WORLD W
ith reports this month Why the Time is Right to Book Your Summer Charter, a frequent charterers Cruise Through the Spanish Virgin Islands, and miscellaneous Charter Notes.
LATITUDE / ANDY
The weak euro has even affected the price of chartering — to your advantage — in Tahiti. Can you hear opportunity knocking?
from being battered and bruised by many international currencies to being one of the top dogs again. Due to financial woes in the eurozone, the dollar is so strong throughout Europe that even a trip to Paris is relatively affordable. Likewise, chartering anywhere in Europe — from Scandinavia to Brittany to Italy to Greece — has rarely if ever been a better value in our lifetimes. By extension, the dollar is also stronger than in years past in Tahiti, as the French Polynesian franc is tied to the euro. Closer to home, the American dollar has gained so much ground on its Canadian cousin that it's almost embarrassing — 1.43 Canadian = 1 USD today, compared to 1 to 1 not long ago. This makes excursions to the spectacular Gulf Islands or Desolation Sound even more inviting than usual. In Mexico also the dollar is much, much stronger than it's been in recent memory — 18 pesos to a dollar, compared to 12 to 1 a couple of years ago. (By the way, you may have heard that The Moorings has pulled out of La Paz, but Dream Yachts has stepped into that market as the one and only bareboat operator in the Sea of Cortez.) In addition to the strong dollar giving you good value in foreign markets, there's an added bonus that most of us never would have anticipated a few years ago: The current oil glut has made air fares cheaper in most markets. There's no telling how long this will last, of course. But for the time being, lower air pricing should be a great motivator to quit making excuses, set a date, and go have some quality fun in the sun. Life is short. Windows of opportunity don't stay open forever. So take our advice and book that long-anticipated charter now. We'll bet that you'll thank us if you do. — andy
ALL PHOTOS ART HARTINGER
This Is No Time to Procrastinate: 'Great Value' Rules the Day If you find it much easier to procrastinate than to take action, you're not alone. Millions and millions of people procrastinate about all sorts of things every day; things as loathsome as doing their taxes as well as things as potentially pleasurable as taking a yacht vacation at some exotic hideaway. Yes, seasoned procrastinators can always find reasons to put off just about anything — even things they've been dreaming about doing for years like corralling a bunch of sailing buddies and chartering a bareboat someplace where the winds blow sweet and steady, the beaches are sandy and clean, and the top priorities in life have nothing to do with email, Internet searches, blathering politicians or freeway driving. We don't mean to sound preachy — Lord knows we procrastinate too. But this month we've chosen to harp on procrastination as it relates to chartering because we think we've got some pretty good arguments for you to get off your duff and, if you'll excuse the overused expression, just do it. The most important issue is that now's a great time to get exceptional 'value' in the charter market. After enduring the long and painful recession, those of us who have good old American greenbacks to spend are suddenly killin' it in many currency exchanges. As you've undoubtedly heard, the dollar has risen
Off-the-Beaten-Track Chartering: Exploring the Spanish Virgins In late May, our group of three couples explored the so-called Spanish Virgin Islands aboard Chateau du Mer, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 469 from Sail Caribe. The charter base is at Fajardo, on the east coast of Puerto Rico. Aboard were friends Donna and Steve, and Lis and Brian, plus Yumi and me. Before the charter, we spent a few days hanging out in Puerto Rico. From the capital city, San Juan, we drove to Ponce, a good-sized town on the south coast, and we found it very odd to see mortuaries, hospitals, medical clinics, funeral homes, and lawyers' offices, yet nobody walking around at all. The Ponce Marina seemed completely deserted also. We began thinking we were in a horror movie. The next morning we drove back to San Juan, and on a whim, stopped at Guavate for its famous roast pig. (Anthony Bourdain has visited here!) Wow, it was excellent. The cook hacked portions of pork from a pig with a machete, in 1/2- to 1-lb chunks. We realized we needed bread to make sandwiches, so we
