Michelle Blore and Alan Oliver

YV&C International Yacht Vacations & Charters Magazine reports: Who has never dreamt of being a pirate with an eye patch, a parrot on their shoulder and cutlasses at their hip; of desert islands with white sand and long-legged palm trees; secret coves, caves and treasure maps where X marks the spot? And of the bursting treasure chest with jewel encrusted goblets and gold doubloons spilling out? The inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel Treasure Island is said to have come from Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands; a sparkling archipelago of some sixty-odd Caribbean islands situated fifty miles to the east of Puerto Rico. They first came to the attention of the western world in 1493 when Christopher Columbus sailed through and named them the Islas Virgines because of their untouched beauty. He didn’t stop though, being as he was on ... (more)

Ocean Bound

For your next charter, how about being swept the length of the deck by a 60-ft. wave, struggling to put a reef in the mainsail in a Force 9 gale and then enjoying your supper of a freeze dried meal before strapping yourself into your bunk for no more than three hours sleep at a time? If this doesn’t appeal, try another perspective – how about taking the biggest adventure of your life, breaking the boundaries of everything you thought you were capable of and experiencing the most natural and untamed edges of the world? One of nature’s last bastions, the sea is am... (more)

Purely for Pleasure

Even if you’ve never been to St. Tropez, you’ve probably already seen the famous clock tower and the multi-million dollar yachts berthed shoulder to shoulder at the quayside. You’ve probably also heard talk of the boutiques, luxury hotels, restaurants and bars bursting with celebrities; all glitz and high-living. Some people are put off, others are drawn by curiosity. Certainly everyone has formed an impression before they arrive. It’s hard to imagine that just after the end of the Second World War when the owners of a local fishermen’s bar decided t... (more)

Exploration Yacht Charter Spirit of The Highlands

“My desire is always to be here” sang Sir Paul McCartney in his tribute to the Mull of Kintyre, and the Western Highlands have inspired the same loyalty in many who have come to know and love this secluded coast. The Scottish landscape is a theatre where the hills themselves appear to move in the shifting light, one minute swathed in cloud, the next a misty veil of sunlight, and later against a piercing blue sky the brilliant sunshine bouncing off fresh snow on the hilltops. One of the first things to strike you here is the lack of clutter; this is scenery empty of th... (more)

Fame and Fantasy: A Riviera Weekend

Discovered by aristocrats, revelled in by royals and gilded by movie stars, the Riviera is a place where centuries of sophisticated travellers have dipped their toes in the Mediterranean. If you’ve business to attend to in London, Rome, Paris or any other European city, a weekend stop-over gives you time to leave your shoes on the quayside and find out why so many of the rich and famous have been drawn to its charms. You can leave the office after the day’s business on Friday and be boarding your yacht later that evening. Nice airport is within a 1½ hour flight of mos... (more)