The Best Houseboat Rentals Near Visayas Oriental

Beneteau Oceanis 48 in Coron, Palawan

Great luxury island hopping, but not a sailing charter. The boat was very well set up and equipped (although some important equipment didn't work properly). The crew were friendly and helpful and cooked great Filipino meals for us. They knew all the local tourist spots and went out of their way to try and help us enjoy them. But they did not know how to sail. I blame the owner not the crew for this, but if you are looking for a sailing charter, whether to learn to sail (big mistake with crew that don't know how) or you are as ailor (you will be very frustrated) this is probably the wrong boat for you. Despite my request for a charter oriented to sailing, the crew was uncomfortable sailing in less than 10 knots or more than 15, and only on a reach. They said the boat wouldn't perform in less than 10 knots. Admittedly the sails were in terrible shape, but properly trimmed the boat would absolutely be capable of sailing in anything over 6 knots. They were afraid to short tack and couldn't conceive of sailing off the mooring even in ideal conditions and wind headings. None of this may matter to you, but you should know that this is essentially a power boat charter where you might be lucky to put up the sails for one or two brief periods. Also, the boat seems to have a serious problem with its electrical system. I don't know if it's insufficient or if the batteries are old, but despite 4-6 hours a day of motoring PLUS 4-6 hours a day of running the generator the crew said there wasn't enough power to run the WiFi (Starlink) when the generator was off. They were even concerned about running my 19 watt mini CPAP at night. I have owned multiple boats between 34 and 48 feet and crossed several ceans and I have never seen this sort of issue with an electrical system. It shouldn't exist on a fancy charter boat. (Also the GPS/Chartplotter was going on and off and the crew weren't confident navigating close to shore without it). If you just want to be on a sailboat but don't care at all about sailing this all may not matter to you. But as I stated at the beginning, this is not an opportunity to learn how to sail, nor is it an opportunity to do serious sailing (what I was hoping for). It is a chance to go to the tourist spots (sometimes at hours when others aren't there) with local guides and an excellent RIB.

Beneteau Oceanis 48 in Coron, Palawan

From start to finish the trip was fantastic. Hugo was easy to work with setting up our itinerary and travel details. Once aboard the boat Henry (Capitan) and David (crew) were top notch. We spent 5 days bouncing around different islands to see different sites. The boat is well kept and has everything our family of 4 needed to feel safe and comfortable. The crew was knowledgeable about the area, their vessel and knew many of the local people we encountered. David's food was fantastic. He took care of us while on excursions and on shore showing us the way and what to look for. We have 2 small children who had a blast and we felt comfortable the whole time having them with us. We plan to book again and are sad we are now home instead of back on the boat! A+ trip for us.

Crewed Cruising Catamaran Ready to Sail in Philippine Islands

Alan and Maria were a great team to show us El Nido and the lovely islands surrounding. The bays are prestine and the beaches gorgeous. More importantly, very excluded from crowds and tourists. This gave the experience an dimension of paradise to Robin and myself. We snorkeled, used the dingy every now and then, trew the rope behind the boat to carry us through the ocean and slept on deck in the trampolines. The shooting stars and small satellites were incredible to see them so clear. Thanks again Alan and Maria. Hopefully we see each other again someday and somewhere! Cheers, Robin and Robin

Crewed Cruising Catamaran Ready to Sail in Philippine Islands

We joined Alan and Maria with our one-year-old baby. They were so accommodating and really made us feel comfortable. Maria (the boat) is beautiful and so expertly piloted by Alan. I wish we could have stayed with them forever. Thanks again. Sam, Cat & Jack

Crewed Cruising Catamaran Ready to Sail in Philippine Islands

We had an absolutely PERFECT trip. 4days/3 nights sailing in Philippines.We could not have imagined anything better. Captain Alan was amazing. He was professional, made us feel safe. He was flexible and adjusted itinerary based on our requests. We did everything on our list and more. He made extra efforts to make sure we were having a great time and to get us to destinations so we could enjoy! Thank you Alan for memorable experience!

Crewed Cruising Catamaran Ready to Sail in Philippine Islands

We had an astonishing time sailing with Alan in his spectacular boat. A very caring and friendly captain, he made us feel safe, welcome and at home. His boat, Maria is impressive! It had everything we needed for a comfortable and enjoyable sailing experience. We would definitely sail with him again in a heartbeat!