Horizon Yacht Charters

There’s something wonderful about chatting to returning guests who are so excited to have seen wildlife on their cruise; whether that’s under-water or elsewhere. Having recently spent some time in the Australian outback, I was sincerely hoping not to experience some of their rather unique and sometimes scary wildlife… but cruising the Leeward Islands from our base in Antigua, it really is incredibly rewarding.

Right now, it’s the summer months here in Antigua and there’s nothing better than getting home in the evening, sitting on the verandah with a cold glass of wine and watching the frigate birds fishing for their evening meal as the sun goes down. It’s so active around that time each evening that you can almost set your watch by them. Who needs TV when you have that kind of entertainment?!

Last season there were an abundance of turtles spotted by our vigilant guests; I tell our guests that they will only see the turtles if they donate to the Antigua Sea Turtle Programme and help the volunteer patrols who walk the beaches every night during nesting season. I’m not sure they buy that, but we have collected a fair amount of money for this important Programme, even so! Mykl is the Project Manager here in Antigua and she is our turtle guru…

Any sailing trip would not be complete without seeing a pod of dolphins or even whales. Many of our guests spotted whales a few months back whilst they were sailing in between Antigua and Barbuda – a distance of around 25nm. As for dolphins, we are so grateful to the Kneafsey family (and their crew) who are life long friends of Horizon, for sending us their most recent cruising video from July 2011. They spotted this pod of dolphins sailing between St Barts and Nevis. They’ve called it “Somewhere between Paradise and Wonderland”. Click to view the footage below.

Racing the Dolphins

I think that sums up the sailing here around Antigua, Barbuda and beyond… what do you think?

Horizon Yacht Charters Annapolis, is launching its first summer season on the Chesapeake with a new owners’ incentive. Purchasers of one of the new Farr Yacht designed Bavaria Cruiser models are eligible for a credit of up to $50,000 when they place their yacht into the Horizon Yacht Charters Annapolis charter program which includes US and Caribbean placement options.

The flexible incentive program can be used to reduce the base price or to enhance the boat with additional fixtures and fittings. It can also be transferred to the charter program to set against brokerage fees, yacht servicing charges or the cost of transporting the yacht between the US and Caribbean bases. The introductory incentive expires on July 31, 2011.

With Horizon Yacht Charters’ reputation built on delivering immaculate yachts, exemplary customer service and excellent value for money, the launch incentive is additional to the existing wide range of benefits gained when purchasing a Bavaria Yacht and placing it in the Horizon charter fleet. Within the US and Caribbean charter program an owner can enjoy a healthy return on their investment all year round, whilst still having unlimited access to their yacht. Owners also receive complimentary engine and rigging servicing at 3 and 12 months, responsive, hassle-free support and a 24/7 emergency helpline when afloat. Charter owners will also be provided with VIP access as guests of Horizon Yacht Charters Annapolis at this year’s Annapolis Boat Show.

Bavaria has produced a stunning new range of yachts that are perfectly suited for cruising. Designed through a partnership between Farr Yacht Design and BMW DesignworksUSA their key features are huge cockpits, ideal for outside dining and comfortable entertaining, spacious and light interiors, giving the feel of a much larger boat, and signature stern wide retractable bathing platforms which make getting on and off the boat a breeze. Ease of handling is a key theme on deck with all the halyards and control lines leading directly back to the cockpit. Throughout the entire range the mainsail and jib can be reefed single-handed by one person without leaving the wheel and without coming head to wind.

Established in the Caribbean in 1998, Horizon Yacht Charters opened its first US charter base in Annapolis in June 2011 with three brand new Bavaria Cruiser yachts ranging from 32 – 45 feet. Horizon Yacht Charters has been selling, servicing and chartering a fleet of 100 yachts (50 of which are Bavaria Yachts) for more than a decade across its bases in the British Virgin Islands, Antigua & Barbuda, Grenada and St Maarten.

For more information on this launch incentive, to arrange a test sail or to learn about the benefits of charter ownership in the US and Caribbean please contact Geoff McCord on (855) 222 1120 or email info@bavariayachts.com. For more information on Horizon Yacht Charters, visit www.horizonyachtcharters.com

Horizon Yacht Charters has now officially expanded into the American market.  Managing Director, Kenny Feld, along with the founding directors, Sylvia Driver and Andrew Thompson, welcomed a whole host of industry partners, the media, yacht owners as well as  members of the general public, to celebrate the opening of the new office.

The base in Yacht Haven Marina in Eastport, Maryland, will serve as the U.S. arm of  Bavaria Yachts and charter guests will have a choice of Bavaria boats in the 2011 Cruiser range.

The base is also an American Sailing Association (ASA) accredited sailing school, offering instruction to those wanting to learn to sail or wanting to improve on their sailing skills.  A comprehensive yacht management programme is also available.

This coming weekend marks the opening of Horizon Yacht Charters’ new base in Annapolis. If you are in the area, make sure to pop in and join the party!