Many of you have visited this site in the past,
interested in the
fabulous Swan, DAKOTA. Though she is no longer available for private charter in
the Northeast or Caribbean, we still have some great—and
economical— alternatives, through existing affiliations with
other charter yachts. (NOTE, Effective
12/15/2006: We have been gradually phasing out this very small area of
our business. The boats/crews specified below are friends of ours who
we will continue to promote on our site, but we no longer take any fee
for their services. We will give you their contact info and allow you
to deal with them directly.)
In the Caribbean, we offer lower-priced,
flat-rate alternatives to the many boats doing “6-pack”
daysails from the east end of St.Thomas. Most of those boats advertise
sailing and snorkeling, with lunch, for a cost of about $110-135 per
person for the day. However, most often, you must share the boat with
others that aren’t in your party. The quality of each of these
yachts and the services each provides varies greatly. A few are
fully-insured, well-maintained, high-quality yachts, with top-shelf
food and liquor, licensed captain and experienced crew. And then there
are others that are, shall we say, a bit rougher around the edges. All
will offer a “private” charter, where only you and your
guests are on board, but the cost will likely reflect a full, 6-pack
rate of approx $660-$750 for the day.
The boats we promote are just as nice, or even
nicer than those in the advertised daysail fleet. Most of our daysail
boats keep their costs down by using word-of-mouth marketing rather
than placing expensive ads in all the local tourist magazines. As a
result, they can be more reasonable with price. On average, a private
daysail on one of the boats we represent runs between $425-$550 for up
to 6 guests—far below the mainstream daysail fleet rates stated
above. And everything is negotiable. We
put you directly in touch with the captain of
your chosen yacht ahead of time, so together, you can work out all the
details. You pay the captain directly, not us, upon returning to the
dock from your day charter. Longer term charters are usually paid for
before leaving the dock with a deposit due in advance. Scroll down for
a few sample listings and rates.
Forever Young
42' Catalina Sloop
Starts @$495.00/day
Captained by Larry Fries, who with his crew mate
Betty, recently completed a 6000-mile cruise aboard Forever Young from
the Virgins to the States to South America and back including a
circumnavigation of Cuba. Hear all about it on a day—or
week-long—charter with this extremely friendly cruising couple.
Days: $450/4 guests ($495/6 guests)
Weeks: $3995/4 guests
Special Trips Available:
St. Thomas to Jost Van Dyke
for 2 (Private) $395 with lunch (7 hours)
St. Thomas to BVI 1 night/2 days/2 people
(Private) $850
St. Thomas to BVI/Virgin Gorda 2 nights/3 days/2
guests $1300
3-4 guest rates available
Slo’ Dancin’
36' Catalina Sloop
Starts @ $395.00/day
Slo’ Dancin’ is a good sailing,
mid-sized cruiser, comfortable for a smaller group or family. Captain
Omar Van Rooyen, an ex-Canadian military officer and diplomat in
Washington, will handle the sailing, take you to snorkel in St. John
and even prepare and serve you lunch upon your return from snorkeling.
Days: $395/2 guests only, $450/4 guests
Weeks: $3500/2 guests max
36' Pearson Sloop
We also have some day charter options available
in the Northeast on Long Island Sound. Consider a day on the water
sailing with family and friends, or a great corporate business outing
for up to 6 guests. The rate is $750 for a 5-6 hour private day on a
36' Pearson sloop, including lunch/refreshments, USCG licensed captain
and crew. Sunset sails are available as well, starting at $525 for up
to 6 guests and include soft drinks and snacks.
