Reason #1: Regulations and insurance

The wary yacht charter client should know that there is no minimum safety or licensing requirements with which an Owner must comply in order to offer his yacht for crewed yacht charter via the internet. The yacht is not required to be insured, or the Captain to have a license. Any Owner can place photos and information about his yacht on the internet. However safety and licensing requirements, and yacht charter hull insurance do exist.

What happens to you as the unsuspecting Charterer? You may end up chartering an uninsured vessel and might even be liable. Or, if the yacht or crew is not in compliance with required safety and licensing requirements, your charter could be illegal charter, which could invalidate the insurance coverage.

Most countries, to which a yacht is flagged, called the flag state, have safety and crew licensing requirements with which an Owner offering his yacht with crew for crewed yacht charter on a yacht flagged to that country must comply. The Owner and crew should research to assure that the yacht safety requirements and crew licensing requirements are being met for the flag state of the crewed yacht being offered for charter. Is there anyone in each flag state checking to make sure the yacht and crew being offered are in compliance? Not necessarily, or if there is a government agency checking on safety and licensing compliance, the manpower needed may be stretched too thin for adequate review.

A qualified Yacht Charter Broker, will check that the Owner has his yacht in compliance with the flag state safety regulations, and that the crew are in compliance with the flag state licensing requirements, and supply a yacht charter contract for booking the yacht for crewed yacht charter that requires the Owner and crew to be in compliance with all safety and licensing regulations necessary and for the yacht to be insured.


14th Yacht Show in Monaco

Reason #2: Charter Yacht Maintenance

Anyone familiar with yachting is aware that nothing can go downhill faster than a vessel floating on salt or fresh water that is not maintained. One of the biggest issues is odor. Whether from something unsanitary in the bilge, mildew, mold, or even spilled fuel, all odors on board are generally due to poor maintenance and can ruin your crewed yacht charter vacation. Unfortunately, while lovely photos of the yacht can be viewed on line, the yacht cannot be smelled on line!

Any yacht in a tropical or warm charter location is sitting and baking under the hot sun. The sun can fade hull paint, cause a powdery film on the hull surface, cause varnish to peel, and cause upholstery, awnings and sails, if a sailing yacht, to fade and the fibers to weaken. Water, salt or fresh, can cause some hulls to rust, cause damage to any of the interior or exterior machinery, and create mildew and mold. Even on a 50 - 60' yacht being offered for crewed charter, there should be two full time crew on board to provide the service for charter, of course, but to also, in between charters, constantly maintain and clean the yacht from bow to stern. On the exterior, the hull should constantly be washed, polished or painted, teak cleaned or re-varnished, any chrome or stainless polished, and fabrics cleaned or replaced if needed. On the interior, all systems should be constantly maintained and cleaned, the engine room should be spotless, wood should be polished, painted or oiled, all upholstery and carpeting cleaned or replaced if needed, mold and mildew eradicated, and even the tiniest corner should be cleaned, with a toothbrush and cotton swab if necessary.

Anything spilled or dropped inside a yacht always ends up in the bilge, creating an odor or possibly clogging a strainer, so constant interior cleaning is essential. And, of course, all interior goods, such as linens, towels, cutlery, and dishes, should be fresh and clean, having been replaced when worn.

A smaller 50' yacht that charters for less money than a larger 150' yacht should still look just as clean and fresh as the larger yacht. An older yacht should look just as clean and fresh as a newer yacht. A lower budget yacht should look just as clean and fresh as a higher budget yacht. No matter what the charter budget, no yacht for crewed yacht charter is worth spending a penny, much less thousands of pennies, if the yacht is not clean and fresh.

The yacht brochure pictured on the internet advertising the yacht for crewed yacht charter may have photos of the yacht taken when the yacht was brand new, and just launched. That same boat photographed and shown on the web when just launched, factory fresh, may, if not maintained properly, look and even smell considerably differently one year later. A qualified Yacht Charter Broker will keep abreast of the maintenance of the yachts offered for crewed yacht charter.

Reason #3: Charter Crew

The crew offered for the crewed yacht charter is very important as well, as on a crewed yacht charter, as the Charterer will be living on board with the crew for the duration of the charter.

Crew should be as well maintained as the yacht, in a sense. Unkempt crew is generally a hint to an unkempt yacht. Often crews, on a crewed yacht charter, are wearing a crew uniform, which should be neat and clean. The state of the crew uniform can also be a hint as to the professional level of the crew. Crew should be well trained and competent. If food is offered, the service should be top notch, and the food should be at the advertised gourmet level using fresh ingredients and good presentation. Interior service can be relaxed or equivalent to 5 star hotel services, depending on the size of the yacht and the service level advertised. A qualified Yacht Charter Broker should check to assure that the charter crew on board a charter yacht of interest are well versed in proper charter service, present well, and are friendly and hospitable.

Certainly check the internet for charter yachts; however book your charter with a qualified Yacht Charter Broker.

This year there will be 10 races scheduled over 5 race days. They are as follows:

Monday, January 19: Nautica Watches Day
Tuesday, January 20: Sperry Top-Sider Day
Wednesday, January 21: Mount Gary Rum Day
Thursday, January 22: Lewmar Day
Friday, January 23: Acura Day

This race event is a gathering of top international racing and yachting enthusiasts, and is an outgrowth of the Southern Ocean Racing Conference, (SORC), which had a focus on distance racing.

The first SORC took place in 1941 and included two distance races in and out of Havana, Cuba, which continued with the last race in and out of Havana in 1959, when the race destinations were changed, with Castro in control of Cuba, to exclude Havana.

The SORC hit it's heyday in the 1970's, and included many participant's racing yachts that are now well known to yacht racing history. However, the demands of time required for distance sailing slowly changed this event into a series of short day races, which eventually became Key West Race Week.

During each day of racing in the 2009 Key West Race Week, the participants will be racing for that Sponsor's Day awards, which will be announced and presented at the end of each day of racing at an awards ceremony followed by a party for all participants. At the end of the event, overall awards will also be presented.

This is just one of many racing events in which Carolyn Titus has participated in. A few of the others include the New York Yacht Club Race Week, many Heineken Race Weeks in St. Maarten, Block Island Race Week, and many more over the years.

Carolyn is well versed in yacht racing and has, for a number of years, offered and arranged Regatta Charters for various clients.

Carolyn will be sure to keep us updated on the outcome of the racing in Key West this year for the Acura Key West Race Week, 2009.

Stay tuned for more updates to come!

Glacier

Weather in Alaska from mid May to mid September can change from 50 degrees Fahrenheit to 80 degrees Fahrenheit at any time, and does so on a daily basis, not on a monthly basis. During the summer cruising season in Alaska it may be cooler, warmer, drier or wetter, all in the same day. And, your activity can create a weather change, such as if you are up under the calving face of a glacier, it may feel colder as the glacier ice slices through the air into the water below, sending a rush of cooler air and water your way. If you don't like the current weather during your crewed yacht charter in Alaska, stick around 10 minutes and the weather will change.

What is more predictable than the weather in Alaska is the migration of the wild and marine life. Wild and marine life migration patterns should influence your charter date choice if you have particular wild or marine life that you want to see, or if you have particular activities you want to do. For the summer cruising season in Alaska, the wise person picks charter dates and charters around their interests, not the weather.

The summer salmon run in Alaska is famous. Salmon are anadromous, which means that they are birthed in fresh water, make their way to salt water to live and return to fresh water to spawn and die. At the end of their life span, salmon return from salt water to their natal stream, which is the stream in which they were born, to fight up that stream to spawn dozens of eggs for new life. Both males and females return to their natal stream, as the female carries the eggs, which the male fertilizes. This ritual marks the life span of each salmon, which is ended spawning in the natal stream from whence that salmon emerged.


Sea Lion

This ritual of returning up the natal stream for spawning follows a general summer schedule, which starts in the beginning of the summer cruising season, with the salmon gathering in the salt waters of Alaska. At this point, in May and June, there are plenty of salmon for salt water trolling for fishing, and the bears and sea lions that dine on this fish are frequently seen along the beaches and shorelines fishing for dinner. As the salmon enter their natal stream in July and August to fight upstream, the bears will move up stream with them inland, and away from the shoreline. If one of your purposes for charter in Alaska is to see bears, it is better to go in May and June, while the bears are along the coast.


Bear Fishing

Fly fishing is a great sport in Alaska; however the species fished for in Alaska when fly fishing varies throughout the summer, based on the migration patterns of the fish. In June the Steelhead and Cutthroat Trout will pack the streams heading up river for excellent fly fishing, while in July and August, salmon pack the streams for fly fishing. Some trout species are able to survive this fight upstream for spawning and return again to salt water, however for salmon, this is the end of the line, and they show it. July and August are great for fly fishing for salmon, but those salmon caught, are not the best for eating, as they have begun to deteriorate pending the end of their lives. Catch salmon to eat in salt water as there are always salmon in the salt waters of Alaska in various stages of life.

For salt water fishing, there is no place better for Halibut fishing than Alaska, where catching a Barn Door Halibut, which is what the fish are called if over 200 pounds, is a real possibility. Halibut fishing is from April through October, however if your heart is set on catching a Barn Door Halibut, the best chance is in mid July.


Flyfishing in Alaska

Even as the bears retreat up the stream banks inland to fish for salmon in July and August, the moose, wild goats, and deer come down from the mountains closer to shore as the ice and snow melt as summer progresses. In August, moose, wild goats and deer can more readily be seen closer to shore.


Whales Bubble Feeding

Whales are back in Alaska beginning in mid May to June, and stay in Alaskan waters feeding throughout the summer, in pods, with a bubble net feeding pattern, that must be seen to be believed. If you want to see Grey Whales charter in May, as they can only be seen then passing through to their summer home in the Bering Sea. Humpback Whales begin to return to Alaska for the summer in May and can be seen throughout the summer. A good charter yacht captain will be keeping track of the various pods of Humpback Whales as they move, to be sure to cruise in whale areas for each charter.


Killer Whale

The famous American Bald Eagle returns to Alaska as early as April and stays around all summer nesting. There can be as many as 100 or more Bald Eagles in any given anchorage, and watching these magnificent birds fly is a treat.

And of course, no matter when during the summer season, you choose to charter, there are always virgin forests to visit, which are only a myth in most locations, and shoreside towns to visit, each with their history, culture, and gift shops.

So, whenever you do a crewed yacht charter in Alaska during the summer season, there is plenty to see and do. But, if you have a particular must do activity, time your charter, not for the weather, but for the migration and various activities of wild and marine life.


Bald Eagle

View Yachts in Alaska that are available for charter

Mykonos is the playground of Greece with the postcard view: white little houses with flowers and blue trimmed windows and doors, hand painted streets, windmills, pigeon keepers, chimneys, lots of little churches and wonderful restaurants and cafes. According to mythology, Mykonos was where Heracles killed the giants and the rocks around the island are supposedly their corpses!


Windmills of Mykonos

Many of the Greek "jetsetters" either have a house here or visit every summer, and the nightlife is very developed and frequented by a lot of eccentrics along with the rich and famous. In fact night life may continue until the wee hours of the morning, and in some instances until the new sun rises. This island does not provide much for those on a budget, so be prepared to open your wallet.


Nightlife in Mykonos

The town Chora is a place you should really explore. Walk around, go to the windmills, feed the mascot pelican Petros, have a drink in the little harbor and visit the Parapotiani church. And of course, go shopping. There are five museums in Chora: an archaeological, a laographic, a maritime, a cultural and a private one with old rooms and furniture. Folklore shops are everywhere, and a great souvenir is a copy of the ancient Cycladic art; little white figures in various positions (playing the flute, praying, thinking, families etc.) which are more than 6000 years old.


Petros the Pelican

For those interested in architecture, the built town of Chora is one of the best examples of the unique white box style with blue painted trim of the Cycladic Islands. Within the town are a maze of little streets and walking paths that wind throughout, providing endless opportunities to explore, as you never know where you will end. On the way, you might pass a store of couture, next to a store selling the Mykonos espadrilles, next to an artist's gallery, next to a restaurant; all is intermixed in a busy city center.


Walkways of Chora

In the next harbor over is a unique area of Mykonos called "Little Venice" for the houses and balconies are all built hanging over the water.


Balconies in Little Venice

Delos, a small island which used to be the holiest island in ancient Greece is easily accessed from Mykonos. No one is allowed to spend the night on this sacred island, but a daytrip is definitely a must: the island is cluttered with archaeological remains. Once felt to be the birthplace of Apollo, Delos has been an important sacred island and an important island of commerce in a history that stretches back 5000 years. Your private crewed charter yacht can anchor right off of the island of Delos and take you ashore with the ships tender. Or there are frequent day ferries from the town of Chora to Delos. While the ruins are all marked, you may want to hire a guide for a more thorough tour, as the ruins on this sacred island are certainly some of the most famous. There is also a museum on the island housing various smaller artifacts found, many from everyday life. The museum also houses some of the more delicate statues and art found, including wall murals from various homes.



Delos Anchorage



Delos Lion Statuary

You can also go to another neighboring island, Tenos, which is the holiest island of modern Greece. The church of the Virgin Mary is a goal for thousands of orthodox pilgrims every year. It is also a very beautiful place worth visiting.

Rhodes

Rhodes is one of the most well known of the Greek islands and vacationers have been going there for decades. Everywhere you will see bars, clubs, and restaurants with food from all over the world, and miles of long sandy beaches. The beaches on the northern side are open to the Aegean Sea and are best for wind driven water sports such as windsurfing, while the beaches on the southern side are open to the Mediterranean Sea, with less current and wind, and are better for swimming and sunning.

Rhodes used to be the sun god Helios' island. According to mythology, he had fallen in love with the nymph Rhodes, and when he shone his light on her, she transformed into the island. The name means "rose" and the island has been known since antiquity as an island covered with flowers, as it is today.

It was probably during the Classic period that the Colossus of Rhodes was built with one foot on each side of the harbor of Lindos. After an earthquake it fell apart, but when the people on Rhodes wanted to rebuild it, an oracle told them not to.

The capital, Rodos, is in itself very beautiful. Just walk around in the Old Town and see where the streets take you. Mandraki Harbor is a nice area, and the hill of Monte Smith provides a wonderful panorama view. Ringed alongside the harbor are many shops selling natural sponges, as the inhabitants of this island along with the Dodecanese Island of Symi, are well known for sponge diving. It is in the harbor of Mandraki the two famous bronze deer stand where the Colossus of Rhodes once was.

"Old Town", as it is referred to, is a medieval walled city, once home to the Knights of St. John (the Hospitallers) and subsequent Knight Orders to keep this island as a stronghold for Christianity, for across the way was the power of the Ottoman Empire.


Old City Gated Entrance


The walled city still exists including partial remains of a dry moat, and gated entrances. The crenellated tops of the city walls mark the outline of this old city. Within the walls today is an active city with walking streets, courtyards, and medieval buildings. Much of the Old Town is now shops, some touristy and some with elegant Greek jewelry, silver, leather, and couture. Still within the Old Town, and open for tours, is the Castle of the Grand Master, and running in front of the castle, is the road of the Knights, where inns for the various knight orders were once located. Tours are offered of the Old Town. Put aside a morning or afternoon to wander this area, and feel the medieval history come alive.


Castle of the Grand Masters


On the southern side of Rhodes, is the Greek village of Lindos, which can easily be visited by yacht, as there is a good harbor here for overnight anchoring. The harbor of Lindos has a nice beach ringed by a variety of Greek Tavernas offering seafood and typical Greek food for lunch or dinner. Lindos village is capped by an ancient acropolis where the remains of a number of buildings from various civilizations and centuries are still to be found. The acropolis originally housed a temple to Athena. Ruins of this temple and the original Hellenistic walls of the Acropolis are still visible. During the Byzantine time period a castle was constructed on the Acropolis. However in the 1300's, the Knights of St. John built castle walls on top of the Hellenistic walls, along with fortification towers and remodeled the castle so that virtually nothing of the Byzantine era is left and much of the remains on the acropolis now are from the time period of the Knights of St. John, including the church of St. John, which is still standing today. The Acropolis here is felt to only be surpassed by the Acropolis in Athens and can be explored by a short walk up from Lindos village.


Lindos Acropolis

Santorini Anchorage and Quay

The name Santorini is derived from the Greek word Stongilli, meaning round, as round this island was until the volcano erupted. Settlers began colonizing this island as early as 3200 BC. A variety of civilizations existed on this island, one of which, displaced by the volcano eruption, has yet to be identified. The civilizations that built another city on the island called Thira, now in ruins, however are easily identified as ancient Greek and Roman. The ruins of Thira sit on one of the highest peaks of the island and are well worth a visit if only for the panoramic view of the whole island

Many people consider Santorini to be one island; however it is a complex of five islands. Santorini (Thira) is the main island and around it are Thirasia and Aspronisi (parts of the ancient Stongilli) and the two volcanic islands Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni.


Sunrise in Santorini

Around the Caldera, is the bulk of modern Santorini, with buildings and homes built one on top of another, all reached by meandering footpaths. If you are on the Caldera, you will always have a view of the bay below, and the interior sheer sides of the remaining crescent of land.

Cruising to this island can be a challenge. The opening of the island to the Aegean Sea is situated in such a manner that when heavy Meltemi winds blow, it can be very difficult to enter into the interior bay. And anchoring in most of the interior bay is not generally possible due to depth. There is a very small dockage area just below the main town of Fira, where dockage reservations must be requested well in advance. On the eastern side of the interior bay, an underwater shelf of earth still exists in waters shallow enough to allow a small anchorage area. There is a quay built into the side of the caldera in this anchorage area, which is where the ferries arrive in Santorini and also the tenders of the private yachts anchored here can be tied up for shoreside access.

Following is more information on Santorini.


Blue domes of Santorini

Many reasons made this island famous worldwide including its oft photographed white buildings overlooking the blue Aegean Sea. Jules Verne made Santorini famous with the books "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" and "The mysterious island" where captain Nemo and his crew watch the volcano eruption. He was one of the visitors and scientists that came to Santorini during the eruptions of 1866 - 1870 and just after wrote this well known book. It is an island where the volcano rules and the caldera view is breathtaking!

The manner in which buildings are built one on top of one another nestled into the hillside is unique to Santorini. Some of the buildings are actually dug into the hillside with cave like rooms with arched ceilings.


Things to Do

Wine Tasting: Boutari is one of the great wine houses of Greece and their winery in Megalochori is the largest on the island. The company gives tours of the installations and wine cellars and a fancy multimedia show in a remodeled vault followed by a wine tasting.

Akrotiri Excavations: Akrotiri are the ruins of an ancient city buried by the 1500 B.C. volcanic explosion. A truly amazing archeological site, it's currently undergoing major renovations (the tourist/viewing facilities) and is still very much under excavation. This is an entire village that was discovered in the mid-19th century. It had been covered in volcanic ash, much like Italy's Pompeii, and appears to be undisturbed after being buried for so long. This civilization has yet to be identified, and stories abound about this site as being the lost city of Atlantis. The civilization appears to have been very sophisticated with apartment buildings running water, and murals showing large monkeys acting as house servants. Were these monkeys painted in the murals as decoration or is this a true reflection of a unique aspect of this unknown civilization?


Excavation of Akrotiri

Fira: The capital of Santorini, Fira, straddles the edge of the caldera. Stroll its winding, narrow streets, visiting ancient marketplaces and churches. There is a superb view out from Fira to the Kamenes, the two islets of black stones created by the volcano. This is the largest town on Santorini and features a large number of shops offering goods from local crafts to the latest couture. Night life is this town is very lively, and you might find yourself on an outdoor terrace of a bar or restaurant that is the roof of the building below. Where ever you find yourself, the view will be spectacular.


Fira

Oia: The most charming and well preserved of all the Santorini villages, Oia is 12 km from Fira. There's plenty of fine dining in restaurants with views of spectacular sunsets, as Oia is on the very western tip of the main crescent of the island. Oia is home to artists and writers from around the world who are attracted to its stunning beauty and light. Here you can wander through art galleries and other artists' shops. Early homes here, like in other areas of the island, were often excavated right out of the hillside, with only a built front of manmade materials. There are many of these home built in this manner to be seen in Oia. Just below Oia, is a narrow beach with a number of tavernas. Walk to the farthest taverna for the best food. The seafood is said to come straight from the sea right in front of this taverna. Here, they are often grilling octopus, small bites of which are served with a glass of ouzo in the late afternoon.


Ios Small Traditional Houses