About Tom Virden

Founder, Boatbookings.com

Is the Indian Ocean Safe for Charter?

There’s been a lot written about pirates in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Somalia. And there has been some pirate activity within 60 miles of the Seychelles. So we’ve gotten a number of enquiries as to whether its safe to charter in the Indian Ocean.

A sea turtle in the Maldives
A sea turtle in the Maldives

First off, the Indian Ocean is HUGE, and there have been no instances to our knowledge in the beautiful and inviting charter areas of the Maldives, Mauritius and Madagascar. So if you’re thinking of a charter in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, we recommend you choose one of these areas.

Secondly, the recent hijack of a British couple was in open waters as they were sailing to Mozambique from the Seychelles. It is far safer to stay in standard charter areas, near the coast.

If you’d like to charter in the Indian Ocean, but have any safety concerns, we recommend that you speak to our Indian Ocean office – please contact them here.

Boatbookings and Social Media

Social Media is the hot news today – everyone seems to be talking about Twitter, Facebook and Blogs.  We are fully in support of this trend, because fundamentally it allows us to speak directly to people that are interested in our articles, advice and deals – allowing communication in a more personalised manner than was possible before.  We support most of the popular social media sites: You can follow us on twitter, become a fan on facebook, and watch our videos on Youtube.  We look forward to being in touch with you the way that works best for you!

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Americas Cup Suspended Again

The America’s Cup Regatta, expected to be sailed in February in Ras-al-Khamiah, UAE, has been suspended by a New York State Judge, stating that regulations state that it must be held in the Southern Hemisphere if it takes place between November and May. It was not immediately apparent if the race will still be held in the UAE.

It seems that the only winners of the Americas Cup are the Lawyers!

A chance to bareboat across the Atlantic!

We haven’t seen this before – we now have a deal where you can cross the Atlantic Ocean, from Rodney Bay, St Lucia to Alcudia, Mallorca – total charter fee only EUR 6000!  The boat is a nice, new (2008) Bavaria 50 cruiser with 5 cabins and 3 heads.  Includes GPS, plotter, autopilot, radar, Epirb, SSB, bowthruster, dingy with outboard.

This charter is for 6 weeks – 17th of April  – 29th of May 2010.

So this is your chance. If you’ve dreamed about it, now you can do it!

Read more on the Atlantic Crossing Bareboat deal here.