America's Cup - The culmination of more than 35,000 man hours and a tremendous amount of hard work on the part of the entire team came to fruition today when Artemis Racing sailed with the team’s first AC72 wing.

While the Defender and other Challengers for the 34th America’s Cup have chosen to train and test elements for the AC72 catamarans using smaller boats, specifically AC45 and SL33 catamarans, Artemis Racing opted to build a full size wing from the outset.

'We chose the full scale strategy. Our decision was more time consuming, but it allows us to learn how to handle this powerful wing. Before performance, there is the safety of our team. San Francisco Bay in July and August is an unforgiving place' said CEO Paul Cayard.

Towering more than 13 stories high, the AC72 wing is a pure work of art. The 40 metre high structure, predominantly built of carbon fibre, measures 260 square meters yet weighs just over one tonne.

'It was a team effort. It was amazing to see the wing out on the water. It looks great, but at the same time threatening. We will be going through a series of structural tests in the next few days,' said Principal Designer Juan Kouyoumdjian.

This is Artemis Racing’s first entry to the America’s Cup.

The America's Cup is the Super Bowl of yacht racing -- but it's certainly not the Super Bowl of television rights fees.

Networks fork over billions for the privilege of airing pro sports like football and their lucrative postseason championships. Yet, tucked away in today's AP story about NBC obtaining the rights to broadcast the forthcoming America's Cup was this interesting line:

NBC Sports Group is not paying a rights fee. ... America's Cup officials will acquire air time and offer commercial time first to their own sponsors.

Stephen Barclay, the chief operating officer of the America's Cup Event Authority, tells SF Weekly this was no misprint. Not only is NBC getting the rights to the Cup for free, race organizers must buy airtime.

What's more, Barclay continues, Cup organizers are investing far more than ever before in making yachting a television-friendly sport. As the equation stands, the Cup stands to lose a boatload of money in the short-term.

Yet that was the plan, Barclay says.

Abyss Boards the newest tow-able water sport allows you to "fly" underwater.

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Abyss Boards has just debuted a boat towable board that allows it's rider to dive and cruise underwater. The Abyss Board performs tricks and maneuvers while exploring beneath the surface. Wakeboarding, waterskiing and other towable water sports are limited to the surface. The Abyss Boards makes the first board that can be ridden both above, and below the wake. “It combines fighter jet maneuvers with underwater exploration, there’s really nothing like it,” said Eric Healy, aeronautical engineer and Abyss Board inventor. “Cruising on the Abyss Board allows you to explore underwater landscapes and see marine life in a new way”.


The Abyss Board is about the size of a boogie and towed slowly behind a boat, this simple device lets you steer yourself around under the water. With separate control of right and left side wings, you can dive; rise, bank, and barrel roll your way through the water. You can use it with a snorkel, or just keep popping up to the surface to get a breath. The feeling is described by the manufacturer as something like personal flight. The front of the board deflects water around the rider’s shoulders and arms to decrease water resistance. The board’s design makes it safe and easy to use. When the rider lets go or if the boat stops it floats back to the surface. Since it is designed to be used with a life jacket, the rider floats back up as well. A snorkel is used to take breathes in between dives.

Jules Verne Trophy: Banque Populaire knocks over three days off record

The 147’ Maxi Trimaran Banque Populaire is attempting to set a new around the world non-stop sailing record for which the holder is awarded the prestigious Jules Verne Trophy.   Less than a week after crossing the Cape of Good Hope and their entry into the Indian Ocean, the crew of the Maxi Banque Populaire V have crossed the Cape Leewin at 9:29am on Saturday 10th October, getting once again a new reference time between these two Capes

143' Van Mill STARSHIP Sleeps 11 guests in 5 staterooms

143' Van Mill STARSHIP Sleeps 11 guests in 5 staterooms

Yacht Starship offers you the ultimate experience in luxury and style while enjoying a crewed motor yacht charter. Luxury Motor Yacht Starship is an amazing and classic super yacht with vast areas for either entertainment or relaxation in total luxury. The yacht starship offers three casual dining areas, one formal dining area and a full bar with a full line of tropical drinks, so luxury motor yacht Starship is an ideal charter boat for entertaining or romance. You can enjoy the superior views from the sun deck whilst relaxing on the sun pads or while enjoying the Jacuzzi. M/Y Starship offers many features including...

I've just finished attending several boat shows featuring most of the yachts in the Caribbean charter yacht fleet. These shows are an exclusive venue for charter yacht broker's to inspect the yachts and interview the crews.  The BVI Yachts Society' show was by far the largest of the shows with over 70 boats in attendance. Best in show went to the catamaran Avalon, a Lagoon 62 that entered the fleet midseason this year and was featured in our March Newsletter. Also featured in one of our recent newsletters,  the 62' Catsy took the honors for best Catamaran over 50'.
I wish I could pick sports winners as well as I do yachts as we have featured all four  category winners in newsletters over the last year.

San Diego saved the best for last, testing the international America’s Cup World Series fleet with the strongest winds of the week, with gusts approaching 20 knots on Sunday afternoon, making for great racing conditions. The teams didn’t disappoint the fans gathered on Broadway and Navy Piers – the race was full of intrigue, with plenty of lead changes on the race course, and lots of near misses and thrills and spills from start to finish.

SAN DIEGO — Famed hardwood courts from Madison Square Garden to the United Center and the Staples Center may be empty so far this season due to the National Basketball Association (NBA) players' strike but college basketball jumps off to a great start today with #1-ranked University of North Carolina Tarheels playing the unranked Michigan State Spartans in the first ever Quicken Loans Carrier Classic — on the deck of the USS aircraft carrier Carl Vinson in honor of Veteran’s Day.

The USS Carl Vinson, which buried 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden at sea last May, underwent a complete overhaul (see the above video) over the last nine days as its flight deck was transformed into a basketball arena complete with a hardwood court made of maple, plywood and pine, as well as seating for approximately 7,000 spectators.

President Barack Obama is expected to be in attendance along with basketball greats Earvin "Magic" Johnson, who attended Michigan State University and James Worthy who attended the University of North Carolina. Johnson and Worthy will act as honorary team captains.

ESPN will carry the event live at 4 p.m. Pacific time. In case of inclement weather a duplicate hardwood basketball court and bleacher seating for approximately 2,000 was erected in the ship's hanger bay.

BVI Kite Jam 2012

The third annual BVI Kite Jam 2012 is scheduled this coming February 25 - March 3, 2012.     
The event will take place in and around North Sound Virgin Gorda, BVIs and  will include a leg to Anegada!   
 Sir Richard Branson, an avid kite boarder himself, is hosting this weeklong event, along with the BVI Tourist Board. It is open to professionals and amateurs alike.                                                     
Kite Surfing is a water sport in which the rider is pulled through the waves on a surf board while being propelled by a large controllable kite.  The British Virgin Islands are a great destination to engage in this sport.  Steady trade winds, warm sunny weather and great beaches equal a dream vacation.   
Sir Richard Bronson, who resided on his own island in the BVI until his house burned down earlier this year has been a great supporter  and sponsor of this extreme sport. Often while sailing by Necker Island, several kites can be seen around Eustatia Sound. Sir Richard as been quoted as saying, “Kite Surfing is one of my favorite sports”

TAKAPUNA

Offering new rate options . . . 

 

Christmas 2011 and New Year’s 2012 in the Virgin Islands

2/$55,000  3-4/$57,000  5-6/$59,000   7-8/$62,000

These holiday rates are ALL-INCLUSIVE

7 night minimum and valid in the USVI and BVI only

 

Christmas 2011 and New Year’s 2012 Down Island

1-8 guests $49,000 plus all expenses

7 night minimum, please inquire for possible repositioning fee

 

ALL-INCLUSIVE rates for the USVI and BVI

2 @ $45,000   3-4 @ $47,000   5-6 @ $49,000   7-8 @ $52,000

These 7 night rates are valid in the USVI and BVI

Not valid for Christmas or New Year’s

Minimum charter of 3 nights

 

$39,900 PLUS ALL EXPENSE OPTION

1-8 @ $39,900 for 7 nights plus all expenses

Not Valid for Christmas or New Year’s

Valid for down island charters, repositioning fee may apply, minimum 7 nights

Valid in the BVI & USVI with minimum 3 nights

 

Link to eBrochure 

Virgin Islands Sailing

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Having completed his mission to make the world’s biggest Fire Ball sculpture, local artist, Aragorn Dick-Read recently returned from a 7-week stint in China.
Mr. Dick-Read successfully completed his goal to build the world’s biggest Fire Ball sculpture as part of the 12th Annual China Changchun International Sculpture Symposium.
Fire Balls have become Dick-Read’s signature works of art and have found their greatest acclaim as the focal attraction at the Fire Ball Full Moon parties held every month in Trellis Bay, Beef Island. Thousands of visitors to the BVI have enjoyed the entrancing spectacle of the Fire Balls set ablaze on water, and many collectors from throughout the world have commissioned Dick-Read to make Fire Balls for their private collections.

Surfbird is a 2006 build that was refit in 2011. The owner just redid the interior in eco-friendly eucalyptus, which looks pretty darn magnificent in the photographs thanks to the interior's 8-foot-high ceilings. The cabin arrangements look ideal to me for three couples with a gaggle of kids. One cabin has a king-size bed, two of the cabins have queen-size beds, and the fourth cabin has a queen-size bed with a bunk-style Pullman berth above it, plus another single bed on the opposite side of the room.

SAYANG is offering 10% off any charter booked to take place in November or December 2011.
This offer excludes Christmas, New Year’s and the Romantic Getaway for Two.
Take 10% off ALL INCLUSIVE rates of:
2/$8,900 3/$9,700 4/$10,500 5/$11,500 6/$12,500
Take 10% off HALF-BOARD rates of:
2/$8,400 3/$8,950 4/$9,500 5/$10,250 6/$11,000
Half-board rate includes: 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, bar and soft drinks. Dinners ashore at guest expense.

  Where are you most dying to go before you, er....die? Author Dave Freeman, in his best-selling 1999 book, "100 Things to Do Before you Die," composed a list that combined exotic, gorgeous destinations with rich, surprising cultural experiences. We thought now might be a good time to update his list.

We'd have asked Freeman for his own ideas, but he died in 2008, having done about 50 of his own 100 things, according to his aunt, interviewed by the L.A. Times. The lesson seems obvious: Gather ye rosebuds while ye may. The following experts recommend their own favorite destinations and experiences.

Karen Schaler, editor of TravelTherapyTrips.com and author of "Travel Therapy: Where Do You Need to Go?"

Sailing in the British Virgin Islands. Here are crystal-clear waters and talcum-powder soft sands white as sugar. "Chartering your own sailboat and stopping by Peter Island, Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke islands [is] a glorious experience." And don't forget, she says, to try one of the Islands' famous "pain killer" cocktails. They're made with three kinds of rum, fruit juice and nutmeg.

Grape Harvest, Bordeaux, France. Taking part in the harvest -- "getting your hands dirty" by picking and sorting grapes is a hands-on experience unlike any other, says Schaler. "The harvest is only about two weeks long, and no one knows exactly when it will be." That lends an element of drama to your quest. "It's not the kind of thing you can plan for a year in advance," she says. "It depends on temperature and grape yield." The fact that the harvest's timing is only by "the luck of the draw," she thinks, only adds to picking's appeal.

Skiing in Zermatt, Switzerland. "Skiing in the shadow of the Matterhorn," Schaler calls incomparably romantic. That, and "sipping Swiss wine in ski chalets," she says, combine to make "one of my top ski experiences in the world." Not only is Zermatt "one of the most beautiful villages in the alps," it's quaint, owing to the fact that it prohibits cars. So, you may break your leg; but it won't be because you were hit by a Ford Taurus.
PHOTO: Tourists bathing in Deception Island, Antarctica.
Geoff Renner /Getty Images
Tourists bathing in Deception Island,... View Full Size
Lady Robs Bank as Part of 'Bucket List' Watch Video
Most Beautiful Places: Point Reyes, Sleeping Bear Dunes Watch Video
Fighting Foreclosure Watch Video


Heather Mikesell, executive editor at American Spa Magazine, says the following are on her short-list of the world's essential soaks.

Chiva-Som Spa, Thailand. Mikesell calls this "a transformational place" where a pilgrim's full range of needs--cosmetic, nutritional and spiritual--are all addressed. "It treats your whole mind, body and spirit," she says. "You can totally transform your life, if you're seeking to make a lifestyle change. They help you work on everything under the sun." Want your energy read? They can read it. You might want to have your chakras lengthened before you go, just to give the staff more challenge. A small but nice touch: a basket of exotic fruits is delivered fresh daily to your doorstep, brimming, she says, with "dragon fruit, crazy Asian fruits."

Deception Island Hot Springs, Antarctica. Deception Island, in the Antarctic Peninsula, has natural springs that offer bathers an other worldly experience: Amidst the ice and snow, in a setting where you can watch 'bergs sailing past, you can immerse yourself in waters delightfully warm. One minute you're shivering in your polar fleece, the next you're swimming in what might as well be bath water.

Here's a great opportunity for those of you that would like to and enjoy all of the amenities of a  private charter yacht vacation but don't have enough guests in your party to charter the entire  yacht.
A good friend of mine has several time share weeks that he would like to sell on a per cabin basis on any of the yachts belonging to the Tradewinds Cruising Club, He is interested in selling them at a considerable discount. Tradewinds is one of the only companies that I know of that sells charters on upscale yachts on a per cabin basis. They have  charter facilities throughout the world. You can take your choice of destinations including the  BVIs, Antigua, Grenadines, Greece, Turkey, Panama, Belize, Fiji, and St Martin.  If you're interested in this opportunity please let me know what destinations you are interested in and the time frame and I'll check and see what dates and accommodations are still available and what the discounted rate is. He has 5 cabin weeks that he wants to sell so you could have more than one cabin if your group was more than a single cabin.This is a very reputable company and has one of the largest privately  owned  charter fleets in the world. You can view their introductory video here.   

I've always felt that a sailing yacht vacation is the ultimate way to relax and enjoy the British Virgin Islands however, if you have the inclination to spend some time ashore I have a great recommendation. I just had the opportunity to visit and inspect  the villas at Villa Aquamare this week. I can't think of a better choice than one of these beachfront villas for a shore-side getaway .  These three villas situated on the west shore of Virgin Gorda offer  beautifully maintained  architecture and landscaping, and  accommodations with all the amenities for up to thirty six guests .

Click Image For Photo Gallery

These spacious  villas provides eight thousand square feet of air conditioned luxury. The villas feature thirty foot vaulted ceilings, Travertine marble , rich hardwoods, natural local stonework, private waterfront  pools, gourmet kitchens, and inside and outside dining areas. Each of Aquamare's suites have open, yet completely sheltered marble bath areas with separate outdoor shower rooms. With three master suites, one double room and one studio, each villa accommodates up to 12 guests. All five bedrooms feature comfortable spacious areas and ample balconies with spectacular views of the in Drake Channel Islets and some of the most breathtaking sunsets in the Caribbean. You have the option of renting one villa  or If  you are looking to accommodate a large group you may rent two or three.  The three villas can accommodate up to36 people in one private enclave. There is reduced pricing available if you don't require the use of all the bedrooms in the individual villas.

Aquamare's private Beach Park is the ideal setting for destination weddings and small meetings and the combined villas are perfect for corporate retreats.

 

After spending an activities filled week sailing throughout the Virgin Islands an additional week at the Villa  Aquamere would give you the opportunity to totally relax and be laid-back before heading home.  

Catering

With some of the best private chefs in the Caribbean on the Island, we can pre-arrange part time or full time catering or you can cook for yourself. In some cases it might also be possible to have one of our former chefs available on site for you. All the suites and galleys include all the amenities that you would expect from a five star facility.  

Click Image For Villa Rental Rates

 Spa Services

On site spa treatments are also available in the comfort of your villa, on your balcony, or water's edge. Treatments include deep tissue or hot stone massages, as well as detox body wraps.  

 

Just wanted you to know I really checked the Villas Out

Tropical Depression 14 was named Tropical Storm Maria late this morning, as well. The storm is still pretty far east in the Atlantic, 1,200 miles east of the Leeward Islands, but is moving quickly to the west at 23 mph. According to the National Hurricane Center, Maria looks well-organized on satellite, "but not really." If you look closely at satellite loops (especially the loops that you can catch before the sun sets in that area), you'll see the surface circulation is located to the west of the strongest thunderstorm activity.


Well-organized tropical cyclones will be vertically stacked in the atmosphere, with the strongest thunderstorms directly on top of the surface circulation. Maria's disjointed-ness is likely due to a pretty strong clip of wind shear (30 knots worth) in the area. This would usually be deadly for a tropical cyclone of Maria's strength, but since the storm is moving so quickly to the west, the Hurricane Center is forecasting the storm to remain somewhat intact for the next 5 days, although the forecast is for no intensification. Models are coming into better agreement on the track of this system.

Sauter Carbon Offset Design presents the DynaWing AC72, the 34th America’s Cup Challenger that could prove to be faster and certainly less prone to capsize than the Oracle 22 meter Racing Cat with a 40 meter Wingsail.

The National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands earlier today informed that the Wreck of the RMS Rhone Marine Park has been re-opened.

The British Virgin Islands’ only Marine Park has been closed until further notice after a cargo ship ‘Tropic Sun’ ran aground in the vicinity.

The incident occurred sometime around 10:00pm on Sunday evening where the 350 foot container vessel ran aground.

Speaking with this Publication the Managing Director of Island Shipping and Trading, Mr. Chris Haycraft, the agent of Tropical Shipping assured that the Marine Park landmark namely the Wreck of Rhone has not been damaged.

The modern double skin vessel has suffered significant damage to the Hull but Mr. Haycraft says that given the design of the ship there is no leakage of lubricants or any harmful agents to the area.

The Director of the BVI National Parks Trust, Mr. Joseph Smith Abbott, has advised the public that the Wreck of the Rhone National Park will be closed until further notice confirming also that the cargo vessel has run aground the waters comprising the marine national park.

He stated that the closure was decided upon to ensure the safety of all park users and in the mean time mariners are asked to exercise caution whilst sailing in the area.

Mr. Haycraft told the VI Standpoint that it is currently unclear what caused the incident and an investigation has been launched.

He said too that while there were two specialists already onboard assisting with the situation a professional salvage team is being flown in and should be on deck by this afternoon.

He said that when the team arrives they will be charting a way forward on how to best remove the vessel.

According to Mr. Haycraft the shipping company is working in tandem with all of the relevant agencies including the Shipping Registry, Disaster Management and Port Authorities among others.

Once all goes well the vessel is expected to be removed from the area within a matter of days with no damage to the historic site.

The effected closure of the Wreck of Rhone has been described as a precautionary measure.

The Wreck of the Rhone located Off Salt Island is the first and only Marine National Park in the British Virgin Islands.

It is the most celebrated diving site in the BVI, and a major recreational attraction. The park includes examples of fringing reef habitat and sea grass beds. The wreck is that of a Royal Mail Steamer, a British packet ship which sunk during the hurricane of 1867 with 125 people on board.

Hurricane season is half over, so far so good however there is a system developing in the Atlantic that could give us some problems this weekend.

Irene gave us a bit of a scare and a lot of rain, but nothing compared to what it unleashed on the East Coast last week.

 

Last week I had an inquiry for a ten guest yacht for the New Year's week and was surprised that there just weren't any boats still available that fit the client's requirements. Luckily they were flexible on dates and we were able to arrange a Christmas week charter instead. The New Year's week has always been the most popular week for sailing vacations in the Caribbean with Christmas week runs a close second. Though the selection of yachts available for New Year's is very limited, there are still quite a few great boats available for this year's Christmas week. If you're considering a charter anytime in the near future now is the time to start planning as the popular boats are still very busy.

I'll be attending four charter yacht shows stateside and in the Caribbean during the months of October, November and December. These trade only shows give us the opportunity to inspect the boats and interview the crew's that will be promoting in the future. I'll be updating you on the "Best in Show" yachts after each show.

 

.Here is a sampling of the yachts still available for this year's Christmas week. ___________________________________________________ 

   

LADY JOY 157 Feet 

Accommodate 12 guests in 6 cabins. 

$ 250,000  Week + All Expenses

Minimum. 10 Days  for Christmas week.

Brochure  

Lady Joy was launched in 2007. Built by Christensen Yachts she is the epitome of refined elegance and five star luxury. M/Y Lady Joy features state of the art and modern touches including an elevator service to all of her decks. Lady Joy offers three large decks as well as six staterooms with en-suite bathrooms. She has numerous areas throughout the vessel to entertain, dine and relax while her professional and friendly staff takes care of your every whim. I had the personal tour a year back as one of my former crew was the captain at the time. 

   

WHISPER 116 Feet.

Sleeps 6 Guests 1 Queen

 1 Duble 

 2 Twins

 $75,000 For 6 Guests + All  Expenses

 Brochure 

 

Sailing yacht WHISPER is a fantastic 116' sloop  launched in 2003.by Dutch builders Holland Jachtbaow. WHISPER is truly a superb sailing super yacht. She offers a lovely wooden interior of the highest possible build quality and design along with powerful sailing capabilities. She has excellent views from her well designed raised pilot house/bar area. Her generous cockpit, which can seat up to 10 guests, is another well designed space for dining with its bimini sun shade. There is also a full width salon with dining area.  

S/Y WHISPER provides accommodation for up to 6 lucky charter guests in three large and well equipped en-suite cabins. Her full beam master has a centerline Queen bed and a steam shower in the en-suite. The guest cabin has a double bed, also with unsuited facilities. The guest with twin beds also offers en-suite with shower.

 

 

ANDROMEDA LA DEA 154 Feet  

 

 

Accommodates 8 Guests

1 King .

 2 Queens

 2Twins

$150,000 Week 8 Guests +All expenses

 

Brochure

ANDROMEDA LA DEA is a modern day legend in the sailing world and the first Perini to circumnavigate the globe and visit both the Arctic and the Antarctic. This 154 foot ketch is ideal for clients who demand all the trappings of a luxurious cruise but are not willing to sacrifice performance. ANDROMEDA LA DEA features interiors of uncompromising elegance, style and pedigree. The main salon features a fire place and 50inch plasma screen, full cinema surround sound system. Forward is the formal dining area seating eight and adjacent mahogany wet bar with barstools.

 

This award winning charter yacht has spacious accommodation for nine guests. The full width master stateroom has a king bed, his and hers facilities, a walk in closet, plasma screen tv, and a private study and exquisite linens and amenities.

 

 

 Felicia 65 Feet

Accommodates 8 guests in 4 cabins. 

1 King.

3 Queen .

 $28,000  Week 8 Guest All Inclusive

Brochure

Felicia's elegance sets her apart from most other catamarans available for charter. A 65ft long catamaran, she is incredibly spacious and she has been constructed and maintained to extremely high standards.

Not only does she provide an ideal environment for groups of up to 8 adults but she is equally well suited to a large family vacation of up to 10 people or two families who wish to relax together.

Her guest accommodation comprises 4 double cabins and one small twin cabin, each with their own en-suite facilities, a huge saloon which includes a bar, indoor dining table and a writing & games desk. The cabins and saloon are all air-conditioned and both master cabin and saloon benefit from TVs with video and DVD players for which a substantial library of films is available on board. The crew's quarters are accessed completely independently.

 

FANTASY ISLAND 58 Feet  

Accomodates 8 Guests in 4 Cabins

4 Queens  

$27,025.00  Week 8 Guests All inclusive

 Brochure 

Modern lines add a feeling of spaciousness everywhere. The entire yacht is air-conditioned and there is a new tender for water-skiing and wakeboarding. FANTASY ISLAND has wifi access onboard as well as laptops available for passengers use. There are also Ipod connections available. 

Diving included for certified divers.

 

JET STREAM 45 Feet.

Accommodates 6 guests in 3 cabins  

3 Queens

 $24,850.00 Week 6 Guests All Inclusive 

 Brochure  

JET STREAM is a Leopard 45, a former Cruising World Boat-of-the-Year. This luxury sailing catamaran sails like a dream. She features three  queen-sized guest cabins with en suite heads and showers. JET STREAM is air conditioned throughout. For the guests' enjoyment, JET STREAM has stereo, CD, DVD and tape players, and TV, with libraries of titles for each. For the musically inclined onboard, there are piano, guitar and drums. 

 

SCORPIO 52 Feet

Accomodates 3 guests 

 $7,040.00  Week 3 Guest All incluusive  

1 Double  

1 Single

 Brochure  

There is a shortage of small yachts for two guests at a reasonable price that offers SCUBA. Scorpio not only offers diving, but the crew enjoy diving and they have an onboard compressor along with SCUBA gear and Richard is a PADI Dive Master. The yacht has all the amenities you could ask for in a smaller yacht including air conditioning. I had a father and his two children on board for a charter last April and they gave Scorpio rave reviews. 

DREAMING ON Dreaming On - 10% off published 7 day rates until August 2011 Expires: 01/Aug/2011

OTEKA SUMMER 2011 BONUS Oteka offers a 20% commission for all bookings occurring in June and July, 2011 Expires: 31/Jul/2011

PENTESILEA II HALF-BOARD CHARTERS Includes all breakfasts, 4 Lunches and 3 dinners aboard (Meals not included to be take ashore at guests expense) Save off the Regular Full-Board Rates 8 guests - Save $1200 6 guests - Save $900 4 guests - Save $600 _____ Children 15 and under - plus $375 each Expires: 31/Jul/2012

_______________________________   Expires: 28/Jan/2012

SOUL'S CALLING Take 10% off the listed rates for charters occurring in June, July, and August, 2011, aboard Souls Calling. Expires: 31/Aug/2011

YES DEAR 10% discount on all charters up to & incuding 8-pax occurring prior to 1 August 2011 (does not apply to charters outside the BVI). Expires: 31/Jul/2011

The Clampetts are here, Your Majesty…

It turns out when Kate Middleton marries Britain’s Prince William in a couple of weeks, her family is going to stay someplace called the Goring Hotel while they are in London. It may be part of the Econo Lodge chain, but I could be wrong.

These photos above and below show where William’s family lives, and on the right you can see the itty-bitty place where the Middletons will be.

According to some quick online research, Buckingham Palace has 52 bedrooms and 78 bathrooms. They can’t spare a couple of rooms for the future in-laws?

How do you suppose Queen Elizabeth even broke that kind of news to Kate’s folks?

* * * * * * * * * *

Dear Commoners, allow me to say how happy I am that my grandson is marrying your charming daughter.

I do so look forward to meeting you! I shall call you “Mum and Dad Middleton,” and you may address me as “Your Majesty.”

Whilst you are in London for the wedding, you will be at a small hotel near my house. I believe a continental breakfast comes with the room. One hopes you will take the double-decker bus tour that goes past my residence, but please keep moving…

* * * * * * * * * *

April 2011 Apr. 19 - 24 Curacao Curacao Challenge 2011: Slalom and Freestyle Windsurfing Competition Apr. 21 - 25 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Bequia Easter Regatta 2011 Apr. 23 - 25 Curacao Coupe Curacao 2011: 3rd International Friendship Veterans Fencing Tournament Apr. 24 - 29 Antigua and Barbuda Antigua Sailing Week 2011 Apr. 28 - 30 Caribbean 117th Penn Relay Carnival Apr. 30 - May 08 Saint Lucia The 20th Annual Saint Lucia Jazz Festival 2011 May 2011 May 04 - 07 Curacao 2011 JCI Conference of the...

March 2011 April 2011 Apr. 12 - 17 Puerto Rico Rinc�n International Film Festival 2011 Apr. 14 - 19 Antigua and Barbuda Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta 2011 Apr. 19 - 24 Curacao Curacao Challenge 2011: Slalom and Freestyle Windsurfing Competition Apr. 21 - 25 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Bequia Easter Regatta 2011 Apr. 23 - 25 Curacao Coupe Curacao 2011: 3rd International Friendship Veterans Fencing Tournament Apr. 24 - 29 Antigua and Barbuda Antigua Sailing Week 2011 Apr. 28 - 30 Caribbean 117th Penn Relay Carnival...

If you value your rapidly disappearing privacy while surfing the Internet you need to know about these tools. Whether you want to protect yourself from snoopers, want to spy on those out to get you, or want to be able to track trends that you know will lead to something big, then these tools will help you get the job done. The best part about them is they are FREE!

“If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.”

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Without a Trace

If you want to use the Internet without anyone knowing who you are or leave an untraceable phone number or email address, then these tools are for you.

1. Big String. Big String offers self-destructing IMs and emails for those who don’t want any evidence of their online communications. Use with many popular IM clients.
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5. 10 Minute Mail. Use this tool to get an email address that is good for 10 minutes, then expires. This is a great way to register with sites that require an email validation or just to cover your tracks.
6. inumbr. Get a disposable phone number that you can use to forward calls to any other phone in the U.S. No one will be able to trace you with this number.
7. GrandCentral. Here’s another phone option when you don’t want to be traced by your number. Consolidate all your phones into one with this tool that gives you one voice mailbox and one number for all your phones.
8. drop.io. Want to share a top-secret online file with someone and then have no sign of the evidence later? This is the tool for you. The file is deleted after 30 days.
9. Fake Name Generator. If you need a name, address, email, or even a UPS tracking code, use this handy tool to generate any one of the necessary fakes.
10. cl1p.net. Create a note or upload a photo that you can keep for yourself or share, then delete it when you are finished with absolutely no sign of what you had.

Browsing Security

If you want to browse the Internet in privacy, these tools will help you do just that. Use these to do the actual browsing or to check the security of your browsing privacy.

1. Hide My Ass!. Hide your identity with this free tool. This proxy service will hide your IP address so no one will know you.
2. Tor. Like getting secreted away, this free service allows you to hide your Internet identity with a “network of virtual tunnels.” Join journalists, government agencies, and more who use Tor for the ultimate in Internet privacy.
3. Guardster. Another proxy service that hides your IP, this one is available in both free and for a fee versions. The free version does not work with encrypted SSL sites.
4. Megaproxy. Paste the URL for whatever website you want to visit into this tool and you will have a completely private look at your target site. No registration or downloads needed to use this tool.
5. Scandoo. Get real time protection when surfing the Internet with warnings about websites before you click on them. Based on ScanSafe technology, this home version is free.
6. ShieldsUP!. Check out this tool to learn what information your browser is sending out. You can also test the effectiveness of your personal firewall when running ShieldsUP! testing.
7. Privoxy. Privoxy is an open source non-caching web proxy with advanced filtering capabilities for enhancing privacy, modifying web page data and HTTP headers, controlling access, and removing ads and other obnoxious Internet junk.
8. What Is My IP Address?. Use this tool to ensure your IP blocking software is working correctly and not revealing your true IP address.
9. Clusty. Use this search engine when browsing. Clusty doesn’t save your information or track you at all when you use it.
10. Scroogle. Try searching Google with this tool. Scroogle uses SSL to send your search terms to Google with encryption, then does the same when sending the results back to you.

Computer Security

Using the Internet is a huge open door for people to stick their nose in your business. Use these tools to slam that door tightly shut.

1. Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware. This anti-malware software is one of the best tools available for removing crap from your computer. Best when used in conjunction with Ad-Aware to keep your PC 99.999% malware free.
2. avast!. This free anti-virus software is one of the best available (for free or for a fee) at protecting your computer. This tool will alert you any time malware is detected and even checks incoming email. avast! also includes a boot-time scan option.
3. Ad-Aware. The free version of this software does an excellent job of protecting your computer against spyware and adware. The paid version gives you real-time protection which is not available with the free one.
4. Sandboxie. This free tool is great for both protecting your computer and getting rid of evidence. It works as a temporary storage area for information that would normally go to and from your hard drive. When you are finished in the “sandbox,” you can just clear it out.
5. ThreatFire. Use this in conjunction with your anti-virus to fend off malware. ThreatFire detects malicious behavior such as capturing keystrokes and also serves to defend against zero-day threats.
6. SnoopFree Privacy Shield. The ultimate free software for the ultra-cautious, this tool will detect any method of privacy invasion through your keyboard, screen, and open windows.
7. Comodo Firewall. Keep out hackers with this free firewall. This program is one of the best when it comes to protecting your computer.
8. WinPatrol. Protect your privacy and your computer with this free tool that works by alerting you to “hijackings, malware attacks and critical changes made to your computer without your permission.”
9. AVG Free Anti-Virus. Get anti-virus and anti-spyware protection from this free software. This software also includes a scheduled scan option.
10. TrueCrypt. This disk encryption software will keep nosey-parkers at bay. You can create a virtual encrypted disk, encrypt USB flash drives and hard drives, and more.
11. Trustable Downloader. Download files from the Internet without worries of Trojans, worms, or viruses with this free application. As described, this tool will help guard you against government spying on its citizens.
12. SiteAdvisor. This software alerts you before you visit a website that has spyware or harvests your information for spam. Use their color-coded system to alert you to the potential dangers of websites.
13. Peer Guardian 2. This IP blocker is capable of blocking incoming and outgoing connections. You can also select to block spyware, adware, and educational and government ranges.
14. GlowWorm FW Lite . Mac users can use this software to be informed when a program attempts to make an outgoing connection. Not only will this tool protect your information, it also guards against malware.

Laptop Tracking

If someone makes off with your laptop, know how to stop them with these tools.

1. Adeona. If you want to guard against someone taking your laptop, check out this tool. This software continually tells you where your laptop is located without the interference of any third party to help you track and recover your computer.
2. iAlertU. Another laptop protection and tracking device, this one specifically for Macs, this software is based off mouse and keyboard movement which sets off an alarm, takes a photo of the thief, and emails the photo to a specified email address.

Spying on Those Out to Get You

If you know someone is trying to get to you, then turn the tables on them with these tools that will help you get the dirt on them.

1. GotVoice. Take advantage of the 14 day free trial to have your target’s voice mail sent directly to you. If you need more time, get another 14 day trial with different information.
2. Decoding Social Security Numbers in One Step. You can’t get everything out of that magical number with this tool, but you can narrow down the state and year of issue with any social security number instantly.
3. Keylogger. This free software allows you to log everything entered on the keyboard so you can track computer usage. Be sure to use the stealth mode so your target doesn’t know you are tracking him.
4. Decode Your License. This article describes how you can get a driver’s license from any state and decode the barcode on it to receive personal information. You will need the Internet tool described in the article and a scanner.
5. Webcam Spy. Use this software to spy on your target using a webcam. The software activates the webcam with a motion sensor for an auto on and off feature. Spying on your target isn’t the only use for this–you can also use it in your home to see who comes by when you are gone.

Maps for Monitoring Occurrences

Whether you are looking for evidence for your conspiracy theory or trying to put all the pieces together on a plot you know is about to be hatched, then these maps will help you get all the information you need.

1. Global Incident Map. Find out where terrorism is occurring around the world with this mapping tool. You be able to find plenty of patterns to put together your own theories.
2. HealthMap. This tool will keep you posted on health alerts. Find outbreaks by geographical location, disease, or chronological occurrence.
3. Who is Sick?. This Google map-based tool shows symptoms for any geographical spot. You’ll be able to track any type of outbreaks with this tool.
4. Incident1. Track police, fire, and emergency services on this map. You can also do a search by zip code or select a region within the states.
5. Incidentlog. If you live in the northeast and couldn’t find anything on Incident1, try Incidentlog for more options. This map is populated from a different pool of data.
6. Havaria Information Service Alert Map. Find everything from earthquakes to hazmat incidences to biological hazards on this world map. You can narrow the results by country if you don’t want to see the world view.
7. GeoMAC Wildfire Information. This map shows where wildfires are currently burning throughout the United States or check out past wildfires since 2002.
8. Piracy Attacks Maps. Pirates on the high seas are not a thing of the past. Use this map to track current piracy around the world.
9. UNEP: Atlas of Our Changing Environment. Sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme, this map includes incidents that document environmental changes around the world. Click on each incident to see photos and read the story.
10. Google Maps Mania. This unofficial site follows the incredible array of various interactive maps being used in conjunction with Google Maps. Find a map that tracks your favorite passion or create one of your own.

I've recently been aboard Avalon another brand new yacht. A 62' Lagoon catamaran launched in September, 2010 Avalon is one of the new generation of fly-bridge catamarans offering space and comfort for up to 10 guests.
She has five double cabins with walk around queen size beds, all with
 generous en suite facilities and separate shower cubicles. She has an open and airy saloon with a
nearly 360 degree view, and a wide fly-bridge all come together to create floating elegance, style,
 and utility. Combine these excellent design factors with an outstanding and experienced crew and
you have a little bit of chartering-heaven in the British Virgin Islands.    Avalon is crewed by
Paul Johnson and Melissa Murphy who operated Saga Boy(a 57' Lagoon cat)  in the BVI for the past
 two years before bringing Avalon across from France last November. .   Paul has been sailing since
the age of four. For two years Paul studied at Falmouth Marine School.  He is a Commercially Endorsed
Yachtmaster Offshore as well as an RYA Senior Dinghy Instructor, RNLI trained beach lifeguard and a
 PADI open water diver.   Paul enjoys windsurfing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding and saltwater fishing.
Prior to chartering in the BVIs Paul was based in Tobago and has considerable experience sailing in the
 Grenadines and the other Windward Islands,

 

Melissa is from was brought up sailing dinghies from a young age. She has always enjoyed entertaining
and gained her formal culinary training at the Rosie Davies Cookery School.  Modern European and Asian
style dishes are a specialty, but all of Melissa's menus are tailored to her guests' specific preferences and
are created with a health conscious ethos.  You will feel just as safe with Melissa at the helm as Paul.
Melissa is also a Commercially Endorsed Yachtmaster Offshore, an RYA Dinghy Instructor, an RYA Powerboat Instructorand a aPADI Dive Master.

 

Currently, Avalon is priced at $31,000 for 10 guests.

 I consider this to be a bargain rate considering the quality of the yacht and the experience of the crew. She's already quite heavily booked.

 

If your considering a sailing vacation in the near
future you should be firming up arrangements now
as the popular yachts are booking up well in advance.

 

Sleeps 10 Guests in 5 Queen(s)
Online brochure: http://www.cyabrochure.com/eb/1637/xbdr/1191/1
Rates and Availability: http://www.cyabrochure.com/eb/1637/xbdr/1191/4
SCUBA: http://www.cyabrochure.com/scuba/1637/xbdr/1191

    

 

World's End - Exclusive Sailing

                               

World's End offers a discount of 20%!

Christmas and New Year's weeks have always been the most popular weeks for vacationing in the Caribbean.

America's Cup - The culmination of more than 35,000 man hours and a tremendous amount of hard work on the part of the entire team came to fruition today when Artemis Racing sailed with the team’s first AC72 wing.

While the Defender and other Challengers for the 34th America’s Cup have chosen to train and test elements for the AC72 catamarans using smaller boats, specifically AC45 and SL33 catamarans, Artemis Racing opted to build a full size wing from the outset.

'We chose the full scale strategy. Our decision was more time consuming, but it allows us to learn how to handle this powerful wing. Before performance, there is the safety of our team. San Francisco Bay in July and August is an unforgiving place' said CEO Paul Cayard.

Towering more than 13 stories high, the AC72 wing is a pure work of art. The 40 metre high structure, predominantly built of carbon fibre, measures 260 square meters yet weighs just over one tonne.

'It was a team effort. It was amazing to see the wing out on the water. It looks great, but at the same time threatening. We will be going through a series of structural tests in the next few days,' said Principal Designer Juan Kouyoumdjian.

This is Artemis Racing’s first entry to the America’s Cup.

The America's Cup is the Super Bowl of yacht racing -- but it's certainly not the Super Bowl of television rights fees.

Networks fork over billions for the privilege of airing pro sports like football and their lucrative postseason championships. Yet, tucked away in today's AP story about NBC obtaining the rights to broadcast the forthcoming America's Cup was this interesting line:

NBC Sports Group is not paying a rights fee. ... America's Cup officials will acquire air time and offer commercial time first to their own sponsors.

Stephen Barclay, the chief operating officer of the America's Cup Event Authority, tells SF Weekly this was no misprint. Not only is NBC getting the rights to the Cup for free, race organizers must buy airtime.

What's more, Barclay continues, Cup organizers are investing far more than ever before in making yachting a television-friendly sport. As the equation stands, the Cup stands to lose a boatload of money in the short-term.

Yet that was the plan, Barclay says.

Abyss Boards the newest tow-able water sport allows you to "fly" underwater.

---

Abyss Boards has just debuted a boat towable board that allows it's rider to dive and cruise underwater. The Abyss Board performs tricks and maneuvers while exploring beneath the surface. Wakeboarding, waterskiing and other towable water sports are limited to the surface. The Abyss Boards makes the first board that can be ridden both above, and below the wake. “It combines fighter jet maneuvers with underwater exploration, there’s really nothing like it,” said Eric Healy, aeronautical engineer and Abyss Board inventor. “Cruising on the Abyss Board allows you to explore underwater landscapes and see marine life in a new way”.


The Abyss Board is about the size of a boogie and towed slowly behind a boat, this simple device lets you steer yourself around under the water. With separate control of right and left side wings, you can dive; rise, bank, and barrel roll your way through the water. You can use it with a snorkel, or just keep popping up to the surface to get a breath. The feeling is described by the manufacturer as something like personal flight. The front of the board deflects water around the rider’s shoulders and arms to decrease water resistance. The board’s design makes it safe and easy to use. When the rider lets go or if the boat stops it floats back to the surface. Since it is designed to be used with a life jacket, the rider floats back up as well. A snorkel is used to take breathes in between dives.

Jules Verne Trophy: Banque Populaire knocks over three days off record

The 147’ Maxi Trimaran Banque Populaire is attempting to set a new around the world non-stop sailing record for which the holder is awarded the prestigious Jules Verne Trophy.   Less than a week after crossing the Cape of Good Hope and their entry into the Indian Ocean, the crew of the Maxi Banque Populaire V have crossed the Cape Leewin at 9:29am on Saturday 10th October, getting once again a new reference time between these two Capes

143' Van Mill STARSHIP Sleeps 11 guests in 5 staterooms

143' Van Mill STARSHIP Sleeps 11 guests in 5 staterooms

Yacht Starship offers you the ultimate experience in luxury and style while enjoying a crewed motor yacht charter. Luxury Motor Yacht Starship is an amazing and classic super yacht with vast areas for either entertainment or relaxation in total luxury. The yacht starship offers three casual dining areas, one formal dining area and a full bar with a full line of tropical drinks, so luxury motor yacht Starship is an ideal charter boat for entertaining or romance. You can enjoy the superior views from the sun deck whilst relaxing on the sun pads or while enjoying the Jacuzzi. M/Y Starship offers many features including...

I've just finished attending several boat shows featuring most of the yachts in the Caribbean charter yacht fleet. These shows are an exclusive venue for charter yacht broker's to inspect the yachts and interview the crews.  The BVI Yachts Society' show was by far the largest of the shows with over 70 boats in attendance. Best in show went to the catamaran Avalon, a Lagoon 62 that entered the fleet midseason this year and was featured in our March Newsletter. Also featured in one of our recent newsletters,  the 62' Catsy took the honors for best Catamaran over 50'.
I wish I could pick sports winners as well as I do yachts as we have featured all four  category winners in newsletters over the last year.

San Diego saved the best for last, testing the international America’s Cup World Series fleet with the strongest winds of the week, with gusts approaching 20 knots on Sunday afternoon, making for great racing conditions. The teams didn’t disappoint the fans gathered on Broadway and Navy Piers – the race was full of intrigue, with plenty of lead changes on the race course, and lots of near misses and thrills and spills from start to finish.

SAN DIEGO — Famed hardwood courts from Madison Square Garden to the United Center and the Staples Center may be empty so far this season due to the National Basketball Association (NBA) players' strike but college basketball jumps off to a great start today with #1-ranked University of North Carolina Tarheels playing the unranked Michigan State Spartans in the first ever Quicken Loans Carrier Classic — on the deck of the USS aircraft carrier Carl Vinson in honor of Veteran’s Day.

The USS Carl Vinson, which buried 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden at sea last May, underwent a complete overhaul (see the above video) over the last nine days as its flight deck was transformed into a basketball arena complete with a hardwood court made of maple, plywood and pine, as well as seating for approximately 7,000 spectators.

President Barack Obama is expected to be in attendance along with basketball greats Earvin "Magic" Johnson, who attended Michigan State University and James Worthy who attended the University of North Carolina. Johnson and Worthy will act as honorary team captains.

ESPN will carry the event live at 4 p.m. Pacific time. In case of inclement weather a duplicate hardwood basketball court and bleacher seating for approximately 2,000 was erected in the ship's hanger bay.

BVI Kite Jam 2012

The third annual BVI Kite Jam 2012 is scheduled this coming February 25 - March 3, 2012.     
The event will take place in and around North Sound Virgin Gorda, BVIs and  will include a leg to Anegada!   
 Sir Richard Branson, an avid kite boarder himself, is hosting this weeklong event, along with the BVI Tourist Board. It is open to professionals and amateurs alike.                                                     
Kite Surfing is a water sport in which the rider is pulled through the waves on a surf board while being propelled by a large controllable kite.  The British Virgin Islands are a great destination to engage in this sport.  Steady trade winds, warm sunny weather and great beaches equal a dream vacation.   
Sir Richard Bronson, who resided on his own island in the BVI until his house burned down earlier this year has been a great supporter  and sponsor of this extreme sport. Often while sailing by Necker Island, several kites can be seen around Eustatia Sound. Sir Richard as been quoted as saying, “Kite Surfing is one of my favorite sports”

TAKAPUNA

Offering new rate options . . . 

 

Christmas 2011 and New Year’s 2012 in the Virgin Islands

2/$55,000  3-4/$57,000  5-6/$59,000   7-8/$62,000

These holiday rates are ALL-INCLUSIVE

7 night minimum and valid in the USVI and BVI only

 

Christmas 2011 and New Year’s 2012 Down Island

1-8 guests $49,000 plus all expenses

7 night minimum, please inquire for possible repositioning fee

 

ALL-INCLUSIVE rates for the USVI and BVI

2 @ $45,000   3-4 @ $47,000   5-6 @ $49,000   7-8 @ $52,000

These 7 night rates are valid in the USVI and BVI

Not valid for Christmas or New Year’s

Minimum charter of 3 nights

 

$39,900 PLUS ALL EXPENSE OPTION

1-8 @ $39,900 for 7 nights plus all expenses

Not Valid for Christmas or New Year’s

Valid for down island charters, repositioning fee may apply, minimum 7 nights

Valid in the BVI & USVI with minimum 3 nights

 

Link to eBrochure 

Virgin Islands Sailing

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Having completed his mission to make the world’s biggest Fire Ball sculpture, local artist, Aragorn Dick-Read recently returned from a 7-week stint in China.
Mr. Dick-Read successfully completed his goal to build the world’s biggest Fire Ball sculpture as part of the 12th Annual China Changchun International Sculpture Symposium.
Fire Balls have become Dick-Read’s signature works of art and have found their greatest acclaim as the focal attraction at the Fire Ball Full Moon parties held every month in Trellis Bay, Beef Island. Thousands of visitors to the BVI have enjoyed the entrancing spectacle of the Fire Balls set ablaze on water, and many collectors from throughout the world have commissioned Dick-Read to make Fire Balls for their private collections.

Surfbird is a 2006 build that was refit in 2011. The owner just redid the interior in eco-friendly eucalyptus, which looks pretty darn magnificent in the photographs thanks to the interior's 8-foot-high ceilings. The cabin arrangements look ideal to me for three couples with a gaggle of kids. One cabin has a king-size bed, two of the cabins have queen-size beds, and the fourth cabin has a queen-size bed with a bunk-style Pullman berth above it, plus another single bed on the opposite side of the room.

SAYANG is offering 10% off any charter booked to take place in November or December 2011.
This offer excludes Christmas, New Year’s and the Romantic Getaway for Two.
Take 10% off ALL INCLUSIVE rates of:
2/$8,900 3/$9,700 4/$10,500 5/$11,500 6/$12,500
Take 10% off HALF-BOARD rates of:
2/$8,400 3/$8,950 4/$9,500 5/$10,250 6/$11,000
Half-board rate includes: 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, bar and soft drinks. Dinners ashore at guest expense.

  Where are you most dying to go before you, er....die? Author Dave Freeman, in his best-selling 1999 book, "100 Things to Do Before you Die," composed a list that combined exotic, gorgeous destinations with rich, surprising cultural experiences. We thought now might be a good time to update his list.

We'd have asked Freeman for his own ideas, but he died in 2008, having done about 50 of his own 100 things, according to his aunt, interviewed by the L.A. Times. The lesson seems obvious: Gather ye rosebuds while ye may. The following experts recommend their own favorite destinations and experiences.

Karen Schaler, editor of TravelTherapyTrips.com and author of "Travel Therapy: Where Do You Need to Go?"

Sailing in the British Virgin Islands. Here are crystal-clear waters and talcum-powder soft sands white as sugar. "Chartering your own sailboat and stopping by Peter Island, Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke islands [is] a glorious experience." And don't forget, she says, to try one of the Islands' famous "pain killer" cocktails. They're made with three kinds of rum, fruit juice and nutmeg.

Grape Harvest, Bordeaux, France. Taking part in the harvest -- "getting your hands dirty" by picking and sorting grapes is a hands-on experience unlike any other, says Schaler. "The harvest is only about two weeks long, and no one knows exactly when it will be." That lends an element of drama to your quest. "It's not the kind of thing you can plan for a year in advance," she says. "It depends on temperature and grape yield." The fact that the harvest's timing is only by "the luck of the draw," she thinks, only adds to picking's appeal.

Skiing in Zermatt, Switzerland. "Skiing in the shadow of the Matterhorn," Schaler calls incomparably romantic. That, and "sipping Swiss wine in ski chalets," she says, combine to make "one of my top ski experiences in the world." Not only is Zermatt "one of the most beautiful villages in the alps," it's quaint, owing to the fact that it prohibits cars. So, you may break your leg; but it won't be because you were hit by a Ford Taurus.
PHOTO: Tourists bathing in Deception Island, Antarctica.
Geoff Renner /Getty Images
Tourists bathing in Deception Island,... View Full Size
Lady Robs Bank as Part of 'Bucket List' Watch Video
Most Beautiful Places: Point Reyes, Sleeping Bear Dunes Watch Video
Fighting Foreclosure Watch Video


Heather Mikesell, executive editor at American Spa Magazine, says the following are on her short-list of the world's essential soaks.

Chiva-Som Spa, Thailand. Mikesell calls this "a transformational place" where a pilgrim's full range of needs--cosmetic, nutritional and spiritual--are all addressed. "It treats your whole mind, body and spirit," she says. "You can totally transform your life, if you're seeking to make a lifestyle change. They help you work on everything under the sun." Want your energy read? They can read it. You might want to have your chakras lengthened before you go, just to give the staff more challenge. A small but nice touch: a basket of exotic fruits is delivered fresh daily to your doorstep, brimming, she says, with "dragon fruit, crazy Asian fruits."

Deception Island Hot Springs, Antarctica. Deception Island, in the Antarctic Peninsula, has natural springs that offer bathers an other worldly experience: Amidst the ice and snow, in a setting where you can watch 'bergs sailing past, you can immerse yourself in waters delightfully warm. One minute you're shivering in your polar fleece, the next you're swimming in what might as well be bath water.

Here's a great opportunity for those of you that would like to and enjoy all of the amenities of a  private charter yacht vacation but don't have enough guests in your party to charter the entire  yacht.
A good friend of mine has several time share weeks that he would like to sell on a per cabin basis on any of the yachts belonging to the Tradewinds Cruising Club, He is interested in selling them at a considerable discount. Tradewinds is one of the only companies that I know of that sells charters on upscale yachts on a per cabin basis. They have  charter facilities throughout the world. You can take your choice of destinations including the  BVIs, Antigua, Grenadines, Greece, Turkey, Panama, Belize, Fiji, and St Martin.  If you're interested in this opportunity please let me know what destinations you are interested in and the time frame and I'll check and see what dates and accommodations are still available and what the discounted rate is. He has 5 cabin weeks that he wants to sell so you could have more than one cabin if your group was more than a single cabin.This is a very reputable company and has one of the largest privately  owned  charter fleets in the world. You can view their introductory video here.   

I've always felt that a sailing yacht vacation is the ultimate way to relax and enjoy the British Virgin Islands however, if you have the inclination to spend some time ashore I have a great recommendation. I just had the opportunity to visit and inspect  the villas at Villa Aquamare this week. I can't think of a better choice than one of these beachfront villas for a shore-side getaway .  These three villas situated on the west shore of Virgin Gorda offer  beautifully maintained  architecture and landscaping, and  accommodations with all the amenities for up to thirty six guests .

Click Image For Photo Gallery

These spacious  villas provides eight thousand square feet of air conditioned luxury. The villas feature thirty foot vaulted ceilings, Travertine marble , rich hardwoods, natural local stonework, private waterfront  pools, gourmet kitchens, and inside and outside dining areas. Each of Aquamare's suites have open, yet completely sheltered marble bath areas with separate outdoor shower rooms. With three master suites, one double room and one studio, each villa accommodates up to 12 guests. All five bedrooms feature comfortable spacious areas and ample balconies with spectacular views of the in Drake Channel Islets and some of the most breathtaking sunsets in the Caribbean. You have the option of renting one villa  or If  you are looking to accommodate a large group you may rent two or three.  The three villas can accommodate up to36 people in one private enclave. There is reduced pricing available if you don't require the use of all the bedrooms in the individual villas.

Aquamare's private Beach Park is the ideal setting for destination weddings and small meetings and the combined villas are perfect for corporate retreats.

 

After spending an activities filled week sailing throughout the Virgin Islands an additional week at the Villa  Aquamere would give you the opportunity to totally relax and be laid-back before heading home.  

Catering

With some of the best private chefs in the Caribbean on the Island, we can pre-arrange part time or full time catering or you can cook for yourself. In some cases it might also be possible to have one of our former chefs available on site for you. All the suites and galleys include all the amenities that you would expect from a five star facility.  

Click Image For Villa Rental Rates

 Spa Services

On site spa treatments are also available in the comfort of your villa, on your balcony, or water's edge. Treatments include deep tissue or hot stone massages, as well as detox body wraps.  

 

Just wanted you to know I really checked the Villas Out

Tropical Depression 14 was named Tropical Storm Maria late this morning, as well. The storm is still pretty far east in the Atlantic, 1,200 miles east of the Leeward Islands, but is moving quickly to the west at 23 mph. According to the National Hurricane Center, Maria looks well-organized on satellite, "but not really." If you look closely at satellite loops (especially the loops that you can catch before the sun sets in that area), you'll see the surface circulation is located to the west of the strongest thunderstorm activity.


Well-organized tropical cyclones will be vertically stacked in the atmosphere, with the strongest thunderstorms directly on top of the surface circulation. Maria's disjointed-ness is likely due to a pretty strong clip of wind shear (30 knots worth) in the area. This would usually be deadly for a tropical cyclone of Maria's strength, but since the storm is moving so quickly to the west, the Hurricane Center is forecasting the storm to remain somewhat intact for the next 5 days, although the forecast is for no intensification. Models are coming into better agreement on the track of this system.

Sauter Carbon Offset Design presents the DynaWing AC72, the 34th America’s Cup Challenger that could prove to be faster and certainly less prone to capsize than the Oracle 22 meter Racing Cat with a 40 meter Wingsail.

The National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands earlier today informed that the Wreck of the RMS Rhone Marine Park has been re-opened.

The British Virgin Islands’ only Marine Park has been closed until further notice after a cargo ship ‘Tropic Sun’ ran aground in the vicinity.

The incident occurred sometime around 10:00pm on Sunday evening where the 350 foot container vessel ran aground.

Speaking with this Publication the Managing Director of Island Shipping and Trading, Mr. Chris Haycraft, the agent of Tropical Shipping assured that the Marine Park landmark namely the Wreck of Rhone has not been damaged.

The modern double skin vessel has suffered significant damage to the Hull but Mr. Haycraft says that given the design of the ship there is no leakage of lubricants or any harmful agents to the area.

The Director of the BVI National Parks Trust, Mr. Joseph Smith Abbott, has advised the public that the Wreck of the Rhone National Park will be closed until further notice confirming also that the cargo vessel has run aground the waters comprising the marine national park.

He stated that the closure was decided upon to ensure the safety of all park users and in the mean time mariners are asked to exercise caution whilst sailing in the area.

Mr. Haycraft told the VI Standpoint that it is currently unclear what caused the incident and an investigation has been launched.

He said too that while there were two specialists already onboard assisting with the situation a professional salvage team is being flown in and should be on deck by this afternoon.

He said that when the team arrives they will be charting a way forward on how to best remove the vessel.

According to Mr. Haycraft the shipping company is working in tandem with all of the relevant agencies including the Shipping Registry, Disaster Management and Port Authorities among others.

Once all goes well the vessel is expected to be removed from the area within a matter of days with no damage to the historic site.

The effected closure of the Wreck of Rhone has been described as a precautionary measure.

The Wreck of the Rhone located Off Salt Island is the first and only Marine National Park in the British Virgin Islands.

It is the most celebrated diving site in the BVI, and a major recreational attraction. The park includes examples of fringing reef habitat and sea grass beds. The wreck is that of a Royal Mail Steamer, a British packet ship which sunk during the hurricane of 1867 with 125 people on board.

Hurricane season is half over, so far so good however there is a system developing in the Atlantic that could give us some problems this weekend.

Irene gave us a bit of a scare and a lot of rain, but nothing compared to what it unleashed on the East Coast last week.

 

Last week I had an inquiry for a ten guest yacht for the New Year's week and was surprised that there just weren't any boats still available that fit the client's requirements. Luckily they were flexible on dates and we were able to arrange a Christmas week charter instead. The New Year's week has always been the most popular week for sailing vacations in the Caribbean with Christmas week runs a close second. Though the selection of yachts available for New Year's is very limited, there are still quite a few great boats available for this year's Christmas week. If you're considering a charter anytime in the near future now is the time to start planning as the popular boats are still very busy.

I'll be attending four charter yacht shows stateside and in the Caribbean during the months of October, November and December. These trade only shows give us the opportunity to inspect the boats and interview the crew's that will be promoting in the future. I'll be updating you on the "Best in Show" yachts after each show.

 

.Here is a sampling of the yachts still available for this year's Christmas week. ___________________________________________________ 

   

LADY JOY 157 Feet 

Accommodate 12 guests in 6 cabins. 

$ 250,000  Week + All Expenses

Minimum. 10 Days  for Christmas week.

Brochure  

Lady Joy was launched in 2007. Built by Christensen Yachts she is the epitome of refined elegance and five star luxury. M/Y Lady Joy features state of the art and modern touches including an elevator service to all of her decks. Lady Joy offers three large decks as well as six staterooms with en-suite bathrooms. She has numerous areas throughout the vessel to entertain, dine and relax while her professional and friendly staff takes care of your every whim. I had the personal tour a year back as one of my former crew was the captain at the time. 

   

WHISPER 116 Feet.

Sleeps 6 Guests 1 Queen

 1 Duble 

 2 Twins

 $75,000 For 6 Guests + All  Expenses

 Brochure 

 

Sailing yacht WHISPER is a fantastic 116' sloop  launched in 2003.by Dutch builders Holland Jachtbaow. WHISPER is truly a superb sailing super yacht. She offers a lovely wooden interior of the highest possible build quality and design along with powerful sailing capabilities. She has excellent views from her well designed raised pilot house/bar area. Her generous cockpit, which can seat up to 10 guests, is another well designed space for dining with its bimini sun shade. There is also a full width salon with dining area.  

S/Y WHISPER provides accommodation for up to 6 lucky charter guests in three large and well equipped en-suite cabins. Her full beam master has a centerline Queen bed and a steam shower in the en-suite. The guest cabin has a double bed, also with unsuited facilities. The guest with twin beds also offers en-suite with shower.

 

 

ANDROMEDA LA DEA 154 Feet  

 

 

Accommodates 8 Guests

1 King .

 2 Queens

 2Twins

$150,000 Week 8 Guests +All expenses

 

Brochure

ANDROMEDA LA DEA is a modern day legend in the sailing world and the first Perini to circumnavigate the globe and visit both the Arctic and the Antarctic. This 154 foot ketch is ideal for clients who demand all the trappings of a luxurious cruise but are not willing to sacrifice performance. ANDROMEDA LA DEA features interiors of uncompromising elegance, style and pedigree. The main salon features a fire place and 50inch plasma screen, full cinema surround sound system. Forward is the formal dining area seating eight and adjacent mahogany wet bar with barstools.

 

This award winning charter yacht has spacious accommodation for nine guests. The full width master stateroom has a king bed, his and hers facilities, a walk in closet, plasma screen tv, and a private study and exquisite linens and amenities.

 

 

 Felicia 65 Feet

Accommodates 8 guests in 4 cabins. 

1 King.

3 Queen .

 $28,000  Week 8 Guest All Inclusive

Brochure

Felicia's elegance sets her apart from most other catamarans available for charter. A 65ft long catamaran, she is incredibly spacious and she has been constructed and maintained to extremely high standards.

Not only does she provide an ideal environment for groups of up to 8 adults but she is equally well suited to a large family vacation of up to 10 people or two families who wish to relax together.

Her guest accommodation comprises 4 double cabins and one small twin cabin, each with their own en-suite facilities, a huge saloon which includes a bar, indoor dining table and a writing & games desk. The cabins and saloon are all air-conditioned and both master cabin and saloon benefit from TVs with video and DVD players for which a substantial library of films is available on board. The crew's quarters are accessed completely independently.

 

FANTASY ISLAND 58 Feet  

Accomodates 8 Guests in 4 Cabins

4 Queens  

$27,025.00  Week 8 Guests All inclusive

 Brochure 

Modern lines add a feeling of spaciousness everywhere. The entire yacht is air-conditioned and there is a new tender for water-skiing and wakeboarding. FANTASY ISLAND has wifi access onboard as well as laptops available for passengers use. There are also Ipod connections available. 

Diving included for certified divers.

 

JET STREAM 45 Feet.

Accommodates 6 guests in 3 cabins  

3 Queens

 $24,850.00 Week 6 Guests All Inclusive 

 Brochure  

JET STREAM is a Leopard 45, a former Cruising World Boat-of-the-Year. This luxury sailing catamaran sails like a dream. She features three  queen-sized guest cabins with en suite heads and showers. JET STREAM is air conditioned throughout. For the guests' enjoyment, JET STREAM has stereo, CD, DVD and tape players, and TV, with libraries of titles for each. For the musically inclined onboard, there are piano, guitar and drums. 

 

SCORPIO 52 Feet

Accomodates 3 guests 

 $7,040.00  Week 3 Guest All incluusive  

1 Double  

1 Single

 Brochure  

There is a shortage of small yachts for two guests at a reasonable price that offers SCUBA. Scorpio not only offers diving, but the crew enjoy diving and they have an onboard compressor along with SCUBA gear and Richard is a PADI Dive Master. The yacht has all the amenities you could ask for in a smaller yacht including air conditioning. I had a father and his two children on board for a charter last April and they gave Scorpio rave reviews. 

DREAMING ON Dreaming On - 10% off published 7 day rates until August 2011 Expires: 01/Aug/2011

OTEKA SUMMER 2011 BONUS Oteka offers a 20% commission for all bookings occurring in June and July, 2011 Expires: 31/Jul/2011

PENTESILEA II HALF-BOARD CHARTERS Includes all breakfasts, 4 Lunches and 3 dinners aboard (Meals not included to be take ashore at guests expense) Save off the Regular Full-Board Rates 8 guests - Save $1200 6 guests - Save $900 4 guests - Save $600 _____ Children 15 and under - plus $375 each Expires: 31/Jul/2012

_______________________________   Expires: 28/Jan/2012

SOUL'S CALLING Take 10% off the listed rates for charters occurring in June, July, and August, 2011, aboard Souls Calling. Expires: 31/Aug/2011

YES DEAR 10% discount on all charters up to & incuding 8-pax occurring prior to 1 August 2011 (does not apply to charters outside the BVI). Expires: 31/Jul/2011

The Clampetts are here, Your Majesty…

It turns out when Kate Middleton marries Britain’s Prince William in a couple of weeks, her family is going to stay someplace called the Goring Hotel while they are in London. It may be part of the Econo Lodge chain, but I could be wrong.

These photos above and below show where William’s family lives, and on the right you can see the itty-bitty place where the Middletons will be.

According to some quick online research, Buckingham Palace has 52 bedrooms and 78 bathrooms. They can’t spare a couple of rooms for the future in-laws?

How do you suppose Queen Elizabeth even broke that kind of news to Kate’s folks?

* * * * * * * * * *

Dear Commoners, allow me to say how happy I am that my grandson is marrying your charming daughter.

I do so look forward to meeting you! I shall call you “Mum and Dad Middleton,” and you may address me as “Your Majesty.”

Whilst you are in London for the wedding, you will be at a small hotel near my house. I believe a continental breakfast comes with the room. One hopes you will take the double-decker bus tour that goes past my residence, but please keep moving…

* * * * * * * * * *

April 2011 Apr. 19 - 24 Curacao Curacao Challenge 2011: Slalom and Freestyle Windsurfing Competition Apr. 21 - 25 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Bequia Easter Regatta 2011 Apr. 23 - 25 Curacao Coupe Curacao 2011: 3rd International Friendship Veterans Fencing Tournament Apr. 24 - 29 Antigua and Barbuda Antigua Sailing Week 2011 Apr. 28 - 30 Caribbean 117th Penn Relay Carnival Apr. 30 - May 08 Saint Lucia The 20th Annual Saint Lucia Jazz Festival 2011 May 2011 May 04 - 07 Curacao 2011 JCI Conference of the...

March 2011 April 2011 Apr. 12 - 17 Puerto Rico Rinc�n International Film Festival 2011 Apr. 14 - 19 Antigua and Barbuda Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta 2011 Apr. 19 - 24 Curacao Curacao Challenge 2011: Slalom and Freestyle Windsurfing Competition Apr. 21 - 25 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Bequia Easter Regatta 2011 Apr. 23 - 25 Curacao Coupe Curacao 2011: 3rd International Friendship Veterans Fencing Tournament Apr. 24 - 29 Antigua and Barbuda Antigua Sailing Week 2011 Apr. 28 - 30 Caribbean 117th Penn Relay Carnival...

If you value your rapidly disappearing privacy while surfing the Internet you need to know about these tools. Whether you want to protect yourself from snoopers, want to spy on those out to get you, or want to be able to track trends that you know will lead to something big, then these tools will help you get the job done. The best part about them is they are FREE!

“If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.”

-Google CEO Eric Schmidt

Without a Trace

If you want to use the Internet without anyone knowing who you are or leave an untraceable phone number or email address, then these tools are for you.

1. Big String. Big String offers self-destructing IMs and emails for those who don’t want any evidence of their online communications. Use with many popular IM clients.
2. Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition. This free web browser leaves no personal information on your computer. Not only can you use this anywhere, but no one will know you were there.
3. x Paranoia mod. This Firefox extension is great for those who want to leave nothing behind on the computer. With a couple of clicks you can clear all your Internet history, passwords, cookies, and cache.
4. Bugmenot.com. If you’ve ever had to register with a site just to read an article or watch a video, then you will want this tool. Find login information for many websites that require registration and never have to give your information again.
5. 10 Minute Mail. Use this tool to get an email address that is good for 10 minutes, then expires. This is a great way to register with sites that require an email validation or just to cover your tracks.
6. inumbr. Get a disposable phone number that you can use to forward calls to any other phone in the U.S. No one will be able to trace you with this number.
7. GrandCentral. Here’s another phone option when you don’t want to be traced by your number. Consolidate all your phones into one with this tool that gives you one voice mailbox and one number for all your phones.
8. drop.io. Want to share a top-secret online file with someone and then have no sign of the evidence later? This is the tool for you. The file is deleted after 30 days.
9. Fake Name Generator. If you need a name, address, email, or even a UPS tracking code, use this handy tool to generate any one of the necessary fakes.
10. cl1p.net. Create a note or upload a photo that you can keep for yourself or share, then delete it when you are finished with absolutely no sign of what you had.

Browsing Security

If you want to browse the Internet in privacy, these tools will help you do just that. Use these to do the actual browsing or to check the security of your browsing privacy.

1. Hide My Ass!. Hide your identity with this free tool. This proxy service will hide your IP address so no one will know you.
2. Tor. Like getting secreted away, this free service allows you to hide your Internet identity with a “network of virtual tunnels.” Join journalists, government agencies, and more who use Tor for the ultimate in Internet privacy.
3. Guardster. Another proxy service that hides your IP, this one is available in both free and for a fee versions. The free version does not work with encrypted SSL sites.
4. Megaproxy. Paste the URL for whatever website you want to visit into this tool and you will have a completely private look at your target site. No registration or downloads needed to use this tool.
5. Scandoo. Get real time protection when surfing the Internet with warnings about websites before you click on them. Based on ScanSafe technology, this home version is free.
6. ShieldsUP!. Check out this tool to learn what information your browser is sending out. You can also test the effectiveness of your personal firewall when running ShieldsUP! testing.
7. Privoxy. Privoxy is an open source non-caching web proxy with advanced filtering capabilities for enhancing privacy, modifying web page data and HTTP headers, controlling access, and removing ads and other obnoxious Internet junk.
8. What Is My IP Address?. Use this tool to ensure your IP blocking software is working correctly and not revealing your true IP address.
9. Clusty. Use this search engine when browsing. Clusty doesn’t save your information or track you at all when you use it.
10. Scroogle. Try searching Google with this tool. Scroogle uses SSL to send your search terms to Google with encryption, then does the same when sending the results back to you.

Computer Security

Using the Internet is a huge open door for people to stick their nose in your business. Use these tools to slam that door tightly shut.

1. Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware. This anti-malware software is one of the best tools available for removing crap from your computer. Best when used in conjunction with Ad-Aware to keep your PC 99.999% malware free.
2. avast!. This free anti-virus software is one of the best available (for free or for a fee) at protecting your computer. This tool will alert you any time malware is detected and even checks incoming email. avast! also includes a boot-time scan option.
3. Ad-Aware. The free version of this software does an excellent job of protecting your computer against spyware and adware. The paid version gives you real-time protection which is not available with the free one.
4. Sandboxie. This free tool is great for both protecting your computer and getting rid of evidence. It works as a temporary storage area for information that would normally go to and from your hard drive. When you are finished in the “sandbox,” you can just clear it out.
5. ThreatFire. Use this in conjunction with your anti-virus to fend off malware. ThreatFire detects malicious behavior such as capturing keystrokes and also serves to defend against zero-day threats.
6. SnoopFree Privacy Shield. The ultimate free software for the ultra-cautious, this tool will detect any method of privacy invasion through your keyboard, screen, and open windows.
7. Comodo Firewall. Keep out hackers with this free firewall. This program is one of the best when it comes to protecting your computer.
8. WinPatrol. Protect your privacy and your computer with this free tool that works by alerting you to “hijackings, malware attacks and critical changes made to your computer without your permission.”
9. AVG Free Anti-Virus. Get anti-virus and anti-spyware protection from this free software. This software also includes a scheduled scan option.
10. TrueCrypt. This disk encryption software will keep nosey-parkers at bay. You can create a virtual encrypted disk, encrypt USB flash drives and hard drives, and more.
11. Trustable Downloader. Download files from the Internet without worries of Trojans, worms, or viruses with this free application. As described, this tool will help guard you against government spying on its citizens.
12. SiteAdvisor. This software alerts you before you visit a website that has spyware or harvests your information for spam. Use their color-coded system to alert you to the potential dangers of websites.
13. Peer Guardian 2. This IP blocker is capable of blocking incoming and outgoing connections. You can also select to block spyware, adware, and educational and government ranges.
14. GlowWorm FW Lite . Mac users can use this software to be informed when a program attempts to make an outgoing connection. Not only will this tool protect your information, it also guards against malware.

Laptop Tracking

If someone makes off with your laptop, know how to stop them with these tools.

1. Adeona. If you want to guard against someone taking your laptop, check out this tool. This software continually tells you where your laptop is located without the interference of any third party to help you track and recover your computer.
2. iAlertU. Another laptop protection and tracking device, this one specifically for Macs, this software is based off mouse and keyboard movement which sets off an alarm, takes a photo of the thief, and emails the photo to a specified email address.

Spying on Those Out to Get You

If you know someone is trying to get to you, then turn the tables on them with these tools that will help you get the dirt on them.

1. GotVoice. Take advantage of the 14 day free trial to have your target’s voice mail sent directly to you. If you need more time, get another 14 day trial with different information.
2. Decoding Social Security Numbers in One Step. You can’t get everything out of that magical number with this tool, but you can narrow down the state and year of issue with any social security number instantly.
3. Keylogger. This free software allows you to log everything entered on the keyboard so you can track computer usage. Be sure to use the stealth mode so your target doesn’t know you are tracking him.
4. Decode Your License. This article describes how you can get a driver’s license from any state and decode the barcode on it to receive personal information. You will need the Internet tool described in the article and a scanner.
5. Webcam Spy. Use this software to spy on your target using a webcam. The software activates the webcam with a motion sensor for an auto on and off feature. Spying on your target isn’t the only use for this–you can also use it in your home to see who comes by when you are gone.

Maps for Monitoring Occurrences

Whether you are looking for evidence for your conspiracy theory or trying to put all the pieces together on a plot you know is about to be hatched, then these maps will help you get all the information you need.

1. Global Incident Map. Find out where terrorism is occurring around the world with this mapping tool. You be able to find plenty of patterns to put together your own theories.
2. HealthMap. This tool will keep you posted on health alerts. Find outbreaks by geographical location, disease, or chronological occurrence.
3. Who is Sick?. This Google map-based tool shows symptoms for any geographical spot. You’ll be able to track any type of outbreaks with this tool.
4. Incident1. Track police, fire, and emergency services on this map. You can also do a search by zip code or select a region within the states.
5. Incidentlog. If you live in the northeast and couldn’t find anything on Incident1, try Incidentlog for more options. This map is populated from a different pool of data.
6. Havaria Information Service Alert Map. Find everything from earthquakes to hazmat incidences to biological hazards on this world map. You can narrow the results by country if you don’t want to see the world view.
7. GeoMAC Wildfire Information. This map shows where wildfires are currently burning throughout the United States or check out past wildfires since 2002.
8. Piracy Attacks Maps. Pirates on the high seas are not a thing of the past. Use this map to track current piracy around the world.
9. UNEP: Atlas of Our Changing Environment. Sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme, this map includes incidents that document environmental changes around the world. Click on each incident to see photos and read the story.
10. Google Maps Mania. This unofficial site follows the incredible array of various interactive maps being used in conjunction with Google Maps. Find a map that tracks your favorite passion or create one of your own.

I've recently been aboard Avalon another brand new yacht. A 62' Lagoon catamaran launched in September, 2010 Avalon is one of the new generation of fly-bridge catamarans offering space and comfort for up to 10 guests.
She has five double cabins with walk around queen size beds, all with
 generous en suite facilities and separate shower cubicles. She has an open and airy saloon with a
nearly 360 degree view, and a wide fly-bridge all come together to create floating elegance, style,
 and utility. Combine these excellent design factors with an outstanding and experienced crew and
you have a little bit of chartering-heaven in the British Virgin Islands.    Avalon is crewed by
Paul Johnson and Melissa Murphy who operated Saga Boy(a 57' Lagoon cat)  in the BVI for the past
 two years before bringing Avalon across from France last November. .   Paul has been sailing since
the age of four. For two years Paul studied at Falmouth Marine School.  He is a Commercially Endorsed
Yachtmaster Offshore as well as an RYA Senior Dinghy Instructor, RNLI trained beach lifeguard and a
 PADI open water diver.   Paul enjoys windsurfing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding and saltwater fishing.
Prior to chartering in the BVIs Paul was based in Tobago and has considerable experience sailing in the
 Grenadines and the other Windward Islands,

 

Melissa is from was brought up sailing dinghies from a young age. She has always enjoyed entertaining
and gained her formal culinary training at the Rosie Davies Cookery School.  Modern European and Asian
style dishes are a specialty, but all of Melissa's menus are tailored to her guests' specific preferences and
are created with a health conscious ethos.  You will feel just as safe with Melissa at the helm as Paul.
Melissa is also a Commercially Endorsed Yachtmaster Offshore, an RYA Dinghy Instructor, an RYA Powerboat Instructorand a aPADI Dive Master.

 

Currently, Avalon is priced at $31,000 for 10 guests.

 I consider this to be a bargain rate considering the quality of the yacht and the experience of the crew. She's already quite heavily booked.

 

If your considering a sailing vacation in the near
future you should be firming up arrangements now
as the popular yachts are booking up well in advance.

 

Sleeps 10 Guests in 5 Queen(s)
Online brochure: http://www.cyabrochure.com/eb/1637/xbdr/1191/1
Rates and Availability: http://www.cyabrochure.com/eb/1637/xbdr/1191/4
SCUBA: http://www.cyabrochure.com/scuba/1637/xbdr/1191

    

 

World's End - Exclusive Sailing

                               

World's End offers a discount of 20%!

Christmas and New Year's weeks have always been the most popular weeks for vacationing in the Caribbean.