MY ONE ON TWO CHAT WITH THE CREW OF CHARTER YACHT MCGREGOR III
On a fair Friday afternoon in the Virgin Islands, I had the opportunity to chat with Tim and Julie, Owners/ Operators/ Crew aboard the successful charter motor yacht McGregor III. I’ve known them for years but we’d never talked in depth about their many years of hosting guests onboard for a glorious week of chartering in the V.I.
Click on Photo for Tim and Julie’s Bio
For the record, McGregor III is a Jefferson 60 foot motor yacht with 3 guests cabins – 1 King Master with walk around bed, 1 Twin cabin and 1 Bunk cabin – and is fully air conditioned. There’s lounge space galore onboard – the Foredeck lounge area lovingly called “McGregor Beach” and the Aft Fly Bridge lounge area also known as “South Beach” as well as the comfortably homey Salon.
Thanks to “Wrong Way” Hurricane Lenny in November 1999, Tim shanghaied Julie from another boat and the McGregor team was born! At first, it was a challenge convincing charter brokers that a 60 foot power boat was a great way to see the islands as everyone at the time wanted the “Jimmy Buffet” experience on a sailboat but “the crew makes the charter” and they have been delighting their charter guests with delectable food, refreshing drinks and fun adventures ever since. Now, thanks to returning guests and word of mouth, 80% of their guests have chartered with them 5 times or more with a couple groups coming a wopping 15 times!
Just after booking, I, as the broker, will send you a Preference Sheet to let Tim and Julie know what you want to do and your favorite foods and drink. Soon after that, Tim will contact you and start the dialog to totally tailor your charter to what YOU want it to be – diving vs snorkeling vs beaches vs shopping vs just chillin”, etc. Communication with you is very important to fine tune your charter.
When you arrive for your charter, you’ll be greeted with lunch or heavy apps depending on your arrival time and a glass of Veuve Clicot champagne to sip as you take a tour of the boat. Then, it’s off to your first anchorage for your first swim in the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean.
For kids – they LOVE families – they do a treasure hunt with a map in a bottle on the beach, guided snorkel tours so they don’t miss a thing underwater, board games for quieter times, water toys that can be towed, paddled or floated. Their goal is to tucker them out having fun. For a complete list of water toys, click here. At the end of the day, they like to gather on the foredeck under the stars and talk about everyone’s favorite happenings of the day.
As Tim is an SCUBA instructor, there is SCUBA diving offered on board and the cost is included for certified divers. He will also provide instruction/certification for an additional fee.
Captain Tim has done tons of wedding vow renewals and has hosted an actual wedding service with a minister on board. For anniversaries, Chef Julie prepares a very special meal complete with Veuve Cliqot champagne and lots of flowers. There’s a secluded anchorage where they take their guests that’s known only by a secret code name. It’s a rare treat to be the only boat in sight during the height of the busy charter season!
What keeps them going for so many years hosting vacations that turn guests into family and keeps them coming back year after year? They love getting to know people and showing them something new and having them get really excited about it. What is the secret to their success? On this they both agree, their relationship – it’s who they are as individuals, who they are together and how they make people feel.
Come share the love and enjoy Paradise with Tim and Julie on McGregor III.
