Captain Fred Greenfield is a veteran sailor of over 60 years, he has built boats small and large (including a 21-foot world cruiser called the Northwest 21 and a 70 foot replica of Rattlesnake, a Baltimore Clipper). He enjoys writing all of his tips and advice at www.sailingandboatingadvice.com, in hopes of passing on some advice to novice sailors as well as connecting with other sailors and cruisers around the world. 
Let’s say a group of four sailing friends from the States fly off to the U.S. B.V.I.’s for a week-long wonderful charter of a 42 foot monohull, touring islands and discovering legends. It sounds perfect, right? How could it go wrong? Exactly 8 days later, the group arrives home. One had just a so-so time, and the rest had a terrible time. Why? Captain Fred gives you some things to consider that may just save your chartering experience.
Novices to chartering have no idea what to expect… Captain Fred gives 5 quick pointers to get you pointed in the right direction.
Captain Fred looks at the history of building boats in the mid-20th century in Southern California, and details why you probably shouldn’t build your own boat.
Once you’ve narrowed down the list, you’re ready to make some offers. Here’s some tricks to help guide you through the process, in this short guide on how to quickly and efficiently snag the boat you’re after.
Ready to find a marina, but unsure what you should be looking for? Captain Fred Greenfield gives his tips on what to look for, plus a 27 point marina checklist of potential options typical marinas might have.
Captain Fred explains why its wise to listen to all viewpoints when making a decision… including his, in this brief aside.
UPDATED 1/6/09 with new information. A look at the hidden costs involved with owning a boat, including a breakdown of how much you can expect to pay to own, maintain, and berth your boat for five years.
Are multihulls really that much better than their monohull counterparts? Captain Fred looks at the major advantages and disadvantages of monohulls, catamarans, and trimarans, and his findings may surprise you.
While the old adage “Why own the cow when you can get the milk through the fence?” is seldom is used in reference to boating, it certainly could be. I believe that begging rides is an excellent way to gain salient knowledge about boats before investing in your first, or next sailing or power vessel.
