5 Chartering Tips for Novices
This is the first in a series of articles Captain Fred will be writing for sailingandboatingadvice.com on the topic of Chartering. Look for future articles to include different regions, pricing you can expect, and expert tips on how to charter like a pro.
Many of my far flung, exotic, rewarding sailing adventures did not happen on boats belonging to me… I have chartered many times and have sailed with friends who were cruising or chartering themselves.
So you’ve taken my advice to try chartering instead of owning a boat, eh?
Or maybe you just want to get away to some foreign exotic locale and want to see the way it should be seen… from the sea!
In either case, here’s my top advice for novices looking to charter in the Caribbean, Greek Isles, Australia, Hawaii, Moorea, and elsewhere.
- KNOW THE BASICS - Chartering a bareboat is another way to enjoy nautical adventures. You need to have experience to be your own skipper, but if you are an able person who learns quickly, there are charter companies that will provide you (for a premium) with a skipper who knows the boat you will be chartering and that has local knowledge of the areas where you will be cruising and the anchorages you will find there. When you and your skipper feel you are ready to take over he will depart, leaving you with your privacy and you will enjoy the rest of your time aboard much more after a few days to become familiar with the vessel and the gear aboard.
- DON’T BLUFF THE CHARTERING COMPANY - Don’t try to con the charter company into believing you have “The Right Stuff” if you don’t. They will bust you, That will be more embarrassing than admitting you can use some counseling while you are brushing up on your skills or learning how to handle a bigger boat than you are used to.
- CHARTERING IS NOT CHEAP - When you look at the rates charged by charter companies, they may seem high at first but think what it would cost to buy a boat, deliver it to the part of the world that you want to cruise in, outfit it, provision it, insure it, and clean it up after people have beat it up and abused it.
- WHEN ITS ALL DONE, HOPEFULLY YOU DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM - You most likely will be required to post a damage deposit. When you bring the chartered boat back to the charter base with a couple of pieces of broken gear or a few more scratches, dings or soiled cushions, you may lose part or all of that deposit, so take care of it like it is your own boat. I find that most charter companies have extra copies of things that tend to break and the labor to fix is minimal, so when an “oops” happens, wipe it up, sponge it off and party on. (more carefully). The equipment on charter boats is pretty resilient, but don’t abuse stuff. Just think what it would cost to deliver (after thousands of sea miles) your boat, in bristol condition to this and then the next cruising grounds which you fancy. It’s like a rent a car, you just walk away and start dreaming of the next cruise in Shangri-la. (Just don’t put it in the ditch!)
- SAVOR THE MOMENT - Yachting is a luxury that few can afford. If you are lucky enough to be one of those few to enjoy it, take pictures and savor every moment. You are a lucky person. Who knows when you will be at the helm of another vessel in paradise. Maybe never.
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