Water Toys for your Luxury Yacht Charter Part I

Water Toys are fast becoming an essential item on your luxury yacht charter. Starting with simple snorkel gear to speeding jetskis, the water toys available to you are becoming more and more exciting.

The Freestyle Cruiser is an amazing slide, custom made to fit the yacht that it is intended for.  The slide is an exhilarating drop down from the top of your yacht – the quickest and easiest way to get from your yacht and in to the water. A Freestyle Cruiser is like having your own on board water park, with plenty of open sea to enjoy it with, and no strangers to get in your way! A yacht slide is fun for everybody, regardless of the age.
Made with the finest materials and craftsmanship; made with the highest grade vinyl for durability the Freestyle Cruiser is welded with state-of-the-art technology. With all the hard work that has gone in to creating this slide, it is without a doubt a brilliant investment for any yacht. A slide of this size and drop will surely guarantee fun. If you are interested in a yacht with a water slide, why not charter AMARULA SUN? This Westport has a great range of water toys, including a slide, perfect for splashing around in the Mediterranean Sea!

The Jet Surf is a combination of a surfboard and technology. A lightweight carbon board that can travel at 55 kilometres per hour, you don’t need waves for this style of surfing.  It took 7 years of development, but was definitely worth it for the end result. Similar to a skateboard, you can do jumps and tricks for up to 4 hours before the battery needs recharging. The Jet Surf is a brilliant invention for whizzing across the water, and has proved to be such a hit that there is now such a thing as the Jet Surf World Series – pushing the Jet Surfs to their limit. With a Jet Surf around, who needs tenders and water skis? They will definitely make a fantastic addition to the water toys on any luxury yacht!

If you would like to receive more information with regards to booking your luxury 2013 charter yacht, please enquire through our website, www.boatbookings.com, where one of our Charter Specialists will be happy to help you plan the experience of a lifetime. You can also send your charter enquiries to [email protected], and one of the team will get back to you shortly with some proposals.

Watch this space for the latest industry show releases, news and gossip in the yachting world. If you liked the content on this page and our previous posts, please become a fan and like our Facebook page to receive up to date information on our publications.

Watersports on a Luxury Crewed Yacht Charter in the BVI

Whether you wish to try your hand at water-skiing, scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, knee boarding, windsurfing or Seabobs (among other sports), there are always boats on offer that meet all the necessary water sport requirements. Chartering a crewed yacht with a variety of sea toys is a fantastic way to ensure a family vacation with plenty of excitement and adventure. Below you will find brief descriptions of just some of the fantastic water sport opportunities on offer.

Scuba Diving / Snorkeling

Screen-shot-2012-11-13-at-12.10.07The beautiful waters of the Caribbean are the perfect place for exploration and discovery. Dive down to sites that include the wreckages of Spanish galleons and British warships, or snorkel through the stunning coral reefs that are home to a host of tropical fish and other rare species of marine life.

Many crewed yachts offer diving instructors on board who will ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable scuba-diving experience. Rendezvous diving means that you are joined by a professional diving company who bring their own boat and diving equipment. These companies offer only the most experienced diving staff who have unrivalled knowledge of all the best local dive sites.

As the only coral reef island in the Virgin Islands, Anegada is an extremely popular charter destination for snorkelers and scuba divers.  Other popular diving and snorkeling destinations include the Maldives, Seychelles and the Great Barrier Reef.

Waterskiing, Wakeboarding and Kneeboarding

The easiest and quickest way to learn how to ski is by starting on a kneeboard. Kneeling on the board gives you a much lower centre of gravity than conventional waterskiing, which makes it easier to balance and keep control when you are being towed at speeds of around 30-50km/h.

In contrast, water skiing not only requires exceptional upper and lower body strength but also extremely good balance. Many boats offer both adult and children’s waterskis. Children often find learning to waterski easier than adults due to their lower centre of gravity.

Wakeboarding was originally developed from a combination of water skiing, snowboarding and surfing. Wakeboards are usually made of foam or honeycomb, which is mixed with resin and coated with fibreglass.

Given the obvious dangers of falling into the water at speed, a third person is required as a spotter for the person in the water. The spotter’s job is to ensure that all necessary safety measures are taken.

Interesting fact: The most skiers towed behind one boat is 145. This world record was set by the Horsehead Water Ski Club in Strahan, Tasmania, in January 2012.

Personal Water Craft / Water scooter

Personal Water Craft (PWCs) are often referred to by their more well-known brand names such as Jet Ski, WaveRunner and SeaDoo. These vehicles are normally designed for one or two people, although three- and four-man models do exist.

PWCs are popular because they are small, very fast and easy to manoeuvre. They are also an extremely fun way to explore the ocean and are safer around swimmers because they do not have external propellers.

Riders should probably try their best not to fall off though, as there is a risk of similar injuries to those that can be picked up on waterskis.

Screen-Shot-2012-12-03-at-14.15.31With accommodation for 6 guests in 2 cabins, the Jongert 27m crewed sailing yacht ICARUS is ideal for sailing charters around Europe and the Virgin Islands. ICARUS offers a variety of exciting water toys including snorkelling equipment, waterskis, tube, towing ring, wake board and fishing gear, while rendezvous diving is also an option.

If you would like some advice and help in planning a trip to the BVI, please  have a look at our BVI Catamaran Charter Guide or send us an email to [email protected], where one of our Brokers would be delighted to assist you.

Luxury Charter Yacht Gadgets, including an Amphibious Quadbike!

Keeping with our recent theme of James Bond style gossip, our latest blog covers all of the best luxury yachting gadgets to have. Not only is this to coincide with the upcoming release of Skyfall but with Christmas coming soon, we thought this would be a great chance to start having a think about those all important presents.

Amphibious Quadbike

Just imagine – your yacht docks somewhere, and you hop on a jetski to land. When you get to land, you don’t get off the jetski, but it turns into a quadbike, with which you can go exploring. We’re completely in awe by this new gadget, made by Gibbs Sports Amphibians, and is called Quadski.

Top iPhone Yachting Apps:

Yachting Weather

Yacthing Weather is a great app for Captains, sailors, or anyone interested in the weather on the waters. It’s a great application that we’ve been using for some months now, and each update just gets better and better. It gives you all the information you would need to plan your charter, from temperature, wind direction and speed, wave height, wave length, wave period, storm risk, precipitation risk, humidity, pressure. It’s a great weather app in general, not only useful for those on the water.

Available for free, we highly recommend trying the app out!

Compass Eye – Marine Navigation and Bearings

Compass Eye is another great iPhone app, available at £2.99, that works with real-time camera and map views, bearing markers and an 8x zoom. Compass Eye is a fun way to make sure of your bearing. As most compass apps rely on a horizontal bearing and work only on that angle, but Compass Eye works on any angle or with any orientation, with the use of the camera.

JetLev Debuts Water Propelled Jetpack at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

Jetlev, ambitiously described by the company as applicable to firefighting, search and rescue, marine structure inspection and repair, and peacekeeping, is certainly an unusual device. The propulsion engine, fuel and related systems are housed in a separate trailing vessel about the size of a waverunner hull and tethered to the jetpack. Water is the jet propulsion medium that allows riders to reach heights up to 28 feet and maximum speed above water at 35 kph, according to the manufacturer. Jetlev has a price tag of $175,000.

Specifications:
Flight ceiling (measured at feet level): 28 feet (8.5 meters)
Duration at wide-open throttle (approx.) 1 hour
Duration at cruising speed (approx.) 1.5-2 hours

Follow this link for a selection of Superyachts and Luxury Charter Yachts that carry the best in water toys on board.

Cutting Edge Designs from the Italian Proship Design Team: 48 Open Tender, Alpha 75 Fly and Kharima 81 Power Cat

Proship, the cutting edge Italian design and engineering team, announces three new luxury motor yachts, to be built at a Chinese shipyard in Qingdao. The sporty 48’ open tender, the ALPHA 75, a displacement power yacht, and the KHARIMA 81, an energy efficient power catamaran, are each developed to target the affluent and expanding Asian yacht market.

Design on all three new vessels is by Architect Antonio Luxardo, whose goal is to combine technology and functionality without compromise to elegance and comfort. The dynamic 45-foot open tender features a multi purpose aft deck space with open bulwark on the stem that allows for a sprawling terrace at sea. Twin Volto Penta D6 – 435hp IPS600 engines power the boat to 40 km/h.

The graceful ALPHA 75 is designed with a rounded bow in contrast to sharp edges, to create an Asian flair specifically intended to appeal to Far Eastern consumers. The unusual interior layout features two main salons. The first is located on the main deck and directly connects to the aft deck equipped with dining table for eight guests. The well-equipped galley is on the same deck.

The second salon is on the lower deck, which also offers two guest rooms and the owner’s cabin with an ensuite bathroom and sauna. Crew accommodations are on stern deck with autonomous entrance.

The KHARIMA 81, designed for an Asian client, features two decks and a flybridge offering large volumes in living and cabin areas. Outdoor areas are designed for socializing and enjoying panoramic views. The flybridge features comfortable sofas, a bar and seating area, partially protected by a semi retractable top. On the aft deck two side open-out beach platforms extend exterior space and provide easy access to the water.

The main deck provides a stunning 110 square-metre open living space that includes the main saloon, dining area and state of the art wheelhouse. The master suite is located in the bow on the main deck and features spectacular views through a surround of large windows, which can be screened off by innovative sliding panels. The balcony can be partitioned as a little lounging or sunbathing area for additional privacy.  The lower deck consists of two ensuite double guest cabins, a professional galley, and crew accommodations.

Here are some useful links to explore options for Luxury Motor Yacht Charter and Luxury Catamaran Charter worldwide.