Day 1: Long Island
Long Island is known as the most scenic island in the Bahamas. Ideally our guests will arrive by private or charter plane, rather than make the crossing by yacht from Nassau. We anchor OLGA offshore from the Flying Fish Marina. It’s a funny thing; we never see any other superyachts here but many people spending big money to fly fish. This is a charming little marina, very friendly, easy to get in and out and really well protected. You see nurse sharks and other marine species found in the Exumas, and tons of turtles all the time. There is a stunning stretch of beach here.
Day 2: Eastern Jumentos
The first jump is the longest, 59 nautical miles from Long Island to the eastern point of Jumentos. Here we are only 50 or 60 miles from Cuba. The Jumento Cays are a rarely visited, beautiful group of islands rimming the southern edge of the 330-mile-long Great Bahama Bank in a hundred-mile arc. Only the southernmost island of the chain, Ragged Island, has about 40 inhabitants. There are several well-protected areas for mooring.
In the Exumas the water is shallow, but in Jumentos the water is very deep, so you can anchor very close to shore and be very well protected. There are reefs and coral heads everywhere on one side of the island and on the other the ocean floor drops from 700 feet to 7,000 feet, fantastic for fishing and diving. It’s the dream for the divers and fishermen to be that close, just a few hundred yards by tender. There are marlins, turtles, groupers, hammerheads and huge lobsters. We spend the first day here, fishing and diving in the morning and water sports after lunch.
Day 3: Water Cay
It’s only 20 miles to the next stop, Water Cay. Here guests are going to see the bank where you have three authentic blue holes. We anchor out in 20 feet of water and snorkel, or you can dive, and the holes are full of fish and marine life. People from Nassau now come here to pick up conchs because overfishing has left none close to Nassau. Here they are plentiful and Water Cay is also great for catching lobsters. It is easy to make our charter guests very happy here. We snorkel in the morning and catch 14 lobsters. Then we head for this pristine little beach. There is nobody here, no houses, and no yachts. Perfect for a lobster barbeque.
Day 4: Flamingo Cay
The next destination is just 9.5 miles and one of my favorite places. Flamingo Cay offers anchoring with total protection. Even in 20-knot winds the water in the bay is going to be flat. The island has an elevation of about 300 feet with lots of lush greenery. A powdery white sand beach rims the beautiful bay. We are all by ourselves. There is an old ferryboat sunken in seven to 12 feet of water that is great for snorkeling. It is the perfect distance to go with our guests from the beach to the boat and return to the beach. Chef Claire always makes a magnificent paella on this beach. This is also an amazing place for fishing because there are pinnacles that jut up from 7000 feet of water to just 26 feet. Here you are one hundred percent guaranteed to catch grouper and yellowtail because they like things that go up, so they live around the pinnacles. If guests want to catch really big grouper, anywhere from 30 to 80 pounds, we go out a little bit further and let the line drag down to 400 or 500 feet. We chum for yellowtail. When you know the area and know where to go the fishing is easy.
Today we cruise 28 nautical miles to another splendid spot, Buena Vista, again a well-protected area, although not as good as Flamingo because you are open to the north. We anchor in 11 feet and take the guests drift snorkeling along the wall. It takes about 45 minutes and is an ideal excursion, especially for children, because it is not tiring and islands on both sides make people feel safe. There is a small but stunning beach on the northwest side of the island. Divers enjoy the amazing reefs and coral heads and there is also a small yet marvelous beach. Nearby Nurse Cay is home to a lot of baby nurse sharks hiding in the rocks. It is really nice because the sharks are not deep and you can touch them and take pictures.
Day 6: Ragged Island
Ragged Island is part of the Jumentos Cays and Ragged Island Chain and lies about 20 miles from BuenaVista. In Duncan Town, the only settlement in the entire chain, most of the inhabitants are the direct descendants of the original settlers. These islanders rely heavily on the mail boat for transportation, freight and commerce. The island is renowned for great bone fishing and there are four or five of sunken fishing boats that provide interesting snorkeling. We like to go ashore for a walking tour of the island, which is culturally unique and distinguished from Nassau and the Exumas.
Ragged Island is located on the passage between the Bahamas and Cuba where currents from the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean flow into the Gulf Stream. The amount of marine life here is astonishing. We ride the tender for 20 minutes to reach
Columbus Bank. There is a six-foot deep area that is surrounded by a depth of 60 feet, which then drops off to 4,000 feet. There are thousands of fish here including spectacular jumping tuna. South of Ragged are more sensational coral heads with a delightful sandbar in the center. Magalenese Bank is another great spot for deep-sea fishing.
This is an itinerary for families and friends that want to spend quality time together. There are no shops, no restaurants, no casinos and no bars. This is an unsurpassed charter itinerary for those interested in exploring nature and an environment that has changed little since Columbus sailed these same Caribbean bays.
Charter OLGA with Captain Bernard and enjoy a rare opportunity of discovery while living in absolute luxury.
The Judges Decide: 2011 BVI Charter Yacht Show Best in Show Awards
The Charter Yacht Society of the BVI hosted the 30th Annual BVI Charter Yacht Show, November 8-11. There were many wonderful events organized for attendees that culminated with a gala Farewell Dinner for all charter brokers and yacht crews at the Scrub Island Resort, Spa and Marina. Highlighting the event was the Best in Show awards ceremony,
which took place following cocktails and a sumptuous buffet dinner.
This beautiful, sunny evening saw several yachts set sail over to Scrub Island, while other attendees were transported by complimentary ferry from the dock in Roadtown, Tortola. 
Scrub Island is located about three miles offshore from the Tortola airport. The development opened in 2010 and offers rental and residential vacation properties with docking and resort facilities on site including two restaurants, retail shops and a first class spa.
This year Sol petroleum, providers of fuel for the majority of marinas in the BVI,
provided some of the prizes for winners in five different categories. Prizes included two round trip tickets from Beef Island, Tortola to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The panel of judges, comprised of anonymous charter brokers, viewed seventy participating yachts and met their crews in order to submit their votes in each category. After the votes were tallied the winners were:
Best in Show
First Place: AVALON
Second Place: AKASHA
Best Multihull Over 51 Feet
First Place: CATSY
Second Place: FELICIA
Best Multihull 50 Feet and Under
First Place: NUTMEG
Second Place: DREAMING ON
Best Monohull
First Place: TAKAPUNA
Second Place: BLUE PASSION
Best Motor Yacht
First Place: FREEDOM
Second Place: OBSESSION
The Charter Yacht Show is the largest of its kind in the Virgin Islands and is an important annual event that provides an opportunity for charter industry professionals to develop a personal knowledge of yachts and relationship with
crews. BVI yacht charters contribute more than $35 million dollars in revenue annually from the many
charter guests who enjoy this exquisite cruising region.
Follow these links for information about BVI yacht charter:
Heesen`s 164ft. Superyacht YN 16750: Swift, Efficient, All-Aluminum, Transoceanic Explorer
YN 16750 is a swift, lightweight all-aluminum explorer yacht under construction at the Heesen shipyard and scheduled for delivery in 2015.
The revolutionary Fast Displacement Hull Form (FDFH) developed by famous Dutch naval architects Van Oossanen and Associates allows significant improvements in fuel efficiency.
Thanks to the FDHF’s low resistance characteristics, YN 16750 can reach a maximum speed of 18.5 knots powered by two 1.000kW MTUs. Hence an ocean-crossing range is achieved with minimal fuel capacity; only 45.000 liters are required to comfortably transit the Atlantic, leaving plenty of reserve.
Perry van Oossanen, naval architect at VOA, comments: “Modest propeller tunnels have been defined allowing for 1.5m diameter propellers. The hull will be fitted with Quantum XT zero-speed fins, and bilge keels, allowing for a maximum reduction in roll angle when at anchor. The design of the hull, the appendages and the propulsion arrangement have been focused on obtaining the best fuel efficiency possible, without sacrificing performance and comfort when running in waves.” Carrying less fuel also means that the yacht is lighter which further improves efficiency.
Exterior styling and general arrangement has been entrusted to Frank Laupman from Omega Architects & AB Studios. They describe the elegant lines emphasized by contrasting bands of wraparound glass as “complex simplicity” the parallelism of line is in fact an illusion.
The cozy and inviting interior décor will be based on the color contrast between swamp oak paneling and dark joinery details. Ten guests can be accommodated in five cabins. 61 square meters are dedicated to the master suite, traditionally located forward on the main deck. The four guest cabins (two VIP and two twins) are positioned on the lower deck.
Guests will enjoy 237 square meters of outdoor living space. The main and rescue tenders are placed on the fore deck under way, while the toys are stored in the forward garage. This configuration allows the aft part of the yacht to be used as a large beach club equipped with sauna and hammam.
The design of YN 16750 proves that high speed cruising can be achieved without sacrificing either luxury or efficiency.
Follow this link to view Heesen Yachts for Charter worlwide.
Please visit Super Yacht and Luxury Yacht Charter to explore the possibilities of a superb yachting vacation.
Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show Opens to Enthusiastic Crowds
Some of the world’s most prestigious yachts along with all things nautical, from marine themed jewelry to a Triton submarine, are on display for viewing until Monday, October 31, at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
The show spans six sites and features more than $3 billion worth of boats, yachts, super yachts, electronics, engines and thousands of boating accessories from every major marine manufacturer and boat builder across the globe, as well as exotic cars, clothing and jewelry. Other activities at the boat show include marine seminars, fishing clinics, live musical 
entertainment and an International Food Garden.
The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show takes place at the Bahia Mar Yachting Center, the Hall of Fame Marina, the Las Olas Municipal Marina, the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, the Broward County Convention Center and the Sails Marina. Hours are from 10:00am to 7:00pm except on Monday when the show will close at 5:00pm.
Follow this useful link for detailed information on Super Yachts and Luxury Yachts currently available for charter.
Nordhavn 86 Expedition Yacht Debuts at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show Oct. 27-31
The transoceanic Nordhavn 86 explorer will make her public debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show this week. The N86 is the first superyacht launched by Pacific Asian Enterprises Inc. (PAE). According to the company, it is the success of the hull that has served as a catalyst in the design and forthcoming launch of the Nordhavn 120, which will place PAE into a firmly competitive position in the expedition and superyacht market.
Expedition yachts are designed as long range, ocean-crossing vessels. For the Nordhavn 86 to be successful in today’s competitive market, the design must prove to be seaworthy, safe, eco friendly and luxurious. PAE built the N86 using exotic woods, stone and materials, handcrafted in house by skilled artisans. Each hull is customized to incorporate the owners’ unique vision and state-of-the-art technology and equipment.
During the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, October 27-31, the Nordhavn 86 will be open for viewing at the Las Olas Marina, slip 123. The N86 on display is built for fun, optimized to carry toys with custom storage for SCUBA equipment, fishing gear and Jet skis. The layout features two VIP suites with an aft-facing master suite on the bridge level complete with sliding doors, which lead out to a private balcony. A second VIP stateroom is located on the main level.
Showcased alongside the 86 at Fort Lauderdale will be the Nordhavn 64, currently one of PAE’s top selling models. Both yachts will be at the Las Olas section of the show. Additionally, a Nordhavn 55 will be in Fort Lauderdale at the main section of the show on B Dock slip #230.
CaryAli is a Nordhavn 86 built in 2007 that is available for charter in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. CaryAli offers luxury accommodations, outstanding features, electronics and toys.
Here is a useful link for comprehensive information about Super Yacht and Luxury Yacht Charter.