This message is to introduce a new live-aboard yacht charter service to those seeking to surf and experience live aboard yacht cruising in the Philippines.  The 112’ motoryacht ‘King of Sports III’ has been exploring the Philippines for the past three years and is now available for charter.

The yacht has 4 very experienced Visayan crewmembers and 1 female cook/stewardess. The cuisine on board is a combination of Asian tastes.  

When the surf is flat we have an inventory of water toys to help pass the time including: SCUBA, wakeboarding, waterskiing, ocean kayaking, snorkeling, a library of books, and selection of DVDs to watch movies in air-conditioned comfort.

Specifications:  King of Sports III

Location:           Visaya Region
Length              112’
Beam                48’

Staterooms          3 (each with King sized bed separate Aircon/bathroom/entertainment systems)
Cabin               2 (double sized bunk beds and shared bathroom)

Guests              up to 10 (preferable only 6)
Crew                5
Rate*              Starting at $80/person per day (all inclusive)
                 *This is a special promotion for the Fall 2003 surf season.

We recently returned from a 20 day voyage in Northern Mindanao- it was the 32nd voyage and 8th trip to the Siargao island area. If you send me your email address I will add your name to the distribution list for future information and our website address.   In short, the weather on the trip was perfect and everything on the yacht is working properly. Surf is small this time of year but we trolled in route to destinations and managed to catch Sailfish, Dorado, Barracuda, small tuna and Wahoo.

The luxury yacht ideally accommodates 4-8 passengers for extended adventure travel. This year from August 1 to October 31 ‘The King’ will be based in Cebu but more likely you will find us anchored a couple hundred meters away from any one of a dozen world class waves somewhere between Samar to Northern Mindanao.  

More information will be available soon and updates will be sent directly to those of you that request to be added to our email mailing list.

This message was modified in response to reader comments.

this is the EVIL of all EVIL...delete delete delete....


   

They will probably post thier trips and discoveries on the internet for all to see ... it was bound to happen.  Mahirap talaga!!!

NEEDS TO BE DELETED....ASAP!!!

YEah no to commercialism!

This was bound to happen,as our sport is a bussiness now.Look at paul king Surf Travel Company has done in indo. This is a sad time for us like mark said as the money generated from this type of bussiness does not flow back to the locals.Agnes. ON a lighter note The closest break is close enough,seek and ye shall find.Be respectful to others and ye shall be just fine.

A big expensive boat.  All that expensive gear. Operations costs. Maintenance costs. Not to mention down days.  Typhoons!  Maybe they can operate 250 days/year.  At $80/day (U.S?)and only 6-10 passengers it is hard to see how they expect to recoup there investment and make a profit.  Maybe they will go out of business.

I just finished Gracia Burnham's book "In The Presence of My Enemies".  Those Abu Sayyaf guys were really brutal.

I only read the first 10 words and got scared.

Like Mark said..the inconsistancy of the Philippines would probably work against this kind of operation.You can only look at the resorts that are scattered along the coastlines now.During the off season or even when theres a lull in the peak season these resorts are totally deserted....espesh if the ONLY thing that is attracting visitors IS the surf you'd hardly be making a killing...plus boats cost more to operate then resorts.If people are going to be forking out upwards of $80/$160 per day,they want to be able to get surf,their main intentions will be to go to an "exotic" destination and surf some quality reef breaks which are actually breaking bigger then 2foot.Theres only so much kayaking,snorkeling,fishing and watching surfing vids on tv you can do before you start craving for actual surf and rethinking your decision of throwing away your money and boarding the boat.....

john callahan, hiroshi yokohama, and a couple of japanese surfers were involved in the preparation of an article featured in the philippine airlines' july bulletin, if im not mistaken its about surfing northern luzon, badoc and la union to name a few.

dont expect the crowd here to thin out as time passes by, just hope that the asswipe type of people stay out of the phil surfing scene, keeps the good vibes going  

There are more than 60 surf charter boats operating in Indonesia, and empty waves are still ridden by many surfers.  There is now one charter boat operating in Philippines.  Is that a problem?

..hmmmmmmm

"An adventure whose outcome is already known is no adventure at all."

Putang says it is indeed true - I did include my legitimate email address in my profile. Not too hard to figure out.

What about the topic of "New Surf Charter Service" ?

Whoa! I didn’t expect this kind of reaction. It appears that there is some misunderstanding and irrational fear surrounding this charter service and the catastrophic chain reaction it will supposedly have on the universe.

For the record I’d like to share some more information to dispel some of the hysteria posted so far in this forum. I will respond to postings individually by quoting a comment and then following with a response.

No need to answer my posts Scott. If you have one successful trip and post it on the net then before too long everyone will be wanting to do it. No offense but I think it a bad idea unless you are going to donate some of your profits to the local Barrios who's reefs you will be surfing near then good luck to you.
Cheers

on July 6th, 2003, 7:56am, marklucas wrote:I agree Pet this is the beginning of the end. Now the Philippines can become like the Metawis. Rich surf tours off shore giving nothing to the community while the locals starve. You Pinoys better start running these tours or the foreign hordes are going to take over just like Indo.

I agree some of the reactions to the new Surf Charter Service as posted on this board have been hysterical and exaggerated over-reactions. To have ONE boat operating over the entire Pacific Coast of the Philippines is not a crowd or exploitation problem. Land camps, with their rubbish, walkmans, and western magazines have far more  impact on local populations and cultures than boat charters. If the Philippines were a Mentawai-caliber surf charter business opportunity, someone would have done it years ago. Why aren't the numerous dive charter boats operating in the Philippines considered "evil"and "exploitative"? Live-aboard dive charters have been operating in Philippines for years, and they don't get this kind of bs pinned on their operations.

The market will decide if surf charters are a viable business in the Philippines, not sentiment or skewed economics. So, let's let Scott get on with it and wish him and his crew a good season.

No I am not one of the exploitive foreigners as you say and I dont care less if you think that I am. I have put into the Philippine economy close on 300,000 australian dollars over the last 20 years and that does not include the airfares although I have all but once used Philippine airlines to travel there. I am also not concerned about other surfers going to the Philippines as long as they contribute to the economy. A lot of these type of operations are paid for in overseas countries in foreign currencies and only a small portion of monies is used within the country the tour operates with. The problems of the Metawis are well documented and you are probably right that the poverty doesn't exist because of the tour operators but they don't do a great deal to alleviate it either although some of them are making massive profits by using the waves in front of these places. As I have said before if your intentions are honourable and you plan to help out the local communities then go for it if not there is nothing I can or will do about it, but I am entitled to my opinion as you are to yours.
Cheers
PS My wife and 2 children are all Filipino citizens who were born there so I think I have a right to be allowed to go there not that that really is an issue.

King of Sports and Putang,

I admit that my reation to exposure and new surf businesses in the Philippines may be an over-reaction.  I can remember surfing in La Union in the 80's and it was rare to even see another surfer.  It was great.  It is alot different now but it is still fun most of the time.  Am I being selfish in my desire to keep the waves crowd free?  Yeah, I guess I am.  With more and more people and surfers in the world I guess the spots getting crowded is only natural.  There are still places to go to get away from the crowds.  Not that it matters much anyway, but I reverse my original opinion and if you think you can make a go of this charter then go for it.  I only ask that you consider the consequences of your actions as you obviously have.  I think we should all try to get along.  Please don't try to chase me out of the water if I happen to be surfing at the same place as your charter.

Scott I have personally removed the majority of my posts from this site because you are probably right. It is not up to me to sway the minds of the readers in any direction. I am glad to see you have removed from your original post certain paragraphs that could have led some of us to believe that your intentions were not what you were saying. I will give you the benefit of the doubt as you are right I have probably misjudged you as we have never met and I hope your intentions are as you say. I still believe it to be the beginning of the end though. As I have said if you have a successful trip and it only probably needs one and post the results on the net for all to see then others will follow in your footsteps as has been shown through history by all pioneers and they may not be as admirable as you in their intentions. I wont wish you good luck but I wont wish you bad luck either and as we will probably never cross paths I will bid you farewell.
Cheers

i stick firmly to what i believe in..

hey..i wanna know whats the update about the SAMAR thing...anyone from SAMAR who got chased down from their break with this gun weilding yankee..SAMARENOS..speak out..

on July 10th, 2003, 6:17am, marklucas wrote:No I am not one of the exploitive foreigners as you say and I dont care less if you think that I am. I have put into the Philippine economy close on 300,000 australian dollars over the last 20 years and that does not include the airfares although I have all. . . .

on July 10th, 2003, 10:27am, douglas wrote:King of Sports and Putang,

I admit that my reation to exposure and new surf businesses in the Philippines may be an over-reaction.  I can remember surfing in La Union in the 80's and it was rare to even see another surfer.  It was great.. . . .

on July 6th, 2003, 7:30pm, mabini_girl wrote:This was bound to happen,as our sport is a bussiness now.Look at . . . .

‘I like the bit about how they can stay out for weeks or months without going ashore. This is true testiment that they dont support the locals in the area. . .. .’

The reason why I said we can stay out for weeks/months without re-supplying on land it is because we have no choice when we go to places like Tubbataha reef which is 300km from the nearest market. Have you ever stayed for three weeks in NE Dinagat? At one point we couldn’t find even one chicken for sale. We have to be self reliant in many of the places we go.  If the people living nearby have something to sell, that we can use, we usually like the interaction and make an effort to buy locally.

on July 7th, 2003, 3:21am, Jerry wrote:Hmmm, A big expensive boat full of rich tourists and their expensive toys... where's the Abu Sayeff when you need them...

king of sports..

 u made ur point...but u cant convince all,tho u did convinced some...i guess..its a very natural reaction..surf being commercialised,admit it or not..this charter thing is still about $$$...

 i only got one board ...and u got one big boat...how can i compete with u.?

(ps. am a local..an OFW..so i dont have to brag about contributing to the economy of the Phil.. )

Broulee
You are right. The catholic church has a lot to answer for around the world but I honestly dont believe it is the main reason as to why to PI is so impoverished. I dont think to many people are impoverished in Australia or the US or Italy to name a few where the catholic church is a big hit.
You are also right about some of my money going in bar fines. I have never said I was a saint. Also I dont want to fall in love with Luke or get a copy of his photo and I am sure Millie or for that matter my wife wouldn't want me to get into her pants. As for being able to surf I am no Kelly Slater but I have been surfing for 28 years so I have some ability and I sure as hell know what a wave is. Anyway start a post on the Catholic church i'm sure you will get a swag of responses.
Also if the highlight of your trip to the PI was going to Dapa to watch the AFL grand final you must have had a boring trip.
Cheers

I never could understand that Aussie Rules football.  The NFL is better.  Joke lang!

i have no idea how a football is played. is it like basketball?? ..heheh  ...

Broulee you're a 54 year old man who's idea of "fun" is to go all the way to another country to watch a game of AFL that could be watched at home.If you're such a shithot surfer you'd be able to read weather maps and not spend months on end cruising one area looking for waves.I'm not even going to bother with you,but I'd really appreciate next time that you don't degrade me to make yourself feel superior to everyone else here.

cheers,
millie

Well kingofsports, it was just a joke, albeit a crude, and looking back, a rather assanine one. Caught up in the mob-mentality of the moment no doubt. Ofcourse I'm an American and as you know we are shown by our leaders to talk first and think second. [ or think not at all ] The future unfolds whether we are ready or not and one can only hope that the majority have concern and love for their fellow man and their planet. And I must say, as I have recently learned of a surf camp in the Phils. [ which shall remain nameless ] that offers along with it's other amenities, young girl "escorts" for their guests, that perhaps your operation isn't so damnable after all. Offending messages have been deleted. And in the words of Mr. Rodney King,  " Can't we all just get along "?  Peace, Jerry

. . . peace

Broulee...Ah...it seems that you already talked about religion and politics in this thread.  You broke your own rule!

Broulee my dad used to tell me to be honest when I was a kid and if it got me into trouble then so be it. As the majority of us know most of us travelling to the Philippines in the 80's and 90's were going there mainly for the cheap grog and easy girls I was no exception except I had one stipulation when my mate suggested we go there and that was that the place had to have surf or I wasn't going. I have no doubt that a percentage of the people still travelling to the Philippines still go for the same reasons (although I believe both the beer and the girls have become expensive).The Philippine department of tourism has done a very good job over the last ten or so years in promoting the Philippines as a family destination and despite the armed insurgents, threats of terrorism and negative travel warnings from foreign governments tourism seems to be on the rise in the PI. Unfortunately young surfers being what they are full of testorone and bravado treat the place as a brothel with waves not all mind you but as we know quiet a lot which is all well and good if you are visiting Angeles or Poro or a number of other places but it doesnt go down too well in the Province as the Filipinos are strict catholics in a strange sort of way and the older people dont take too kindly to foreign boys romancing their daughters then p##sing off never to return. Considering the majority of surf spots are in remote regions where farmers still tend their rice or Coconut plantations a massive influx of surfers would be detrimental to these areas wouldn't you think.
I have apologized to Scott for my rantings in a private email and if his intentions are as he says that he only wants people to assist him in paying for his surf travels for a couple of months a year then good luck to him. I am sure we would all like that.
One thing though Scott which I can't let go of without voicing my opinion is this comment you made.

What we should be more concerned about is a high capacity land based operation affiliated with a big surf travel tour company.  If you have a small hotel with 20 rooms each cable of housing 4 Tokyo city surfers that’s potentially 80 kooks looking to surf the waves in front of the hotel or within a short banca ride away.  Cheap package deals run 5-7 days and are booked all year round.  So, that would be 52 tour slots or potentially 4,000 surfers every year to surf a very small area of Siargao. Even if the hotel/tour package was only operating at 10% capacity that would still be 400 surfers. Have I made my point?

If it is OK for you to do it albeit it on a smaller scale why is it wrong for them to do it?
Sorry for boring the crap out of you
Cheers
PS what exactly is a kook is it someone who goes to another persons country to go for a surf?

broulee, what the heck you trying to make a point about "giving back to the community" that you have to draq the catholic church in this discussion. yeah, bring up something out of thin air thats controversial to compensate for your lame arguement. very much of a person from the outside looking in.

Sigurado ka bang kilala mo ang tinutukoy mong "community". alam mo ba ang inaasam nila? ang araw araw nilang pakikipagsapalaran? ang kanilang mathiin sa buhay?

you dont know shit about these people's struggles, dreams and aspirations in life so dont go pontifying us about the roots of all our social ills.

why dont you step down from your anchored pedestal and get your feet on the mud. If you dont have the stomach for it, then you dont have a freakin reason to tell us whats good for us.

yun lang po.

Broulee,like I wrote before...I'm not even going to bother.I know what I've done in life so far and I dont need to prove myself to anybody,let alone somebody I dont even know.

happy surfing

on July 11th, 2003, 3:03pm, marklucas wrote:One thing though Scott which I can't let go of without voicing my opinion is this comment you made.


If it is OK for you to do it albeit it on a smaller scale why is it wrong for them to do it?
Sorry for boring the crap out of you
Cheers
PS what exactly is a kook is it someone who goes to another persons country to go for a surf?

email me the good oil bro