Endless summer is offering a bargain rate at this time so get in touch with Captain Andrew for more details. Better than her bargain rates is the yacht and her top captain and chef team. Your chef Susanna Rice first took to the wheel of Endless Summer when she was 1 year old (assisted by her dad Barry). In July 2010 Susanna was up the mast freeing a halyard (a line) when she spotted a large manta ray gliding around Endless Summer and they were in deep water, charter guests on board. So plucky Susanna picked up the under water camera and shot this picture of the giant manta ray. What a lady, what a picture.

Captain Bernd and Ruthie.
Charter Yacht "Paradise."

•  2 oz Malibu rum
  
•  1 teaspoon honey
  
•  3 oz lemonade to taste
  
•  1.5 oz Grenadine then stir.
  
  
  Salt rim of glass garnish with cherry and orange slice serves 4-6 guests
  

Captain Gordon Monsen and Lizane Heine
The trusty sailing yacht Liberte.

•  1 oz Marula Juice
  
•  1 oz Peach schnapps
  
•  4 oz Spumante sweet champagne (or use dry champagne)
•  2 oz Fruit punch
•  2 oz Pineapple juice
  
  
  
  Pour into 2 cold champagne tulip glasses
  no ice. Ladies favorite.

  The world’s most perfect drink, serve dry or sweet.
  

  
  

Another true family story

A private yacht vacation is one of the best adventures guests can ever experience in their lives. Here is an example of a little boy who went with his partents 14 years before and that wonderful seed remained with him for 14 years until he could afford to take his wife on the same adventure all those years alter, see the pictures.

Click here: www.yachtsbhc.com/guestletters.html

Here in the British Virgin Islands, its widely known and understood that the local reef fish should not be eaten. Consuming a reef fish may result in poisoning and illness...The question often asked on charter is how these fish could cause us to become so sick and why specifically does it occur here in the British Virgin islands? We do a little research to find out exactly what is going on.

Snorkeling and Diving is magnificent, the fishes and reefs are colorful, beautiful and radiant, you become speechless and amazed at the hundreds of fish swimming around you, the shades of color from light to dark, its hard to believe these spectacular fish could cause so much harm if eaten.

The source of the problem lies on the reefs, the coral, the algae and the sea weed. Toxins (dino-flagellates) adhere to the coral, algae and sea weed which the smaller herbivorous fish eat, the larger carnivorous fish in turn eat the smaller fish and the toxins bio accumulate which increases the severity of the toxin... There are number of certain toxins that together produce "Ciguatera" poisoning, a contamination of the fishes flesh that makes the fish unsafe to eat...Predator species near the top of the food chain in tropical and sub-tropical waters, such as Barracudas, snapper, moray eels, parrot fishes, Groupers, trigger fishes and amberjacks are most likely to cause ciguatera poisoning, although many other species have been found to cause occasional outbreaks of toxicity. Cigua toxin is very heat-resistant, so cigua toxin-laden fish cannot be detoxified by conventional cooking...

Originally, cigua toxin was linked to Poison passed to tropical fish through consumption. However, the exact source of the toxin was unknown, and many sources were identified as the culprit. these included fruit, berries, compounds containing copper, as well as Pololo worms...

Due to the localized nature of the cigua toxin-producing microorganisms, ciguatera illness is common in only Tropical waters, particularly the Pacific and Caribbean and usually is associated with fish caught in tropical reef waters. Cigua toxin is found in over 400 species of reef fish, and therefore avoidance of consumption of all reef fish (any fish living in warm tropical waters) is the only sure way to avoid exposure to the toxin.

In Northern Australia where ciguatera is a common problem, two different methods are widely believed to be available for determining that fish harbors significant levels of cigua toxin. The first method is that if a piece of fish is contaminated with the toxin, flies will not land on it. The second is that the toxin can be detected by feeding a piece of fish to a cat, as cats are allegedly highly sensitive to cigua oxin and will display symptoms. There is a third, less common method for ciguatera testing that involves putting a silver coin under the scales of the suspect fish. If the coin turns black, reportedly, the fish is contaminated; but if it does not turn black then it should be safe. It is not known whether any of these tests produce results that are actually accurate.

Gastrointestinal symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea usually followed by neurological symptoms such as headaches, muscle aches, parenthesis, numbness, and hallucinations Severe cases of ciguatera can also result in cold allodynia, which is a burning sensation on contact with cold (commonly incorrectly referred to as reversal of hot/cold temperature sensation)

The symptoms can last from weeks to years, and in extreme cases as long as 20 years, often leading to long term disability. Most people do recover slowly over time. Often patients recover but redevelop symptoms in the future. Such relapses can be triggered by consumption of nuts, alcohol, fish or fish-containing products, chicken or eggs, or by exposure to fumes such as those of bleach and other chemicals. Exercise is also a possible trigger.

So there you have it, although these fish are harmless to snorkel with as well as dive with they are not to be eaten... All the fish that is served on board is imported from the US... What is interesting is that the locals on the islands here seem to have some immunity to the toxins and are able to eat the reef fish. What is also interesting is that Lobsters do not seem to be effected by the toxins are safe to eat here in the British Virgin Islands....

We hope you all enjoyed this month’s news letter! Kindly touch base with Captain Andrew if you wish to charter with us. Guests and friends please do keep in contact, we are looking for a charter or two in February here in the British Virgin Islands and have some great specials running to make your visit to the Sunny Caribbean absolutely wonderful.

Sincerely,

Gordon, Jacques and Chef
Liberte' Charters

Imagine having your private room stewardess make up your double bed on the top deck under the stars for the night?

Your own private Bali Bed, Big double beds, down duvet pillow, down Belgium linens, all made for you under the stars.

Seadreams is the one and the only yacht which can do this so be the first to book it or someone else will.