Explore the South Florida Waterways on a Day Charter
Published by 
melaniemadon Monday, January 5th, 2009 in Current Yacht Charter Specials, South Florida Charters, Yacht Charter Advise |
Whether you have the privilege of living in Sunny South Florida year-round, or if you’re one of the winter snow birds who fly South each year for the winter, or if you’re just visiting our slice of paradise for vacation, business or any other reason — there’s no better way to experience what the South Florida lifestyle has to offer than on a chartered boat or yacht.
The two most popular areas to explore by water, and which have a wide selection of charter yachts to choose from, are Miami and Fort Lauderdale, also known as the Yachting Capital of the World. But don’t let the international renown and her yachting title intimidate you. You don’t have to be a millionaire to enjoy the scenery, the tropical beauty and yachtsman’s lifestyle along the South Florida Waterways, and you don’t have to subject yourself to a tourist cattle boat to have an affordable experience, either.
Just about any kind of boating or yachting experience you can think of is available along the Southeast Florida coast, and you can enjoy a few hours on a privately chartered yacht for less than $1,000, and up. On the higher end there are some truly incredible multi-million dollar yachts for charter permitting anyone to live the life of ultimate luxury for the day, weekend or longer.
Whether you picure yourself aboard a Miami Vicy style go fast catching lots of attention and some hot Florida sun, or you’re looking for a romantic cruise at sunset to pop the big question. Maybe you’re a group of friends and you want to admire the Miami city lights while hopping between waterfront establishments. You can go to private beaches, explore uninhabited tropical islands, take a professional fishing charter, or go sailing on a sailing yacht or catamaran for a day, weekend or longer.
Do you have a special event to celebrate or is your company hosting a retreat or seminar in the area? How about a private yacht in Ft. Lauderdale or Miami for your special event for 15 to 500 people, complete with live entertainment and any special theme that you desire.
No matter your age, personal style, activity level, or budget — communicating your desires and your budget to your yacht charter consultant is most important. Many charter agents are good at asking the right questions, but none of us are mind readers and only you know what you envision when thinking of your perfect day, weekend or week on the water.
A word about all-inclusive pricing
Some yachts quote their charter rates as all-inclusive – but be sure to clarify (in writing) exactly what is, and more impotantly, what is NOT included. In South Florida you’ll pay between 6% and 7.5% tax (depending on what city you board the yacht), and a gratuity to the crew of 15% is customary. For day charters sometimes this in included – but please be sure to clarify this so you can be sure that your smiling crew who did such a great job attending to your needs are appreciated for their efforts.
Pick-up fees or marina charges may apply depending on where you decide to start your charter. These can be as low as $50 and and as high as several hundred depending on the marina and the size of the yacht you’re chartering. Believe me, the yachts would rather not have to charge these fees, but that’s just what the marinas charge for the boats to use their facilities. Your charter agent should review all the costs with you before confirming your yacht charter or boat rental.
Fuel costs can vary tremendously depending on the make, model and speed of the yacht you’ve chartered. Of couse fuel costs on sailboats are nominal, and some of the powerboats that routinely offer day charters have calculated rates that include fuel for 2, 4, 6 or 8 hour charters. Since you’re pretty much free to say where you go, how fast you go (within legal limits) and how much you’re underway during your charter, many charter yachts will simply collect a fuel deposit in advance and will refund to you the unused portion. This ensures that you only pay for what you’ve used. If you’re concerned about the fuel usage be sure to communicate with the captain that you’d like to limit the fuel cost to a certain amount during the day…then as you make you’re way out onto the open waters of Biscayne Bay or off the shore of the Ft. Lauderdale Beach and your 15 year old tells the captain to “gun it!” he’ll know to check with you before running a few hundred dollar bills through the fuel injectors.
Provisioning or Catering
This can vary greatly depending on the boat and the level of service that you desire.
If you’re just chartering a small powerboat or sailboat for the day with a Captain for you and your family or friends then you may want to just bring a cooler, some snacks and sandwich fixin’s – kind of like a beach day on a boat. And don’t forget to bring enough to share with the Captain along with some bottled water and other non-alcoholic refreshments.
On the other hand many of these charter boats and yachts have a professionally trained chef as part of their crew who will prepare a sumptuous spread to suit your charter experience. Typically you only pay the actual cost of the provisions, and the cost of the chef (usually along with an extra days wages to cover meal planning, shopping and prepping) is included in the charter fee. If you really want to enjoy the yachting lifestyle – this is definitely the way to go!
Dining Out
There are literally hundreds of waterfront establishments serving everything from Chicago style pizza , hot wings and cheeseburgers in paradise to the finest in elegant and international gourmet fare. Enjoy exploring the South Florida scenery by water, drop an anchor to swim, snorkel or play with some water toys and top off your special day by pulling up to one of these fine waterfront establishments on your private yacht for lunch, dinner or cocktails. Some of the restaurants we work with will even serve you aboard your yacht – and believe me that always turns heads!
For more information on day charters or weekend charters in Ft. Lauderdale, Miami or the Florida Keys call 800.758.9676 or email melanie@mgmyachts.com.
| 2.5 |
19. April 2009 at 2:59 am
Beautiful! thank’s for the interesting post
22. March 2011 at 9:19 am
It’s very useful post. Thanks..