Luxury Real Estate

By Jim Walberg of Carribean Islands Realty

Jim Walberg has just discovered one of the most decadent and luxurious chartered sailing vacations in the Caribbean - just for two people in Paradise!

So, I was having a discussion last week with Chris and Julie, who own s/y Felicia - the Privilege 65 catamaran based in the BVI. They told me about their dear friends, Ed and Natalie who have been sailing the Caribbean since 1994, and have created an ultra-luxury chartered sailing vacation experience in the Las Aves - an eight island chain just off of Bonaire , on their 52′ high-performance sloop, s/y Safari. I LOVE new sailing adventures so my curiosity got the best of me. I called Ed and Natalie up on Skype and began an amazing series of conversations about what they have created for their very discerning guests. What I discovered was SO exciting that I needed to share it with all of you immediately. Here goes…

Las Aves islands are just 30 miles off the coast of Bonaire, and just 70 miles from Curacao. Many of you know about this region of the Caribbean as the most pristine waters for sailing and diving. The diving experiences are so breathtaking that Bonaire is looked upon as the Caribbean’s dive destination. Las Aves means “birds” in Spanish. The area is a breeding ground for many unique bird species as well as turtles. It is a “sea” of marine and bird life any where you sail in these private islands and reefs. This is THE place to get away from any crowds. Ed and Natalie guarantee a private beach and anchorage everyday! WOW! You would never find this in the BVI or even the Grenadines.

This ultra-luxury charter yacht has all the amenities you could ever dream of, including Burmese teak decking, sparkling brightwork, and a teak interior, plus;

• Charter Guest Suite: Queen bed & full bath, lots of storage space in the guest cabin.
• Yacht Toys: Sailing & instruction opportunities; wind surfing; kayaking; snorkeling; golf “beach driving range”; beach hut; iPod docking station; SkyMate email;
• Daily Gourmet Experiences: This ultra-luxury sailing adventures includes Ed as your captain and Natalie as your world-class chef. All meals and beverages are provided, a well stocked super-premium bar, and vintage wines for your enjoyment at lunches and dinners.

How about this for a sample menu for your day’s dining experience?

• Breakfast: Poached Eggs, Warm Asparagus, Crispy Pancetta & Melted Camembert
• Lunch: Grilled Pineapple & Jerk Chicken with Island Sweet Potato Jumble
• Afternoon Hors d’Oeuvres: Jumbo Cassava crackers w/spicy chutneys
• Dinner: Braised Endive with Balsamic Sauce; Grilled Lobster Tail with Lime Butter; Herbed Jasmine Rice & Steamed Young Vegetables Dessert: Key Lime Pie with Gingersnap Crust ( Are you drooling yet?)
• Beverages For Your Day’s Enjoyment - Examples: Havana Club Special Dark Rum Mai Tai; your choice of sodas, water, and premium beers; Grey Goose Vodka Martinis; Heidsieck Monopole Brut Champagne Blue Top NV; Domaine Lebrun Pouilly Fumé 2006; Château Mazeyres Pomerol 1999; Castarede VSOP 10 Armagnac ( All of these are provided because thirst is a dangerous thing.)

Ed and Natalie sold their businesses in Montreal and headed south in 1994. They made a promise to “live slow” in Paradise and they are still keeping that promise everyday. And besides Natalie dazzling you with her gourmet meals each day, she is a professional artist and sells her paintings and jewelry all over the Caribbean. They also both speak English, French and Spanish.

This is a typical rave review of past guests, “Our travel style is to find an exotic, luxury destination that offers personalized attention. Safari Sailing gave us the boutique experience we were looking for, with an exotic locale and wonderful hosts. Being able to leave all decision- making to Ed and Natalie’s good judgment and great style led to a blissful ten days in Las Aves, where for the first time in years, we completely lost track of time. It was beyond all of our expectations.” Linda and Filip - Washington, DC

They only schedule from six to eight charters a year, so their pampered guests usually book a year in advance. Please contact me TODAY if you want more information about your next ultra-luxury exotic sailing adventure. Until next time…your Caribbean lifestyle detective remainds on duty!

By Jim Walberg of Caribbean Islands Realty

Two charter vacation yacht owners who are also the crews on their gorgeous yachts, checked in with Jim Walberg regarding some experiences from their current 2009 season in the Virgin Islands.

S/Y Three Moons: Randy and Shelly Tucker - Owners/Crew

The instability of the economy is only making us work harder at perfecting our positive image of being a high level professionally crewed yacht. Yes, we are all networking more and reaching out in new ways to contact prospective clients. We are emphasizing that no corners are being cut for our guests, no matter the cost or the economy. ALL INCLUSIVE still means “all inclusive” for our guests. We are a premium yacht with three professional crew members that continue to serve each of our guests in a royal style. This seems so much smarter than making “desperation deals”. If it results in a quieter season overall, then the results will reflect positively with the great changes that have been made to our yacht. All of us have our 2009 “to do” list and are happily getting it “done” with an extra week of time here and there between charters!

Also, visit us at the Spring Show in St. Thomas at Yacht Haven Grande. It will be another opportunity to show off our “stuff” to the various charter vacation brokers. And…our 1^st Mate - Becca Lee, has been working as a Tour Guide for Princess Cruise Lines here in St. Thomas for a couple of years between charters. Last month she was awarded with the prestigious “Tour Guide of the Year” award. We topped off her excitement with a nice tiara to wear while washing dishes in the Three Moons Galley! Being a crew member always keeps us grounded in a state of reality. Becca has created quit an impression with our guests this year because of her non-stop fun-loving style. And, Jim, the weather is sunny, 85 degrees, and the water has 100 foot clarity and is 80+ degrees. Hope to see you at the VICL Spring Boat Show! We may even stop by and visit you again during the off-season as we explore more of the San Francisco Area.

S/V Felicia: Chris and Julie Bennett - Owners/Crew

Good to hear from you, Jim! We enjoyed your article on Tuscany two weeks ago. It was very reminiscent of where we live in France during the off-season - but on a much grander scale of course. Just beautiful - would love to see the hotel some day, when we’re done with our house and able to actually do some more serious exploring in Italy and France.

2009 has been our transition year as we stepped up in size and scale with our new catamaran Felicia. We had such a successful run on Blu Moon that has really served us with clients following us to our new charter vacation sailing vessel. We’re actually doing great given it is our first year with a new yacht. We have the reputation in the industry as one of the top crew and charter experiences for our guests, however our catamaran is somewhat unknown in the industry because it wasn’t actively chartered for the past several years.

With any business “stuff happens” that causes you to need to be light on your feet and make adjustments. We are having one of those moments. We are in the midst of an insurance claim with a boat that sailed into us with six cruise ship passengers on board. S/Y Felicia was actually on her mooring, we gone into town for supplies, and the other boat got itself wedged between our starboard hull and our mooring ball. Don’t ask me how they came to be sailing between the boats in 20+ knot winds (they picked the most two expensive boats in the anchorage to sail between that day)….I don’t know. So…we’re in a lift at the moment having the lifelines, stanchion and bowsprit repaired. We had to already turn away a charter last week because we couldn’t go out in that condition. Just hope we can get some relief from the insurance company. We “splashed” back in the water last Friday so we are very excited to get back into the action of the business we love so much - creating an extraordinary sailing vacation for cherished customers. Until next time…fair winds. Please keep in touch. We love your articles!

So, if you would like more information about one of the most unforgettable vacation experiences you will ever have in Paradise, contact me and I will be glad to send you the information you will need. I look forward to hearing from you.