Florida and the Bahamas can be great charter destinations all year round, and several companies are promoting yachts with dates open this summer.

For starters, Fraser recently announced that the 206-foot Rossinavi Utopia IV has joined the fleet with availability this summer in Florida, the Bahamas and New England.

Utopia IV is a 2018 build that most recently was refitted in 2022. This is a U.S.-flagged vessel, which is why it’s advertised for charter in Florida and New England, in addition to the Bahamas. Utopia IV has several notable spaces on board, including a beach club that spans more than 760 square feet, a master stateroom with a private salon, office and balcony, and a dedicated children’s playroom adjacent to the formal dining area. There’s also a glass-bottom pool on the main deck aft.

Accommodations aboard Utopia IV are for 12 guests in six staterooms. The yacht charters with 13 crew.

Also advertising availability in the Bahamas is the 164-foot Westport Second Love, which recently joined the IYC charter fleet.

Second Love is a 2010 build that most recently was refitted this year, accommodating 12 guests in six staterooms, and chartering with a crew of 10. The master stateroom spans the full beam with a private office, while the bridge-deck VIP stateroom has a private balcony for expansive views. Cruising speed is reportedly 15 knots with a top hop of 25 knots, which is plenty fast for cruising from island to island to check out the beach bars, restaurants and live music.

Yet another yacht advertising Bahamas availability is Lady Elaine, a 163-foot Christensen that’s part of the RJC Yachts charter fleet.

Lady Elaine just announced a reduction in the yacht’s lowest weekly base rate, which previously was $225,000 and is now $200,000. This is a 2008 build that most recently was refitted in 2024, and that previously was known as Casino Royale.

Accommodations aboard Lady Elaine are for 12 guests, and the yacht charters with nine crew. The tenders and toys setup is well-suited for the Bahamas, with a 37-foot Intrepid tender powered by triple 300 hp Yamahas, a quartet of personal watercraft, a trio of Seabobs, and an assortment of paddleboards, kayaks, tow toys, snorkeling and fishing gear, and more.

Looking for a smaller yacht to charter in the Bahamas? Hill Robinson says the 113-foot Ocean Alexander A Salt Weapon is also in these islands this summer, accommodating 10 guests in five staterooms. A Salt Weapon charters with a 36-foot Boston Whaler tender for watersports fun.

How to book a charter on board Utopia IV, Second Love, Lady Elaine or A Salt Weapon: contact a charter broker at fraseryachts.com, iyc.com, rjcyachts.com or hillrobinson.com

The post Florida and Bahamas Yacht Charter Options appeared first on Yachting.

Denison Yachting—which is now accepting bitcoin as payment for yacht-charter bookings—has several yachts open for bookings in the Bahamas this winter.

The Denison charter fleet’s flagship, 196-foot Abeking & Rasmussen Elysian, is there, taking 12 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $400,000. She charters with a 31-foot center console for exploring the shallows, a 24-foot wooden tender for going ashore and a 21-foot RIB for water sports.

Denison Yachting—which is now accepting bitcoin as payment for yacht-charter bookings—has several yachts open for bookings in the Bahamas this winter.

The Denison charter fleet’s flagship, 196-foot Abeking & Rasmussen Elysian, is there, taking 12 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $400,000. She charters with a 31-foot center console for exploring the shallows, a 24-foot wooden tender for going ashore and a 21-foot RIB for water sports.

Other options for Bahamas yacht charter this winter with Denison include the 142-foot Richmond Far From It, the 116-foot Hargrave Renaissance and the 110-foot Lazzara Le Reve.

Cruise a little to the north: The 106-foot Broward Breakaway is open for charter not only in the Bahamas, but also in the Turks and Caicos archipelago.

Take the next step: contact charter broker Susan Harris here .

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This 140-foot Benetti charters through Worth Avenue Yachts , taking 10 to 12 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $125,000. She has a full-beam gymnasium with foldout terrace on her main deck.

Seaclusion

Part of the Select Yachts charter fleet, this 75-foot Hatteras takes six guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $21,500. She tows a 31-foot Jupiter tender for sport fishing and other watersports fun.

Mizu

Oceanfast built this 174-foot Sam Sorgiovanni design in 2004. Mizu was refitted inside and out in 2017. Northrop and Johnson lists her at a lowest weekly base rate of $225,000 for 10 guests.

Incognito

Jet drives give this 130-foot Mangusta a cruising speed of 32 knots and a Bahamas-friendly shallow draft. Her lowest weekly base rate is $87,500 for 10 guests, with Ocean Independence .

The post Getting There: Charter the Bahamas appeared first on Yachting.

The florida keys took a big hit this year. Ryan Jacobson, vice president of Yacht Works — a boatyard, marina and boat-sales company with locations in Tavernier and Key Largo — is watching the region’s recovery.

KK: Did you have any damage?
RJ: We didn’t have anything damaged, but we’ve come across a lot of damaged boats. What we’re seeing is that [for] most of the boats that have been damaged, the owners are currently dealing with the insurance companies. Generally, if it’s a little bit of damage it’s OK. But if it’s a 1986 hull with a down engine, most people aren’t going to spend the money to rebuild the boat.

KK: What are boat owners doing in the meantime?
RJ: Everybody is hauling their boats out, mainly to the Homestead area.

KK: What kinds of issues are you seeing?
RJ: The main damage is around the Big Pine [Key] area. The boats on trailers, averaging about 25 feet, maybe a hundred of them got washed around like a washing machine on their trailers. So pretty much everything down there is totaled. Once the motors go underwater, if it’s a brand-new Yamaha four-stroke, if it goes underwater and sits there for two weeks, you kind of have to assume it’s not going to run again. The electrical stuff is a major concern too. A lot of that stuff will need to be replaced.

KK: Are you seeing a lot of hull damage?
RJ: We’re seeing boats that came off trailers and landed on roads and docks, and you see fiberglass damage of course. A lot of the boats that were moored are total losses. There just wasn’t enough protection in some areas unfortunately, and boats became untethered. Will these damaged boats hit the water again? Yes, but they won’t be the same. A lot of them will go to auction.

KK: How will the damage affect the auction side of your business?
RJ: All the damaged boats will go to auction, and that’s a good opportunity for a do-it-yourselfer. If you want to spend some time with your hands on a boat, now’s a good time for you. Some of the boats you shouldn’t touch. You have to be smart. Rebuilding a sunken boat always costs more than you think.

KK: What else should snowbird cruisers know?
RJ: There’s less places to put boats. So that’s something we will have to work on in the future. A lot of the docks got destroyed, particularly on the ocean side. That’s not something a lot of people have realized yet. Things that used to be there just aren’t anymore.

GIVING BACK
If you’re looking for a way to give back, consider donating to the Coast Guard’s Disaster Relief and Response Fund. The Fund assists Coast Guard members who were affected by the storms.

The post Florida Keys Update appeared first on Yachting.

Don’t have plans for New Year’s Eve yet? Y.Co just dropped the weekly rate to charter the 220’8″ Sealyon .

The charter starts in the Canouan Island in the Grenadines, and you get 10 days for the price of eight.

The Viareggio-built superyacht has six staterooms accommodating 12 guests. Plus, there’s space for 16 crew.

Sealyon‘s contemporary interior was designed by Candy & Candy. She also has a spilt-level sundeck with a Jacuzzi tub. For the kids, there’s a 23-foot inflatable slide that comes with selection of other water toys.

Weekly base rate: $382,352 (325,000 EUR)

Winter location: Sealyon will cruise the Caribbean, Bahamas and Cuba during the winter charter season.

The post Ring in the New Year on Superyacht Sealyon appeared first on Yachting.

They almost painted her blue. Or pearl. Or — we gasp at the thought — khaki.

Ultimately, the owners of the 160-foot Palmer Johnson ­SuperSport Khalilah chose Cordova Gold, which, paired with her aggressive exterior styling, made her the hottest yacht on the docks during her February 2015 debut at the boat show now known as Yachts Miami Beach.

Today, Khalilah is turning heads in the Mediterranean, where she entered the charter market this past summer. Gayle Patterson, who manages Khalilah for Camper & Nicholsons International, says that within weeks of the news, she was “inundated with inquir­ies.” Clients wanted to charter Khalilah not only for summer, but also this coming winter when the owner may keep her in the Bahamas.

Of course, the yacht’s bombshell exterior gets most people’s ­attention, but Patterson says the interior is just as noteworthy.

“Inside, she has a lot of woods that are natural,” Patterson says. “There are carvings and inlays, natural fibers and fabrics. It’s quite colorful and fun. There’s an eclectic collection of artwork and fabrics, and it all comes together. There are beautiful mosaic bathrooms with lots of different designs.”

PEDIGREE: 160-foot Palmer Johnson built in 2015.
ACCOMMODATIONS: 11 guests in five staterooms including two similar-size, king-berth masters on the main deck.
CREW: 9.
THIS WINTER: possibly the Bahamas.
SUMMER 2018: back to the Mediterranean.
FOR FUN IN THE SUN: a nearly 1,200-square-foot aft deck with oversize sun pads.
MANAGEMENT COMPANY: Camper & Nicholsons International.

Khalilah launched as the largest yacht built of carbon composite, with bold construction elements that Patterson says enhance the charter experience. For instance, not only are the main salon windows sole-to-ceiling, but some glass panels measure more than 21 feet wide by more than 7 feet tall. At the time Khalilah was built, Palmer Johnson’s CEO called them the biggest glass panels on any yacht other than Apple founder Steve Jobs’ 256-foot Feadship Venus.

On charter, those windows allow fantastic views and more.

“You feel as though you’re on a 60-meter yacht because of the [35-foot] beam and the floor-to-ceiling windows,” she says.

And despite Khalilah‘s racy exterior, Patterson says, the interior is built for relaxation, whether guests are ­families with children (they can even bring a small dog, with a security deposit) or groups of adults.

“The galley is quite unusual,” she says, as an example. “It’s on the main deck. Once the doors are open, you can walk through from the main salon. There are chairs there and a bar, so it’s a nice area to hang out. You have a glass of wine, taste some cheese, get the chef to whip you up a nibble.”

And then, recharged, you step back out into Khalilah’s golden glow, ready to dazzle the world.

The post Charter File: Khalilah is the Gold Standard appeared first on Yachting.

HMY Luxury Charters says the 140-foot Proteksan-Turquoise Ice 5 is available for Bahamas yacht charter during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Previously known on the charter market as Capricorn with a different owner, Ice 5 recently completed an interior refit and has a contemporary décor with Restoration Hardware furniture.

Additional work is being done now in the shipyard. By the holidays, Ice 5 is expected to have new sundeck cushions, a new barbecue, a new audiovisual system, a new bridge-deck dining arrangement, refinished teak decks, new bed linens and a new 37-foot Axopar center console tender.

Ice 5 accommodates 12 guests in six staterooms. The layout is ideal for a multigenerational family, or a group of friends. Two of the staterooms have king-size berths, three have queens and the remaining stateroom has twin berths for the kids.

Holiday weekly base rate to charter Ice 5: $160,000

Where to book: contact charter broker Kim Vickery at the HMY website.

Ice 5 accommodates 12 guests in six staterooms. The layout is ideal for a multigenerational family, or a group of friends. Two of the staterooms have king-size berths, three have queens and the remaining stateroom has twin berths for the kids.

Holiday weekly base rate to charter Ice 5: $160,000

Where to book: contact charter broker Kim Vickery at the HMY website.

The post Spend Thanksgiving and Christmas Cruising the Bahamas appeared first on Yachting.

HMY Yachts says the 140-foot Proteksan Ice 5 has dropped her weekly base rate for Bahamas yacht charter the rest of this summer.

Previously, the weekly base rate to charter Ice 5 was $135,000. It’s now $125,000.

Ice 5, which used to charter as Capricorn, recently got a new owner and a new, contemporary interior with Restoration Hardware furniture. The yacht accommodates 12 guests in six staterooms.

Flexible charter layout: HMY promotes Ice 5 for charters with groups of friends, families or corporate events.

Where to book: Contact charter broker Kim Vickery here.

The post Bahamas Summer Yacht Charter Special appeared first on Yachting.

Ocean Independence has just welcomed the 105-foot Sanlorenzo Freddy to the charter fleet in Florida and the Bahamas.

Freddy is a brand-new build for 2017. She accommodates 10 guests in five staterooms, including a main-deck master.

For an additional rate, Freddy can be chartered with a 42-foot Scout that has another stateroom for two additional guests.

Amenities on board Freddy include at-anchor stabilizers, an amidships balcony and a foredeck settee.

Weekly base rate: $55,000 for eight guests, or $65,000 for 10 guests.

To book a charter aboard Freddy, contact a broker here.

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Free Spirit

As you read this, the 70-foot Sunreef Free Spirit should be completing her interior refit. She is a 2008 build that accommodates eight guests. Look for her in the West Mediterranean this summer.

Bina

Bina is a 142-foot Mondomarine that got a refit in 2015, inside and out. As you can see in the photograph at right, her interior now has a dark wood sole, light furnishings, and pops of color in the accents. Bina is expected to charter this summer in the West Mediterranean.

Kanaloa

In 2015, Kanaloa — which had a top reputation for charter in the past — completed what Hill Robinson is calling more of a restoration than a refit, bringing the 1996 build back up to par and then some.

Eros

Brooks Motor Craft in Britain launched the 115-foot Eros in 1939. Her current owners bought her in 1992, and they have been working toward a museum-quality restoration ever since. Most recently, they added new upholstery, deck furniture and more.

Never Enough

Never Enough launched in 2006 and has finished several refits since. Her newest addition is a 37-foot Intrepid tender with drop-down dive door. She charters in Florida and the Bahamas.

The post Recently Refit and Ready to Charter appeared first on Yachting.