The Reef Sampler: Blend 2 ounces of Captain Morgan Rum, 2 ounces Triple Sec, 2 ounces apricot brandy, 4 ounces pineapple juice, a dash of lemon juice and a dash of strawberry syrup. Garnish with seasonal tropical fruits and a cherry.
Bitter End Tropical Punch: Place three slices of grapefruit on the inner sides and bottom of a 16 ounce glass. Fill the glass with ice. Shake up the following, adjusting to taste: 2 ounces of grapefruit juice, 1 ounce fresh lime juice, a splash each of ginger beer, Angostura bitters and simple syrup, and at least 2 ounces of Mt. Gay rum. Pour over the ice and garnish with a cherry.
Bitter End Yacht Club is extremely charter friendly and welcomes all boaters to tie up at the Quarterdeck Club and Marina and use the resort five star public facilities including their spa, restaurants and bars. Deep draft docking and mooring is available for yachts up to 200 feet.
Boatbookings regatta expert Meg Toppa is keeping her fingers crossed for her highly skilled charter client and his race crew who will be racing to win in the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta on board charter race yacht AQUARIUS.
AQUARIUS is a Nauter Swan 601 high performance sailing yacht with lightweight design for sailing at top racing speed. AQUARIUS classic lines and meticulously handcrafted interiors belie the most advanced building techniques and materials used in construction. AQURIUS features custom interiors and deck layout while maintaining hull shape and rig configuration that comply with one-design class rules.
Meg explains that AQUARIUS’ charter client has an impressive history of previous race participation aboard his own yacht, but this will be the first time he will be racing the superb charter Swan 601, AQUARIUS. He will set the agenda, although the captain of AQUARIUS will be on board (as per insurance requirements), and is sure to lend a most valuable hand to the team.
In a recent press release, AQUARIUS, a middle range contender, was described as “a dangerous presence” in the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, the first of three competitions that the AQUARIUS team will undertake. Prior to the Rolex Regatta in St. Thomas, March 25-27 and the Tortola BVI Spring Regatta, March 28-April 3, a between race cruise week is scheduled for March 17-23, when the charter client onboard AQUARIUS will get a little respite.
The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is scheduled from March 3-6, which puts AQUARIUS in the delivery mode at present. Toppa explains, “there are three modes that the race yacht can be in; delivery, cruise, or race modes. Each of these three modes requires changing the sheets, halyards and sails.”
The delivery mode entails lots of logistics, shipping the container with gear, and hotel and flight arrangements for the crew of six, required by any transit exceeding 300 miles. This allows two watches of three crew; one navigating, one helming and one trimming.
This is also a critical time of preparation, which the Captain of AQUARIUS, ChrisRingdahl, describes as very labor intensive. In fact just a couple of days ago, he and his wife were still sanding the keel past midnight. This is all part of playing to win.
Coming up is racing mode on AQUARIUS, when on each exhilarating race day the yacht is stripped to reduce weight and the forward berth becomes the sail locker. At day’s end, numerous chores include removing the drums from each of the nine winches for cleaning.
Keep checking Boatbloggings for AQUARIUS updates from Boatbookings racing expert Meg Toppa. She will be reporting up to the minute news (hopefully from the rail) throughout the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.
In the British Virgin Islands the locals and lucky yachtsmen savor autumn flavors with a unique Caribbean flair. At the Bitter End Yacht Club seasonal fare includes Mrs. Bain’s scrumptious pumpkin soup, and the chef is kindly providing us with her special recipe.
Mrs. Bain's Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients:
1 chopped onion
5 celery stalks, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
5 pounds fresh pumpkin
1-teaspoon beef base
1-teaspoon chicken base
2 cloves of garlic
1-teaspoon cinnamon
1-teaspoon black pepper
1-gallon water
Preparation:
Peel the pumpkin, cut into pieces and steam until tender.
In a large pot, place the pumpkin, and remaining ingredients in the water and boil until very soft. Remove from heat and let cool. Once the soup has cooled enough to handle, place in a blender and puree. You might need to do this in batches.
After pureeing, pour though a sieve to take out any lumps. Adjust seasoning to taste; add a dollop of sour cream, if desired. Enjoy!
The Bahamas and Caribbean offer a variety of spectacular luxury charter yacht winter destinations with something to delight everyone. Whether you are planning an adventure on a bareboat charter or chartering a luxury superyacht to unwind and be pampered, there is an ideal itinerary for you. Sharon Bahmer, Boatbookings Charter Director for the Caribbean and USA shares her personal favorites for chartering with children.
The BVI is always a top destination, especially for smaller boats during the holidays. I have a lot of bookings already for Christmas, New Year and spring break all the way through April next year. The BVI is very low key and an excellent destination for families with children because of the fabulous snorkeling and the Baths at Virgin Gorda that children love to explore. If your kids are into the outdoors and being in the water paddling kayaks, snorkeling and seeing things they will love the BVI.
The Grenadines are becoming increasingly popular because the weather is fantastic and our repeat charter guests often want a different destination. The Grenadines include some very interesting islands, such as Mustique and Little Palm Island, playgrounds of the rich and famous, and then you’ve got the Tobago Keys, which are very good for diving and snorkeling. The islands are not populated with many boats and are a little more remote and somewhat more distance from one another, so although more time is spent getting underway it’s well worth having your own private bay at anchor for the night.
The Bahamas offer fantastic diving and snorkeling but there’s another aspect that kids get a kick out of and that is petting the nurse shark that has beached itself on a dock just to get petted. Then there’s swimming with the pigs. The pigs love it too.
It is important to realize that a Bahamas luxury yacht charter does not have to start in Nassau or Atlantis, which is where most people go. For a far more exotic destination, Plana Cays and Samana Cay, west of Mayaguana Island, on the southernmost tip of the Bahamas chain, offer snorkeling and diving that is absolutely phenomenal. These islands are thought to be the first place Christopher Columbus stepped ashore in 1492, so you might even surface with a couple of doubloons. The Cays are located about 60 miles from Provo in the Turks and Caicos. Charter guests can fly into either Georgetown or Provo and be in this really remote, beautiful place with no other boats, no facilities, and no people. For clients who want a spectacular dive charter it is a superb destination.
Boatbookings website features extensive destination information. Here are just a few helpful links:
Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island is an entire island with superlative facilities generally hired privately or by an individual group. Family Fun Weeks offers a rare opportunity for families to book rooms individually and share the island with others. This stunning 74-acre island with all-inclusive resort facilities offers a great opportunity to have some fun with the kids and awaken your inner child. Necker Island is a fabulous way to extend your yacht charter vacation with an island stay of three, four or seven nights.
Kids will delight in boat races around the island, grand slam tennis tournaments, beach Olympics with egg and spoon races, or somersault competitions from the aqua trampoline into the sea. In the evenings, little kids are whisked away for their own evening adventures, complete with Pirate of the Caribbean treasure hunts, where the big kids can pillage their own chest of buried treasure during a beach BBQ feast.
The impeccable staff of 60 pampers guests with everything from exotic cocktails and extraordinary meals to relaxing massages. Whether your sport of choice is windsurfing, kite surfing, snorkeling or fishing an expert team of instructors are always on hand to help perfect skills at any level.
Necker Island is an exclusive venue with limited reservations. Contact the yacht charter professionals at Boatbookings.com now to make reservations for an incomparable sail and stay Caribbean vacation. Please see also our Yacht Charter BVI Guide for further information about the BVI and our BVI Attractions Guide for additional great things to do while in the BVI!
