My name is Liane Le Tendre. I was the owner of a yacht sales brokerage in Toronto, Canada prior to moving to the BVI in 1993. Since arriving in Tortola I was the office manager responsible for charter sales at a local BVI charter company. I left in 1998 to start Bareboats BVI. We specialize in BVI crewed and bareboat charters based in Tortola.
First hand knowledge of each sailboat and powerboat represented is the primary responsibility of any bareboat broker.
As a Caribbean based broker, I would not feel comfortable selling holidays aboard any yacht I am unable to personally inspect ... any time I wish. I could broker bareboat vacations anywhere in the world, just as most charter brokers do, but how can anyone sell vacations aboard boats they have never seen?
You won't see headlines on our web site screaming
"hundreds of yachts to choose from". I have purposely kept our selection of yachts to under 100 of the best in each of the fleets we represent. Its a manageable number to inspect and my confidence in the yachts we represent is unwavering.
I will not broker holidays aboard any yacht that I wouldn't put my own family aboard!
Safety, cleanliness and routine maintenance are the three key ingredients by which I judge any boat. Once a yacht fails to pass my standards of acceptability, it simply gets dropped from our inventory. My reputation is at stake when I sell a sailing vacation and I need to be confident in my recommendations.
What are the advantages of using a yacht charter broker?
- Brokers enjoy the freedom to personally choose whatever yacht in which he or she feels confident. We are not obliged to sell charters on boats which may be past their prime or which have not been properly maintained, simply because they are available. I personally inspect and "hand pick" each sailboat and motor yacht represented by Bareboats BVI from several small to mid sized companies located on Tortola.
- In the unlikely event of a dispute between you and the charter company, we will act as your advocate in an effort to come to an amicable solution to the problem. It is always handy to have a representative "on island" who has first hand knowledge of all the yachts, the companies and their staff and who will investigate the cause of any difficulties you may encounter. Your bareboat broker will act as a buffer between you and the company, should the need arise.
- There is no additional charge to book through a yacht charter broker and you are entitled to the same discounts available through the bareboat company which may be offered from time to time. Should you decide to return for a future sailing vacation, you will also be entitled to any repeat customer discounts offered by that company.
Choose your yacht charter broker wisely:
Many brokers are reputable, seasoned professionals who have a reasonable working knowledge of the yachts they represent. However, 99% do not have the advantage of being located "on island" year 'round, with the ability to inspect any boat at any time.
Some "part time brokers" have never set foot on
any of the yachts they sell holidays aboard and rely solely on the reputation of the company. That's quite a burden to put on the charter company.
For every bareboat, there is an owner. If that owner will not or cannot put the money into the boat required to maintain it properly, there is very little the company can do. They could be the best company in the world, but if you are stuck with an uncooperative owner who does not allot sufficient funds to maintain the boat, well .....
When you hire a broker, he or she should be your eyes, ears and nose. They work for
you, not the charter company.
You will note that we have taken the time to photograph nearly every yacht represented, as time and availability of the boats allow. There are few (if any) brokers who have provided this service for their clientele. Most have their webmasters beg, borrow or steal photos from the internet. I will not do that ... EVER! From time to time, if the yacht is not yet here on Tortola or if I have not had the opportunity to get photos, I will link to the manufacturer's web site. Taking my own photos and creating is both time consuming and labour intensive ... but it confirms my commitment to our clients and verifies my personal knowledge of each and every yacht we represent.
May we book our sailing vacation through our travel agent?
Certainly you "may" ... but why would you? Some travel agents know a few things about yacht charters and
may have a yacht charter specialist in their company ... but be aware most do not. Some bareboat companies deal with travel agents and others do not. Many brokers don't, including us. Ask first and find out what is what.
If you go through a travel agent, they will simply do the hunting on the Internet for you and will add their percentage on top of the actual charter fee. Because most travel agents are not yacht charter savvy, every question you ask them will have to be put to the charter company or the broker they are using ... which will unnecessarily delay your response.
Why pay more than you have to for the same thing? A good yacht charter broker is worth their weight in gold and will provide much better information, much more quickly. Of course, for obvious reasons, I tend to be biased. :)