COASTE Magazine—Making a Big Splash with Image Yacht Charters
For those of you who like to live life large, we present a coastal lifestyle experience to 76 feet large—Image Yacht Charters.
Surprise fast: not everyone who lives in Southwest Florida owns a boat. But whether you’re a resident or visitor, there are literally countless outstanding, exciting for-hire boating experiences to be enjoyed here in Southwest Florida. Near shore or deep sea fishing charters. Island hopping and shell collecting excursions. Sunset cruise ships on the Gulf. Airboat rides in the Everglades. Sailing. Waverunners. Even kayaks and stand-up paddleboats.
But for those who’d rather go big than go home, nothing tops the indulgent luxury of chartering your very own private yacht for a bucket-list experience of a lifetime.
Here in Southwest Florida, Image Yacht Charters of Fort Myers has been checking off this bucket-list item since 1996 for literally thousands of guests wanting to make a big splash with business associates, friends, families, even small wedding parties.
Lauren Epidy serves as the concierge of charters for the company and is a family member of Image Yacht Charters’ founders. “This is often a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many of our guests, and we’re thrilled to make their dreams come true.”
Image Yacht Charters offers a variety of yacht (as well as fishing) charters, originating out of the renowned boating community of Palmetto Pointe in Fort Myers. However, your charter can depart from literally anywhere a yacht can tie up—including but not limited to South Seas Island Resort, ‘Tween Waters Inn Island Resort, Pink Shell Beach Resort, and most other marina locations from St. Petersburg to Marco Island.
The flagship of Image Yacht Charters is “Fiesta Forever”—76 beautiful feet of pure boating luxury, on deck or below. Cruising excursions (minimum two hours) can accommodate up to 12 guests, and include your choice of menu and beverages—or you can BYO your yacht experience (imagine that!) or go big and hire a chef to satisfy your tastes. Overnight outings serve a maximum eight persons, with one magnificent master bedroom and three V.I.P. staterooms. Also included are two jet skis, fishing gear and more. For the record, a crewmate is required to stay aboard at all times to alleviate any guest concerns.
Bonus: the course you wish to take is, for the most part, up to you. “For day excursions, we often charter to Cabbage Key, Useppa, Boca Grande, Naples, Fort Myers Beach or downtown Fort Myers, where people like to stop, have dinner or drink, and set sail again,” Epidy notes. “We’ve had overnight trips up and down the Gulf Coast, from St. Petersburg to Sarasota to Marco Island.”
Multiple day trips are also an option—from three to seven days—including the Florida Keys, Miami and Fort Lauderdale. And an interesting summer option (from June to August) awaits those vacationing in the Bahamas, where Image Yacht Charters will operate out of Atlantis.
It should come at no surprise, with this level of luxury and service, that excursions with Image Yacht Charters cost a bit more than your typical fishing guide—a four-hour outing departing Palmetto Pointe, for example, is $2,000—but those who’ve done it will tell you the price-value equation leans heavily toward the value (and the pleasure).
Cindy Beaver and Aramando Ojeda have chartered yachts in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean—and are delighted to find their day-long Island Yacht Charter experience out of South Seas Island Resort among the best. “The boat was in great shape, very clean, made a great impression,” Ojeda notes. “We received a level of service that was unexpected,” Beaver adds. “That goes directly to Lauren Epidy, she and her crew exceeded our every expectation. It’s a luxury experience everyone should have the chance to enjoy.”
Lauren Epidy appreciates the kind words. “Recently, I had an extended family vacationing at South Seas Island Resort. The reason for their trip was to cross off Grandma’s ‘number one’ on her bucket list—to live on a yacht and cruise with her family,” she recalls. “That’s our goal for every outing, to create that kind of experience every time for every person. That’s what makes what we do so satisfying.”
For more information, visit www.imageyachtcharters.com.
You can view the article on COASTE’s digital magazine by visiting http://www.yourcoaste.com/adventures-making-a-big-splash. Or click the thumbnails below to see the article in COASTE Magazine.
