Destination Charters

Exotic locations

Ian Pedersen is senior marketing manager for The Moorings and Sunsail North America. The company specializes in charters all over the world.

“We have 20 destinations to choose from, none of which are in the United States,” Pedersen says. “They’re all exotic travel locations that we’ve handpicked. I think of them as ‘bucket list’ destinations.”

One of The Moorings’ most popular charter areas is the Caribbean, with the British Virgin Islands as its No. 1 destination.

“Beyond that, you can take your pick: The Bahamas, St. Lucia, Belize, Tahiti, Thailand, Greece and more. Each offers completely unique experiences within thoseregions,” Pedersen explains.

The Moorings features virtually every charter product between 40 and 53 feet: Sailing monohulls, sailing catamarans and power catamarans. The company maintains nearly a thousand boats worldwide. Most are catamarans, according to Pedersen.

“For decades, the industry was sailing monohulls. Now, power and sail catamarans have taken over,” Pedersen says. “It makes a lot of sense when you consider that you’re living onboard the boat, your home away from home for a week or two. It’s all about the space, comfort, stability and amenities. These boats are all generator-equipped and feature air conditioning, TVs, Wi-Fi, water-makers and bow thrusters. Comfort on the water — that’s really what we strive for.”

The growing popularity of power cats has opened up a new corner of the market. To a large degree, the popularity of power catamarans is because you don’t have to know how to sail.

“If you’ve operated a 25-foot center console, it’s not a huge step to captain a power cat in the Caribbean,” explains Pedersen.

The power cats are ideally tailored for destinations like the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, Greece and Croatia, where distances between ports are short, there are opportunities for island hopping, and fuel is readily accessible.

If you’re looking for a truly relaxing boating retreat, an all-inclusive crewed yacht is just the ticket. The all-inclusive boats are large catamarans that come with a captain and chef. All of your food and beverages are included in the base price as well.

“This is truly a five-star experience,” Pedersen says.

The Moorings also welcomes owners who wish to place a boat in the company’s charter management program.

“An owner can purchase a yacht through us, place it in the charter program for, say, five years, and then sell the boat through our brokerage division,” Pedersen suggests.

Magical barrier islands

Southwest Florida Yachts (SWFY), operated by owner Barb Hansen, focuses on a string of magical barrier islands off the Florida coast.

It’s easy cruising and easy sailing, with destinations including Sanibel, Captiva, Gasparilla, Useppa, Cabbage Key (cheeseburger, anyone?), Cayo Costa and Pelican Bay beckoning. Generally, its charter cruising grounds reach from Marco Island, 70 miles to the south of its Cape Coral base and Venice, 70 miles to the north.

“We don’t have rocks and reefs like the Northeast or Northwest; it’s mostly sand and mud bottom,” Hansen explains. “We have lots of wildlife like herons and egrets and osprey, and you’ll have dolphins swimming alongside your boat. With great restaurants and resorts at every turn, charterers have their choice of roughing it at anchor or going first-class with a marina stay at night.”

SWFY’s boats are based at Tarpon Point Marina, part of The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Bay. The company’s current fleet is made up of three powerboats: A Camano 31, a Sea Ray 310 and a Meridian 341. Rounding out the fleet are two monohull sailboats, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440 and a Beneteau 38.1. The Beneteau is used only for sailing classes. By March, Hansen hopes to have added a Fountaine Pajot Helia 44 sailing cat in the fleet.

Now recovered from 2022’s Hurricane Ian, the resort and marina have been rebuilt and are open for business. The resort makes a perfect home base, offering shops, restaurants, bars and recreational activities. Many charterers spend a few days enjoying the resort’s amenities, while others head out to overnight behind the barrier islands.

“And some just want to day sail, returning to the marina in the evening,” Hansen says. “Since the boats are permanently slipped at the resort, guests returning for the night incur no overnight dock fees.”

Hansen says that they help guests enjoy their charters by making reservations for docking, dinner and travel reservations.

“We function like a complimentary cruising concierge service,” she says.

SWFY also offers live-aboard training on sailboats and trawlers with three- and six-day boating courses. All of the courses meet ASA and American Boating guidelines.

“Under the power courses, our team teaches course numbers AB 101 through 104. For the sailing side, we teach course numbers 101 through 106,” Hansen explains.

What will this cost you?

While charter boat vacations can come with a higher price tag than a traditional getaway, the value lies in the experience itself. You’re not just booking transportation or a hotel room — you’re investing in a fully immersive, one-of-a-kind adventure. A charter combines lodging, dining with a view, entertainment and daily excursions into a single experience, often in destinations that are difficult or impossible to reach any other way.

Charter costs run the gamut, depending on the season, the boat and the cruising area. With the exception of the all-inclusive charters, the fees do not include the cost of provisioning, fuel or insurance.

During high-season, bareboat charters through NW Explorations run between $5,195 and $17,685 per week. For example, a 46-foot Grand Banks will run $10,500 per week, while a 55-foot Fleming will set you back $13,050.

A Moorings bareboat charter runs $4,500 for five nights on a 41-foot, three-cabin monohull, or $12,500 for a 50-foot sailing catamaran. A four-cabin power cat will run around $10,000 for five nights. Finally, an all-inclusive package on the five-cabin Moorings 5000 yacht runs between $20,000 and $25,000 per week.

At Southwest Florida Yachts, the Camano 31 trawler charters for $3,185 a week. The Meridian 341 is $5,500. The company’s Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440 sailing monohull is $7,692 per week.

Whether you seek the rugged, tide-swept frontiers of the Pacific Northwest, the sun-drenched “island-hopping” ease of the Caribbean, or a quiet retreat along Florida’s Gulf Coast, destination chartering offers a passport to the world’s most iconic waters. You aren’t just booking a vacation; you are charting a course toward those rare, bucket-list experiences that define a lifetime on the water.