It is still too early to say whether such deep discounts will be offered en masse during the upcoming Caribbean season, as only a few early offers have come to my attention thus far. They include price breaks aboard the 115-foot Crescent motoryacht Kapalua and the 254-foot motoryacht Samar. Those discounts have followed the traditional pattern seen this summer, with either a straight percentage discount or an extra day onboard for free.

Which is why I am so intrigued to receive a new announcement from management house Edmiston and Company regarding the 169-foot Alloy sailing yacht Mondango (that’s Mondango‘s main salon in the photograph at right). The yacht’s owner, instead of offering a traditional discount this winter in the Caribbean, has instead decided to include the crew’s gratuities in the yacht’s lowest weekly base rate of €185,000.

Since clients regularly tip charter yacht crew anywhere from 5 percent to 15 percent of the yacht’s base rate, this offer amounts to a savings for the charter client of €9,250 to €27,750.

Could this be the first in what will become a new trend in charter yacht discount offers? I’m certainly staying tuned. I can see why yacht owners and management companies would prefer this type of discount, for sure: It helps to retain the value of the yacht’s regular base rate for when the global recession ends.

One of the brokers asked a question during another speaker’s talk that day, a question that left me shaking my head in amazement. “Why should we use social media at all?” she said. “Doesn’t it denigrate luxury brands?”

That attitude continues to amaze me. In my opinion, it’s like saying, “Why should we use e-mail to promote yacht charter? Isn’t e-mail full of spam?” Social media—like e-mail, blogs, magazines, snail mail, the Pony Express, and town criers way back in the day—is simply a form of communication. It’s a channel through which a message can be delivered. Yes, some people use it to spew nonsense into the world, but savvy businesspeople are now using social media to connect with serious clients, including those in upper financial demographics.

The most recent example from the world of luxury yacht charter is Shannon Webster, who owns Florida-based Shannon Webster Yacht Charters. (That’s Webster in the photograph above.) On August 13, she uploaded a post to her company’s Facebook page: “New England is booking very quickly as the summer is coming to a close. There are very few available larger motor yachts that have an open calendar. Many owners are using their boats at the end of August, causing further lack of inventory. Northern Lights, the 132′ Westship, and Sovereign, the 120′ Broward, still have open time on their charter books. Inquire today before they are gone!”

Less than a week later, Webster announced a 10-day booking as a direct result: “It pays to use Social Media. Just booked Northern Lights yesterday for 9 nights, only 4 days after posting her availability in New England on my FaceBook wall.”

Northern Lights is a charter yacht with a top weekly base rate of $90,000. If securing a 10-day booking from a Facebook post equals “denigration” of its brand, then I’ll eat my keyboard.

Kudos to Webster for her smart use of social media, and to the fruit it has borne for her company. I hope that charter brokers who fear and avoid social media (and the Web in general) will learn from the example that Webster is setting.

Editor’s Note: Shannon Webster is a sponsor of CharterWave, where this blog originates.

Now comes word from Camper and Nicholsons International that four of its premier charter yachts will be heading to the Indian Ocean this winter. That’s not only a noteworthy number of yachts, but the yachts are also noteworthy in and of themselves.

First is the 184-foot Benetti motoryacht Galaxy, which has earned a reputation among industry insiders as one of the finest yachts in her class, especially for gourmands. You might recall my blog post from May 2009, after I attended an impressive seven-course tasting dinner for 24 guests onboard. Galaxy will be bringing her five-star service to the Maldives during the month of November, after which she will become available for charter in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tahiti well into 2011.

Also moving to the Indian Ocean this winter are the 211-foot Benetti motoryacht Silver Angel, the 196-foot CMN motoryacht Cloud 9, and the 184-foot Perini Navi sailing yacht Panthalassa. Each of these yachts is a recent build that turns heads thanks to modern features and design. They are the types of yachts that tend to stay in the Mediterranean and Caribbean for at least a few years after launching, since their very newness makes them top options for charter even in locations that some guests have previously visited.

Newly released data show Caribbean charter bookings being down about 15 percent for 2009 versus 2008. That  same set of data show “further afield” destinations such as the Indian Ocean holding their own in terms of demand, despite the continuing global recession. It will be interesting to see whether that situation continues for the calendar year 2010, and whether we will, in fact, be able to call the Indian Ocean a seriously rising trend line in the charter industry as soon as 2011.

Editor’s Note: For more information about chartering in the Indian Ocean, visit the Yachtworldcharters.com Indian Ocean destination page.

Turkey offers gulet charters literally within sight of the Greek Isles, and often at prices that are an absolute steal.

Greece has long received the most attention from boaters who dream of cruising in the Eastern Mediterranean. Rhodes, Mykonos, and Crete are legendary, must-visit islands in many sailors’ minds. Far fewer people have heard of the ports in Bodrum, Marmaris, and Gocek, which are the main stops on the “milk run” along neighboring Turkey’s southwestern coast. It’s a shame, really, because Turkey offers just as much history, culture, and beauty as Greece—sometimes literally within sight of the Greek Isles, and often at prices that are an absolute steal.

The gulet (properly pronounced gooh-LET) is the type of boat most readily available for crewed charter in Turkey. Today’s gulets are modern adaptations of the slow, stable, wide-beamed sailboats that moved goods among Turkey’s cities before the invention of trains, trucks, and airplanes. The newest of these wooden motorsailers are far from being high-performance sailing yachts, but they are beloved because they rival some motoryachts in terms of roominess and ease of motion. Just as sailing catamarans make great yachts for first-time visitors to the Virgin Islands, gulets are ideal for cruising the Turkish coast.

And in many cases today, gulets are an exceptional crewed charter value. While you could easily pay about €26,000 for a week aboard a top-quality, 98-foot gulet taking 10 guests in Greece, a similar investment can often get you a 118-foot yacht—meaning way more interior and on-deck space—for those same 10 guests in Turkey. These boats may literally be docked across a few miles of water from one another, with one in Greece’s Dodecanese chain and the other on Turkey’s coast, both well within cruising reach of the ancient ruins, local bazaars, and cultural heritage that make chartering in this region so memorable.

The one must-heed piece of advice I can give for booking a gulet in Turkey—based on several trips I have made to the region myself—is to work with a broker who has been aboard the local gulets within the past 12 months. Industry experts are invited each summer to Marmaris to inspect the boats, some of which deteriorate rapidly from one year to the next. It’s important that you have current information about maintenance and upkeep before selecting a gulet in Turkey.

California-based Beverly Parsons at Interpac Yachts has attended the Marmaris show all but one year since 1983. Missy Johnston at the Newport office of Northrop and Johnson Worldwide Yacht Charters makes a point of personally cruising the various Turkish itineraries before or after the boat show each year. Both of them recently cruised for several days onboard a gulet with me, and I not only found their knowledge bases strong, but also their personal love for the region absolutely enchanting.

Editor’s Note: For charter listings in Turkey, visit the Yachtworldcharters.com Turkey destination page.

“Clients like the feeling of luxury between their fingertips,” one broker told me in a tone that attempted outright gravitas. “That simply cannot be replicated in a digital format.”

I was reminded of that conversation yesterday, when I uploaded this interview with charter broker Sherry Yates of Yates Yachts, who is shown in the photograph at right. She’s running an entire charter-booking operation not only without printed brochures, but also without new paper of any kind.

“Yates Yachts is a green company,” she told me, explaining how she learned the importance of the environment while living aboard her own boat in the Caribbean for 10 years. “In addition to supporting yachts that advertise their efforts at sustaining our planet—recycling, reusable water bottles for guests, wind and solar energy, and the like—all of my correspondence is done electronically. That includes inquiry replies, yacht brochures, and charter agreements. Any paper I do generate is recycled.”

Yates is so serious about “going green” that her office is heated by solar power, and the radio she listens to is powered by wind.

“I know brokers who send out hundreds of packets and brochures, and they all get thrown away,” she said. “I am trying to limit what I put into the environment.”

“Going green” is becoming a trend in the charter industry, for sure. Large management companies regularly tout their efforts to operate in a carbon-neutral fashion. The retail-booking agency Boatbookings offers a button on its website that lets you purchase carbon credits at the time you book your charter, for an instant offset. New motoryachts generate hot water from heat exchangers on the generator and main engine, as opposed to using a traditionally separate, electricity-guzzling water heater. New sailing yachts work with firms like the CarbonNeutral Company to offset the emissions from charter vacations. Even smaller yachts that are several years old are going green by installing water chillers that let them replace plastic water bottles with reusable, refillable water bottles for guests. That’s no small shakes: Akasha‘s crew told me that they previously would go through about 22 cases of bottled water during each charter week. With 24 bottles per case, the refillable bottles are saving the landfill from more than 500 empty plastic bottles per week.

I am encouraged every time I hear of another yacht like these, or about a broker like Yates who is striving to lead by example. They are proving every day that yacht charter remains one of the most forward-thinking vacation options when it comes to environmental stewardship. My hat is off to them, and I hope you will support them with your charter business.

Editor’s Note: Boatbookings is a sponsor of CharterWave, where this blog originates.

The Moorings Boat Ownership Progam has just two boat models, the Moorings 372 PC and 474 PC.

Psst – want to feel like you’re getting away with grand larceny? The Moorings Boat Ownership Program lets you purchase a new power cruiser and skip out of paying for its dockage, maintenance, service, parts and labor, and insurance through the first five high seasons you own the boat – and gives you a guaranteed monthly revenue check to help offset your boat loan.
“When you compare it to private ownership – that’s when people say this is too good to be true,” said Franck Bauguil , vice president, yacht ownership & sales, of TUI Marine, The Moorings’ parent company. “This is a unique program, and we are the only company that guarantees to cover all operating expenses and guarantees revenues as well.”

The trade-off is that participating owners can only use their boats for a maximum of 12 weeks a year; the rest of the time, it is offered for charter as part of The Moorings Powerboat Vacations’ professionally maintained and operated fleet. So, this program is not for those who want to keep their boat in their backyards or are phobic about having a stranger sleeping in their berth. But, in these overworked and over-committed times, 12 weeks of cruising is about all the time that many boat owners can possibly manage.

And the program offers a unique degree of flexibility – participants can trade time aboard their own boat for a charter on an identical model in another destination where The Moorings Powerboat Vacations operates a base, including The Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, Baja Mexico, the Seychelles, Thailand and Australia. Owners can upgrade to a larger boat and only pay the difference in the charter fee. In fact, they can even swap for a week or two aboard one of the company’s hundreds of sailing charter yachts located in exotic destinations around the world.

“No other company offers such a flexible usage system, and such a large choice of destinations,” Bauguil said.

Bookings are made utilizing a points system that encourages boat usage during off-peak weeks as well as high-demand times like holidays. Owners are awarded 42 privilege points that they can redeem for advance bookings in high season (two points per day) and low season (1 point per day), as well as an additional 42 points for short-notice bookings.

Power cats have more interior volume than monohulls the same length.

The Moorings Boat Ownership Progam has just two boat models, the Moorings 372 PC and 474 PC. Both are fiberglass power catamarans built by Robertson and Caine, South Africa’s largest boat manufacturer, which produces all The Moorings’ private label boats as well as Leopard brand sailing and power cats.

“Initially, we thought we would be able to utilize mainstream powerboat products,” Bauguil said. But after trying out a number of different models in a charter environment, he said, “We have abandoned the idea of monohulls. We need an easy-to-maintain boat. We need a catamaran.”

In the end, The Moorings went back to Robertson and Caine, longtime builder of its sailing fleet, to commission custom power versions of their popular sailing cats. “We control the product, the design, the price and the delivery,” Bauguil said.

The advantages of two hulls over one are myriad, he reported. Power cats provide a more stable platform both under way and at anchor, making a charter vacation more comfortable for those unused to the water. They have a shallower draft than monohulls, allowing them to get closer to shore; their design also allows easy access to the water itself. These boats are highly maneuverable, thanks to the separation between the engines. “The boat can rotate 360 [degrees] in its own length with no need for a bow thruster, since the engines are 20-plus feet apart,” he said.

Power cats also are more efficient. “The fuel consumption compared to monohulls is not even close. We are looking at huge savings on fuel – and therefore, also emissions,” Bauguil said. This gives the Moorings Power Cats a longer range. In fact, they are delivered transatlantic from South Africa to the BVI on their own bottoms – a real testament to their seaworthiness. “They have professional skippers who run one engine at a time. It’s a great shakedown,” he said. “And when they arrive, they are checked all over again.”

Finally, a power cat has more interior volume than a monohull with a comparable LOA, due to its wide beam and twin hulls. The Moorings 372 PC, for example, has two staterooms (one in either hull), each with ensuite head and shower. The main deck encompasses a large salon with full galley and roomy dinette. Entertaining space is also maximized in the cockpit and on the flybridge, both of which are shaded against the midday sun. The Moorings 372 PC, equipped with twin 110-hp Yanmar diesels, is competitively priced at $348,000, which includes upgrades and delivery to the charter fleet base.

The 474 is a very comfortable boat for eight people.

The larger Moorings 474 PC is an even more successful model. “This is a true four-cabin boat, with ensuite baths and showers,” Bauguil said. “It has the flybridge of a much bigger boat.”

The 474 is loaded with standard equipment, including a stainless steel davit system that makes launching and retrieving the dinghy a breeze. There’s a fold-out swim platform in addition to boarding steps on the twin hull transoms. This is a very comfortable boat for eight people –the entire group can be seated together in the cockpit, at the dining table in the wide salon/galley, and also on the flybridge. Four equivalent staterooms, located in the hulls, ensure that no one will feel slighted. “You can be eight people on this boat and never see each other,” Bauguil said.

The 474 PC features a highly efficient hull design by racing catamaran gurus Morelli & Melvin. The price of The Moorings 474 PC is $537,000, which includes upgrades and delivery to the base. “For that, they are getting a lot of space, and they are getting a lot of value,” Bauguil said, adding. “The resale is good as well.”

Despite all these advantages, Bauguil admits that power cats are still a tough sell for many traditional powerboaters. “That is the same problem we had when we introduced the sailing catamarans to the U.S. in 1990s,” he said. Today, the docks at sailboat shows are lined with cats. “When people see the product, they think it’s incredible.”

The Moorings Boat Ownership Program covers a boat for its first five or six high seasons, depending on its location—a policy that ensures that The Moorings charter fleets are renewed at a rate of about 20 percent a year. The program is designed to provide participants with services that cover the entire lifecycle of the vessel, including third-party financing from approved lenders. At the end of the contract, about 20 percent of owners keep their boat, he reported, and 25 percent trade it in for a new boat. For the rest, The Moorings offers brokerage services in key regions around the world.

“Throughout the process, there is an owner relations concierge service. They have one person they talk to in order to book their holidays, etc.,” Bauguil said. “It’s very seamless, and it’s handled from A to Z.”

Owners can rest assured that The Moorings Boat Ownership Program will still be around when their boat “graduates” from its charter duties. TUI Marine is a division of TUI Travel PLC, one of the largest leisure travel groups in the world. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, it services over 30 million customers annually. For its part, TUI Marine, which is headquartered in Clearwater, Fla., owns not only The Moorings but also Sunsail and Footloose Sailing Charters, with a total of more than 1,450 yachts in 40 locations around the world.

For more information, visit the Moorings website.

Editor’s Note: Louisa Beckett has been involved with boating ever since her father, Kenneth Rudeen, sailing editor for Sports Illustrated, took her to her first America’s Cup at age eleven. As former editor of Motor Boating and ShowBoats International magazines, she has covered the marine industry from PWCs to superyachts.

Some charter brokers have insurance licenses and can sell you a policy from a major agency. Others refer clients to travel-insurance firms. Either way, for your ease, travel insurance companies often offer bundled services. Most provide for trip cancellation and interruption, medical expenses and transportation, lost or stolen baggage coverage, and 24-hour travel-assistance services (rebooking tickets or replacing a lost or stolen passport, for example). The differences lie in the limits, as well as whether they’re booked for a single trip or for annual coverage.

But the number-one reason why it’s recommended—and obtained—is to protect against trip cancellation. It’s not uncommon for illness or a sudden death in the family to lead to a cancellation. Insurance can reimburse you for the charter cost; otherwise, you’re sunk. “This is a very, very expensive vacation,” explains Jennifer Saia, president of The Sacks Group Yachting Professionals, whose firm recommends obtaining insurance with every contract it sends. “You could be liable for the entire cost of the charter” if the yacht can’t be rebooked for the dates you’d planned to cruise aboard. Saia relates the story of one client whose son had pneumonia and couldn’t board a plane, leading the woman to cancel the charter only days before her family was scheduled to depart. That same client didn’t have travel insurance. While she was lucky that the yacht owner offered the chance to rebook within a year, Saia says, not all owners take that approach. “It’s not like a hotel room; this is an expensive boat that has been taken off the market” for your dates, she explains.

Insurance agents point to weather being another common cancellation cause. Snowstorms have wreaked havoc with charterers heading off on Caribbean cruises. Even if your departure is delayed just a day or two, you can get reimbursed on a pro-rated basis.

Remember the volcanic explosions in Iceland? And remember how the talking heads on the evening news kept stating that acts of God like this weren’t covered? False, at least where travel-insurance firms like Travel Guard and On Call International are concerned. Dan McGinnity, vice president of Travel Guard North America, says his team contacted travelers to alert them to flight cancellations and rebooked them automatically. If clients couldn’t embark on travels or had trips interrupted, they were covered. Gary Tice, vice president of sales for On Call International, says his firm will begin covering tsunamis and other natural disasters in September. He cautions that not all travel policies cover acts of God. “You have to ask and make sure it’s included,” he recommends.

While medical emergencies during a charter are thankfully rare, according to McGinnity, Tice, and even Saia, it’s worth requesting coverage if for no other reason than peace of mind. Tice says that without insurance, medevac costs can range from $20,000 to $100,000 depending on where you are in the world. “Even if you’re wealthy, you don’t want to pay that out of pocket,” he affirms. He relates the story of four couples who chartered a yacht to explore the coast of Chile, with occasional day trips ashore. On one day trip, they hired a driver to take them up into the Andes, and they encountered a truck around a curve on a narrow road. Their driver swerved to avoid hitting the truck, but he veered off the road, and the vehicle plummeted a few hundred feet down a cliff. Six of the eight charter guests were killed on impact, with the two survivors sustaining serious injuries.

It’s an extreme example, but if you’ve ever been injured on vacation, you may know the unease associated with treatment at an unfamiliar hospital—so imagine being in a foreign country. Imagine also the nightmare of trying to arrange for bodies to be flown home: legal red tape that can take days to untangle, plus tens of thousands of dollars. In the situation just outlined, thankfully everyone had purchased travel insurance. For about $1,000 each—a small additional percentage of the six-figure charter cost—the charterers acquired policies that provided medical evacuation to a hometown hospital. Recovery of and flying home the deceased’s remains were also covered.

So what’s it all cost? McGinnity says the rule of thumb is six to eight percent of the trip cost, plus factors related to the ages of the travelers and the coverage limits. There are also single-trip policies and annual policies. But for a $20,000 charter with four people ages 40 to 55, Platinum coverage (one of Travel Guard’s popular packages) would cost $375 each. The same coverage on a $200,000 charter with 10 people in the same age range would cost about$1,900 apiece.

Bottom line: “Why gamble? For spending a relatively small amount, everything is covered,” Tice says. Better to have someone working on your behalf than trying to tackle the problems yourself. After all, as Tice puts it, “They do it every day.”

Editor’s Note: Diane M. Byrne is the founder and editor of the website Megayacht News. A longtime yachting writer, she contributes to Super Yacht World, Superyacht Business, Boat Exclusive, and other magazines. She is additionally a member of the International Superyacht Society Board of Directors and a founding member of the U.S. Superyacht Association.

As master of the ship, you decide where to go and what to do, but the logistics are the captain’s responsibility.

Few of life’s pleasures compare with a yacht charter, because it combines a superb sense of privacy with the freedom and flexibility to do exactly as you please. It’s no wonder that the  truly wealthy, from Onassis to Trump, chose yachts as their method of escape.

“The special charm of a large yacht is that it enables presumably responsible people to combine the milder irresponsibilitys of a beachcomber’s existence with all the comforts of a luxury hotel,” said King Edward VIII of England, later the Duke of Windsor and a man who knew his way around luxury yachts.

You can, of course, find superb service afloat on many of the best cruise ships but, on the other hand, you go where they choose. Aboard your chartered yacht, the captain in his freshly starched uniform will inquire discreetly what might please you today and, should you prefer to do nothing, you will be left undisturbed.

On the other hand, your options might include jet skis and windsurfers, water skiing, sailing, snorkelling or exploring ashore. Larger yachts obviously have a wider selection of toys, ranging up to helicopters and automobiles aboard the “crème” de la fleet.

But, you say, I can’t afford to charter a luxury yacht in the 60- to 200-foot range. Nonsense. If you add up what you spend at a top quality resort or luxury hotel for accommodation, food, beverages, and all the other incidentals like sightseeing and those endless tips, you could have had a week in the Caribbean or along the Riviera aboard your own yacht.

While some of the largest yachts may charge $100,000 a week or more, the majority of luxury charters cost far less. With the help of a charter broker you can source a yacht for three couples, complete with superb food, luxurious staterooms and an attentive crew, for around $5,000 a week per couple. Compare that to the price of a five-star resort where you’re “just another guest”, rather than being master of your own yacht.

While most charters are purely for pleasure, many companies are finding that luxury yachts are ideal for truly private and relaxing business meetings away from office pressures and deadlines. Yachts are perfect for entertaining clients or hosting conferences, with stewards that cater to every need and an array of food and drink for every palate. Other companies have discovered that a yacht is the perfect business incentive, and much more of a bonus than a week at a ski resort or hotel.

Where To Start

Charter vessels offer high quality preparation and presentation.

Most novices are reluctant to try chartering because they don’t how to begin their quest for a yacht. Your starting point, in every case, must be with a charter broker. A travel agent is fine for booking airlines and hotels, but charter brokers specialise in matching up clients with charter yachts around the world. You might want to talk to several to find one with whom you feel comfortable. The charter broker has been described as a combination of psychologist, social counsellor and matchmaker, and the best brokers are able to ferret out the perfect boat in the perfect location for each need.

One question that you should ask each broker is, “Have you been aboard each boat and do you know the captain and crew?” Truly professional charter brokers make it a point to visit each yacht regularly, both to inspect it for condition and to acquaint themselves with the crews. After all a successful charter is more about people than about a boat, so brokers work hard to make sure the client and crew are 100 percent compatible.

In addition to knowing the boats, a good charter broker should also be familiar with the charter areas to make suggestions on possible itineraries.

The four basic questions that each charter broker will ask are where, when, how many and how much, although not necessarily in that order.

Your answers to where and when need not be ironclad unless you have a specific desire to be in one particular place and time, such as Monaco for the Grand Prix, since a broker may suggest alternatives that you may have missed. The Mediterranean high season is the summer, while the Caribbean is the winter, but you might enjoy other areas such as the Eastern United States or even as far afield as Thailand or the South Pacific. To really enjoy a charter, seven days is the minimum required to unwind, and ten days is even better.

You do need to be honest about your budget, but don’t be shy if you’re not in the $100,000 a week bracket. Charter brokers have listings in all size ranges and can often match you up with more than you thought you could get.

Signing Up

Once the broker has the basic parameters, you’ll receive a package of photographs, descriptions, and perhaps even video tapes or DVDs of yachts that fit your needs.

Look at the photos and study the layouts and descriptions. If you want privacy, try to avoid adjoining cabins, because the walls in yachts are not as soundproof as in homes. You’ll probably see classic yachts built in the Roaring ’20s, sleek European-styled yachts with ultra-modern interiors, and sailing yachts with clouds of sail. Choose one whose looks appeal to you, because there’s no point in spending a week aboard a boat you think is ugly.

When you’ve narrowed your selections, the charter broker looks at the master calendar for that yacht to make sure that your dates are available.

At the time that you make the charter reservation, which actually takes the yacht off the calendar and holds your time block, you will normally pay fifty per cent of the charter fee. You will be expected to deposit the remainder of the fee at least thirty days before the starting date, and this is usually accomplished by a wire transfer so there is no delay in clearing the funds.

But, if you’re used to staying at luxury hotels, you’re probably wondering about all those “extra costs” that can increase the price. Most yacht charters are priced in one of two ways: allinclusive, or MYBA or WMT (Western Mediterranean Terms. WMT are now often referred to as “MYBA terms” – Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association).

All-inclusive is just that, and the base rate includes fuel, food, beverages, docking fees, and, of course, the captain and crew. There are a few extras, however. Don’t expect to drink Dom Perignon daily, although good wines and champagnes are included in the rate. Some all-inclusive contracts may specify a certain number of hours of fuel use each day, with a charge for additional running time. In addition, you’ll be expected to pay for communication costs, such as long-distance phone calls or faxing.

Western Med Terms are more of an “a la carte” plan, and the base charter rate provides the yacht and crew. Beyond that, you will be charged (at cost) for fuel, food, beverages, and incidentals such as harbour fees. WMT is popular in the Med because that lifestyle lends itself to eating ashore in the evenings, so charterers don’t have to pay for unused food.

With both plans, however, you should plan on tipping the crew at the end of your cruise. This can range from 10 to 20 per cent of the base fee, depending upon the yacht and the location. Tipping is usually toward the lower end of that scale in Europe and higher in the US and Caribbean, but don’t forget that this is truly a tip and should be based on the quality of service provided.

Once you’ve chosen the yacht and location, you’ll receive a preference questionnaire from the charter broker, which will cover everything from your favourite foods and beverages to any specialised requirements such as computers.

Legalities

Choosing a flexible package will allow you to enjoy local cuisine.

You will be entering into a contract for the yacht charter, so make your plans carefully. Cancellation can cause forfeiture of your deposit as well as responsibility for the remaining fees if the yacht is not able to re-book that time period.

The ultimate responsibility for the yacht rests with the captain, and his decisions are law regarding the safety of the ship and crew. Aside from that, you are the master of the ship and can direct it to depart or dally as you wish. Each yacht is fully insured, so you need not worry about accidents.

Because of 200-year-old maritime laws for charter yachts operating from United States ports, in this country you will operate under bareboat, or “demise”, charter contracts. While this states that you are chartering the boat itself and hiring the crew separately, there is essentially no difference in liability or responsibility from normal crewed charters.

Communications

If you’re concerned that you will be out of touch for days on end, rest assured. Most modern luxury yachts have better communication systems aboard than you have in your office. Aside from the standard marine electronics, charter yachts often have satellite communication systems that allow direct dialling anywhere in the world, regardless of whether the yacht is in harbour or at sea.

Protocol

The crews of large yachts have more than enough work to keep them busy, so don’t expect them to join you on your sightseeing junkets, although they’ll drop everything to ferry you to and from shore. On smaller yachts, there is more flexibility and you can invite the captain or crew to join you ashore if you desire. Don’t be offended if the skipper declines, though. He may have projects to get done, or he may simply prefer to keep a slight distance from his clients.

Remember also that the crews are not babysitters. If you bring young children, plan to care for them yourself or bring a nanny.

What can you expect? Anything you want. A typical sevenday charter along the Riviera might include stops at Monaco, Antibes, Cannes and St Tropez, plus exploration of offshore islands, shopping ashore, and sightseeing. In the Caribbean, you can enjoy pina coladas at lunch, water sports in the afternoon, and quiet anchorages at night.

Your charter broker can advise you on what clothes to take, which is usually a range of resort wear depending on your dining plans ashore. Even though these are large yachts, storage is tight, so keep hard suitcases to a minimum and use folding duffel bags for most of your clothes.

What about chartering for business? The same rules generally apply, whether you want the yacht for a business meeting on one afternoon, or an incentive cruise for a fortnight. Sophisticated communications keep you in touch, but recreation is only a step away and a dive into the sea.

An American computer company chartered a mega-yacht for an evening cruise with 35 guests on the waterways of Florida, with heavy hors d’oeuvres and open bar to celebrate a recent business success. As one guest noted, “It was so much nicer boarding a yacht and going out on the water than spending another evening in a stuffy hotel ballroom” and the costs were about the same. Another US corporation chartered two luxury yachts for ten weeks as sales incentives for their top salespeople. Canon Business Systems in 2006 chartered seven yachts for a week of cruising the Riviera, ending up in Rome to watch the World Cup Soccer Matches.

Whatever your preference, chartering a luxury yacht is the best way to have your fun and take it with you.

This story first appeared in the October 2008 issue of Yachworld.com Magazine.  View the latest issue

A panoramic view of Capri's harbor. Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

The island of Capri is 18 miles offshore in the Bay of Naples.  The magical limestone edifice rises 600 metres with near vertical cliffs, and the strait between the island and the Italian mainland has its own micro-climate; whilst the bay is often calm, there is a funnel effect in the strait creating breeze that ranges from a light breeze to a full on foam up when enhanced with sea breeze. Clear blue skies and crystal clear water typify the sailing grounds around Capri, adding to what must be close to sailing paradise!

The rock formation collectively known as Faraglioni is considered to be one of the most natural wonders in all of Italy. Nicknamed, Stella, Mezzo and Scopolo, the three magnificent limestone stacks mark the location of the first Roman port for Capri. The Capresi consider that passing through the archway under Mezzo brings good luck and many married couples venture there after they have taken their vows.

One of Naples’ most famous sons is America’s Cup legend, Francesco de Angelis. ‘For me it is a wonderful place to sail. I grew up here sailing dinghies in the Bay of Naples. There is a lot of history in and around Capri, each cape has its own story, the volcano Vesuvio, Pompeji… there are many more. It is a multi-cultural place, the Greeks, the Normans, the Spanish have all been here… I hope that all of the sailors who have come to Capri enjoy some great sailing.’

La Canzone del Mare

La Canzone del Mare embodies the essence of Capri and was the perfect setting for the glamorous Rolex gala dinner to close Capri Sailing Week. With the romantic Faraglioni as a backdrop, waterside terraces and traditional, elegant interiors, La Canzone del Mare is an enchanting venue. Under a carpet of stars and the sound of the sea, the party was an unforgettable occasion for 600 honored guests.

Next year’s Rolex Capri Sailing Week is scheduled for May 24th to 28th 2011.

For more information and charter listings, visit the Yachtworldcharters.com Italy page.

Mi Sueno immediately cruised to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she will make her debut with the brokerage community before chartering in the Mediterranean starting this July as part of the International Yacht Collection fleet. The weekly base rate will be €280,000 for 12 guests, which is a steal compared with Mi Sueno’s asking price for sale through IYC: $54.8 million.

Interior designer Patrick Knowles—who is becoming a regular at Trinity, with recent launches including the 164-foot Mine Games, the 161-foot Destination Fox Harb’r Too, and the 161-foot Blind Date —was tapped to create Mi Sueno’s interior décor. He describes it as contemporary with an uptown twist, and makes special note of the aft entryway design. It includes floor-to-ceiling wine cellars and humidors crafted from wormwood and bronze, near a sitting area with cocktail tables made of petrified tree trunks.

Mi Sueno also boasts a split-level master suite, a concept that has become defining aboard Trinity’s 161 series and that was noted in a judges’ commendation for Blind Date at the recent World Superyacht Awards in London.

While Mi Sueno is one of the larger yachts to launch in the past year from Trinity (2009’s Bacarella has six feet more LOA), the yard has even bigger megayachts scheduled to splash in the near future. I’m most eager to see the 242-foot, quad-deck New Horizon, which will have a steel hull, aluminum superstructure, and interior by noted designer Evan Marshall. New Horizon’s deck plans show space for several oversized tenders, voluminous indoor and outdoor dining areas, and a multi-room master suite with serious potential to once again set the bar for ultimate luxury. Stay tuned.