THE WORST CHARTER AGENCY AND THE LEAST…
THE WORST CHARTER AGENCY AND THE LEAST COMPETITIVE OFFER – SAILNOMAD!
Last year, I chartered a sailing yacht through SailNomad for an extended period, and this year for no less than five weeks. I made the reservation and paid ten months in advance. Throughout the process, they kept emphasising what an exceptional discount they had secured for me – approximately 20%. However, when my husband and I compared offers from other charter companies, we discovered that other clients had paid more than €700 less for a newer yacht and just a one-week charter, despite booking only one month in advance. So much for their supposedly exceptional discounts and competitive pricing!
Even worse than the price was the actual experience with the yacht MONA and the charter company Angelina. The photographs in the offer looked beautiful, but the actual condition of the yacht was nothing short of appalling.
- Dirty interior and a strong musty smell.
- A dinghy covered in more than 20 patches that was still leaking.
- Anchor system failure during a storm. We had to wait day and night for a replacement anchor.
- Non-functioning sails and battery charger.
- The underwater hull was in terrible condition, scratched and covered in algae.
- Rats on board, their droppings and contaminated food.
These were not minor inconveniences or ordinary maintenance issues. The yacht had defects that directly endangered our safety and could have resulted in life-threatening consequences. Given my many years of sailing experience and the tragic maritime accidents we know about, including the accident involving Angelina Charter, I cannot take such serious safety deficiencies lightly.
For next year, my husband and I have chosen another Slovenian charter company that personally inspects its yachts, carefully selects them for its clients and stays in contact throughout the sailing trip. On top of that, we received a 31,2% discount plus an additional benefit for advance payment. That is the difference between a professional service and empty promises.
SailNomad? Never again. Absolutely NOT recommended!