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Cruising World Chartering News

News and notes on sailing-vacation opportunities

Trade Wind Yachts Expands to the “American Tropics”

Trade Wind Yachts in December 2002 expanded to a fourth location with a base opening in Marathon in the Florida Keys. The fleet at Marathon Marina includes two 2002 Beneteau 473s, a 2002 Island Spirit 37 catamaran, and a 2002 Jeanneau 40. The base, situated near hotels, restaurants, and grocery stores, is open for winter chartering from December 1 through April 30; the fleet then moves to serve the company’s Annapolis base in summer.

“With yachts based in the Marathon Marina, the fleet is strategically placed to take advantage of the nearby Seven Mile Bridge, allowing easy access to both the gulf and bay sides of the Keys,” says Stephen Cockcroft, company chairman. Yacht-ownership programs are available for Marathon or Annapolis/Marathon. For details about chartering in Marathon, Annapolis, or at the Caribbean bases, contact the company (800-919-7245, www.tradewindyachts.com and info@tradewindyachts.com).

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Island Yacht Charters Turns 25

Island Yacht Charters, in Red Hook, St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands, celebrated its 25th anniversary in October 2002 with a dinner at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland. Guests included Robin Luke, the charter company’s founder; Bob Johnson, owner/designer of Island Packet Yachts; Bill Bolin, sales/marketing director, Island Packet Yachts; and owners of boats in the Island Yacht Charters fleet.
The company, founded in 1977, was managed by Skip King from 1978 to 1984, then purchased and subsequently run by Andrea and Skip King. Island Yachts is the exclusive dealer and charter company in the Caribbean for Island Packet Yachts. Contact the company (800-524-2019, www.iyc.vi and sailing@iyc.vi) for details on charter yacht management and sailing vacations.

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Vacation deals for the new year from The Moorings include discounts of 15 percent off the cost of a bareboat charter of from 5 to 13 days and 25 percent off of trips lasting 14 days and longer from January 3 to February 28 at company bases in The Abacos, Bahamas, or Baja, Mexico. A discount of 15 percent is offered for vacations taken from the company’s Caribbean bases between January 29 and February 16. For details on discount restrictions, contact The Moorings (800-535-7289).

Sailboat Swapping

Cruising sailors interested in vacationing aboard other cruisers’ boats may want to check out the website of Sailboat Exchange (www.sailboatexchange.com), run by Rose and Tom McMaster of Minnesota.
The site currently lists 150 boats in sailing regions all over the world, from California and Alaska to Ireland, England, Israel, and Denmark. The annual membership fee is $25, and details, such as cost, liability, and whether or not the boat’s owner is on board for the trip, are left to the parties engaged in the swap. For more information, log on to the website.

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