Lagoon 51 (2008) 'Gambit'

Crew Profiles:
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.

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 as his main sport, sailing 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, travelled 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 sports enthusiast throughout his life. He is an advanced skydiver with 2500 jumps, and was the chief instructor at the local 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 humour, 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 snorkelling, 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, redecorated since arriving in the BVI a few months ago. 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 travelling and a special affinity for the African bush, its wildlife, beauty, solitude and wide-open spaces, and have been fortunate to do an extended three months 4×4 camping safari with rooftop tent through some of the most unspoiled and rugged areas of Southern Africa. The freedom of travelling without boundaries inspired a six-week camper van tour of New Zealand last year, 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 sledging, abseiling and caving. We have spent a month touring Sri Lanka travelling by train and staying in local B&B’s, visited Egypt and driven off the beaten track through the Western Desert, camping in the splendour 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 too distant future.

After many years sailing together, (mostly with children aboard), and in excess of 70 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.

The crew are fully vaccinated for Covid 19.

Luxury Crewed Charter Rates

The Horizon Yacht Charters BVI Crewed Charter rates are for 7 nights per vessel and are based on the number of guests. Please see individual yacht pages for detailed specifications and charter rates. Horizon Yacht Charters luxury crewed yacht charters come complete with your own personal Captain & Chef (and in the larger yachts, first mate and hostess).  NB some yachts may be skipper only (with the option of a chef) – they are stated as such. Your meals aboard are included in the rate and prepared to your group’s individual preferences and dietary requirements. Beverages are also included but please note special requests for specific brands may be subject to an additional charge.  Watersports equipment (such as paddleboards, kayaks etc) are also included and some yachts offer all-inclusive diving.

High season rates typically apply from December to April, and Low season from May to November, but please do check the seasonal rates for your yacht.

Each individual crewed yacht may charge for certain additional expenses (e.g. National Park Permit, Cruising permit, different port collections or departures).  Please ask for a full breakdown of costs for your chosen yacht. Additional supplements may apply at Christmas and New Year.

All yachts come with tenders with outboards and safety equipment. Please review the individual yacht specification on our website for further details of available equipment and details of inclusions and exclusions.

Yacht photographs and specifications act as a guide and are for information purposes only.  Although we endeavour to ensure that images are accurate reflections of the yachts in our fleet, certain aspects may vary slightly.

Please note that our bareboat repeat client discount does not apply to our crewed charter fleet.

Key:

C = Cabins, H = Heads, AC = Air Conditioning

Supplements to the published rates may apply during Christmas and New Year periods. Please contact us for confirmation of rates.

Charter Rates shown above are for 7 nights per vessel (Christmas and New Year supplements on selected yachts). Crewed Charters usually start at noon and finish at noon, but please do check times for your particular yacht.

• Additional water-sports (other than those included on the crewed yacht) are all available at competitive rates.
• Hotel Accommodations throughout the islands can be arranged. Most major credit cards accepted. Please check our Accommodations page for more information.

An Environmental levy of $10 per head is payable by all visitors to the BVI on arrival (effective 1st Sept 2017).

Bookings and Cancellations – We require a 50% deposit to confirm the reservation and the balance due of 50% no later than 45 days prior to charter start date. A smaller deposit and interim fee may be acceptable for bookings made more than 12 months in advance. Cancellation fees apply, and vary from yacht-to-yacht. Please check the specific terms for your yacht at the time of booking.

Trip Cancellation Insurance: We strongly recommended this as it protects you should anything unforeseen occur before your holiday. Click Here for more details.

Conditions apply to all charters. Crewed Charter Rates are subject to change without notice.