Tuesday, May 14, 2013

POV - Yacht Charter Broker

Chartering Yachts                

USVI Charters
Underwater Delights
As a captain for 5 years on board our own family-operated luxury catamaran my family and I got vital catamaran sailing experience.  It is this expertise that brings a whole new world to the guests' yacht charter, no matter where that maybe.  Guest question number one should be in deciding which charter broker should I select as there are a lot of yacht brokers out there.

The very first rule we made when we opened Barrington-Hall Yacht brokers in 1995 was that a real live person must answer the telephone morning, noon, or night 24/7. Service to our guests is in the forefront of our minds.
BVI Boat Charters
Having been a captain for many years means your vacation itinerary is going to be so much better than a broker who has no or very little experience operating or providing yacht charters.

All our guests enjoy the wonderful Baths, or the gorgeous Bitter End Yacht Club when on board their catamaran in the BVI (British Virgin Islands). Our guests get to see the 2 cannons in 10 feet of gin clear water resting on the seabed; snorkeling where red sea horses have been seen be on their charter during the prime week of each month (the full moon!) and to go to anchorages some captains have no idea even exist. 

 
BVI Charters
Our guests benefit by having the selection of the best one week of any month, the best one week of the entire year and we explain why they should be there doing those times.  Some guests are unable to move their dates to suite these periods, but they are given the option to do so.

Experience gives Barrington Hall Yacht Charters the knowledge of knowing when the windy months of each year are, or when not to go to various islands, or which “is” the best month of the year and why. We do not subject guests to open ocean crossings, we guide all our guests to the right locations world-wide.  We supply daily example itineraries we created the first daily itinerary to be in picture form and we also have the rest of the major locations in the world in picture formats as well.  


Look at all these photos were taken by Andrew Buys in the British Virgin Islands:   "Where Dolphins and Mermaids Play"
Chartering Yachts
Relentless
Our charter industry is made up of many independent owners who also wish to rent their yachts.  There are very few crewed yacht companies who purchase their own vessels for charter, have multiple yachts to charter. Almost every crewed charter yacht we work with is operated by the independent owner.

Most of the power boats that are over 100 feet are designed and built by a yacht company and the plans follow generally the same format.  The owners' cabins are full bean with a large his and hers bathroom, TV, surround sound music, a/c controls and a large California king-sized bed to their cabin.  


The guest VIP cabin is normally a king or Queen bed with all the options but one bathroom for their couple to use.  Then there are likely two cabins with twin beds inside - one to sleep 2 children and one to sleep 2 bodyguards.  So finding a power boat to charter over 100 feet with 4 equal cabins is generally not available.
Chartering Yachts
178' Starfire - Luxury on the Calm Seas
Generally when owner’s wish to charter their yachts it is money they are after for one reason or another. Generally base their vessels in one of 4 major locations world-wide. The Caribbean, Bahamas, French Riviera and Greece. Chartering outside these locations means relocation costs for most vessels, or renting local vessels which do not meet industry standards. 

Yes, many of these same owners want their yachts to go to different locations at various times of the year so that the owner and his family can enjoy different locations around the world.  But by stepping outside the familiar charter locations will mean less business to offset their yacht expenses but more pleasure for yacht owners.

Mediterranean Charter
French Riviera Yacht Charters
The major change in Location is to go from the Bahamas to the French Riviera. These days most 200' foot yachts are loaded onto a ferry with as many as 18 other power boats and ferried across the Atlantic to the Antibes. A one way trip for a 110 foot power boat is about $100,000 and the major the reason for transporting them across the Atlantic Ocean is that power boats can not carry enough fuel to cross the Atlantic.

Also, there is the Bahamas to Newport Rhode, Island.  Chartering yachts for guests is very different in the Bahamas and the Caribbean and your yacht charter broker should be able explain the ins and outs of the differences.

The crystal clear waters of the Bahamas and the Caribbean, which are about the same temperature as your body, allows 2-3 hours of snorkeling under water as well as all water sports everyday. 

Not so with Martha’s Vineyard, Block Island, or Nantucket where the water is so cold that generally no water sports are done. Usually, the emphasis being focused on exploring each individual island and taking in the deep American history related to these locations and then it is Back to the Bahamas. Then there are owners who want their yachts to do half way around the world or around the world trips allowing us to meet them in different locations to enjoy those out of the way locations without relocation costs.

The Barrington-Hall Yacht Corporation's staff attend 5-6 annual boat shows around the world and they are Greece, Caribbean, Antigua, Tortola and the US Virgin Islands. Plus we are likely to attend Genoa and the various boats shows in Fort Lauderdale and Miami. 


Almost all these charter boat yacht shows are for yacht charter brokers only and are not open to the public. Our aim is to inspect each charter yacht and we take our own pictures of all cabins, salons dining areas as well as meeting the crew and the captains of all the yachts. Our plan is to spend quality time with each vessel and crew to get to know them and their efficiencies. 

Many of the captains invite us to enjoy meals on board so we can experience what they have to offer our guests and experince first hand their service. After the show we do have a fine idea of who the great teams are. 

Good yacht charter brokers are well informed people who make sure they have the answers for the next year that their guests are likely to ask.

Taking a chance with our guest’s Caribbean Yacht Vacation is not something we intend to do.  There are times when guests call too late to charter and all the better vessels have been booked, so they are forced to accept yachts we normally hold for second time around.  New Year and Christmas weeks are generally such weeks.  Booking for these individual 2 weeks means booking early which is 6-9 months ahead of time.  Any other week and 4-6 weeks is normally fine, but booking early is always the way to go.


Owners look at Christmas and New Year week very differently, some owners are not serious about renting these important 14 days.  These owners instruct their central agent that they want a full 14 days booked or they will enjoy spend the time on their yachts instead for chartering it out.  


An alternative is for guests to have to pay for a mandatory minimum 10 nights over this 14 night period or again the owners might simply enjoy that time themselves. Booking guests a charter during these two weeks can be expensive and when guests request to book New Year after September there is likely to be very few available vessels out there. So charter your yacht vacation early!

A private motor yacht will be one of the most adventure-filled, yet relaxing vacations you may have in your lifetime. We have luxury yachts available in the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mediterranean, Greece and all other charter destinations. Visit us on our WEBSITE

Not sure where you want to go or you are not familiar with the best charter locations, then us on 800-478-2029 or (954) 720-0475 or EMAIL with all your questions and we'll get right back to you. 

British Virgin Island Charter