7 Day Tahiti Crewed Catamaran Charter – Arrival & Boarding

Getting to Tahiti is not as far as you might think. While, yes, it is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it is a smooth, 7-hour flight from Los Angeles. Closer than flying to Europe! Our Air Tahiti Nui Flight left LAX at 5:15 and arrived at around 11 PM at the main Airport on Tahiti Island.

After going through customs (everyone had to take a COVID Antigen test in the Airport), where a band was playing welcoming Tahitian Music, we simply walked across the street to the Tahiti Airport Motel and slept for a few hours before returning to the airport for our short, beautiful flight to Huahine, where our charter was to begin.

No need to arrive for flights 2 hours in advance in Tahiti, an hour or so will do! Our flight to Huahine took about an hour.

We arrived at Huahine at around 8 in the morning – too early to board the charter. So Boatbookings arranged that we would taxi to the south island (Huahine-Iti), and swim and have lunch at the pretty Hotel Le Mahana. Our Boat, DIVA, arrived promptly at 1 pm, and we were whisked by tender to our boat, and of course, given leis as soon as we boarded the boat!

We had our obligatory Captain’s Safety Briefing and off we went to our first anchorage, close to the town of Fare, but pristine with amazingly clear water.

Drinks on the flydeck, then dinner – fresh meka (from the swordfish family) with a French sauce – amazing!

Learn more about Tahiti Yacht Charters.

Tomorrow – sail to Raiatea

Posted on January 3, 2022 by admin

7 Day Tahiti Crewed Catamaran Charter – Introduction & Overview

Our family of 5 recently enjoyed a 7-day Tahiti Yacht Charter on a 56-foot Lagoon 560 crewed catamaran. The entire trip was idyllic! In this series of blog posts, we will take you through the arrival, departure, itinerary, cuisine, crew, and lots of other observations to give you a clear picture of what it’s like to charter in Tahiti and the brilliance of being on a crewed catamaran.

Note, you can see this entire 7-day Tahiti Crewed Catamaran Itinerary here.

The Yacht

We chartered a Lagoon 560 crewed catamaran through Boatbookings. Lagoons are fantastic catamarans – they offer great open spaces both inside and out, and the cabins are roomy and comfortable. The 560 has a very large flydeck with seating for 8, where we spent a lot of time, especially at sunset, because you get a 360-degree view of the incredibly beautiful surroundings. We ate most of our meals on the spacious and comfortable aft deck, because it is never windy and offers easy access to the galley.

The crew had their own quarters so that each of our children could have their own cabin and bathroom, what a luxury! See the layout below.

Charter Yacht DIVA - Lagoon 560(2017)- 4 Cabins - French Polynesia - Tahiti - Bora Bora - Raiatea - Huahine

The main salon is large, well lit and comfortable, although we honestly never spent one minute in it – there was too much to do outside!

The boat had 2 paddleboards, 2 kayaks, and plenty of snorkeling gear. We used them every day!

The Crew

We had a fantastic crew who took care of all of our needs, set the daily itinerary, and produced world-class cuisine (a mixture of french and Tahitian cooking) three meals a day.

Jerome was our captain – he is French and has lived in the Tahitian Islands for 20 years. He knows where the best snorkeling spots are and always moored the boat in quiet, beautiful anchorages so that we had amazing views and sunsets!

Clara served three fantastic meals a day, plus sundowner drinks and hors d’oeurvres so we could fully enjoy the sunsets. She cooked meals to meet our dietary specifications – Tahitian food is, of course, centered around amazing fresh fish, but one of our party didn’t eat fish so she always had a great substitute.

See more in our Tahiti Yacht Charter Guide.

Tomorrow: Travel to and arrival in Tahiti

Posted on January 2, 2022 by admin

Top 5 off the beaten track destinations!

Top 5 bareboat itineraries to escape the crowds and get back in touch with nature. Feel the wind in your hair, and breath in that healing sea breeze onboard your bareboat charter!

Greece – Ionian

You want to sail in Greece, but you down want the crowds – where should you go? Simple answer – the Ionian! Secluded anchorages, fair winds, and fantastic tavernas makes the Ionian one of the best places to sail in Greece!

Caribbean – BVI’s

Thinking about celebrating Christmas a little bit differently this year? Have your summer holiday plans been canceled and you’re looking for the next celebration? Then a BVI bareboat charter should be for you! With Scuba itineraries, and island hopping adventures – could this be the next tick on your to-do list?

French Polynesia – New Caledonia

Thinking about a sailing trip in the southern hemisphere far away from any local continent? How about New Caledonia?! A few hundred miles of the coast of mainland Australia lays the New Caledonian archipelago! Enjoy the peace and quiet of what these islands have to offer. An incredible mix of French and Polynesian cultures!

Portuguese Atlantic – The Azores

Do you have an Atlantic crossing on your bucket list? Do you need an area to test your sailing skills? Do you need a mile builder itinerary? Then the Azores is for you! An incredible mix of Atlantic and Portuguese culture with the backdrop like something from Jurassic Park. Explore the Volcanos and lava fields on your bareboat charter.

Posted on April 23, 2020 by Alice Newnham

Expert Insight: The CEO’s Favourite Catamaran HEMISPHERE

For our latest blog series, we asked the Boatbookings’ team members for their favorite worldwide charter yachts to share them with all of our clients, colleagues and suppliers alike. We begin with our CEO’s favourite crewed catamaran; HEMISPHERE!

HEMISPHERE is a 145ft luxury crewed Pendennis catamaran available for charter throughout Southeast Asia in such exciting, intriguing destinations as Fiji, Indonesia, the South Pacific and many more! She is one of our favourite catamarans for charter worldwide due to her chic and spacious exterior spaces, welcoming crew and of course the trampolines:

yacht hemisphere, luxury yacht, yacht charter, boatbookings, boatbookings yacht charter — Our first team visit to HEMISPHERE at the Monaco Yacht Show in 2012 (featuring a mini Boatbookings helper loving the trampolines!).

Launched in 2011 by Pendennis, HEMISPHERE is just over 44 metres in length (145ft) with a massive 16.6 metres beam (54ft). Her innovative design boasts creative features that blend speed and stability with both space and style. Catamarans are famed for their space and HEMISPHERE is no exception. Her spacious flybridge is sure to be your favourite area on the yacht. She features a Jacuzzi, sun pads and shaded dining area, along with an immense indoor/outdoor living area on the main deck.

HEMISPHERE‘s interiors, designed by Michael Leach, are quite simply stunning. The main saloon has contemporary styling with light woods, lots of natural light and comfortable areas for dining and socialising. HEMISPHERE also boasts a comfy game and TV room, ideal for younger charter guests. This fantastic yacht can welcome up to 12 guests on board in 5 well-appointed staterooms with a further two identical master cabins on the main deck.

Other highlights include a professional diving board, a 6m trampoline and a comprehensive diving centre with the latest diving equipment. Her crew of 8 include a fantastic British Captain, a renowned Danish chef who formerly worked for the Danish royal family, and 2 PADI Scuba diving instructors. So, whether you’re after exceptionally prepared cuisine, sunbathing with a glass of bubbly on the flybridge or diving in Southeast Asia, HEMISPHERE is surely the yacht for you.

HEMISPHERE will be available for charter in the 2018/19 Winter season in French Polynesia and the South Pacific, followed by Fiji, Indonesia and Tonga! She is for charter from $260,000 per week plus expenses.

If the luxury catamaran experience appeals to you and your family, please do get in touch with Boatbookings’ expert brokers who would be delighted to organise the ultimate Southeast Asia adventure for you.

Posted on November 21, 2018 by Alice Newnham

One of the Great Migrations – the Humpback Whales in French Polynesia

Every year in the Antartic, as winter closes in and food becomes scarcer, one of the worlds great migrations takes place.Many hundreds of humpback whales swim 6000 km north to spend 4-5 months enjoying the warmer and food-rich waters of French Polynesia, to breed and to give birth to their calves. This is a time for mating, with underwater singing that can be heard all day long as the males try to impress the females.

Photo credit from Johnyg at deviantart.com

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Posted on June 1, 2017 by Lambros Tsolakis