How To Hop Gallery

I saw about 300 charter yachts in 2007. Most of them I toured at boat shows at a pace of at least ten yachts a day. My stack of collected brochures from last year alone is more than three-feet tall. And it sits in my office next to similar-size stacks from years past.That's a lot of boats to try to remember, and I'd be lying if I told you they all stay at

By Mike Smith

May 1, 2008

<p>A professional dancer shakes to the music onboard Harmony.</p>

A professional dancer shakes to the music onboard Harmony.

Milk and Honey’s captain and stewardesses get into the spirit.

Charter brokers Diane Fraser (left) and Patricia Saks from Fraser Yachts Worldwide enjoy the festivities – which they’ll later describe to potential clients.

Milk and Honey’s incognito captain offers hors d’oeuvres to Jenny Trotter, a charter broker at Meridian Yacht Charters.

The crew onboard the motoryacht Azzurra II are all smiles beneath their masks. A festive attitude helps set the mood as much as costumes and props do.

The Balaju crew put together a spa theme, to contrast with the dancing girls and loud parties onboard other yachts. Their costumes – bathrobes and towels – are both inexpensive and highly effective.

Balaju also brought in a massage therapist to help soothe brokers before they headed back to the louder parties onboard other boats.

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Mike Smith

Charter, Photo Gallery, Voyaging

More Charter Photo Gallery Voyaging

A scenic, eye-level perspective looking down a busy historic canal waterway in Amsterdam. Long, traditional houseboats line both sides of the canal banks, some featuring lush container gardens and potted plants on their roofs. The water reflects the cloudy sky above. Dense rows of vibrant green trees frame the canal, partially shading cobblestone streets, brick townhomes, parked bicycles, and a cafe terrace on the right. In the distance, a low arched bridge spans across the water under an overcast, dramatic sky.

Country of Close Encounters

A close-up, high-angle view of the bow of a luxury motor yacht moored on calm water. The bow features highly polished, varnished mahogany wood decking with a stainless steel bow rail, a prominent chrome anchor mounted at the stem, and two braided blue dock lines stretching diagonally across the frame.

Eat. Cruise. Repeat.

A close-up, selective-focus shot of a black marine compass dial illuminated at night. Bold white numbers indicate bearings for 300, 330, and 0 (North), with a yellow arrow symbol pointing toward the North marker beneath a bright reflection on the glass.

Life Aboard: Anticipation

A classic wooden commuter yacht with polished timber decks and white trim cruising smoothly at speed on bright water.

The Long Way Home

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