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Water World
Private yacht charters make glamorous vacations that are entirely customizable and available worldwide at a variety of price levels. See which one floats your boat.
BY KIM KAVIN
As recently as the 1960s, private yacht charter was only for the über-wealthy, but the past 40 years have seen great change. Today, you can book terrific yachts that range from more than $50,000 per person for a week in the Mediterranean to less than $1,000 per person for a week in the Virgin Islands. In many cases, you can find outstanding, fully crewed yachts with per-person rates that rival more typical vacations — except you get the whole boat all to yourself, with a chef and crew who cater only to you.
 “The level of service is not directly related to what you’re paying for the boat,” explains Agnes Howard, a charter broker in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, office of Camper & Nicholsons International. “It’s an underlying pride that we have in the yachting industry. You should expect top-notch service no matter what kind of crewed yacht it is.”
There are many different kinds of charter yachts. Some are outfitted for scuba diving. Others have superior fishing gear. Some have big-screen televisions, while others boast glamorous dining rooms. Some yachts have game rooms; others have business offices. Many have water toys like Jet Skis and kayaks, plus hot tubs and large outdoor barbecues.
All of these options mean there is an ideal charter yacht for virtually any group of two to 12 people (the maximum number of guests most charter yachts can legally carry). Families charter yachts, as do honeymooners, groups of friends, and even business associates. Some yachts have large master cabins ideal for a mom and dad, with kids sleeping in smaller cabins. Other yachts have equal-size cabins for couples who want to split the weekly bill. Here’s a look at just a few choices in the wonderful world of charter yachts — in three levels of extravagance.
LUXURY
These yachts cost more than $100,000 per week for 10 or 12 guests. Prices are base rates that do not include food, fuel, dockage fees, crew gratuity, and other incidentals, which means you should add at least 25 percent to determine actual weekly costs.
Phocea
This 246-foot, quadruple-masted boat is one of the world’s largest private sailing yachts. Phocea’s 12 guests are tended to by 15 crew and have full use of the onboard gymnasium, sauna, and hairdressing salon. Guests also have unlimited access to water toys, satellite televisions, and other amenities expected onboard world-class charter yachts in the Mediterranean, where Phocea is based.
The base rate is around $235,000 per week ($19,583 per person) during the low season and about $265,000 per week ($22,083 per person) during peak periods including July and August. Phocea is part of the Nigel Burgess fleet (www.nigelburgess.com).
Teleost
When it comes to motoryachts, few brand names can compete with Feadship. Teleost is not just a Feadship, but a Feadship whose owner continually invests in her crew, water toys, and equipment. Teleost’s chef has earned three Michelin stars, the yacht carries multiple tenders for water sports, and her machinery includes new zero-speed stabilizers, which prevent rolling while under way or at anchor. The 161-foot megayacht carries 10 crew to tend to 12 guests — almost one-to-one service.
Fraser Yachts Worldwide (www.fraseryachts.com) is the charter management company for Teleost. The yacht’s weekly base rate for summer 2007 is $200,000 per week in the Mediterranean (about $16,700 per person).
 Douce France
In the universe of luxurious catamarans, Douce France tops the list. This 138-foot sailing cat was built to circumnavigate with guests sleeping comfortably in six large cabins with en suite bathrooms. Eight crew are ready to entertain, launch water sports (Douce France’s toy box includes a windsurfer and a surfboard), or set sail — at more than 25 knots.
The yacht will offer charters in Fiji starting this spring. Her weekly base rate for 12 guests in May, June, and September is $99,000 ($8,250 per person), with a high-season rate in April, July, and August of $110,000 (about $9,200 per person). Douce France is part of the fleet at Nicholsons of Newport (www.nicholsonyachts.com).
MIDRANGE
In the world of crewed yachts, midrange typically means $25,000 to $75,000 per week for six to 10 guests. The base prices do not include food, fuel, dockage, crew gratuity, and other incidentals, so add at least 25 percent to determine actual weekly costs.
 Arietta
At 112 feet long, this motoryacht has a top speed of 24 knots while cruising in the Caribbean. Arietta is ideal for a family, with one master stateroom for Mom and Dad along with two queen-bed staterooms for the adult kids and a twin-bed stateroom for the grandkids. Each cabin has its own LCD TV with DVD player and Sony PlayStation, and the master stateroom has a Jacuzzi tub. There’s a hot tub on the top deck, too.
Arietta carries all the expected water toys — and she tows a 30-foot tender that is terrific for all-day fishing and exploring. Or, you can ride the two Sea Doos. They’re included in the weekly base rate of $49,000 for eight guests (about $6,125 per person). Arietta is part of the fleet at Merrill-Stevens Yachts (www.merrillstevens.com).
 Sojana
Brand-new to the fleet at Camper & Nicholsons International, the 114-foot Sojana is a custom-built yacht that combines race-course speed with elegant creature comforts.
Her interior is awash in dark mahogany, gold-plated fittings, and marble basins, plus the latest plasma-screen televisions and satellite television technology. But the real entertainment is on the water, where you can either enjoy Sojana’s sailing ability or let the six crew members organize races for you and your friends onboard Sojana’s twin Illusions: sailboats nearly 40 feet long apiece themselves.
Living this racing dream in the Mediterranean this summer will come at a weekly base rate of $61,000 for eight guests (about $7,625 per person). Learn more at www.cnconnect.com.
 Wonderful
Captain Warren East spent 10 years learning the charter business before his boss had him commission the 73-foot sailing catamaran Wonderful in 2001. “This boat is the culmination of all my years and all my experiences,” East says. “I love every inch of it.”
So does everyone who climbs onboard, as evidenced by Wonderful winning best multihull and best-in-show at the 2006 Tortola boat show. The yacht has all the water toys you’ll need in the Bahamas, Caribbean, and Virgin Islands, plus a fighting chair for serious fishing. There’s even a hot tub on deck — rare for a catamaran this size.
You’ll be well fed, too: Wonderful’s chef, Elizabeth Lee, won best appetizer and best overall chef prizes at that same Tortola show. Wonderful is part of The Catamaran Company fleet (www.catamaranco.com). She takes eight guests at an all-inclusive weekly rate of $35,000 ($4,375 per person).
MODERATE
There are entry-level yachts worldwide, but most first-time charterers visit the Virgin Islands. The landmasses are close together, which means easy cruising. Plus, most yachts in the Virgins have all-inclusive rates, which typically includes food, alcohol, water sports, and dockage — pretty much everything except the crew gratuity.
 Semper Fi
This Tortola-based 64-foot motoryacht has three virtually equal-size cabins, each with an en-suite bathroom. That makes Semper Fi perfect for three couples that want to split the weekly all-inclusive rate of $19,500 ($3,250 per person).
But you don’t have to leave the kids at home. Jay and Chris Mooneyham are the husband and wife who serve as crew, and Chris spent five years as a middle-school teacher in her native Canada before becoming a yacht stewardess and chef.
Semper Fi carries a pair of kayaks, snorkeling gear, and fishing rods, and tows a 14-foot tender for water sports and trips onshore. The boat is in the Richleigh Yachts fleet (www.richleighyachts.com).
 Stenella
This 63-foot sailing yacht is based in Tortola. Stenella was voted best-in-show monohull during the 2005 British Virgin Islands charter show, and her chef, Kristin Clements, took home the show’s chef award in 2004.
Stenella has three equal-size cabins with double beds, flat-screen TVs with DVD players, and independent air-conditioning controls. “Our oldest guest has been 84, and our youngest was 3,” Clements says. There’s a PlayStation II in the guest salon for kids, but most of the fun is outside, where a triple-cockpit design offers three separate areas for guests to relax.
Stenella is part of the fleet at CharterPortBVI (www.charterportbvi.com). Her weekly all-inclusive rate for six guests is $13,995 (about $2,300 per person).
Aldebaran
Captain Justin Smit and chef/mate Cayley Smit are the husband and wife who run this 57-foot sailing catamaran. They previously worked onboard a 138-foot motoryacht, which means they provide top-dollar service at an entry-level price. Aldebaran has a small berth that’s perfect for a child (in addition to the three regular cabins with en-suite bathrooms and king-size beds).
Aldebaran has plenty of adult features, too, including wakeboards, water skis, and two dives a day (included in the weekly rate) for certified scuba enthusiasts. Cayley’s favorite thing to cook is hors d’oeuvres, so cocktail hour can last well into the night.
The yacht is part of the Regency Charter Services fleet (www.rcsfleet.com). The weekly all-inclusive rate is $17,900 for six guests (about $3,000 per person).
Boat Styles
When deciding which yacht suits your needs, consider the different boat styles. Here are some terms to know:
Monohull: A yacht with a single hull. It can be a sailing yacht or a motoryacht, but the term most often refers to sailing yachts of all sizes.
Catamaran: A yacht with two hulls connected by an enclosed living space. Catamarans can be powerboats or sailboats, in many sizes.
Express Cruiser: A type of powerboat typically no more than 80 feet long, built to cruise fast with open entertaining areas.
Motoryacht: A powerboat typically less than 100 feet long, built to be stable versus speedy, with multiple covered areas.
Megayacht: A yacht more than 100 feet long, usually the most expensive charter yacht afloat.
Broker Basics
Each charter yacht is part of a management company’s fleet. There are many reputable companies, some mentioned in this article. Others you can trust include Churchill Yacht Partners, Edmiston & Company, International Yacht Collection, Northrop and Johnson, The Sacks Group, and Yachting Partners International.
These companies are like real estate agencies that list houses for sale. Many employ charter brokers to work with you, like a real estate agency might send you out with a Realtor.
In addition, there are independent charter brokers who work for themselves. In all cases, any broker can book any yacht in any fleet.
You can view the names of reputable brokers through the industry’s professional organizations:
American Yacht Charter Association:
www.ayca.net
Charter Yacht Brokers Association,
www.cyba.net
Florida Yacht Brokers Association,
www.fyba.org
Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association,
www.mybamembers.com
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