# Beware of VIP Yacht Charters



## ct00 (Nov 11, 2013)

VIP Yacht charters
This is hopefully an objective review of VIP Yacht Charters. I say hopefully as we had a very one way experience so I do not want it to seem subjective. To mitigate that, this is basically a photo essay. Pictures speak a thousand words. We chartered the. 54ft Hylas (Laughing Pelican IV) thinking we were happy to pay the extra cost for a killer hylas and were sadly disappointed. I will say it sailed beautifully (until the ancient genoa shredded). Shame is was a junker otherwise. VIP offered us a measly $600 refund. Terrible company. Terrible service. Beware.

Here’s a list of the problems:

Broken electric winch
Broken fridge 
Front cabin hatch screen ripped and covered in duct tape
Starboard galley window shattered and held together with tape
All wood finish falling off
Aft toilet broken - delayed leaving while being fixed
Fore toilet hand came off - had to create a makeshift cotter pin
Freezer stopped working temporarily
Sink pump macerator seized - had to drain trap and hand turn shaft with screwdriver to free up
Speed, wind speed and wind direction instruments broken
Depth gauge 2ft TOO SHALLOW
One person said draft was 5.5-6ft other said 7ft
Hatch Handles broken on a number of hatches
Anchor light broken
Only one side of toaster works and was full of cockroaches
Boat is very dirty and grungy - we washed part the second day
Water tank and fuel tank gauges don't work
Hull heavily fouled
Genoa rigged incorrectly (sheet inside of stays) had to rerig off shore
Mail rigged incorrectly - engineer noticed day we were leaving
When complaining about the broken fridge (didn't know about the problems with the freezer yet) was told "don't let it ruin your vacation"
No tool kit - if I didn't push to get some put onboard we would still have no sink pump
Broken zippers
Head replaced
Broken hand water pump
Rod to hold fridge lid open doesn't work
Bimini leaks like a j cloth - hasn't been treated 
Boat is filthy
Main sheet improperly rigged
Sheets and lines mislabeled
Continually had to go into bilge and fix sink macerator
Mentioned a snub line for the anchor and was told don't worry

As for their powerboats, I can't say. However we were at the dock at the bitter end and one of them was there being repaired. We pulled up in our dinghy and asked what they thought of VIP as this was just after our genoa shredded. They said "we like them - a couple of repairs and we can move on" 

Hundreds of COCKROACHES - seriously

www dot icloud dot com slash photostream slash #A4G4Tcsm9b2Ul


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## neilsty (Oct 15, 2009)

We chartered the same. Boat a couple of years ago, it sounds like it has gone down hill since then. We still had the problem with instruments not working and a lot of cockroaches. The boat was worn but not as badly as your photos show it currently. I was very disappointed in how it sailed though, felt it was heavy and fairly unresponsive. I chartered it as a hylas 54 was on my short list of boats to buy. The owner had this one up for sale back then - don't know if it still is or not. A couple of people I have talked to since then also thought that the 54 was not a great sailing boat. So even though the charter was a disappointment it saved me from buying a boat I would not have been happy with.


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## Slayer (Jul 28, 2006)

I can't view the pics...when I plug in the url you gave I get redirected here: Apple - iCloud - All your content on all your devices.


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## benesailor (Dec 27, 2012)

You have to punch a dot and slash and so forth. 

www dot icloud dot com slash photostream slash #A4G4Tcsm9b2Ul

That boat was a mess.


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## FarCry (Apr 21, 2007)

I think that is the last monohull they have in the fleet that's available for charter. A couple of years ago an employee told me they were migrating from sail to power boats.


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## Slayer (Jul 28, 2006)

benesailor said:


> You have to punch a dot and slash and so forth.
> 
> www dot icloud dot com slash photostream slash #A4G4Tcsm9b2Ul
> 
> That boat was a mess.


I did that. I put in two .'s and two /'s where indicate, but it just takes me to the apple page. Did I miss something?


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## Rhapsody-NS27 (Apr 8, 2012)

I just tried it: https://www.icloud.com/photostream/#A4G4Tcsm9b2Ul
Seems the owner probably put it in charter and forgot about it.


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## FarCry (Apr 21, 2007)

Slayer said:


> I did that. I put in two .'s and two /'s where indicate, but it just takes me to the apple page. Did I miss something?


I had trouble until I cut and pasted and then went back and added the needed dots and slashes, worked fine my second try.


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## finding41 (Jul 19, 2011)

I charter 2 MacGregor 26Ds in allot better shape! 
The cooler gets cold once ice is added. Guaranteed!
I'm not joking.


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## Slayer (Jul 28, 2006)

What did you pay for the charter? No pictures of the hundreds of cockroaches?


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## kellysails (Nov 1, 2008)

Wow, I've been on eight charter trips. That boat is by far the worst I have ever seen in charter. We have always used budget charter companies also. Sorry, that sucks. 

Thanks for the head's up on VIP. Won't forget.


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## kellysails (Nov 1, 2008)

Next time try Conch Charters out of the BVI. Very inexpensive with older boats but very clean.


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## FarCry (Apr 21, 2007)

Or Island Yachts or CYOA, the other two bareboat companies on St Thomas.


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## kellysails (Nov 1, 2008)

FarCry said:


> Or Island Yachts or CYOA, the other two bareboat companies on St Thomas.


CYOA was the original Hylas charter company. I have heard good things about them. It would be hard to also beat Island Yachts with their outstanding inventory of Island Packets. Both are good. Conch Charters would have your older Beneteau's, a bit beat up but well maintained and clean, but super cheap chartering.


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