Wedding Bells

First Choice, the British parent company of Sunsail, announced the acquisition of Grand Expeditions, parent company of The Moorings, in early December. Both groups specialize in international leisure travel. Sunsail’s charter business will become part of Grand Expeditions, but Sunsail and The Moorings, along with Footloose, will be run as separate entities.

What does this mean for charterers? Perhaps a few more choices when planning a sailing vacation, but all three companies will retain their unique character, says Raul Bermudez, The Moorings’s vice president of charter sales and marketing.

Confirming our suspicions that bareboat cats are having a growth spurt, TMM (of Tortola, St. Vincent, and Belize) announced that it has brand-new Bahia 46 catamarans for sale and for sail. You can charter the first boat in the fleet out of Tortola (should you find it with a free week) and invite nine of your best friends to join you.

Speaking of additions, the family of Skip and Andrea King, who own and operate Island Yacht Charters, in St. Thomas, USVI, has grown by one. Charter one of their new IP 445s and meet baby Grace Isabella.

Conch Charters has new offices on the waterfront at Fort Burt Marina, Tortola. The company started operations 18 years ago from the apartment of owners Cindy Chestnut and Brian Gandey and last inhabited the turret of the Fort Burt Hotel. —Amy Ullrich

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