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Dream Yacht Charter Owners/Charterers Experience
#215366
01/23/2020 10:31 PM
01/23/2020 10:31 PM
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 673 Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
caribbeangirl13
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Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
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I am broadening my horizons and looking into another guaranteed income charter company...Dream Yacht Charters. Any owners or charterers have experience they want to share? Would also love to hear what you think about the Fontaine Pajots and the Balis.
Sue s/v Ripple Leopard 40
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Re: Dream Yacht Charter Owners/Charterers Experience
[Re: caribbeangirl13]
#215472
01/25/2020 08:15 AM
01/25/2020 08:15 AM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,277 Saint Thomas, USVI
CaptainJay
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We do not do guaranteed revenue on cats at CYOA. But I would be happy to talk to you about Fountaine Pajot and the charter business. One of the things I ask anyone interested in a boat. What is your plan in five years when you get the boat back? Sell it? Keep it? Move aboard? What are your goals? How are you handling the remaining mortgage if there is one? There are a lot of reasons to buy a boat and a lot of reasons not to. I know that sounds like a Chinese fortune cookie. If the ultimate goal is to own the boat go cruising and reduce the cost of ownership then it may be a good fit. If you are looking for free boats then don't do it.
As for the "big guys" and trading weeks at other bases, it is a great benefit. Maybe the only real one they have to offer. Personalized, professional care on one of if not the most expensive items you will ever own is more important. The condition of your vessel post charter can make a huge difference in its value for resale. It also makes a huge difference if you plan to cruise or retire onboard.
If you want more information feel free to email me at jay@cyoacharters.com
Last edited by CaptainJay; 01/25/2020 01:50 PM.
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Re: Dream Yacht Charter Owners/Charterers Experience
[Re: caribbeangirl13]
#215560
01/25/2020 10:39 PM
01/25/2020 10:39 PM
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 673 Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
caribbeangirl13
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Thanks everyone for your input. Jay, I will be emailing you, thank you for being willing to be a resource. To answer some of your questions, the purpose is this...
I am retiring next year from teaching. I am only 53 (almost) years old so will be working something part time but my schedule will be flexible. My husband is 5 years younger and works for the forest service here in Colorado so he has some time to still put in before retirement. I was brought up in the Caribbean and have a longing to come "home" although I have lived in Colorado for 28 years. Our hope is that a job would open up for my husband in Puerto Rico or any of the USVIs (he could transfer over from forest to park service and still keep all his benefits) but that hasn't happened yet. My brother has a 444 that will be coming out of Sunsail charter in June/July. I have owner privileges on that boat but in order for both our families to do the sailing that we want to do (especially once I retire) I need my own boat. Plus it looks like he will most likely put that in private charter based out of St. Thomas so anytime I would want to use it he would be losing money. I want a Catamaran and can't afford to buy it out right at this time. Putting it in charter would allow our mortgage to be paid (guaranteed) for 5-6 years. Our hope is to be down there in 5-6 years as the boat comes out of charter and we would either move aboard or keep her for our personal use. At this point we would be able to comfortably afford her mortgage because we will be selling stuff here in Colorado. I also like the fact that with Sunsail/Moorings or Dream Yacht we can also sail in other places in the world. In fact we are excited to go with my brother to Tahiti in April.
That being said, I am willing to look at all options. We are going to the Miami Boat Show in April which we are looking forward to.
Sue s/v Ripple Leopard 40
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Re: Dream Yacht Charter Owners/Charterers Experience
[Re: caribbeangirl13]
#215562
01/25/2020 11:08 PM
01/25/2020 11:08 PM
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 559 Apex, NC
agrimsrud
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That being said, I am willing to look at all options. We are going to the Miami Boat Show in April which we are looking forward to.
Off topic but is there a boat show in Miami in April? The Miami boat show that I know about is in Feb. ??
Life's short - sail more!
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Re: Dream Yacht Charter Owners/Charterers Experience
[Re: agrimsrud]
#215580
01/26/2020 10:00 AM
01/26/2020 10:00 AM
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 673 Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
caribbeangirl13
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That being said, I am willing to look at all options. We are going to the Miami Boat Show in April which we are looking forward to.
Off topic but is there a boat show in Miami in April? The Miami boat show that I know about is in Feb. ?? Oops, meant February.
Last edited by caribbeangirl13; 01/26/2020 10:01 AM. Reason: Correction
Sue s/v Ripple Leopard 40
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Re: Dream Yacht Charter Owners/Charterers Experience
[Re: caribbeangirl13]
#271641
12/20/2021 08:22 PM
12/20/2021 08:22 PM
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 673 Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
caribbeangirl13
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Wow, it was a blast from the past to see this thread come back up. My original post was pre-Covid. We did end up going to the boat show and ended up really liking the Leopard 40 for both price, layout and for how she sails. We then found out that Moorings/Sunsail were discontinuing the Leopard 40 and had sold their last one so we were basically out of luck. Their replacement boat was a new (not even heard of at that time) Leopard 42 with a flybridge. Since the 42 was just in the beginning stages we knew it would be awhile before we would be able to get the boat and weren't even sure it was in the budget. We were pretty bummed. After the boat show we went to the USVI and looked at condos in St. Thomas and St. John. We quickly realized that we were not going to be able to afford something in St. John so narrowed places down in St. Thomas.
In March 2020, literally hours after my father had passed away from a long battle with COPD, I got an email from Moorings that they had a Leopard 40 become available in Martinique. They had been marketing it to their French clientele but couldn't sell it so were opening up the pool. I felt that it was a sign and we ended up buying the boat after some negotiations with Moorings. Then COVID hit and the boat has been rarely chartered and I still get paid each month. We were super glad we went with Moorings/Sunsail as to my knowledge they were only company who continued to pay their owners through COVID. After spending about 4 weeks sailing in the USVI this past year we are also super glad we didn't go with Dream Yachts. MIDiver, we saw everything you mentioned and more in that time!
We ended up also buying a condo in St. Thomas as, due to COVID, we sold our Denver condo because my husband now works from home and doesn't have to commute to Denver for work anymore. So, thanks everyone for the information!
Sue s/v Ripple Leopard 40
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Re: Dream Yacht Charter Owners/Charterers Experience
[Re: Skullaface]
#272531
01/05/2022 05:58 AM
01/05/2022 05:58 AM
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Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 3
Skullaface
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Member
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Posts: 3
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The last time we chartered was in October 2019. I remember them as a very kind, helpful, and responsive company. I mean, any time we had a question or an issue, they would answer and try to find the best solution. Since we moved to Miami, we didn't have the opportunity to sail with their boats. However, I found a great yacht rentals on https://www.vistayachts.com/. They have an insane variety of yachts, and most of them are available for a fair price. Besides that, their staff is also very kind and helpful. The best part is that their office is right next to my house.
Last edited by Skullaface; 01/05/2022 05:59 AM.
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Re: Dream Yacht Charter Owners/Charterers Experience
[Re: Skullaface]
#272532
01/05/2022 06:32 AM
01/05/2022 06:32 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 938 Georgia & South Carolina
Deepcut
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Posts: 938
Georgia & South Carolina
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The last time we chartered was in October 2019. I remember them as a very kind, helpful, and responsive company. I mean, any time we had a question or an issue, they would answer and try to find the best solution. Since we moved to Miami, we didn't have the opportunity to sail with their boats. However, I found a great yacht rentals on https://www.vistayachts.com/. They have an insane variety of yachts, and most of them are available for a fair price. Besides that, their staff is also very kind and helpful. The best part is that their office is right next to my house. I believe Vista Yachts is totally different than Dream Yacht Charters.
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Re: Dream Yacht Charter Owners/Charterers Experience
[Re: caribbeangirl13]
#272712
01/06/2022 09:54 PM
01/06/2022 09:54 PM
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Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 21 Ken Caryl, CO
SVGrenadine
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Ken Caryl, CO
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caribbeangirl13, I know your original question is two years old now, but I have some experience I can share that may be helpful (if it's not moot by now).
I chartered from DYC Scrub Island in April 2019 and had a good experience with the company, as a charterer - I can't comment on the ownership perspective. We had a very new Bali 4.5 for nine nights; I think we were the third party to take it out. There's been some comparison of catamarans in this thread. We liked the Bali for the purpose of cruising in the Virgin Islands, but I can't comment on its suitability for other purposes e.g. offshore passagemaking. We liked the open space concept, the forward seating area and large opening window from the salon to it, the full-size refrigerator, etc. It sailed well enough for me at the time but I never could get the helm perfectly balanced; there was always some rudder angle.
Then in November 2021 I crewed the delivery of an FP Saona 47 from Jamestown RI to the USVI for New England Sailing Center / Swain Sailing School and Yacht Charters. There was a DYC Astrea 42 at Jamestown in bad shape, and I heard some stories from NESC/Swain people about DYC opening a base on St. Thomas and another up in Jamestown, and that both were more or less disasters - not up to the standard of their BVI base at Scrub Island. Obviously that's second-hand hearsay, but maybe there is corroboration of it on this forum or others (e.g. USVI Cruisers and Boaters Facebook group). The Saona 47 was up to the task of a 12-day, 1800-mile passage with some weather and seas. But personally I'm not crazy about the off-center helm station.
I just got back from ten nights on a Lagoon 46 from CYOA. The CYOA people were good to work with and their base is in a great location from a logistical perspective. They have a variety of cats in their fleet from FP, Lagoon, and Nautitech.
Since we're in the same state, if we're ever up Vail way, or you're ever down Denver way, it would be great to get together for a coffee or beer or lunch and compare notes. I sure would like to hear your perspective on owning a boat in charter.
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