Virgin Islands Charter Yacht League announces new Director!

The Virgin Islands Charter Yacht League Board of Governors in tandem with Flagship, a St. Thomas based Clearinghouse for crewed charter yachts, have announced Erik Ackerson as the new VICL Director. Originally from Kansas City, Erik has made the Virgin Islands his home since 1998. Erik is a resident of Water Island, one of the four United States Virgin Islands. He is also a member of the W.I. Search and Rescue, W.I. Civic Association, Navy League, as well as a Red Cross volunteer. Erik's love of the water and sailing yachts make him ideally suited for the position of Director of the VICL and its pursuit of advancing the betterment of the local charter yacht business in the Virgin Islands.


The VICL is a "not for profit organization whose purpose is to ensure the promotion of the highest quality yachting vacations in the Caribbean Sea."

Sailing Week gets under way on the Island of Antigua!

The 41st annual Stanford Sailing Week gets under way today on the British Island of Antigua in the Leeward Islands. With a reputation as one of the premier sailing regattas in the Caribbean, Antigua Sailing Week attracks yachties and racers from around the globe who flock to English Harbour for this prestigious yachting event. What makes this regatta especially attractive is the wonderful combination of 5 days of racing, ideal sailing conditions, and and the charm of Antiguan hospitality.

English Harbour, the base for Sailing Week, is one of many scenic harbours found on the island of Antigua. Outside of sailing week, English Harbour continues to be a favorite stop among Yacht Charter Captains. Not only does it offer a protected and picturesque anchorage for its guests, but it also offers the old-world charm of Nelsons Dockyard, now a national park, complete with waterfront taverns and chandleries popular with yachties.

Some of the best views of English Harbour come from Shirley Heights, a "must-see" for visitors, which towers more than 400 feet above the coastline and offers an extremely impressive Caribbean view, as seen in the photo above.

Sailing has always played a major role in the life of Antigua - Christopher Colombus named it after all, but Caribbean Sailing Charters also play a large role for the island of Antigua. Visit the Leeward Island page of our website for further information regarding a Sailing Vacation in the Leeward Islands, including a stop in Antigua.

A travel trend emerges - Girlfriends' Getaways Boom!

"Girlfriends' getaways" - a new phenomenon where women are traveling with other women and leaving the husbands at home - are booming. Yahoo Travel News has noted a recent surge in the number of women taking adventure trips with other women.

This phenomenon definitely represents a cultural shift. Traditionally, women were the planners of family vacations and it was their responsibility to ensure each family members happiness and satisfaction. Meanwhile, men went camping, fishing or golfing with the guys, while the teens started their own travel with school and/or youth groups.

Now, women are saying, "What about me, it's my turn!" With so many women as part of the current work force, women can now afford to travel on their own. At the same time, these women have moved away from childhood friends and college roommates and they find travel as a way to reconnect and recharge their batteries all at once.

A sailing vacation aboard a private yacht in the picture-postcard destination of the Virgin Islands offers an ideal way for women to reconnect and recharge with their girlfriends. These yacht charters offer professional and pampering crews, luxurious amenities, gourmet cuisine, and plenty of activities or relaxation each day.

For further information regarding a charter experience, visit the Charter Experience page of our website.

Crew Life Magazine features Chef of Three Moons, Shelly Tucker!

Shelly Tucker is the author of the "Three Moons Island Cookbook" and an award-winning Chef within the Virgin Islands Charter Yacht Fleet. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Shelly was recently chosen as the featured Charter Chef of the Month in Crew Life Magazine.

The article states that "through the years Shelly has broadened her experience to include a diverse array of ethnic cuisine. She says it has been fun to see how much her style of cooking has evolved, but there are some things that remain the same... always treat a new recipe as a simple guideline, use the highest quality ingredients, trust your culinary skills, and add your own special touches. Take culinary classes and put dazzle into every dish."

Besides Shelly's award-winning cuisine, she also offers her charter guests a "Three Moons Sea Spa Cruise Package" which includes pampering facials, aromatherapy massage, manicures, and pedicures. Shelly works side by side aboard Three Moons with her husband of 20 years, Randy Tucker. Both native southerners, they offer their guests a unique combination of Caribbean charm and Southern hospitality aboard their charter yacht.

For more information regarding the 72' Sailing Yacht Three Moons, her crew, and her Sailing Vacations, visit the monohulls page of our website.

Catamaran Breanker gets more than a makeover!

Charter Yacht Breanker has been sailing the waters of the Virgin Islands for years. However, her current owners and full time crew, Kristian and Marianne, have raised the allure of Breanker to an entirely new level. A recent charter guest aboard Breanker noted, "Kristian and Marianne were fantastic. They are experienced, friendly, very customer focused, and we would highly recommend them. Breanker has been GREATLY improved since our last charter 7 years ago, and the owners are continually upgrading during every layover."

With Kristian and Marianne at the helm, Catamaran Breanker is under the direction of a fun-loving and extremely experienced crew, now in their 16th charter season. Additionally, having built two previous yachts, when Kristian and Marianne took ownership of Breanker they possessed a unique level of expertise and focus necessary to take on the extensive list of upgrades and remodels that they've recently completed on Breanker.

Among the many upgrades to this yacht, some exterior highlights included new exterior cushions, pillows, and sun awnings, new sails, fresh deck paint, plus new on-deck drink cooler and BBQ. The extensive list of interior improvements included a water maker and a total refit in all baths including faucets, mirrors, lighting, corian counter tops plus teak floor gratings. A complete make-over in all four staterooms included fresh paint, fresh bright work, lighting, fans, corian counter tops, plus new Ultrasuede cushions and pillows. Finally, a total refit in the salon, navigation and bar area included fresh paint, bright work, new pillows, and new carpet throughout.

For more information on this "like-new" 55' catamaran charter yacht and its fantastic crew, visit our Catamarans page.

Carefree Yacht Charters gets LinkedIn!

LinkedIn is an online network of more than 20 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 150 industries. Lynne Campbell, Charter Specialist and Owner of Carefree Yacht Charters is now included in this list of experienced professionals. Her experience includes 14 years in the charter yacht industry and 12 years aboard her own charter yacht in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands providing luxury crewed yacht charters to her guests.

One LinkedIn client had this to say about Lynne's services as a Charter Yacht Vacation Specialist: “Lynne Campbell offers professional yacht charter services through her online company carefreecharters.com. She is very experienced and passionate about her business. She has an impeccable track record of happy and satisfied clientèle. I am confident that she will continue to serve her future clients with the same standards of quality.” April 7, 2008

Virgin Islands Carnival kicks of in St. Thomas, USVI!

April 6th was the kick off to the 56th Annual Virgin Islands Carnival. The theme for this years carnival is “A Cultural Escape for 2008.”

Highlights of this three week event will include the Calypso Spectakula, Prince and Princess Selection Show, and the Carnival Queen Selection Show. This three week party will also include music jamborees, calypso competitions, parades, samplings of island cuisine, pageants, and plenty of spirited local charm. The grand finale on April 26 features the ever-popular Adults Parade followed by an impressive fireworks display over Charlotte Amalie Harbor.

A yacht charter creates the perfect platform in order to take in this spectacle of fireworks during St. Thomas Carnival. It also allows guests the opportunity to pair a sailing vacation with a good dose of island culture.

VerticalResponse selects Carefree Yacht Charters for their SuperStar Program

VerticalResponse recently asked Carefree Yacht Charters how their services have helped their charter yacht brokerage business. Based on the response from Charter Specialist Lynne Campbell, Vertical Response selected Carefree Yacht Charters to be a part of their SuperStars program. In addition, Carefree Yacht Charters was used as an example at a recent Vertical Response Seminar Series.

Owner Lynne Campbell commented, "VerticalResponse continues to be a driving force behind my charter yacht brokerage business. E-newsletters via VerticalResponse are an excellent way to entice interest and create a response from my customer base. Recent newsletters have include write-ups on "hot yachts" as well as exciting new destinations. For up to date information on some of our exciting charter destinations and yacht charter sailing vacations visit the newsletter page of our website in the "About Us" section.

Charter Yacht Drumbeat 1 and her whale of a tail!

The Virgin Island based charter yacht Drumbeat 1 treated some recent charter guests to a fantastic treat on their final day of charter. This humpback whale was spotted frolicking off the coast of Jost Van Dyke in the BVI. Drumbeat 1 and her guests were able to get up close and personal during their final sail from Jost Van Dyke back to St. Thomas in the USVI. Besides topping off a fabulous sailing vacation with a whale sighting, the guests aboard had this to say about the crew:

"The trip could not have been better. The boat was absolutely immaculate. Captain Vince, Chef Linda and First Mate Kirk were all terrific. Vince was funny and engaging, Linda is a superb cook, and Kirk...always enthusiastic and asking if he could get us something...does everything from serving drinks and meals, to rinsing dive equipment, to being a reliable first mate."

Drumbeat 1 is a ketch-rigged 72' Irwin capable of carrying up to 8 guests. For further information on Drumbeat 1 and her Virgin Island charters visit our Monohulls page on our website.