Much attention has been focused on the efforts of the superyacht industry to embrace sustainability and green building practices. But what about the travelers – the people who rent, for example, a private yacht for a Virgin Islands yacht charter holiday?
How can they contribute to furthering the cause of green, eco-friendly vacations?
It’s not hard, and taking a “green approach” to vacations goes hand-in-hand with being a responsible traveler. With a little effort, charter passengers can help reduce the negative environmental impact on the places they visit.
Green travel begins with the understanding and respect for the cruising destination’s culture and an effort to bring benefit the local economy.
Lastly, you do not have to pay more to go green!
Let’s look at three simple ways to travel greener on your next sailing vacation:
1. Save Energy
a) Re-use towels and linens during your charter. Crews on yachts scramble to clean and change linens throughout a charter. After all, they are dedicated to the highest level of customer service. Simply tell your crew that you are willing to reuse your towels and bed linens more than once or twice during your stay. It is estimated this simple act can save 5 percent on utilities!
b) turn off the air conditioning and lights in your cabin when leaving the room.
2. Reduce Carbon Output
Plan a trip that will reduce carbon emissions. Sometimes it is as simple as considering the distance from the arrival airport to your awaiting yacht. Ask your crew if there is a marina or sandy beach close to the airport. If there is, you can save the cost of a taxi and the related carbon emissions of the vehicle.
For instance, many people arriving for a charter in Tortola, BVI first fly into St. Thomas, USVI. After that, they take a 30 minute taxi to the ferry docks. They then ride a ferry to Tortola. Lastly, they take another quick taxi to a marina, where their yacht and crew await. As a green alternative, you can fly to Beef Island airport in Tortola, adjacent to a large, sandy beach. Your crew can take a dinghy up to the beach to pick you up, and you can literally walk over from the airport!
3. Support the Local Economy
You can easily travel greener by learning about your destination. Research the culture, food, and environment of the places you visit. Prior to your charter, ask your crew to cook using native cuisine versus foods and goods that need to be shipped in. When going ashore to shop and sightsee, buy souvenirs and handmade crafts that benefit the local community. Do not buy imported goods. Lastly, Do not purchase souvenirs made from local endangered animals or plants.
Remember, responsible travel habits will reduce the negative environmental impact on the places you visit. These impacts matter long after you and your sailing companions have returned home.
Do you have any tips to share on how to travel and cruise by yacht with less of an environmental impact? Contact us with your suggestions at https://1800yachtcharters.com/book-now-contact-us/ now.
This entry was posted in Frequently Asked Questions Educational and tagged bareboat charter, Green, save energy, reuse towels, turn off air-conditioning and lights, reduce your carbon output, BVI yacht charter, eco-friendly, support the local economy, sailboat charter
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While crewed sail boat charters and bareboat charter vacations normally last 5 to 7 nights, not everyone has the time for a multi-night term luxury yacht charter. In this economy, saving up for a special bareboat charter or luxury yacht charter holiday might mean postponing until 2010.
Now for the good news – sailboat charters can be as short as one day and are the perfect compliment to a land-based Caribbean island vacation.
Let’s take a look at a single-day luxury yacht charter escape in the British Virgin Islands (also known as the BVI or BVI’s).
There are four major inhabited islands in the BVI, as well as dozens of (nearly 60) smaller islands, cays, and rocks scattered throughout the archipelago. Of course, the fun way to see these sights is by boat on a luxury sailing charter.
You can rent a small Caribbean yacht charter sailboat or a fast powerboat for the day in Road Town, Nanny Cay, West End, or several other locations. Some experience driving a powerboat or basic chart-reading skills are important to ensure you have a pleasurable day.
A great trip could start from Road Town, Tortola and head south across the Sir Francis Drake Channel to Peter Island. You can tie up to the dock in Sprat Bay, or anchor off the beach in Deadman’s Bay and swim ashore (remember to wear your water socks). Visitors are welcome in the public areas, the boutique, and the beach grill.
From Peter Island, it’s a short boat ride to Norman Island. This is author Robert Louis Stevenson’s legendary Treasure Island, and the source of countless tales of pirates and buried chests of gold. Today, the island is uninhabited except for a small restaurant on the beach in the Bight. Anchored in the bay is the old ship, William Thornton, affectionately known by bareboat charter lovers and the locals as the “Willy T,” a trading vessel converted to a bar and restaurant. It’s a great stop for a little “pirate” ambiance. Be warned – on holiday weekends, the Willy T is not appropriate for kids as it takes on a bawdy “adults only” atmosphere.
Just outside the bay are the Caves. These are more like grottoes and are a true snorkeler’s delight. You can tie up your boat to one of the National Park moorings and swim in. Don’t be surprised if a school of tropical fish swim alongside you, looking for a handout. The locals ask that you resist the temptation to feed the little critters, however. Human food is not healthy for the fish and may do them great harm in the long run.
After snorkeling at the Caves, it is a short boat ride to The Indians. These rock outcroppings are the size of houses and full of nesting seabirds in the summer. The waters around the rocks are teeming with fish of every shape and color. One local describes a swim here as a magical experience: “Floating among the fish, corals and sea fans will make you feel like Peter Pan flying through an enchanted forest.”
If the sun is still high in the sky, and you still feel fresh for more adventure, zip over to Salt Island. You can tie up to the dock and walk around the abandoned houses to the salt pond where workers harvest and sell sea salt. If you still have any get-up-and-go in your tank, hop back on your boat and cruise around the corner to the wreck of the HMS Rhone, the BVI’s first underwater park. Snorkel over the wreck and try to imagine what it looked like before it sank in 1867!
By now, you realize you are on “island time.” There’s little reason to hurry back to Tortola, unless you have an early dinner reservation at your hotel or resort. Assuming you are in the island groove, we suggest a cruise east to Cooper Island. Accessible only by boat, this island has a few rental homes and a tiny resort that’s looks like a vacation postcard from the water – palm trees and long, white sand beach. By now, you must be hungry from a morning/afternoon of exploring. Drop in a local restaurant for a late lunch. With a full belly and a big smile, it’s just a short sail or cruise back to Tortola.
There are many other itineraries for a day trip by boat. Your hotel concierge can recommend the best local boat rental operators and give you some ideas as to where to go and what to see there. You can go fast on a powerboat or slower on a sailboat – the choice is yours. Either way, a day boat trip around the British Virgin Islands will be the highlight of your land-based island holiday!
This entry was posted in Caribbean Destinations and tagged sailing yacht charters, skin dive, grottoes, sailboat charter, snorkel, HMS Rhone, Snorkeling, caribbean reefs, The Indians, sailboat, Sir Francis Drake Channel, Underwater Park, bareboat charter, Peter Island, caribbean yacht charter, Norman Island, BVI, The Caves, British Virgin Islands yacht charter, Willy T., barrier reef in the BVI, William Thornton, British Virgin Islands, Treasure Island, yacht charter Caribbean, bareboat, Robert Louis Stevenson
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For your next vacation, why not book a bareboat charter in Phuket, Thailand on sailing yacht Amaia?
She is a luxurious 47 foot sailing cat that offers variety in charter. For example, if you so desire, you can also have a crewed catamaran charter onboard, as well.
Her abundantly-spacious exterior leads to a spacious cockpit which is perfect for enjoying a lazy lunch, relaxation, and some refreshing cocktails. Lots of options exist for your relaxation enjoyment, for instance, catch up on some reading or sunbathing on the front deck, or even listen to some music under the dazzling cockpit lights.
Amaia can comfortably accommodate up to ten yacht charter guests for a bareboat charter, or 8 up to guests for a crewed catamaran charter.
This entry was posted in Yacht Charter Destinations Yacht of the Week and tagged bareboat, thailand yacht charter, catamaran sailboat, multihull, Amaia, yacht charter with crew, yacht detail, yacht charter Thailand, bareboat charter, crewed yacht charter
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Greece. The perfect vacation. Ideal for yacht charter. Although it is great to escape the cold weather for a few days with a Caribbean yacht charter, the exotic calls. For instance, you want to experience new and different locations. But where? Greece is the word. (See what we did there?)
Just imagine. Summer vacation. School’s out. The kids are home for several weeks. The chance to bask in the sun for an extended stay is the epitome of total relaxation beckons. You want to show the kids an exotic destination. One with education combined with family time. .
Nowhere is the idea of extended rest and relaxation more evident than in the Greek islands. Here, in the ancient land of the Gods, it sometimes seems as if time stands still.
A Greek yacht charter adventure features a wide array of itineraries with a heavy emphasis on the sheer pleasure of sailing in a locale so steeped in history and yet so amenable to the sailor looking for all the luxuries and convenience of the modern world.
The shimmering waters, superlative beaches, and intriguing towns and villages make Greece a must-visit summer destination.
This entry was posted in Yacht Charter Destinations and tagged sailboat charter, yacht charter Greece, bareboat charter, greece yacht charter, greek islands
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Lagoon 620 Catamaran Yacht Charter
With the demand for luxury sailing charter catamarans on the rise, the team at Lagoon recently introduced the all-new 2012 Lagoon 620 catamaran at the Cannes Boat Show. The Lagoon 620 is an innovative solution to the needs of today’s discerning Caribbean yacht charter client. Professional design by the architects Van Peteghem and Lauriot Prévost (VPLP). The yacht seamlessly blends strength, comfort, and performance in a charter-friendly cabin layout.
The 2012 version of the Lagoon 620, features luxurious and comfortable interiors by Nauta. Dining room settee redesign is lovely. In addition, the ceiling enables more indirect lighting. The master cabin starboard side modifications are tremendous. The washroom is now aft on either side of the cockpit access stairs. This modification creates more storage space in the bedroom for the charterer’s luggage. The forward starboard cabin is a true V.I.P. suite. Additional volume created by the repositioning of the master cabin’s washroom.
The Lagoon 620 catamaran has 4, 5 and 6 cabin versions. All versions featuring Nauta interior layout packages. In addition, they incorporate multiple items. For instance, wood finish, upholstery, and inner liners.
Lagoon Sail Catamaran
They have exceptional living space, both above and below deck. This defines Lagoon catamarans as the sophisticated choice for multi hull yacht vacations.
Catamaran multihull sailboats are also available for bareboat vacations (yachts without crew). 1-800 Yacht Charters offers bareboat charter, also.
Several newer-model Lagoon catamarans are already in service and available for hire, including the Lagoon 560 sail catamaran BACCHUS and the Lagoon 450 sail catamaran OKEANOS.
This entry was posted in Yacht of the Week Educational Yacht Charter Caribbean and tagged Lagoon 620, eco-friendly, Nauta, yacht charter Caribbean, sail yacht BACCHUS, Okeanos, Lagoon, bareboat charter, caribbean yacht charter, Cannes Yacht Show, sailboat yacht charter, catamaran, Van Peteghem and Lauriot Prevost
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Winfrey, on the left, enjoys the famous harbor’s glittering waters on board the bareboat sailboat charter yacht “Eagle Rock.” She joins Russell Crowe, a Sydney local, tailed by a flotilla of some 20 other yachts.
On the right, Oprah wears a white cap given to her by Crowe and emblazoned with the logo of his South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league team. She beams as she sits at the stern of the bareboat yacht, talking sport with the “Gladiator” star.
“I’m having the time of my life,” Winfrey said.
The harbor features heavily on the megastar’s weekend itinerary. For instance, the glittering waterfront reception Saturday night, complete with fireworks, then later, Sunday morning, feature of a climb of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and a visit to Bondi Beach.
Finally, Oprah’s whirlwind tour of Australia will be broadcast as a four episode “Ultimate Australian Adventure” in January 2011.
This entry was posted in Yacht Charter Good Times and tagged celebrities on yachts, Oprah Winfrey, Russell Crowe, celebrity sighting, Eagle Rock, bareboat charter, celebrity, bareboat yacht charter, sailboat yacht charter
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Bareboat charter enthusiasts understand that two Florida docks are the latest to fall victim to tough economic times.
This is a popular overnight anchorage for bareboat sailors. It foreclosed in what is one of the largest commercial foreclosure amounts in the city this year. This report comes from a local report by TCPalm.
The owner, Damien Gilliams, also owns the Paradise Marina and the No Name Sports Bar. These enterprises are all located in Indian River County. As of last Friday, Gilliams was trying to sell both Flagship and Paradise marinas.
The Hideaway Marina Limited Partnership at Pompano Beach, Florida, filed for Chapter 11 last Friday, according to a report on MSN.com.
If you are planning an upcoming bareboat charter in the Pompano beach area – don’t panic. This mooring is operating, and the bankruptcy petition states the business has been in the hands of a receiver since June.
This entry was posted in Yacht Charter News Educational and tagged bareboat charter, bareboat charter florida, The Flagship Marina, The Hideaway Marina Limited Partnership, bankruptcy, Pompano Beach yacht charter, msn.com, marina foreclosures
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The tax deadline approaches…you’ll be receiving a refund. The family deserves a special vacation all together! 
It’s time to plan…
Why not indulge yourself and rent a private yacht with crew over the Christmas holidays this year?
Should you opt for a Caribbean Bareboat Charter instead, you can enjoy the endless parties in the islands throughout the season.
During the holidays, the Caribbean islands come alive. They have colorful festivals and celebrations everywhere. These celebrations are a reflection of the culture of the local people. The locals do many things. For instance, they paint their homes in colorful tones. They also put up new fun window treatments. Another activity is to decorate multiple Christmas trees. They have multiple parades full of lively dancers and elaborate costumes.
This entry was posted in News Yacht Charter and tagged bareboat charter, caribbean yacht charter, paint, how to book a yacht charter], tax refund, what to do in the caribbean, Christmas trees
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The restriction formerly applied to superyacht charter vessels in Thailand changes. It officially lifts. This opens the door to foreign-flagged yachts. Yachts can now charter in Thai waters.
In September, the Thai government issues a Royal Decree. In specific, yachts can apply for a Superyacht Charter License for Thailand. Only Thai-flagged yachts allowed to operate charters in the country’s territorial waters. Foreign megayachts also restricted from beginning and ending their trips in Thai waters. However, temporary entry was allowed.
According to Jana Sheeder, President of 1-800 Yacht Charters, the new license, in effect, has created a new destination for private yacht charter vacations. “We can now offer an exciting new cruising destination in Southeast Asia to our clients,” says Sheeder. “The decree will make it easier for charter yachts to relocate from the Med for the winter.”
Three licenses granted. This in Bangkok on the same day of the decree issuance. The first license issued was granted to 41m OCEAN EMERALD, one of three identical charter yachts (OCEAN SAPPHIRE and OCEAN PEARL the others) well known in the Mediterranean.
In related news, Thailand’s Prime Minister has announced the new Thailand Yacht Show will take place at the Ao Po Grande Marina in Phuket in February 2016. Located in Phang Nga Bay, the marina is undergoing major upgrades including berths for up to 200 yachts, a permanent breakwater, provisioning outlets (ideal for Thailand bareboat charter clients), and luxury condos overlooking the marina.
For information on arranging a charter vacation in Thailand, email your request to us at info@1800yachtcharters.com, call us at 1-800-YACHTCHARTERS (1-800-922-4824), or use our convenient online form. We look forward to working with you.
This entry was posted in Destinations News and tagged Laws, yacht charter Thailand, bareboat charter, yacht charter southeast asia, Thailand yacht show, president of 1-800 Yacht Charters, foreign-flagged yachts, 1-800 Yacht Charters, Ao Po Grande Marina, Destinations, Phuket yacht charter, Jana Sheeder, 1800yachtcharters
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Anyone who reads our blog on a regular basis knows we love our gadgets. Let’s face it, going on a Virgin Islands yacht charter is loads of fun, but getting there can be tedious. Waiting for flights, standing at the luggage carousel, taking long taxi rides, etc. can be long and boring. Having a cool new gadget on hand is a great way to kill some time – and have some fun.
The world’s largest trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances, the IFA just wrapped up in Berlin. Here are our three favorite new gadgets for 2012 from the show:
1. Samsung Galaxy Note
If you’ve been waiting for a smartphone with a big screen, this is your phone! The Samsung Galaxy Note offers a 5.3 inch display, the largest screen size available among smartphones. This means less scrolling and screen transitions. Imagine viewing web pages, news apps, and e-books with minimal scrolling or zooming – how cool is that? The device also utilizes “pen-input technology,” and comes with an S Pen that allows users to draw and send handwritten images and notes via text message, email, and instant messaging.
2. LG Smartscan Mouse
As luxury yacht charter brokers, we’re constantly scanning client documents – from bareboat charter contracts to food and beverage preference sheets. Scanning saves our clients’ time and allows us to share their information with yacht crews around the globe. The latest mouse from LG has a built-in scanner, which the company says will “open a new era for scanners.” Simply click the Smart Scan button on the left side of the mouse, then swipe it over the material to be scanned.
The scanned image can then be saved in a variety of file types, or dragged and dropped into a document or application. LG’s Optical Character Recognition technology converts scanned text into a Microsoft Word document that can then be edited as required. The 2-in-1 device can scan page sizes up to A3, which is larger than most conventional portable scanners.
3. Sony Cyber-shot DSC TX55 – The World’s Slimmest Digital Camera
Imagine going on a Croatia yacht charter and not having a camera with you. Who will believe you when you say you saw a whale swimming by an island with a Medieval castle? Most digital cameras are small, but bulky and heavy in your pocket. Not the Cybershot TX55. Just 12.2mm slim, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC TX55 is the world’s thinnest camera. It can capture 16.2 megapixel still images as well as full HD video.
The camera’s back panel has an 8.3cm/3.3 inch touch-screen for showing off photos and movie clips. It also features 3D shooting options. By pressing the shutter button once, the camera will grab a pair of frames in fast succession, estimating depth to create a 3D still image. This is a MUST for a bareboat yacht charter in the Caribbean or Mediterranean, also!
Do you have a favorite new gadget that you can’t live without? Tell us about it HERE, and we’ll share it with our readers.
This entry was posted in Educational Good Times News and tagged James Bond, LG Optical Character Recognition, Gadgets, LG, Cybershot TX55, bareboat charter, 3D, Samsung Galaxy, Virgin Island yacht charter, IFA, Samsung Galaxy Note
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