GAMBIT Yacht Charter Catamaran
About
Gambit is our clean, beautifully appointed Lagoon 500 catamaran, owned and operated personally. We, Doug and Val Fairfield, have been offering charters in the Caribbean since 2014 and would love the opportunity to welcome you to the British Virgin Islands to show you the wonders of one of the world's most sought after cruising destinations. Gambit is flagged and based in the BVI, and is compliant with all VISR regulations, which eliminates uncertainties regarding reliability, entry ports and cruising grounds. Due to Covid as well as the newly enforced commercial charter directives for foreign flagged vessels, there has never been a better time to vacation in the BVI ~ less crowded, more authentic, peaceful and rejuvenating. The following brochure is a sample of what Gambit has to offer ~ please feel free to ask questions and chat to your broker about options. As owner operators, we can be flexible and accommodating. Gambit is available for charter in the BVI from November to July each year. We look forward to welcoming you aboard!
Guests
8Cabins
4Crew
2Size / Year Built / Builder
51.0 Ft / 2008 / Lagoon
Summer Area
Virgin IslandsWinter Area
Virgin IslandsAccommodations
Gambit offers sleeping accommodations in 3 queen size cabins and 1 twin bunk room. All offer AC and ensuite head and shower.
Amenities
Onboard Entertainment
Water Entertainment
Scuba Diving
Extra dives available at a cost of $115 and includes equipment and tank refills.
Diving is for CERTIFIED and CURRENT divers only. If divers have not dived within the last 3 years, a refresher course must be done before diving. This can be done before through a certified dive operator or onboard GAMBIT at a cost of $150 per diver.
Guests rent or bring their own wet suits, specialized gear and dive computers.
Extra dives available at a cost of $115 and includes equipment and tank refills.
Diving is for CERTIFIED and CURRENT divers only. If divers have not dived within the last 3 years, a refresher course must be done before diving. This can be done before through a certified dive operator or onboard GAMBIT at a cost of $150 per diver.
Guests rent or bring their own wet suits, specialized gear and dive computers.
Technical Details
Charter Types
Green Initiatives
Rates
Winter 2022 to 2023 |
Summer 2023 |
Winter 2023 to 2024 |
2 Pax | 4 Pax | 6 Pax | 8 Pax |
$20,000 | $20,000 | $22,000 | $26,000 |
$20,000 | $20,000 | $22,000 | $26,000 |
$21,000 | $21,000 | $23,000 | $27,000 |
Please Note:
Our team endeavors to provide up to date and accurate information
regarding each yacht in our listing, however, the availability displayed
in the calendars and rates, are indicative only and subject to
confirmation at the time of your inquiry. With this in mind, please note
that premium rates may apply to certain destinations and dates, such as
Christmas and New Years in the Caribbean or July and August in the
Mediterranean. Kindly contact us for a proposal that details the yacht’s
final rate and availability.
Calendar
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Captain
Crew
Brief
YOUR SKIPPER AND HOSTESS
To ease you into life at a slower pace are Doug and Val Fairfield, an English speaking, husband and wife team from South Africa, with many years combined cruising, travel and charter experience. To date, Doug and Val have successfully completed over 180 charters in the Caribbean making them one of the most experienced charter crew in the region.
Doug holds a Yachtmaster Offshore Qualification, reinforced with many ocean crossings and coastal voyages, not least those accomplished with his family aboard. Doug started sailing in his mid twenties, based off the east coast of South Africa, where sailing and weather conditions are notoriously unpredictable and the coastline hazardous. Having grown up on the ocean with surfing, free diving, spear fishing, scuba diving, sailing and yacht racing as his main activities, sailing charters was a natural progression for him. Weekends were occupied with local and coastal racing as well as family sailing with the children. In 1995, in pursuit of our joint ambition to travel to remote places, we left on an extended 6 year cruise aboard our 30 foot monohull, (later upgraded to a 43 foot monohull), together with our two children, then 4 and 6 years old. This adventure took us across the Indian Ocean and back to South Africa, and then across the Atlantic to the USA, finally returning to South Africa at the end of 2000 for a period of regular land based life. During our cruising years we explored remote archipelagos, traveled by yacht many miles up the Amazon River, visited new and unique places, experienced diverse cultures and were exposed to many and varied challenges and opportunities. In 2012, the urge to move on again resulted in the acquisition of Katlyn, our first catamaran, and once again we set off across the Atlantic from Cape Town, spending a year en route, before establishing ourselves in the charter industry in the Caribbean. Along the way we have developed an awareness, appreciation and respect for the ocean, the sky and the weather in all its diversity. Most recently, we have been reminded of the majesty of mother nature as we have sailed Gambit the 4500nm from Italy to the Caribbean, to replace Katlyn, destroyed by hurricane Irma.
Doug has been an avid adventure sport enthusiast throughout his life. After several years of service in a special forces airborne unit, he became involved in Skydiving. He is an advanced skydiver with 2500 jumps, competed on a national level and was the chief instructor at his skydive club prior to his involvement with sailing; he is an experienced paraglider, loves scuba and free diving, as well as water and snow skiing and has completed a number of arduous long distance marathons. He is a natural storyteller and entertainer with a great sense of humor, a charismatic and attentive host, willing to go the extra mile to ensure you get the most out of your vacation.
Val grew up on a vast dairy farm in the Drakensberg farming district of South Africa, and attended boarding school, before qualifying as a private secretary and then a primary school teacher. She traded horse riding and hiking for sailing, and was perfectly positioned to home school the children while cruising. She is a qualified scuba diver, and enjoys snorkeling, skiing and hiking, and living the island life. She takes pride and pleasure in creating inviting spaces through tasteful choice and use of fabrics and decor, and is an accomplished seamstress. This is evident in the decor aboard Gambit. Many years of challenging galley responsibilities have enabled her to become a competent and creative chef aboard, fine tuned by various short courses in culinary arts.
Doug and Val have a passion for traveling and a special affinity for the African bush, it’s wildlife, beauty, solitude and wide open spaces, and have been fortunate to do an extended three month 4x4 camping safari with roof top tent through some of the most unspoiled and rugged areas of Southern Africa. The freedom of traveling without boundaries inspired a six week camper van tour of New Zealand, wild camping without the constraints of official campsites in the winter wonderland of mountains and fjords. During this time we took the opportunity to try our hand at dog sledding, abseiling and caving. We have spent a month touring Sri Lanka traveling by train and staying in local B&B’s, visited Egypt and driven off the beaten track through the Western Desert, camping in the splendor of the White Desert en route. We have driven across the USA and would love to follow this up with a longer RV trip in the not to distant future.
After 17 years of sailing together, (6 years with children aboard), and in excess of 180 completed charters, we team up on deck to offer you a fun filled sailing vacation, and when the anchor is down, a companionable, relaxed yet attentive atmosphere is created for you to escape your normal routine and create memories which will live with you forever.
We would love the opportunity to extend a warm welcome to you in the BVI, offer you our hospitality aboard Gambit, and show you around some of our lovely anchorages and must see spots that we’ve come to call home.
Crew are fully vaccinated for Covid 19.
Select currency
- EUR
Inclusions and exclusion are not standardized across the different yachts, with each offering slightly different terms. Please contact us for a proposal that details the yacht’s availability, individual pricing based on the number of guests in your party and particular dates, as well as the list of the inclusions and exclusions for that particular yacht.
This yacht offers an “All Inclusive” Rate:
Typically this includes all your breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. Standard Ship's Bar which includes your alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages. Fuel for the yacht and its tender, and the necessary water for the onboard facilities. Use of the Yacht’s onboard equipment and the Captain, Chef and Crew’s services.
Excluded are airport transfers costs, onshore excursions and tours, as well as any food or beverages purchased ashore. Although optional, crew gratuity is customary at 15% - 20% of the charter rate for the Caribbean and 10% - 15% for the Mediterranean.
Inclusions and exclusion are not standardized across the different yachts, with each offering slightly different terms. Please contact us for a proposal that details the yacht’s availability and individual pricing based on the number of guests in your party, as well as the list of the inclusions and exclusions for that particular yacht.
This Yacht offers a “Plus Expenses” Rate:
Included are the Yacht and its onboard equipment as well as the Captain, Chef and Crew’s services.
Excluded are food and beverages, fuel for the yacht and its tender, any dockage, airport transfers costs, onshore excursions and tours, as well as any cruising permits, licenses and other charter related expenses. Crew gratuity, although optional is customary at 15% - 20% of the charter rate for the Caribbean and 10% - 15% for the Mediterranean.
Advanced Provisioning Allowance:
For "Plus Expenses" charters, yachts request an Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA), which is generally estimated at 20% - 25% of the base charter fee for sailing yachts (catamarans and monohulls) and at 30%-35% for motor yachts. The APA essentially creates a bank account for the Captain to purchase provisions, fuel, dockage, food, beverages, bar, and other consumables on the charterer's behalf. The Captain will keep all receipts and manage a running balance of the account, so that expenditures can be checked at any time. Any amount not used will be refunded at the end of the charter. If during the charter the costs have exceeded the collected APA, then additional funds will be required for the outstanding bills. All purchases are transparent and nothing is marked up. The APA is used purely for the charterer's provisions and charter-related expenses.