Evening Boat Cruise with Vacation Photos

Early Bird Charters is excited to announce the Evening Boat Cruise! Hop aboard our classic vessel and see the island from a different point of view! We depart out of Bailey’s Bay Dock in Hamilton Parish for a two-hour excursion you will not soon forget. 

Take your trip a step further and book a Vacation Photo Session at Sea with professional photographer Melanie Fiander West of Fiander Foto!  With your trip documented, you’ll never forget your experience. Details are noted under the “Charter” section of our site!

America's Cup Charters: Book Now

Good news! Early Bird Charters will be taking guests out aboard Troubadour to view a few races for America’s Cup! Come out and enjoy the high-speed sailing races from the water for the low price of $250 per person! Charters are scheduled on a first come, first serve basis and are limited to 6 guests per day.  The dates with green boxes around them are available for booking:

This sweet deal not only includes prime viewing aboard Troubadour but also includes vacation photographs taken by Jim's wife, Melanie of Fiander Foto. Your high-resolution images will be delivered to you within 2-3 weeks of the races via a private online gallery.   

Be sure to bring water, food, sunglasses, sunscreen, hats, protective clothing from the sun, and Early Bird Charters will provide the rest for a full day's adventure! Beers, sodas, and chips will be available for purchase on board!

TERMS & AGREEMENT

To officially reserve a date for a charter, payment is due in full prior to the scheduled time.  With groups of four or more, a 17% gratuity may be added to the invoice for the deckhands.  Payments are non-refundable unless the captain cancels the charter for poor weather.  All guests are required to sign a waiver prior to coming aboard. Given the nature of the business, a charter may be canceled or rescheduled by Early Bird Charters due to poor weather.  These decisions are made solely by Early Bird Charters.

All guests are required to sign a waiver prior to coming aboard.  Waivers can be reviewed and signed by clicking "here".

Wedding Charters: Now Available

Have you ever dreamed of getting married at sea?  If you are interested in small private wedding or elopement on the ocean waters, look no further!  This vintage fishing vessel can accommodate the bride, groom, two witnesses, two additional guests, and an officiant comfortably for an intimate wedding charter.  Hop aboard and Early Bird Charters will provide the rest for a ceremony you will not soon forget! Charters are three hours long, which leaves plenty of time after the ceremony to cruise around for a bit and enjoy the sunset and a cocktail!

Jim (Captain of Early Bird Charters) & Melanie (Photographer of Fiander Foto) aboard Troubadour for Their Wedding. Photo by: Corbin Gurkin

Package also includes professional wedding photographer, Melanie Fiander West of Fiander Foto, to capture your Wedding aboard Troubadour!  Three hours of shooting and all of the high-resolution images are included.  Clients may purchase additional time and items à la carte. Images are delivered via an online gallery that can be used for downloading, print and canvas wrap orders, and social media sharing.  Clients will also have the option to order a wedding album designed by Fiander Foto.

Please note: charters are weather dependent for safety purposes. Details for "rain dates" can be arranged.

Bermuda Fish Chowdar Recipe

The benefit of buying a whole fish is that you get to keep the rack (skeleton).  Fill a large pot with water and boil the rack down for 20 minutes on high to make an amazing broth for your fish chowder! We enjoy the recipe below:

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add celery, carrots, onion, green pepper, and garlic; saute about 8 minutes.
2. Stir in tomato paste, and cook 1 minute. Add fish broth (from the rack), potatoes, canned tomatoes with juice, Worcestershire sauce, jalapeno pepper, bay leaf, and ground black pepper. Simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring about every 30 minutes.
3. Add fish. Simmer until snapper is easily flaked with fork, about 10 minutes.

Best of Bermuda Award

Wow! We are honored to have been named "Best of Bermuda" in The Bermudian for Fresh Local Fish for 2016!  Special thanks to the island for voting for us and congratulations to all the other winners!

"Like Father, Like Son" - A Photo Essay by Melanie Fiander

Special congrats to Jim's wife, Melanie, who recently had her first solo photography show at the Bermuda Society of the Arts in Hamilton.  Check out one of the photo essays she displayed about us, titled Like Father, Like Son. The essay is comprised of photographs she took of Jim and Blake. 

Fiander, Melanie, Spray and Scrub, 2015.

As said by Melanie, "These two men have worked together on and off as deep-sea fishermen for several decades in Bermuda.  Their ability to work together both on the water and on land makes them a unique and well-respected father/son fishing duo.  While making a living off of the ocean, they maintain a conservative approach towards fishing.  In attempts to understand the minds of their fish, Blake and James move as the fish do.  Father and Son are up well before the morning light to assess the weather and seek out blue water. My photographs offer a “behind the scenes” look at Blake’s and James’ day-to-day life".