Catch the Wave

Kicking off a new year, CharterWave.com has kicked off a revamped Web site as well. The two-year-old site, which is an online source for crewed charter yachts, now features a new design and reader-friendly features. Looking for the latest information on the industry? Check out the CharterWave Digital Newsstand, which offers articles and informational brochures posted on the Web. Other new features include “Three Brokers Say”, a monthly editorial piece, and “Sponsored Blog News.”

“As our readership has grown and our readers have proved to be charter clients, more companies than we could previously accommodate have requested advertising space,” explained CharterWave founder and editor Kim Kavin. “ Demand has risen dramatically in the past six month as the economy has declined and good vale in advertising has become paramount.”

New York-based Media Buoy worked with CharterWave to make the redesign a reality.

In the Middle of Nowhere

Tired of fighting crowds of boats at the local anchorage or waterfront pub? Want to really get away from it all? Then do what I did and head for The Sea of Cortez. The Moorings has a base in La Paz, at the southern end of the Sea from which you can charter--bareboat or captained—a very well-equipped 44-foot power catamaran. The scenery is unbelievably striking, like a lunar landscape surrounded by the bluest water you can imagine. And there's virtually no other boats there.

To give you some idea of just how untouched this area is, check out this video. I shot it from the top of a tiny islet called Isla Coyote (excuse the feet), on which 20 to 30 fishermen somehow live. How's that for an unspoiled vista? Right at the beginning you'll see a small, white building. That's the island's church. Right after that you'll get a quick look at our charter boat off in the distance, and then at the end you'll see a small outboard-powered panga. It belongs to the fishermen, who are headed out to get us a lobster. The cost? About $10 for a 12-pounder.

Look for a feature story with lots of photos in the July issue of PMY.

An Alternative for Boating Enthusiasts, Dreamers, and Snowbirds

On a recent trip down to Palm Beach, my cousin Brian invited me to his marina club for the day. While sharing similarities to the yacht clubs in the northeast that I'm more familiar with, I was intrigued about the differences.

The Marina Club at Jonathan's Landing has private slips for members, a lounge with waterfront restaurant, lots of social activities, and reciprocity with other clubs around the country. But it also has a newly renovated boat storage facility, with interior space for boats up to 40 feet and 24/7 security, and a program called Boat Fleet, an alternative to boat ownership.

For a yearly fee, members of the Boat Fleet program have access to 30 different boats: a variety of center console fishing boats, bow riders, and cabin cruisers from 21 to 46 feet. All but the two largest boats can be taken out by members after they've attended a one-on-one training class, new-boat orientation, and a boating safety course. (The 40- and 46-footers require a captain.) You simply call ahead to reserve the boat you want.

There is one glitch: Although the marina takes care of any maintenance issues and all the boats are insured, there is the potential for damage when sending members out after only one training session. When we took one of the boats out, the rudder indicator was broken and the steering was so tight you could barely turn the wheel. Fortunately my cousin has spent quite a bit of time on these boats and can get himself out of a jam. But on-the-water troubleshooting training would probably be beneficial to members.

With reliable maintenance and thorough training, this can be a great alternative for boating enthusiasts who don't have enough free time to warrant the costs of having their own boat or snowbirds who store their boats over the winter rather than transporting them back and forth.

Good Enough to Eat

Forgive me as I wipe the drool from my chin. You're looking at the surf-and-turf dish that made Stephanie Hodges (below) of the 135-foot Atlantica the winner of the Concours de Chefs competition at last month's St. Maarten Charter Show.

The industry-only show is attended by charter brokers and media from around the world, who inspect some of the best yachts available for your vacation pleasure. Since anyone who's ever chartered a luxury yacht typically raves about the food for far longer than he or she stayed aboard, the Concours de Chefs is a way to showcase these creative culinary artists' talents.

Hodges, whose yacht is part of the International Yacht Collection charter fleet, certainly wowed the judges with her dishes. She made sesame seared yellowfin tuna drizzled with wasabi sauce and sweet soy, topped with baby rocket (baby greens, for those of you nongastronomes). She also made shitake mushroom and seared wagyu beef filet on top of roasted asparagus with horseradish creme. Her finale: carrot and zucchini cake with pineapple and walnuts, topped with pineapple cream cheese ice cream.

I think I just gained ten pounds writing this post. Off to the gym...

Rousing Rescue by the USCG Auxilary

Thirteen isn't always an unlucky number. Just take the 13 passengers rescued in Alaska moments before their vessel sank in 39-degree water, for example.

Fortunately for those aboard the 40-foot charter vessel, a U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary crew happened to be performing routine towing drills approximately 20 miles away. After receiving the call, the crew put the pedal to the metal and arrived at the sinking vessel's side to find the passengers on the bow of the boat with the stern awash.

"We came alongside the stricken vessel and the 11 passengers were pulled aboard to the forward deck of the Auxiliary vessel," [coxswain Shane] Taylor said. "We removed the 11 passengers, then the vessel rolled over on its side within 30 seconds after the last passenger was removed. We backed away momentarily to clear the sinking vessel while the two remaining people on board, the master and his crewmember, climbed the hull as it rolled. We then approached again and nosing up to the overturned vessel, we pulled the two remaining survivors aboard."

"Within a minute of the last survivor boarding our boat, the stricken vessel sank completely," said Taylor. "The sunken vessel's life raft deployed and broke the surface approximately one minute later."

President Sarkozy Goes Yachting

Remember the old TV commercials after the Olympics and other big sporting events where an unseen interviewer would ask the star atheletes, "Now that you've won, where are you gonna go?" to which the response was always, "I'm going to Disney World!" Well, with all due respect to the Mouse House, these superstars may want to rethink their vacation destination by borrowing a page from the newly elected French president. Nicolas Sarkozy flew to Malta this week to cruise aboard the charter yacht Paloma, a classic canoe-stern beauty. The 198-footer, one of the world's largest private yachts, was built in 1965 and extensively refitted in 2003 and 2004. Wonder if he and his family will put the karaoke system or waterskis to good use?

In a Blue Mood

These beautiful (or should I say blue-tiful?) shots are of the 110-foot charter yacht Island Time, which was just fitted with underwater lights from OceanLED. To be specific, she features 33 of the company's Super Blue lights, which work to great effect. The owners of Island Time (who also happen to crew her) can now do what lots of other boaters do with underwater lights: marvel over the masses of fish that'll be attracted at night, or simply set a cool mood.