When Andrew Thompson co-founded Horizon Yacht Charters in 1998, he wanted to bring megayacht-quality service to bareboats. Thompson had worked as captain and crew aboard the larger yachts, and he believed that people chartering bareboats should have every right to expect similarly high standards for their own cruising vacations.

‘Our Mission statement in 1998, was ‘to offer immaculate yachts, exemplary customer service and value for money’, 25 years later, our mission remains the same, and we go the extra nautical mile every day to deliver on that’ he says.

Today, Horizon Yacht Charters has two locations: the main base at Nanny Cay on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, and a second location at Blue Lagoon Marina in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Both locations are known for their exceptional customer service. The base in the BVI is also popular for its restaurants, showers, hotel, beach bar and pool. This location is easily accessible with daily flights from Miami on American Airlines, arriving at Beef Island, Tortola.

“Our company takes great pride in being a local business with local operations, management and staff,” says Kim Struiken, finance and business development director. “Our local roots play a vital role in our success. We are committed to our community and to delivering an exceptional experience to our customers. This combination is part of the formula which sets Horizon Yacht Charters apart.”

Horizon Yacht Charters’ high-quality fleet of about 50 yachts in the BVI includes monohulls as well as catamarans from 34ft – 54ft.  The boats are maintained to a level that Thompson brings from his megayacht days, ensuring that guests can embark on their vacations with complete confidence in the seamless experience they’ll enjoy, regardless of the age of the yacht,(although most are 0-5 years old).

“We excel at providing yachts with all systems in order, with concours cosmetics and detailing “ Struiken says. “Most of Horizon’s staff have been here for many years. The first-ever employee of the company, Courtney Frett, our reservations manager, is still here, 25 years later. Our operations director, Henry Leonnig, has been here for 20 years, as have several other dock staff. They like what they do, and when people like what they do, they excel, and it allows you continuity of service – to offer real quality.” Struiken continues: ‘It is not just about the yachts, it is about the ‘boutique hotel’ level of personalized service you get at Horizon. Jalon Shortte epitomizes this as our larger-than-life Customer Service manager, who delivers boat and chart knowledge with a wicked laugh and a brilliant smile’.

Horizon Yacht Charters offers bareboat charters, skippered charters as well as luxury crewed charters with the added convenience of an all-inclusive package covering high-end gourmet meals, premium drinks, water toys, and more.

American Sailing Association (ASA) classes are also available at Horizon Yacht Charters Sailing School. Students can book a whole boat and cruise with a private instructor, or they can book a single cabin for a week on board a boat with an instructor and other students.

The instructors at Horizon Yacht Charters are top-notch. Just one example is Cara Brown, who, in 2022, was named one of ASA’s outstanding instructors. This award is given to the top 1 percent of all ASA instructors, as determined by student surveys. In 2022, there were 2,155 instructors eligible for the award; only 25 were named winners. And Brown was among just a handful of women in that already selective group.

“Cara is a terrific example of the outstanding team members we have at Horizon Yacht Charters,” Struiken says. “She’s originally from London, grew up in Italy, and has been sailing with Horizon in the BVI since she was a little girl—because her parents have had a series of yachts in our fleet since 2002, and they continue to do so to this day. Her own sailing experience includes the whole Caribbean as well as parts of Britain and Europe, she has a 200 ton yachtmaster licence in addition to her ASA qualifications. Cara is  also a qualified personal trainer, ski coach ( having been Britain’s women’s downhill champion for 5 years) as well as a PADI-certified open water diver. She speaks English, French and Italian fluently,  which means she can help so many people feel comfortable while learning to sail.”

Due to Horizon’s winning combination of top ASA instructors, a highly sought-after location, and exceptional customer service, it has been selected by the American Sailing Association as the destination for its 2024 Lenny Shabes Sailing Festival, scheduled from 16th to 23rd June 2024. Similarly, Jeanneau, one of the world’s leading monohull manufacturers, has also chosen Horizon for their Jeanneau owners rendezvous flotilla from 9th to 16th March 2024, driven by some of the same compelling factors.

Another way that Horizon Yacht Charters stands out is its additional charter broker services. While the staff at the base on Tortola can help clients book bareboat charters aboard sailboats in the Horizon Yacht Charters BVI and St. Vincent fleets, the team will also help clients book boats from other fleets all around the world—any kind of boat, anywhere the clients want to cruise.

“If we have clients who have been with us in the BVI and in the Grenadines, we can help them book a charter anywhere,” Struiken says. “Sometimes, people want to cruise somewhere different, and we are happy to assist with that.”

For clients interested in buying or selling a yacht, the Horizon Yacht Charters team is also available to help. The company is a distributor for Lagoon, Excess, FP and Nautitech catamarans, Jeanneau, Beneteau  and Bavaria monohulls, as well as ranges of centre console RIB’s and day boats. Horizon also maintains an active brokerage service with a wide range of listings, both in the BVI, and in Grenada, where Horizon also have a yacht management, refit and storage business.

“We are able to support our clients as their boating needs change throughout the years,” Struiken says. “Families grow, plans change, sometimes cruising ideas become bigger sailing ambitions. Our fleet, school, charters and yacht sales allow our clients to progress however they choose. And when they come back to us year after year, they see the same staff, ready to assist them. They feel like they’re coming home.”

“Whether charter client or yacht owner, from the moment of first contact until the final wave goodbye, whether that is a week or decades later,  our top priority is the customer experience. We look forward to welcoming you aboard”.  Struiken concludes.

How to book: Contact the Reservations team at res@horizonyachtcharters.comHome .

How to buy: Contact Robin at robin@horizonyachtcharters.com to find your new dream yacht or explore the selection of brokerage yachts available through Giles at giles@horizonyachtcharters.com.

For more information, please give us a call  on our toll free number (+1 877-494-8787) or visit our website Home .

The post A Winning Bareboat Experience appeared first on Cruising World.

Horizon Yacht Charters’ three bases in the Caribbean islands are welcoming guests for the charter season. While their bases in Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have been open to tourists for some time now, the base in the British Virgin Islands just opened on December 1.

Grenada

Open since July, Horizon Yacht Charters in Grenada requires visitors to present a negative PCR test taken within seven days of travel, health declaration forms and waivers, and download the Ronatrac mobile app for contact tracing. Forms can be found at covid19.gov.gd. Horizon’s base is located at the True Blue Bay Boutique Resort, which is on the list of Pure Safe Accommodations. More information can be found at puregrenada.com. Visitors must quarantine at the hotel for the first seven days and then have the option to get a PCR test to move about the island if found negative.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Horizon’s base at St. Vincent and the Grenadines, also open since July, requires travelers to complete a pre-arrival form, arrive with a negative Covid-19 test completed within seven days before arrival, must be retested upon arrival in St. Vincent and quarantine for five days in their hotel. With a negative test result, guests can then start their sailing charter but must be monitored by SVG Arrivals for up to 9 days. Horizon’s base is located at the Blue Lagoon Hotel & Marina, which is on the list of approved accommodations for Quarantine. Forms for visitors can be found online.

“Throughout the entire Covid-19 pandemic, we have been working closely with our guests, providing them with up to date information and helping them to reschedule charters when necessary and without penalty,” states James Pascall, director of Horizon in Grenada and St. Vincent.

British Virgin Islands

Visitors to the Horizon base at the British Virgin Islands after December 1, 2020, requires proof of negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 5 days before the day of travel, proof of medical coverage, and must complete a travel declaration and upload test results before boarding flight.  Visitors must also wear a tracking bracelet, use approved transportation, and quarantine for 4 days on their yacht or hotel  . You can find all of the information here.

“Planning a sailing charter to the Caribbean islands is one of the safest ways to travel during the pandemic,” said Andrew Thompson, Director of Horizon Yacht Charters. “We are excited to welcome our charter guests and know that they will experience the most amazing time sailing these islands. The first four days of quarantine can be spent sailing around the islands to many designated anchorages, so clients can also enjoy swimming and snorkeling from their pre-provisioned and prepared yachts. After their negative 4th day test (testing stations will be set up around all the islands), clients are free to sail and go ashore wherever they wish.”

Having arrived in the BVI in the mid-80s, Sylvia Driver, Director of Horizon Yacht Charters said “I have never seen so much marine life, dolphins, and turtles. Our environment has benefitted from the tourism break, and it’s looking even more beautiful wherever you go. Now truly is the best time to experience the underwater wonders of the BVI.”

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Set Out from St. Thomas

St. Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands is the newest site of a local partnership with global company Dream Yacht Charter. Virgin Islands Yacht Charters at Compass Point Marina, on the east end of the island, entered into the arrangement with Dream in June 2020, expanding facilities and upgrading client services. 

Sailors can choose from four monohulls and 20 catamarans for bareboat and skippered yacht charters. The fleet includes a Bali 5.4, Fountaine Pajot Saona 47, Beneteau Oceanis 41, Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 519, Fountaine Pajot Helia 44, Lagoon 40, Lagoon 42, Lagoon 450s, Lagoon 52 and Fountaine Pajot Saba 50. The company also offers fully crewed charters.

While the USVI has typically served as a jumping-off point for the nearby British Virgin Islands, it is an accessible, stunning destination with beautiful beaches along the north shore of St. John in the Virgin Islands National Park.

St. Thomas is the 13th Caribbean base for Dream, which has 50 locations worldwide and a fleet of more than 1,200 boats. For details, contact the companies (virginislandsyachtcharters.com; dreamyachtcharter.com).

Incentives from Horizon

Horizon Yacht Charters, with bases in the British Virgin Islands, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, extends incentives to vacationing sailors through fall 2020.

Discounts on charters booked in Grenada and in St. Vincent and the Grenadines through October 31, 2020, include free nights: Book 10 nights for the low-season seven-night rate, or enjoy 14 nights for the low-season 10-night rate on any available bareboat monohull or sailing cat from 36 feet to 57 feet.

In the BVI, the sailing season is expected to resume November 1, 2020. To ­compensate for travel ­uncertainties and pandemic-­related restrictions, Horizon has waived its standard 50 percent deposit requirement.

Instead, it’s offering a nonrefundable $200 deposit to secure the yacht of choice for charters starting November 2, 2020, through 2021 (this offer expires when travel normalizes). The full charter deposit or balance becomes due once there is more certainty about world events and airline services.

Offering bareboat and crewed charters on a fleet of monohulls and catamarans, Horizon has new 2020 models of the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349, 410 and 490; Nautitech Open 40s and Fly 46; and Lagoon 42 and 46. The company also has a 2021 Fountaine Pajot Astrea 42 and Elba 45 on order and slated for delivery at the end of this year. For details, contact the company.

Florida Discounts, Partnership

Celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2020, Southwest Florida Yachts is offering a 15 percent discount off sail and power charters in September and 10 percent off in October. Cruising grounds include the barrier islands of Sanibel, Captiva, Cayo Costa and Gasparilla.

In other company news, SWFY has entered into a partnership with Curtis Stokes & Associates to offer yacht sales, charter, training and management. Barb Hansen, SWFY owner, will join the Stokes brokerage team and continue to manage and operate SWFY charter, training and management companies. For details, contact the companies (swfyachts.com; curtisstokes.net).

Pacific Northwest Incentive

If being able to drive to a charter destination is a priority, check out this offer from Anacortes Yacht Charters: Sail nine nights for the price of six for trips starting from September 19, 2020, through May 31, 2021. The offer applies fleetwide to new bookings. Restrictions apply. Contact the company for details.

The post August 2020 Chartering Update appeared first on Cruising World.

Horizon Yacht Charters has three Caribbean bases—the British Virgin Islands, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines—and is preparing to welcome guests back aboard the company’s yachts in keeping with the COVID-19 protocols established by their respective authorities.

For Grenada base and St Vincent and the Grenadines, charter vacations will restart in the Summer with special offers that are valid on new charters through October 31, 2020. Book 10 nights for the low season 7-night rate, or stay a bit longer and enjoy 14 nights for the low season 10-night rate on any available boat in their fleets of bareboat monohulls and cats ranging from 36 feet – 57 feet.

In the BVI, international travel restrictions are expected to be eased in September and Horizon Yacht Charters plans to start its new sailing season on November 1, 2020. To address the vagaries of current travel restrictions and flight availability, Horizon is waiving its standard 50% deposit requirement and offering a non-refundable $200 deposit to secure the yacht of choice for charters starting November 2, 2020 through 2021 (this will be a limited offer when travel reverts to normal). The full charter deposit or balance becomes due once there is more certainty on world events and airline services.

“We’ve set out a framework that puts health and safety at the forefront—both for our guests and our team. The captain will receive a one-to-one boat and chart briefing under strict observation of the COVID-19 health and safety protocols before being cleared to set sail around the islands. Sanitized watersports toys such as kayaks and SUP boards are available from Horizon and snorkel and dive gear can be rented on site. Provisioning can be arranged ahead of arrival to avoid a visit to the supermarket. After 26 years of living and sailing in the BVI, we know these waters inside out and are willing to share our secret spots for tailored itineraries for the best snorkeling sites and aquatic adventures, and self-guided hiking tours around the islands. We love making the most of what is available to us and we know that we can give our guests a special experience that’s safe, fun and memorable,” said Andrew Thompson, Director at Horizon.

The BVI base offers bareboat and crewed charters on a fleet of monohulls and catamarans ranging from 32 feet to 51 feet, Horizon has brand new 2020 models of Jeanneau SOs 349, 410 and 490 and Nautitech Open 40s, Fly 46, Lagoon 42 and 46. The company also has a 2021 FP Astrea 42 and Elba 45 on order and slated for delivery at the end of this year.

The BVI is one of the Caribbean islands which responded swiftly to the COVID-19 pandemic with full border shut down and a 3-week, 24/7 lockdown and gradual introduction of a reduced curfew and reopening of businesses according to essentiality. To date (May 26, 2020), the territory has had 8 confirmed cases, 7 full recoveries, 1 death and NO active cases. The borders will reopen on June 2 for the return of nationals and residents only (with quarantine), and a projected opening date of September 1 for visitors and tourists.

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Until you actually visit the place, it’s hard to fathom the destruction and havoc wreaked by the terrible tandem of hurricanes Irma and Maria, which plowed through the British Virgin Islands and other Caribbean countries in September 2017. Remarkably, the islands and many of the restaurants and watering holes that make the BVI such an alluring and cherished destination are coming back strong. So too are the charter companies themselves, many of which suffered devastating losses during the storms, and which serve as the gateway to the islands for so many visiting sailors each year. Everyone who weathered the historic tempests has a story to tell, and that goes for the charter operators themselves. What they experienced and how they’ve reacted is nothing less than amazing, which I discovered on a tour of several bases during my own recent trip to the BVI. Nanny Cay serves as the headquarters for several charter firms, and my first glimpse just about made me gasp. Sunken and wrecked boats dominated the seascape, and during my visit in early December, three full months after the hurricanes, it was hard to imagine what the scene looked like in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.  

Amazingly, in the middle of it all, with the usual smile on his face, was Andrew Thompson of Horizon Yacht Charters. “We’ve got our first charter coming up this weekend,” he said cheerily. “We’re getting there.”

Which was crazy, considering what they’d been through.

Thompson said Horizon had lost 43 yachts and three chase boats in the storms, with another 20 boats suffering damage. Many of those were undergoing repairs. Of the monohulls that survived, all but one had been dismasted. “At the moment, we’re basically a boatbuilding facility,” he said as he took me on a tour of the adjacent boatyard. To that end, he’d ordered 21/2 tons of resin and fiberglass, and another half a ton of gelcoat. But another round of new boats — Bavarias, Nautitechs and Fountaine Pajots — was also on order.

Down the road at Conch Charters, Peter Twist explained that the ­company had been in business for 30 years and had never seen anything like Irma and Maria. Conch lost about 40 boats to the hurricanes, and several more had dropped their rigs. But they too were slowly rebuilding, and had several charter bookings for later that month. Twist had recently been cruising in the islands and said there was a silver lining to the dark cloud of the storms. “The good news is that if you charter now, you’re virtually on your own. Everything is pristine. I think people are coming back.”

In Road Town’s harbor, we stopped to chat with Mark Sanders of Tortola Marine Management, who said the carnage after the storms was arresting. “Your eyes just can’t process it,” he said.

Sanders explained that much of the damage in Road Town had been incurred when a trio of ferries broke free of their moorings and crashed through the marina. TMM suffered a “good hit,” he said, and had lost about 11 boats. Because there were only so many resources on Tortola, where some of the damaged boats were being fixed, others were being shipped to Florida and South Carolina for repairs. But like so many other companies, TMM also had 16 new boats on order, all catamarans from Lagoon and Fountaine Pajot. The hurricanes had certainly been hard on the BVI, but they seemed to be creating a windfall for almost all of the French boatbuilders.

We didn’t have time to call on every charter operation, of course, but reports from the islands confirmed that most operators had weathered the storms and were regrouping and getting back to business. Dream Yacht Charters, for instance, had 70 boats in St. Martin and the BVI, and estimated that 60 percent of them were total losses. But they had also purchased 20 replacement boats and were back in business. The docks of the Catamaran Company, located on Hodges Creek on Tortola’s East End, remained relatively intact, as did much of its fleet.

Conch’s Twist has the final say here, and his words sum up the sentiment of everyone in the charter business in the BVI. “There’s one thing everyone can do to help us return to normal,” he said. “Charter a boat and come on down.”

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The Bavaria Open 40 catamaran, which Horizon Yacht Charters brought to the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, in October 2015, is available for charter in the British Virgin Islands, and for purchase and management at the company’s bases throughout the United States and the Caribbean.

The cat made its North American debut at Strictly Sail Miami in February 2015, and is built by Nautitech, which Bavaria Yachts purchased in 2014. The boat is designed by naval architect Marc Lombard.

In other news from Horizon, the company has created adventure, family and wellness itineraries for charterers at its Antigua base in the Caribbean.

For details about the Open 40 and itineraries, contact the company at horizonyachtcharters.com.

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The Horizon Yacht Charters base at Blue Lagoon Marina, on the southern tip of the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, has expanded its fleet.

More catamarans and monohulls means more charterers can cruise to some well-known events in January 2016 throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines, including the Bequia Mount Gay Music Fest from Thursday, Jan. 21 to Saturday, Jan. 24, and the Mustique Blues Festival in Bequia on Friday, Jan. 22.

For details, contact Horizon and Bequia Tourism at horizonyachtcharters.com; bequiatourism.com/bequiamusicfest.

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Horizon Yacht Charters in the British Virgin Islands has added a new Jeanneau 57 and a Fountaine Pajot Heliá 44 to its fleet. The Jeanneau is available for bareboat or crewed charter. Other additions include a 2009 Beneteau 43 and a 2008 Beneteau 51.5.

BVI Yacht Charters has added a new new Jeanneau 509, a Beneteau Oceanis 55 and a Dufour 38.

The post Fleet Expansions in the BVI appeared first on Cruising World.

Horizon Yacht Charters

Sailing for Fun is a new style of trip offered by Horizon Yacht Charters in Antigua, with the goal of getting newbies aboard 40-foot skippered Bavarias.
Opportunities for swimming, snorkeling, and beach-time are budgeted in to the four-day itineraries. The trips cost $630 per person based on four clients sharing two cabins. Price excludes provisions and fuel. Dining is a mix of onboard cooking and meals ashore.

“We’ve developed this package for people who are already vacationing here and are tempted to try sailing for the first time,” says Jackie Ashford, director of the company’s Antigua base. “This gives them a fun experience with complete flexibility built in. The first anchorage is less than five minutes from the base, and the sunsets are pretty spectacular.”

Learning is informal; captains are certified instructors who teach the curriculum of the American Sailing Association.

“The premise behind the package is to inspire people to get sailing, to do something that perhaps they’ve never done before but were always curious about, and to have fun while learning and absorbing life aboard,” Ashford says.

The charters can start on any day of the week, and must run at least three nights. Guests board the boat at the Horizon Yacht Charters base at Jolly Harbour, on the west coast of the island. For details contact the company at info@antiguahorizon.com.

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Charter Notes March 2012

Eager to weigh in on your recent bareboat- or crewed-charter experience and the service you received? Want to rate everything from the navigation instruments to the linens aboard? Itchy to spread the word to fellow vacation sailors as they choose a boat, a base, and a destination?

Now’s your chance. Go online and answer a few confidential questions from Cruising World and our sister publication, Sailing World, then see the results about worldwide fleets, companies, and brokers that will help you make the best choice the next time you take a bareboat or crewed charter. Survey results will be published in CW‘s annual August 2012 special chartering issue and posted on _CW’_s website. Click here to take the poll.

Black Boaters Summit Holds 15th Flotilla
Longtime event organizer Paul Mixon offers crewed and bareboat catamarans and monohulls for the Last Black Boaters Summit from July 19 to 29, 2012, in the British Virgin Islands.

The trip attracts singles, non-sailors, and the young and elderly, offering an itinerary through the territory’s islands and a variety of activities in the water and on land. For details, log on to the Summit website.

Charter Company Takes Soldiers Sailing
Horizon Yacht Charters in the British Virgin Islands took a group of British soldiers sailing in December 2011. The soldiers (pictured at left), from the Household Cavalry Regiment, the oldest and most senior regiment in the British Army, were seriously wounded in action in Afghanistan and are rehabilitating from their injuries.

The groups Help for Heroes and the Household Cavalry Operational Casualties Fund helped make the trip possible. The guest crew, some of whom had never sailed before, were accompanied by a regiment medical officer. To learn more, contact Horizon.

Kids Go Free with Cat Crew
The 58-foot South African cat Nexus will take up to four children under the age of 10 sailing for free in the British Virgin Islands in the winter of 2012. The boat can carry up to seven guests (eight in a family) in four cabins. Captain Sheldon Lindsay and chef Vanessa Bush are crew. For more details, contact a charter-vacation broker or consult the cruisingworld.com charter directory.

SUP Racing Is Part of HIHO Lineup
The Highland Spring HIHO 2012 runs July 1 to 8, 2012. The event in the British Virgin Islands includes races for standup paddleboarders and windsurfers and sailing aboard a fleet of captained Moorings catamarans. Activities suitable for the entire family include a limbo contest, a 1970s dance-music party, a pirate party, lunches, and dinners. For details about cost, the pre-flotilla SUP race, and SUP rental and shipping, log on to the HIHO website.

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