truly superlative family charter is the combination of a magnificent luxury yacht and a long term, professional yet playful crew. LAZY Z not only meets but also exceeds these criteria.

Oceanco built LAZY Z in 1997, but you’d never guess her age because this stunning superyacht is graced with a timeless beauty of design and blessed by an owner and crew who keep her meticulously maintained, from the smallest knob on up.

Interior spaces are furnished with an elegant simplicity of design, featuring plush carpeting, supple leather upholstery and rich Indonesian bubinga hardwood against a backdrop of soft silk paneling. The palette of warm wood tones and golden hues is relaxing and inviting. The wide central staircase is a stunning and unusual architectural feature.

LAZY Z has accommodations for twelve guests in 6 spacious staterooms with a special cabin designed to delight children, right down to the teddy bears. With a 29 foot beam the true full width master suite, from porthole to porthole, is wonderfully spacious and filled with natural light. There is also a dedicated gym and the elegant observation lounge is an inspiration.

Even the radio room on LAZY Z is impressive, housing racks of state of the art equipment, including the Kaleidescape entertainment system storing over 3,000 movies, a capacity that exceeds yachts twice the size of LAZY Z.

We are not surprised when we are told that there is nothing on the bridge that is more than 12 months old. The CCTV was upgraded ten months ago; two new radars were upgraded eight months ago. The Servowatch integrated ship control system, which monitors the main engines, generators, bilges, water tight doors, all of those sort of systems onboard, is just eight months old. From comfortable banquette seating guests can peer at the high tech electronic chart system and the forward facing sonar, which gives a 2D display of what the seabed is like ahead.

Out on deck, LAZY Z has fabulous seating under a huge shade awning, and surrounding the Jacuzzi pool, which is only a couple of years old, there’s lots of sunbathing and, of course, you cannot miss the slide. This is a huge hit with all charter guests who, we are told, opt to use it every day. The owner of the boat is 72 years old and he uses the slide, preferring to go down backwards or head first. It’s simply awesome, they’ve had girls as young as three slide down it.

It is quite evident why LAZY Z is a very busy yacht featuring charters in the Caribbean and Mediterranean directed toward young families who, at the end of their charter, eagerly book a slot for the following year. The youthful and energetic crew boasts a guarantee that if you are a charter client on this boat you’ll be back again next year. We have no doubt.

Boatbookings.com features an extensive selection of charter yachts for every destination, type of clientele and information on family charters. Here are a couple of helpful links:

Chartering with Children,  Super and Mega Luxury Yacht Charter

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Yachting Destination Bimini Bay Resort Joins Shark-Free Intitiative

The island of Bimini in the Bahamas has long been a paradise for yachtsmen, sport fishermen and water sports enthusiasts. Reputedly discovered by Ponce de Leon in his quest for the Fountain of Youth, Bimini remains an unspoiled place of beauty and serenity.

Bimini Bay Resort and Marina, an elegant complex that welcomes charter guests, is the third resort in Bimini to join the Shark-Free Marinas initiative. A popular destination and leading employer on the island, they hope to educate both tourists and locals with a goal to raise awareness of the need to protect Bimini shark populations.

Shark-Free Marinas participate in a voluntary program that prohibits fisherman from bringing sharks they have caught into their facilities. Participating members support tagging programs and promote catch-and-release techniques. The aim is to reduce the mortal take of sharks and encourage responsible use of the ocean.

The world-renowned Bimini Biological Field Station is a place of interest for those concerned with the health of the oceans. Known as Sharklab, the research facility located on South Bimini studies the many species of shark in the unique habitat of the surrounding waters.

Bimini Bay Resort and Marina welcomes luxury charter yachts to dock and take advantage of their four-star facilities and amenities. For additional destination and yacht charter information Boatbookings.com is an excellent resource. Here is a helpful link: Bahamas Yacht Charter

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Boatbookings Visits Luxury Yacht CLARITY: A Spacious and Stylish Johnson 87

Recently Boatbookings was delighted to have the opportunity to visit luxury motoryacht CLARITY, an elegant 87’ Johnson available for charter in the Bahamas and Caribbean. CLARITY is a superb yacht for family charter or a romantic adventure, featuring a magnificent master stateroom and three spacious guest cabins. With a 24-foot beam, CLARITY has extraordinary interior volume without sacrifice to generous exterior living spaces including walk around side decks.

Captain Warren Thompson and Mate/Engineer Gary Hallas, consummate gentlemen helping the ladies board gracefully due to the unusual height of the top starboard step, greeted us. Entering the main salon we were immediately impressed by the voluminous interior, augmented by the surround of windows. The space is open, airy, unobstructed by partitions except the handsome columns and cabinet that suggest a separate formal dining area.

The master suite onboard motor yacht CLARITY is both stylish and functional, featuring a delightful sweep of panoramic windows and elegant his and her facilities reached a couple of steps down. The flybridge has it all, Jacuzzi, bar, an unusual array of three helm chairs and comfortable built-in settee at the elegantly polished table with exotic burl inlay.

The aromas issuing forth from the galley made it impossible for us not to sample the gourmet delicacies prepared by Amy Thompson, the Chef/Stew onboard CLARITY. We can attest to her culinary talent.

CLARITY is a delightful yacht for charter families with children. The twin stateroom is bright and cheerful and the toy chest has an array of options to keep everyone amused. The experienced and talented crew knows how to pamper and please charter guests of all ages.

Boatbookings is pleased to offer CLARITY as part of our expansive selection of charter yachts. Please see Crewed Yacht Charter for comprehensive listings or visit  Florida and Bahamas Yacht Charter for destination information.

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