SailAway Yacht Charters Blog

Effective immediately, travelers under the () risk being detained at airports and sent home if they don’t comply with new U.S. rules.

Thousands of travelers are at risk, including those planning a in Florida or the Bahamas, as many clients pass through US airports on their way to their destination.  Even customers flying direct to in the are affected, as is considered a US for and mega yachts.

The introduction of the Electronic System for () means visitors from 27 countries — including most of Western Europe, New Zealand, Japan and Australia — must now register their details online at least three days before departure.

— earlier this month — replaces the written green form and allows travelers under the to enter the U.S. without a visa and stay for up to 90 days.  The measure is designed to tighten security and make it harder for who are citizens of the participating countries to easily obtain entry to the U.S.

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Critics fear the new rule will be an inconvenience for business and , and the is concerned that travelers who have not heard about the new rules may be caught off guard. A report on for 2009 predicted a 13 percent increase of British travelers visiting or passing through the United States this year. “The consequences of not registering through could therefore be far reaching,” says the Foreign Office.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has assured travelers that the system can handle last minute and .

has been operating on a voluntary basis since 1 August 2008 and is compulsory from 12 January 2009.

Applications can be made at any time, even if travelers have no specific travel plans. If itineraries change, information can be easily updated on the Web site. Once travelers are authorized, they can travel for up to two years or until their passport expires, whichever comes first. Passengers must submit the same information that is currently required in the form. This includes biographical data, travel information as well as questions regarding communicable diseases, arrests and convictions.

Here is a list of countries:
Andorra, France, Luxembourg, Singapore, Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, , Slovenia, Estonia, Australia, Iceland, Netherlands, Spain, Hungary, Belgium, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, Latvia, Brunei, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, Lithuania, Denmark, Japan, Portugal, United Kingdom, Slovakia, Finland, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Republic of Malta and South Korea.

Registration is possible through the U.S. government Web site. In most cases, eligibility for travel will be approved immediately.  Applicants who receive an “Authorization Pending” response will need to check the web site for updates. Applicants whose applications are denied will be referred to Travel.State.Gov for information on how to apply for a visa.

does not change the rules for citizens from countries that require visas.  That no longer includes travelers from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Republic of Korea, and the Slovak Republic; they joined the in November 2008. Malta became a member the following month.

Travelers are advised that does not guarantee entry into the United States. The final decision rests with the official at the port of entry.

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The luxury market has discovered the world of small, leisure in a big way.  

Just a few short years ago, the big boys who owned the hottest megayachts competed for affluent luxury travelers by adding ondeck Jacuzzi tubs and high performance waverunners to their list of onboard amenities and water toys.   Egos and deep pockets allowed big boy millionaire luxury superyacht owners to push the envelope further.   Small 5-meter tenders were replaced with large, fast, 30 to 40 foot sportfish boats, fully rigged with tournament fishing gear and diving equipment.   These large tenders were often too big to be stored on deck of the vessels, so they were towed behind, like boys and their red wagon toys.

Next came the helipads – landing areas onboard megayachts allowing charter guests an opportunity to chopper their way from sea to shore.  Mediterranean yacht charter aficionados clamored to rent megayachts with room for small helicopters that could transport them from the rooftops of ’s premier hotels – far away from the intrusive eye of the .

And then it happened… Somewhere along the line, the superyacht market collectively dipped their heads underwater and discovered a new opportunity for an over-the-top big-boy toy to top all others – the personal submarine.

Personal submarine (purchase price of $1.69 MILLION dollars) onboard mega charter yacht, MINE GAMES

Personal submarine (purchase price of $1.69 MILLION dollars) onboard mega charter yacht, MINE GAMES

It all makes sense, this new voyage of discovery.  Nearly 75% of our planet’s surface is covered by water, and under this water lays a largely undiscovered and fascinating ecosystem that can only be seen by scuba divers and subs.  Little wonder, then, that the underwater world has caught the attention of the industry, and opened up a completely new market in small leisure submarines.

Now, some of the world’s most significant charter carry subs, and if naval architects get their way, an increasing number will follow in the near future.

These manned submersibles have an excellent safety record, and are statistically the safest form of transportation.  This is due in large part to the rigorous safety requirements of the worldwide classification societies and the fact that each year, the subs must be thoroughly inspected by a surveyor in order to maintain their safe-vessel status.

While the present number of subs on megayachts is still small (not surprising, as the purchase price for these subs can be as much as $1.69 million dollars), the demand is steadily growing.  Motor yacht LADY LOLA carries a four-passenger submarine aboard her shadow – an 180-foot support vessel.   Motoryacht ULYSSES caries a 5-man submersible, with a diving depth capability of 600 feet, and until recently sold to a private owner, the charter vessel WHITE RABBIT carried a 3-person sub.

Motor yacht ECLIPSE, the largest yacht in the world, and currently under construction in Germany, has a special feature.  If the yacht were to come under attack by or Somali pirate, 12 guests can escape through secret corridors to a submarine that is launchable underwater and can dive away to 160ft in depth.   Move over, !

One of the newest yachts to enter charter, the 164’ Trinity motor yacht MINE GAMES, carries a 2-passenger sub on her extended stern swim platform.  The submarine is the ideal watertoy for exploring the shallow waters and blue grottos during a Bahama yacht charter.

Submarines on are the passports to a new and exciting world.  Charter guests can now journey to the silent depths of the sea and explore uncharted territory, or simply slip beneath the ocean’s surface to see the abundance and diversity of life on a tropical coral reef or sunken ship.  Indeed, the wonders of the underwater world are waiting to be experienced.

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