You’re hiring much more than just a captain to sail the boat safely for you – Crew Superstars!

When you charter a yacht with crew, you’re hiring much more than just a captain to sail the boat safely and a cook to prepare meals for you.  You’re hiring talented hosts and hostesses, who prepare beautiful meals, on tables that are theatrically set, who welcome you aboard warmly, who turn down beds for you and present the art of living through five star service.  They use their talents to present a beautiful platform on which to enjoy mouth-watering views of the cruising ground, where you choose how long you wish to stay and when to go. The chef bakes things daily in the galley.  Captains and first mates can plan shipboard parties, and offer up use of the sports equipment, and activities they recommend ashore.  They run the whole charter smoothly for you, so you do not have to worry. All you have to do is choose what you’d like to do today.  A yacht charter assails the senses – pressed down, shaken together and brimming over!  Here are a few cases in point.

LUCKY CLOVER, 51’ catamaran, available from Athens, Greece

Captain Yannis and Chef Vanya along with chief steward George have run the 51’ catamaran LUCKY CLOVER for four charter seasons now. Chef Vanya excels in the galley and is talented. Pretty with blue eyes and light brown hair, she makes her own beignets, and everything is baked fresh from scratch each day, according to guests’ preference sheets.  Happy to do special diets, her duties, shared by chief steward George, include cleaning the cabins each day, changing sheets midway through the cruise; this crew of three knows the history of the area well and the mythology; they answer anything you might want to know about Greece.  Captain Yannis plans the itinerary after they get the guests preference sheet, or with guests help each day; they have a briefing each morning and make a plan for the day.  Everybody is happy aboard, and children too!

GENESIS, 50’ Voyage catamaran, available from St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

Brad and Christie love adventurous families.  Embarking upon their second charter season, they excel in providing activities for adventurous, active families.  They enjoy taking their guests hiking, paddle boarding (they offer up races!), subwinging….  They take pictures and give a slide show of the cruise to their guests, sending each home with a thumb drive….   A chalk board gives a rough plan of the day.  They offer a cocktail of the day, always fresh, made with simple syrup, and they make virgins for the children.  For gluten-free guests, Christie does gluten-free menus and any other dietary requirement as well, allergies and Vegan….  They have 3-time repeat guests.  Christie has a background in restaurant management; Brad grew up sailing the lakes of Michigan, working the foredecks on fishing boats.    Both of them are marine biologists, both studied oceanic aquatic sciences.  When they met in Denver, they discovered an instant connection.  Married four years, they are an excellent team, calm and collected, and both have captain’s licenses. They love the blues of the Caribbean.

SECOND STAR TO THE RIGHT – Stunning 48’ Leopard sailing cat, Available from Tortola

Warm hosts, Marcus Foesel and Leah Wheeler from Germany and Canada respectively are familiar with all the Caribbean islands and know all the tricks of the charter trade.  Leah is pretty and confidant; her sculpted fruit hors d’oeurves are beautiful, her towel art and subtle use of sweet fragrances in the guest cabins appreciated.  These are just a few of the treats she has in store for her guests.

THE DOVE – 54′ Crealock Sloop, Available Winters in the Grenadine Islands (Southern Caribbean) & Summers in New England

British owner operator Captain Larry Tyler and Justina Kramer from Poland, first mate and chef aboard the 54’ Crealock sloop, THE DOVE, are Crew Superstars!  This their sixth year operating cruises in the Southern Caribbean, Captain Larry is a National Geographic type explorer, who has sailed The Dove to Antarctica and back, and he will be cruising Greenland during the summer of 2019.  Guests are welcome to join him there…. First mate Justina Kramer is a great chef; she makes incredible bouillabaisse and home-made pain au chocolate. A great first mate, she is a terrific sailor – smart, quick, agile – and a great shipmate as well, a fine hostess.  Guests dine well aboard THE DOVE, and the yacht glows with shiny varnish work and handsome, traditional touches.  The linen and guests cabins are squeaky clean.

A family that plays together stays together. Let the professional brokers of Nicholson Yacht Charters arrange a cruise of a lifetime for you!  Click the name of the yacht for more info!  And contact us to send details on yachts that are right for you.