For those of you who have ever considered a crewed charter, I have a boat to recommend. My husband and I recently returned from a vacation on Dutchess, the schooner described in the Log of Ithaca (http://www.cruisingworld.com/cw_article.php?articleID=1343) and Cruising World. The price of the charter for 2 is comparable to a bareboat charter for 4 in the Virgins. You can read all obout the boat on their web page shown below. We joined them in the San Blas Islands of Panama and had a wonderful week onboard. Although there wasn't much sailing - just hops between islands - there was a lot of snorkeling, mola buying and relaxing. And eating. Fresh squeezed orange juice, fresh baked breads, fish, beef, chicken, and wonderful desserts. We had the opportunity to meet quite a few other cruisers from all corners of the world. It gave us a taste of the cruising life without having to do the passages! That we'll have to do on our own someday. Erwin and Kris are headed to Belize and Honduras next, but are flexible and will work with you if you have a particular destination in mind. Being divers, they have a compressor on board, so this would be a great trip for the divers on the list. They were terrific hosts - watch out if you decide to go - you WILL be spoiled! Kathy