Yacht

Looking for something different to do as Labor Day and summer draw to a close?  Escape the Miami and South Beach heat with a fishing boat charter!  Our 51’ Hatteras charter is awesome for that day trip out to sea on the marbled Atlantic coastline.

If you haven’t indulged, the view of Miami from sea is absolutely gorgeous.  Just a few minutes offshore in a luxury fishing charter makes you feel like you have escaped into a new world.  It is similar to that feeling we all get when we drive to the Keys for a long weekend, feeling a million miles away from our everyday worries and responsibilities.  Not to mention that the waters of South Florida and the Caribbean are famed for our large game fish, abundant marine life and natural reefs!

A mystery yacht has washed up on Florida’s west coast on Wednesday, with the motor running and no one onboard.  Authorities have been unsuccessful in locating its owner, and the 48-foot Sea Ray Sundancer luxury yacht is valued at around $1 million dollars, according to the company website. 

At this point of the mystery, authorities have located its previous owner, who sold it about two years ago.  Who knows how many times the vessel has changed hands after that sale, if any.  The luxury yacht is blue and white, with the name ‘Makin’ Waves’ and the most recent registration is out of Delaware.  Abandoned yacht is similar to one pictured at right.

There are two flags, a Mexican flag secured to the bow and an American flag at the stern.  Because the motor was running, and the strange circumstances of the abandoned yacht, foul play has not been ruled out, although no immediate clues were available onboard and no missing persons have been reported at sea.

This Week in Chicago: August 23-29

In less than 17 hours, twenty tall ships from around the world will sail into Navy Pier for a weeklong celebration.  Pepsi is sponsoring the Tall Ships Chicago 2010 tour this year and will be adding some exciting additions.  These majestic and historic ships will all be located at Navy Pier for the first time in history.  Guests will be able to board up to 12 of the ships and will also have the option to take a cruise onto Lake Michigan via five of the vessels.  For those who love ships, yachts and boats this event is perfect for you.

The ships will be docked at three Festival locations within Navy Pier all week.  Guests will have three different options for tickets to the event. The first option is general admission to the festival grounds, which includes viewing of all 20 ships.  The second option is a dockside boarding ticket, which will allow boarding of 12 ships along with general admission and dockside viewing.  The final ticket option is a sail-away ticket, allowing for a 60-90 minute sailing excursion on one of the historic tall ships.  This is the perfect event to drive up in one of our Chicago exotic car rentals.

Not only is South Florida flocked to by scads of tourists annually, it also happens to lay claim to the title of the ‘yachting capital of the East coast’.  With hundreds of miles of intercoastal waterways weaving throughout the lower corner of the Sunshine state, it is also lovingly referred to as the Venice of the United States.  So what does that mean for you?

Yes, with plenty of dock space, luxury waterfront hotels, inlets and waterways to explore, South Florida draws in mega yachts, luxury yachts, sport yachts, boats and many other vessels from all over the world.  South Florida is also just a short jaunt to the Bahamas, a popular tourist attraction and the Florida Keys.

2010 Sea Ray 540 Sundancer

With only a few weeks remaining to enjoy everything Lake Michigan has to offer to Chicago residents time is running out for all boating enthusiasts.  For those of you who have yet to enjoy a weekend out on the water, now is the perfect time to take advantage of one of Imagine Lifestyles Chicago luxury yacht charters before winter comes and ruins boating season once again.  Although there are a number of ways to enjoy a weekend on the water we are focusing this week on one of our favorite rentals, the Sea Ray 540.

To truly understand the beauty and elegance of this yacht, imagine yourself inside a luxurious 2-bedroom condo decorated and designed with modern elegance and class.  Now take that condo and throw it onto Lake Michigan and you have begun to put yourself inside Sea Ray’s 54-foot palace on water.  Words cannot even begin to do this cruiser justice as it has every feature one could think of when designing a boat.  Ontop of  all this beauty and luxury  this yacht drives as fast as one of our exotic rental cars.

Thinking of hitting the high seas in high style, but feel that a luxury yacht charter is too large for your needs?  Have you considered a sport yacht charter, like the 68’ Azimut yacht charter?  These smaller yachts still pack the exotic punch, without the mega size.

Yes, a 68’ yacht charter is just the ticket for smaller groups and excursions.  It maintains stunning lines and sleek aerodynamics, with superior performance cues.  This Azimut luxury yacht rides on a hull with a deadrise of 16 degrees at the transom, and slides across the water to a top speed of approximately 40 miles per hour.  The comfortable cruising speed for this yacht charter is around 32 miles per hour.

For the performance junkies, the 68’ Azimut charter is powered by a 1,150 bhp MTU diesel engine that provides a smooth ride while propelling the luxury yacht through the waters.  The vessel stays below four degrees, at all speeds and thanks to the perfect amount of V, the hull slices through waves like butter, while still shallow enough to perk up and run.

As for the interior, there is a complete master suite that is just as upscale as any luxury hotel can provide.  The Azimut does however provide a better view, if I do say so myself!  So if you have been searching for a new way to enjoy a long weekend, or even to make a memorable Saturday afternoon, a smaller yacht charter could be your creative solution to escape the everday.

Contact us for more tips and information on luxury yacht charters in Miami and South Florida, New York, Chicago and LA.  Also check out our fleet of luxury car rentals while you are looking at our available yacht charters!
 

Post by Imagine Lifestyles Luxury Rentals

Top 5 Places to Watch Air and Water Show

Chicago’s Annual Air and Water show will draw millions of people to the lakefront, rooftops, and boats alike this weekend.  Imagine Lifestyles was wondering where Chicago residents think they capture the best view of the actual air show.  As well as getting a great view, we also think having a good time and enjoying the show should factor in as well.  Imagine Lifestyles Chicago attempted to compile our own top five list of the best places to enjoy the overall experience of the Air and Water Show.

1.  Yacht
2.  North Avenue Beach
3.  Rooftop
4.  Lakefront Condo
5.  Oak Street Beach 

The infamous and wildly popular “Robin Hood” like media child, Colton Harris-Moore (dubbed the Barefoot Bandit), seems to have developed expensive tastes!  The clever kid has fled to Miami, where he has continued to evade officers in some jaw-dropping luxury cars!

Yes, just when the world thought the sinewy saga of the Barefoot Bandit had come to an end when the youngster was snagged in the Bahamas, he seems to have made a slippery escape to Miami.  Upon reaching Miami, the Bandit swiped a bright red Ferrari F430 rental from a valet; it is unclear how he accomplished this feat. 

Scratching your head to come up with a creative and memorable location for your next big event?  Why not outdo yourself and indulge your group with a luxury party yacht charter this year.

No matter what type of event, it can be drastically improved hosted onboard a luxury yacht charter!  This is the perfect arena for an annual corporate party, family reunion, wedding or any other special event. 

Top 5 Boats to Rent for Chicago Scene Party 

Mardi Gras meets Lake Michigan this Saturday in the playpen located just north of Navy Pier for ChicagoScene.com’s annual boat party.  Arguably one of the better weekends of summer here in Chicago, you will not want to be left on shore watching all the action.  Imagine Lifestyles has put together a list of the top 5 luxury yachts and boats to rent this Saturday to ensure you do not miss any of the action.  

1.) 54-Foot SeaRay Sundancer

2.) 68-Foot Azimut 

3.) 38-Foot Cigarette Speed Boat 

4.) 40-Foot SeaRay Sundancer 

5.) Tige RZ2

Mega yacht O’mega has been drawing attention to herself for many years.  O’mega may be a bit older than most luxury yachts in her class, but she remains among the elite, with a coveted spot on the 2008 list of the World’s 100 Largest Yachts, by Power and Motor Yacht magazine.

Miss O’mega has undergone a bit of “work”, with major refits in 2004 and August of 2009.  She was born in Japan in 1985, at the cost of $50 million Euros.  She can now be chartered, for a mere 70,000 Euros per day.  Talk about a return on an investment!

Summer is officially here and the temperatures have been slowly climbing the past few weeks.  This can only mean one thing for Chicago residents who know what “The Playpen” is.  Chicago Scene’s annual boat party is fast approaching and this week Chicago residents should be focused on securing a spot on a luxury yacht for Lake Michigan’s biggest boat party.  The actual party will be on July 31st, allowing all of those who want to attend plenty of time to secure a luxury yacht rental.

It is said to be the current largest private yacht in existence, and she is near completion.  Her name is ‘Eclipse’, and she certainly seems to eclipse all other mega yacht favorites.  But does size really matter?  For a rumored $1.2 billion, it may!  You be the judge, she emerges from Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany any moment.

It seems that the world’s mega yacht owners are in a never-ending battle to outdo one another, perpetually ordering larger and more lavish yachts.  I will say one thing, it does make for a wonderful form of entertainment for the rest of the world, and I love seeing what mega yacht is coming out next and what its outstanding features are!

With all the headlines about young sailor Abby Sunderland recently while attempting to win the title as the youngest female sailor to circumnavigate the globe, it will certainly be a treat for those attending the Sydney International Boat Show, as Jessica Watson is making an appearance. 

Jessica Watson holds the record as the youngest person to sail around the world solo, completing her trip before the ripe old age of 17.  Recently, Abby Sunderland was attempting to compete with this record, but ran into some snags and was thankfully rescued. 

The second largest yacht in the world goes by the name “Dubai”, which is fitting, as it is owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who happens to be the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai.  This luxury mega yacht stretches to an incredible 557 feet, and took an outlandish 10 years to build!

Mega yacht Dubai was built by German construction company Blohm & Voss and finished by Lurssen Company.  I wonder if Blohm & Voss dropped the ball, or if after 10 years they forgot what they were doing.