charter yacht

With the parents in the morning, but will have my phone and access to email at night, so don't stop emailing me!
Here we are waving good bye...Actually Heather had taken this before they left on Swim Vacation, but I do have to giggle cuz I do have that exact pair of pajamas on at this point in time!


I did do up a few entries while I was gone that I could just put up without worrying about having connections to do pictures and that. Many people have asked for a post of what I used for underwater photography gear, so I have that ready as well as some more tales on boats in Puerto Rico like the ones below!



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My friend Sheila at Paradise Connections pointed me to this entry on Cruisers Forum



Apparently two cats, one a charter boat, (but I don't know it from what I can tell...) and a Catana, and one private both had the boats on autopilot and radar and no look outs coming back and to St Barts and collided!
What are the chances! I understand that the other boat is in worse shape then this one and had to be hauled immediately....

I think you could count your insurance null and void about this point...

Years ago I visited this yacht at the Tortola Boat show, and met an old man, who had cigarette butts overflowing in his ashtray, a bottle of rum at the handy, and wanted only honeymoon couples cuz they would be busy and leave him alone to drink his rum. I don't think he made it out of the boat show before getting fired by his clearinghouse.


In my opinion, he was the total representation of a rum soaked ex pat living the dream in the Caribbean. Shortly after that he took on a mercy mission to Haiti, along with a couple other boats that I blogged about here. He had misfortune after misfortune, mostly of his making and the last I heard he was in Jamaica with a broken boat and no money appealing for financial aid.

Part of what I heard was here:

As you know we left Tortolla with a cargo of outboard engines to diliver to the Island of Isle a Vache Haiti for Micheal Beans good Samaritain foundation
My engine broke down in St Thomas and we failed to get a mechanic to solve the problem. I decided that it was very important to get the engines here together with food cloths and medicines ect. However we sailed down under wind power,and found here that the engine is siezed. We also expeiranced a severe gale one day before arrival that damaged my mainsail,that also lost my dingy .
My funds are extreemly low and Carron who came on the voyage with Ricks yacht Sophiscated Lady has lent me the cost of two air tickets back from Jamica to Tortola . I plan to sail Fairwind on down wind to Jamica thenI must lift Fairwind in Port Antonio as I also have a shaft coupling problem that needs replacing.
My situation is somewhat fraught with anxiety as to where I will raise the money for the repairs and boat yard.
I volanteered for this charity project and I appeal to all cruising charter yacht owners to help me with funds in my time of distress.
Regards to all Harry

I heard nothing for awhile, until my surprise, I heard he was back in Tortola and trying to sell charters again, which was a laugh.

Unfortunately, people are saying that Harry is misrepresenting his yacht and not only selling charters to unsuspecting guests on the internet, but also trying to get people to take a half ownership in his "luxury" yacht.

This puts a black eye on the entire charter industry down here and makes me feel a bit sick. I understand being old and needing money, but misrepresenting yourself so thoroughly is just plain wrong, and I believe our Tourist Board and Marine Services in the BVI should investigate this.

Why am I blogging this? Because I have seen the yacht and believe me, it looks NOTHING like this picture that is on his web sites AND I feel a bit sick that someone is potentially scamming people in our industry like this AND anyone doing a search on the internet will find where I have blogged about Fairwinds in the past and his association with the Haiti Mission. I am sure that MIchael Beans/ Rotary Club/ would be just as aghast at this, as Beans and the Rotary have truly given much support and financial aid over the years to Haiti and Ile De Vache. THEY ARE LEGIT!

I also regret not being more forthcoming on what i thought of the yacht and the info I knew about this, as it could have prevented these things if true. I just usually get in trouble for not being "politically correct" enough on here...

This is the picture on the website..



Here are some of the websites he is listing his luxury charters on:



and the fractional share:



and a couple of the complaints on the web:



I recently had the misfortune to book a Skippered Charter with Harry J Birch of Funsail BVI on his "luxury" crewed yacht Fairwind. I booked and paid on the understanding that it was a bone fide charter company licenced to operate in the BVI and that Captain Harry was a RYA certified comercial yacht skipper. On arrival I was met by a man well into his seventies clearly stressed distracted and unprepared for a sea passage. The yacht Fairwind devoid of crew and was old tired, worn out dirty and no longer fit to go to sea; much like Harry himself in my view. Hiarrys charter licence ran out years ago and his comercial skippers license proclaims hima sprightly a sprightly 62 year old while his pasport puts him at least a decade older. When I expressed my concerns about skipper and vessel I was told to take it or leave it, no refunds. None of my party could bring themselves to spend I night on this wreched old boat much less a week so we left it.



Beware of Captain Harrys deceptively smiling face on his website to charter his yacht ‘Fairwind’ otherwise you will be sorely disappointed and stony broke like us.
We went out to Jamaica to crew for him with a pre-arrangement of all expenses paid.
We flew out to Jamaica to meet him, after meeting him in this country. He seemed very plausible.
The tender was extremely primitive. We had to throw our luggage and get ourselves into the boat, a six foot drop from a pontoon. When we got on board the yacht and Harry opened up the companionway the stink was overwhelming and our hearts sunk, but after paying all that airfare, we decided to make the best of it and tried to clean it up. Next day we had to go shopping as there was no food on board and nothing to drink.
We later found out after setting sail to Cuba, he had done a runner from the Jamaican Marina without paying some $1, 200 s in fees for anchoring for three months there. He almost managed to sink the yacht when we were leaving, as he had not closed the hatches in preparation. He had decided to leave without telling us.
During our night passage to Cuba, we discovered there were no life-raft, no dan buoys, no life-jackets, no ASB or SSB; no EPIRB, no tri-navigational light and no VHF radio on board his boat. The engine broke down three times, the water-pump kept failing and the water-tank was splitting. The heads would not flush and the shower backed up. Also the oven did not work, the battery was pathetic and there was no air-conditioning.
In Cuba we arrived without pre-warning the authorities, due to a lack of radio. Seventeen officials and a dog boarded our yacht and all at the same time. The dog went frantic when he entered our cabin. Later Harry informed us that some guy that had been using our cabin had been busted in Jamaica for possessing Cocaine and was given a prison sentence. We were nearly arrested. Had we been convicted we would have had been executed by shooting. Cheers for that Harry.
Harry continued to demand money off us for everything and even lied to obtain more. He refused to pay the officials and criticised the regime of Fidel Castro and was extremely abusive to the officials. He had an extremely vile and vicious temper.
He went out and we packed our bags and left the boat. Because we had to go through so much officialdom, he arrived back and became extremely obnoxious towards us and tried to attack us both.
I hope this information helps someone else avoid this hideous experience with Harry Birch of the yacht ‘Fairwind’

And finally, a subsequent email I had exchanged with the latest gentleman who is understandably, pissed...

"I do feel like a gullible idiot but at a distance and taken with his website "funsail BVI" Captain Harry is very plausible.

I didnt get any pictures regretably but I have all the e.mail corespondence. The dirt and smell alone were enough to put us off but we did do a quick inspection of the boat The engine compartment is a nightmare with corroded gas lines, coolant everywhere and broken bilge pump spraying water over the electrics. My party comprised me and two other guys. We are all experienced RYA Yachtmasters not just overly fussy tourists.

I also tried to check his paperwork on the boat. Couldnt find any insurance details but he claims he is covered for charter by Panteneus. He seems to have lost his BVI charter licence some years ago and his RYA skippers licence claims he is only 62, probably to avoid the medical exam. I dont know if any of that counts for anything down there. Here in Europe it would probably get him shut down or arrested.

In addition to his charter website he is currently advertising here in the UK for people to invest £20 or£30K in his Carribean Charter Business in return for use of his luxury classic yacht. See Yachtfractions.co.uk.

I'm out about $4K. I have considered suing him here in the UK but I suspect there may be jursitriction issues and it may just come down to our word against his in court. It is not about the money, I know thats a lost cause but he really does need to be shut down. I have since found one other person who has posted a warning on line about Harrys antics and I feel sure there a good few other victims. I would just like to put a stop to his scams before more people get robbed or worse."


DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

Another website link that he is on

gutsy I would say!
Just received this...



Norwegian Lagoon 380 Premium has been stolen in the Caribbean. The hullnumber is 339. Some characteristics:

The boat is equipped with Volvo engines, canvas bimini roof, genakerrigging, Hincode: FR-CNB380339G506, large windows in the hull without the decoration tape, composite pulpitseats



If any of you see the boat; please contact the insurance company:



Mail from the insurance company:

“Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

please note our attached search-request for CAT LAGOON 380 S2 "NAMASTE", which was reported stolen from her mooring at anchor in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, US-Virgin Islands between Sunday 27.02.2011 and Thursday 03.03.2011.

For actual details on the stolen yacht, please, also check our website: http://stolenboats.eu/boatdetails_LAGOON_380-1.html

The yacht had apparently some trouble with the engines and might have required service or repairs.

Perhaps the yacht is sailing or moored in your local waters. The yacht's name and appearance is probably changed by now.
Please, keep a lookout and send the search-request to your contacts in the neighborhood.

The underwriters have offered a high reward for information leading to the successful recovery of the yacht.
If you have any information about this stolen boat or can report sightings or maybe circumstances of the theft, please contact us.