Yacht Employment
Yacht Charter in the British Virgin Islands
The British Virgin Islands are one of the Caribbean's most popular yacht charter destinations and Tortola is home to the world's largest fleet of charter yachts. You can choose between Skippered or bareboat charter, motor or sailing vessels, monohulls or catamarans as well as crewed, luxury or mega yachts. There is something for everone in the BVI. The short distances between the islands, often only 2 to 3 hours, make the British Virgin Islands perfect for the first time yacht charter.
The British Virgin Islands (BVI) is a British overseas territory, located in the north of the Caribbean Sea to the east of both Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. They are part of the Leeward Island chain. The approximate co-ordinates are 18° 20' N 64° 40' W. The archipelago of the Virgin Islands archipelago is made up of the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.
The British Virgin Islands enjoy a sub-tropical climate, moderated by the trade winds. Temperatures remain fairly steady year round with a daily maximum of around 29°C in the summer and 25°C in the winter. The BVI averages about 115 cm of rain per year, although this is higher in the hills and coast is drier. The wettest months are September through to December. The British Virgin Islands are in an area that can see hurricanes from June to October and this effectively limits the sailing season to November - May.
Amongst the many attractions on the British Virgin Islands are the; numerous white sandy beaches; the baths on Virgin Gorda, snorkelling on the coral reefs near Anegada; the well-known bars of Jost Van Dyke Island.
The British Virgin Islands include the main islands of Anegada, Jost Van Dyke, Tortola and Virgin Gorda together with over fifty other smaller islands and cays. The smaller islands include; Beef Island, Cooper Island, Ginger Island, Great Camanoe, Great Thatch, Guana Island, Mosquito Island, Necker Island, Norman Island, Peter Island, Salt Island. Only some fifteen of the islands are inhabited. The BVI are mostly volcanic in origin and have a rugged, hilly terrain. Anegada is the exception and is a flat island composed of limestone and coral. Tortola is the largest island, approximately twelve miles long and three miles wide. Road Town, on Tortola, is the capital of the islands. The British Virgin Islands have a total population of around 22,000 people.
The Virgin Islands were first settled by Arawak Indians from South America around 100 BC and inhabited the islands until the fifteenth century when Carib Indians from the Lesser Antilles Islands displaced them. The first European sighting of the Virgin Islands was in 1493 by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas. He called them Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Vírgenes (Saint Ursula and her 11,000 Virgins); this was shortened to Las Vírgenes (The Virgins).
In the early sixteenth century the Spanish Empire acquired the Virgin Islands and developed copper mining on Virgin Gorda. Subsequently the English, Dutch, French, Spanish and Danish all sought control of the Virgin Islands. They became a notorious pirate haunt. During the process of European colonisation the native Amerindian population was all but wiped out.
In 1648 the Dutch established a permanent settlement on the island of Tortola. The British captured Tortola from the Dutch in 1672, and the British annexation of Anegada and Virgin Gorda followed in 1680.
The Virgin Islands were considered principally a strategic possession, but were also planted when there were favourable economic conditions. The British introduced sugar cane that became the main crop and source of foreign trade. Slaves were brought from Africa to work on the sugar cane plantations and the islands prospered until the growth in the sugar beet crop in Europe and the United States reduced sugar cane production significantly.
In 1917, the United States purchased St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix from Denmark for US$25 million, renaming them the United States Virgin Islands and the British renamed the islands they controlled as the British Virgin Islands. The British Virgin Islands were administered either as part of the Leeward Islands Colony or with St. Kitts and Nevis, with an administrator representing the British Government on the Islands. Separate colony status was gained for the British Virgin Islands in 1960 and they became autonomous in 1967.
Since this time the BVI have moved away from an agricultural economy towards tourism and financial services and have become one of the richest areas in the Caribbean. Politically tourism is the more important of the two employing large numbers of the local population and many of the businesses are locally owned. However, economically, the financial service sector is by far the more important and provides nearly 50% of the Government's revenues in the form of licence fees for offshore companies.
The Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport, also known as Beef Island Airport, has regular connections to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Saint Thomas, USVI. There are also flights from most of the major islands in the Caribbean, Antigua and Saint Martin. It is located on Beef Island, just off the eastern tip of Tortola. Virgin Gorda and Anegada have smaller airports. The islands are a popular destination for cruise ships in the Caribbean and they use the British Virgin Islands main harbour in Road Town on Tortola. The official currency of the British Virgin Islands is the US dollar. Major credit cards are honoured at the larger BVI establishments but do not expect to use them at small restaurants.
The traditional music of the British Virgin Islands is called fungi after the local cornmeal dish with the same name, often made with okra. The special sound of fungi is due to a unique local fusion between African and European music. The fungi bands, also called "scratch bands and use a great variety of instruments. Fingi is a form of festive dance but also contains humorous social commentaries and is a source of BVI oral history.
The British Virgin Islands are one of the Caribbean's most popular yacht charter destinations and Tortola is home to the world's largest fleet of charter yachts. Prospective charters can choose between Skippered or bareboat charter. Motor or sailing vessels. Monohulls or catamarans. The short distances between the islands, often only 2 to 3 hours, make the BVI perfect for the first time yacht charterer and for families with young children. There are many flights to the BVI making access easy. On the downside the BVI can become crowded at peak periods; Christmas; Presidents Week and the Easter holidays. The first two weeks of July are also extremely busy due to Puerto Rico's holiday schedule. Charter Yachts require a National Park Permit; ask your charter company for more details.
Moorings are increasingly popular throughout the British Virgin Islands to prevent anchors dragging on the bottom and damaging the important coral reefs. Although the cynics will tell you it's also about revenue raising and at $30 per night it is hard not to sympathise with this point of view. Overnight moorings are on 18" white balls. Other mooring buoys will be encountered while sailing in the BVI and are colour coded as follows;
Orange - Non-diving, day use only.
Yellow - Commercial dive vessels only.
Large Yellow - Commercial vessels or vessels over 55' in length
White - Non-commercial vessels, for daytime dive use only.
Blue - For dinghy use only
Also note that there is a 90-minute time limit on all moorings.
The major harbour in the British Virgin Islands is at Road Town, on Tortola. And most charters will start and end here. Village Cay Marina is one of the full service marinas available in Road Harbour offering fuel, water, ice, provisioning, laundry, shower facilities, beauty salon and spa. There is a fresh water pool and a waterfront restaurant and bar. Other marinas in Road Town Harbour include Fort Burt Marina and Inner Harbour Marina. There is also another full service marina in Nanny Cay that offers another starting point for yacht charters. The Nanny Cay Marine Centre has amenities including showers, water, gift shop, laundry, ice and fuel, provisioning, storage lockers and two restaurants. There are also a dive shop, mechanical repairs, refrigeration, welding and a 24 hour chase boat service. Allow time at the beginning or end of your yacht charter to explore Tortola. Driving around the island's steep and winding mountain roads offers some breathtaking views. Some of the finest beaches in all of the BVI are located at Cane Garden Bay and Long Bay, on Tortolas's north shore. Restaurants on Tortola are held in high regard throughout the Caribbean. Shopping and nightlife tend to be low-key, but a selection of small clubs playing local music can be found in Road Town and in the beach bars around the Tortola.
West End is shown on the charts as Soper's Hole, a protected harbour lying between Frenchman's Cay and Tortola. The Soper's Hole Wharf and Marina offers a full range of services located in charming colourful houses. The Pusser's Landing features waterfront dining in two restaurants and bars, an outdoor terrace and the company store.
Jost Van Dyke Island was named after a Dutch pirate. It has beautiful beaches, great food and music. Jost Van Dyke is the home to the famous "Full Moon" parties held at Foxy's and Sidney's Peace and Love Bar.
Anegada Island is known for its beautiful pink, sugar sand beach and snorkelling with age-old shipwrecks and coral reefs. Anegada's Reef Hotel is renowned for the local lobster. The dining room and bar are directly on the beach. If you go ashore on Anegada carry bug spray with you. You have been warned!!!
Moorings are available and anchoring is possible all along the coast of Virgin Gorda. Or you can get a berth at the nearby Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour, a marina with docking for 110 vessels, where the ferry arrives for land travellers. Shops are concentrated around the Yacht Harbour area, especially at the Courtyard. Virgin Gorda Island is famous for The Baths, a day filled with cave exploration and water holes within this unique rock formation. Dinghies are no longer allowed on the shore here and you must swim from a dinghy mooring to the beach. The Bitter End Yacht Club is located in North Sound and is a great place pick up a mooring. You will be amongst some of the beautiful yachts in the BVI here. The small deserted island of Prickly Pear is a great lunch and snorkelling spot and is just a dinghy ride from the Bitter End Yacht Club. Spanish Town on the southwest side of Virgin Gorda is a popular stop over for shopping and provisioning.
Norman Island or "Treasure Island" as the locals know it is home to the pirate ship "William Thornton". Legend suggests this to be the fabled site of Long John Silvers treasure trove. Norman Island lies close to the boundary line separating the BVI from the US Virgin Islands. Although uninhabited it is alive with tourism. The caves here are one of the most popular tourist attractions in the BVI. This is a popular overnight anchorage and many charterers will take dinner aboard the Willy T, a 100' steel schooner.
About the Author
Ken Jones runs a guide to <a href="http://www.sail-the-net.com/yacht-charter/yacht-charter-intro.html" target="blank">Yacht Charter Vacations</a>
Follow this link for more info on <a href="http://www.sail-the-net.com/yacht-charter/destinations/caribbean/british-virgin-islands.html" target="blank">BVI Yacht Charters</a>
And this link for <a href="http://www.sail-the-net.com/yacht-charter/destinations/caribbean/caribbean.html" target="blank">Caribbean Yacht Charter</a>
Filed under Yachting by on Sep 17th, 2011. Comment. 
Yacht Agencies
Yacht Insurance
Yacht insurance is very important for people who own yachts. It is a safety net for the yacht owner in case of accidents, damage to the yacht, or any kind of repairs that may be needed. Especially in the case of luxury yachts, yacht insurance becomes very essential, since the yachts themselves are expensive. And when these are rented out for charters, there is every possibility of minor or major damages to the yacht. This is where the insurance coverage helps, to cover the costs of repairing the yacht.
Having yacht insurance is not necessarily a compulsory obligation on the part of the owner, but yet most people go for one. It saves them a lot of worry and money as well. Also, insurance agencies will cover the costs even if the yacht is stolen or if parts of the yachts are stolen. Yacht insurance need not necessarily become an expensive affair. An insurance broker can set up a fixed quote for you to pa each month, which will reduce the overall cost that you pay to keep the insurance. However, when choosing the yacht insurance quote, you need to ensure that it is in accordance with the market standards.
Yacht insurance comes in different schemes. Some of them will cover costs only till the cost of the yacht, while others will cover costs of accessories as well. Owners who rent out yachts for charter will do well to take an insurance that covers both yacht and its accessories. One way of reducing the insurance quote costs of the yacht insurance will be to pay a larger amount in-excess, which is the initial payment that is made towards the scheme.
While taking yacht insurance, the agent needs to ensure that all the owners’ needs are met. The agent has to pay attention to minute details as well, and prepare a comprehensive and fully clear chart wherein the owner does not have any doubts with the yacht insurance policy.
About the Author
Filed under Yachting by on Sep 11th, 2011. Comment.
Yacht Hitchhiking
Son Serra is a Shore Bet For Free Spirits
They still do exist: Places, which even surprise confirmed Mallorca-aficionados. Son Serra de Marina is one of them. Hardly anywhere else the island is so casual and relaxed, so wild and reckless, so wonderfully unpretentious and equally passionate, along the coastline (1 mile) on the eastern edge of Alcúdia bay. At first the Mallorcans had chosen the place as site for their weekend and summer cottages; nowadays the unpretentious apartment complex attracts a colorful crowd of day visitors, which consists of individual tourists, hippies, nature lovers, surfers, beach boys, nude fans, dog lovers and notorious romantics.
Two of them are Nadine and Andrew. For one hour, the couple enjoys a kite surfing ride on short boards, with the kites flying at a height of 30 meters above them. Each wave is a ramp on which the two Germans are catapulted several meters high. Then they fall down again, jumping and speeding across the water. Many more people do so. Almost twelve colorful kites slide across the blue sky since early morning on the eastern edge of Son Serra. It is one of the most popular hotspots for the growing kite and surf community in Mallorca. "The wind blows very well up here – a pleasure for everyone who loves waves", says Andrew. During the last six years he and Nadine came here almost every weekend to flirt with the forces of nature.
Nick from the UK is addicted to the adrenaline boost on the water. Seven years ago he moved from Devon county in Southwest England to the North-East coast of Mallorca. "Of course the conditions for surfing are also very good at home. But the fun is better under the Mediterranean sun", says the likeable 28-year-old, who works on the island for a British yacht builder. When he first came to Son Serra de Marina, he was immediately blown away: "The place is so cool, there are no hotels, few tourists, everything seems deserted – that's probably the charm."
Indeed, Son Serra might be considered a boring place. Except in July and August, when local and foreign apartment owners settle here for a few weeks, the place is like a ghost town. Three restaurants and two small corner shops are the only alternatives to spending time in the water, at the beach or with a walk through the dunes.
But there is one hot meeting point.
Just as the world revolves around the sun, the life in Son Serra turns around "El Sol",
the hippest bar in the middle of nowhere: Civilization ends behind streets in checkerboard patterns and strings of bungalows and apartment houses – fading into a scene of dunes, declared a nature reserve some years ago. "El Sol" somehow resembles the "Restaurant at the End of the Universe" from Douglas Adams´ SF-series "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy". The limitations of place and time seem to disappear while having a sundowner on the terrace. In the evening the sound of wind and waves mixes with gentle chill-out music – and "El Sol" comes very close to its celebrated Ibizan counterpart "Café del Mar".
"We´ve spiced up the bar five years ago by adding the cool atmosphere that characterizes it today," says Frederico. He runs "El Sol" together with a relaxed, good looking crew of about 15 waiters and waitresses 365 days a year. "Even people from Andratx take their cars and come up here, because it´s unique", the native Basque proudly remarks. He has lived in Berlin many years ago, running a club and later a restaurant there. One day he stranded in Mallorca and decided to stay. "There are worse places in the world," he says with his typical mischievous smile.
What´s the main reason for the strong attraction of "El Sol"? "With us they like it all: the food, the music, the atmosphere and the views." It´s that simple. Italian dishes like pasta and pizza are mainly served by Frederico – but also fresh fish and meat. The prices are quite affordable. Depending on the guest, the service is friendly or charmingly chummy, but always courteous. Every Sunday evening the bar offers live music. From June to August DJ live sessions are held on Saturdays. The crowd tends to dance at "El Sol" and the party often lasts until sunrise. The "pizza flat rate" on Saturdays is very popular. At a price of 8 euros, the motto is "All you can eat" from 7 p.m. onwards: A feast for everybody.
Stefan is among the regulars of "El Sol". He lives in Santa Margalida, just ten kilometers away, and comes not only for his beloved surfing. The regional manager of an Austrian cycling tour agent wants to visit his girlfriend Ulrike. Like Frederico, she works at "El Sol" since many years. "We are like a small family here and people from elsewhere can become easily addicted to this magical ambience", says Stefan, who could work as a model for the new season swimwear, due to his washboard stomach and his stong arms.
However, boasting is not common in Son Serra. Instead of Porsche and Ferraris, which can be seen in Puerto Portals and Puerto Andratx, the car park at the beach of Son Serra is filled with station wagons, vans and campers. The cars have Spanish, German or British license numbers, offering plenty of space for surfboards, sails, kites and pylons. By the way: journalists in Son Serra are not liked too much here. The risk is high, that they might reveal the last secrets of the island. Therefore, a final request: Please keep this story private!
Opening Hours & Information:
Bar and Restaurant "El Sol," daily open from about 10 a.m. to midnight – on weekends even up to 1 a.m. or later. Son Serra lies at the road to Artá, about five miles outside of Can Picafort. How to find the surf beach: Follow the main road down to the coastline, turn right at the penultimate road and drive through to the end. Parking is free.
Text by: Andreas John
About the Author
Dr. Helen Cummins is the Editor of abcMallorca Magazine a high quality guide to mallorca printed in three languages including informative Articles about Mallorca, up to date Events Guide and a Business Directory.
You can visit the abcMallorca website to read the original article about Son Serra is a Shore Bet For Free Spirits or related articles about Mallorca.
Filed under Yachting by on Aug 9th, 2011. Comment.
