Category Archives: St Barts

Our Experts Experience a Caribbean Charter Aboard Stunning Luxury Yacht CHE

Our charter destinations are St. Maarten and St Barths, both renowned for fabulous nightlife, beaches, shopping and cuisine. Although these islands are considered top charter destinations in the Caribbean, when you’re chartering CHE, a stunning 114-foot Sunreef catamaran, staying on board and simply relaxing can be as alluring as going ashore.

Step on board CHE and a wave of calm washes over you. CHE is very spa-like. It has bamboo walls and floors that create a tranquil feeling of relaxation. The wife of the owner created a space that reflects her lifestyle of meditation, macrobiotic diet and overall balance.  An aura of peace permeates throughout the yacht, enveloping guests with a sense of well-being.

In contrast to the pervasive sense of tranquility at anchor, the rush of exhilaration you feel as soon as CHE gets underway is thrilling. It is quite spectacular to be on board and feel this yacht surging over the waves, the voluminous capacity of the sails propelling her with seemingly extraordinary speed over the water.

For those of us prone to seasickness, the topmost feature is that this yacht is such a huge platform of stability on the ocean, which enhances the joy of the experience. Despite rough seas with some huge swells in a wind blowing at 20-25 knots the yacht handled the surf remarkably well.

In all fairness, it was also the Captain’s ability to deal with the seas and approach the ocean with this particular yacht. His acumen surpassed any other professionally navigated catamaran we have ever been on. In fact, one of the most outstanding aspects of the entire charter was the crew. They worked flawlessly together as a team and are so synchronized that everything really happens seamlessly.

One example, the evening the Captain and two crewmembers sprang into action to save a 40-foot Beneteau that was dragging anchor. They managed to fend off CHE, jump into the dinghy and, although we were quite far out, tow the Beneteau back into the anchorage and secure it.  The guests onboard CHE were peacefully unaware of any activity, as the entire rescue was accomplished without panic, without flap, without noise, without commotion, without drama.

Luxury Yacht CHE is currently available for charter in the Caribbean with an exiting Mediterranean itinerary scheduled for the summer.

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SKY LIMO: Voted Best Plane in Show!

Sky Limo Corporation is a classy company with a sense of humor. Proof was evident in the whimsical display the company presented at the 2011 Miami Yacht and Brokerage Show.  A somewhat incongruous 48-foot long, eight passenger, twin-engine Sabre 60 jet aircraft drew much attention wedged in amongst the big white yachts that lined the floating docks along Collins Avenue. The jet, mounted on an island themed barge, was flanked by a compliment of attractive flight attendants who cordially invited guests to hover about the tropical bamboo bar and enjoy pre-flight cocktails.  The award winning barge was conceived by CEO Tom Conlan as a float for the 2010 Winterfest Boat Parade.

Sky Limo Corporation, a full service aviation company, is more than meets the eye.  Yes, they are experts at air charter, aircraft management, aircraft maintenance, and whole and fractional aircraft sales, but they also exhibit those old fashioned values of a near bygone corporate America. The capricious barge entered in the Winterfest Boat Parade provided a platform for employees and execs to celebrate the holidays. The company is also involved in important national and local charities that included the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots fundraiser, where the Sabre 60 made a delightful appearance with a haul of hundreds of toys.

For our luxury yacht charter clientele bound for the islands of the Bahamas and Caribbean who prefer to arrive at a local airport or more remote destination, mitigating time constraints while avoiding the hassle of international airports, Sky Limo Air Charter offers personalized solutions.  The company’s location at the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport is convenient for both national and international passengers flying in to Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Palm Beach. Another charming perk at Sky Limo Air Charter is their pet friendly policy, which allows your best furry friend to fly in the cabin right next to you.

Visit these links for information on both the very popular and the very remote charter destinations in the islands of the Bahamas and the Caribbean Sea.

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Spectacular Rate Reduction for 116ft. Sloop WHISPER: Superb Spectator Yacht for Heineken Regatta, St. Barth’s Bucket and Les Voiles de St. Barth

WHISPER is an extraordinary sailing yacht, launched in 2003, that features every classic detail you can imagine. This luxurious 116ft. sloop features naval architecture and styling by renowned Ted Hood/Ted Fontaine with supremely elegant interiors by Andrew Winch. WHISPER, built by Holland Jachtbouw, was the distinguished winner of the 2004 ShowBoats Award for Best Sailing Yacht Under 40 Meters.

WHISPER is an ideal yacht from which to view some of the Caribbean’s most exhilarating competitions. St. Maarten’s Heineken Regatta, March 3-6, St. Barth’s Bucket, 24-27 March, and Les Voiles de St. Barth, 4-9 April, pit award winning world class teams against each other to challenge the seas.

Guests on board WHISPER will thrill to magnificent views from the raised pilot house featuring L-shaped banquette seating and congenial bar area. This luxury sailing yacht also has a spacious cockpit that seats up to 10 guests.

WHISPER has a regular weekly rate of $80,000 but is being offered at the reduced rate of $69,000 per week. This supremely elegant yacht features a highly skilled crew of five that are dedicated to providing the ultimate charter experience.

Follow these informative links for information on Caribbean Regatta Charter, St. Barths Bucket Regatta Yacht Charter Opportunities and Regattas and Sailing Events.

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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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Chic and Exotic Caribbean Luxury Yacht Charter Destinations

The Caribbean is a paradise known for serenity, with miles of deserted beaches and magnificent coves. But many of the islands also offer exhilarating excursions, vibrant nightlife, designer shopping and phenomenal gourmet restaurants. Here Sharon Bahmer, Caribbean and USA Charter Director, reveals a few of her favorite destinations that seem to have it all.

œOne of my favorite islands is St. Lucia. A luxury yacht charter itinerary that goes to St. Lucia and the Martinique area allows you to experience different cultures and savor different flavors. Martinique is one of the most romantic islands in the Caribbean, with a distinctly French flavor, a selection of excellent restaurants, and exciting nightlife. St. Lucia is quite spectacular with a lot to do – you can visit the waterfalls, zip-wire through the rainforest, go mountain-biking, hiking and more. It’s a fabulous place to explore if you want to do a land excursion.

Grenada, the most southerly of the Windward Islands, is also a spectacular destination, similar to St. Lucia. Grenada is the ˜Spice Isle’ and you can go ashore and experience where nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon and cocoa come from and how spices are harvested and used. There are plenty of invigorating adventures exploring the rainforest and waterfalls, archeological sites and historic plantations. Grenada is an enchanting island with a centuries old history, culture and traditions that infuse the island with exotic charm.

You can cruise from St. Vincent through the Grenadines and end up in Grenada, so on a ten or fourteen-day charter you’ve only got one leg rather than a loop that necessarily repeats some of the places. Grenada has upscale Port Louis Marina for the megayachts and you can fly straight out of Grenada to New York with no connecting flights.

The best locations for adults-only luxury yacht cruising are St. Maarten and St. Barths because of the really fun nightclubs, upscale restaurants and evening entertainment available on these islands. St. Maarten is half Dutch and half French and offers a charismatic potpourri of history, culture and cuisine. St. Barths was settled by the French and has long been a favorite destination for luxury superyachts, lured as much by the island’s natural beauty as by the delightful restaurants, designer boutiques and colonial architecture.

There are numerous onshore amenities on all of these islands that are not necessarily public knowledge. For example, if luxury yacht charter guests are avid golfers, adore spa treatments, or relish a cooking lesson with a Michelin Star Chef, megayacht Captains always have an œin because they work with the locals, they tip them and have established an excellent rapport. Therefore it is possible to obtain reservations for properties, activities and events that are generally open only to registered guests.

These islands represent only a few of the plethora of luxury yacht charter destinations in the Caribbean. What is most important for clients to know is that we’re here to assist them in finding the perfect yacht, the perfect crew, and designing the perfect itinerary.”

Boatbookings website has numerous informative about charter in the Caribbean. Here are some suggestions:  The Windward Islands Yacht Charter,  St Barts St Barths St Barthelemy and Gustavia Yacht Charter Overview, St Martin/St Maarten

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