Sailing & Boating Advice

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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.

10 rules, tips, or whatever you want to call them, learned over 65 years of buying, owning, building and chartering boats… they may just save your life… or at least they may save you some money and a headache or two when buying a sailboat.

Unless your only avenue of travel is by water, (say you live on a navigable river or lake 20 miles from town and the overland route to town is 30 miles of treacherous mountain trails where even a pack mule couldn’t go.) chances are you can do without a boat. You could walk, ride a horse, or just wait for the world to find its’ way to you. But, lets say water is your only choice to control your destiny, go where you want, when you want, a boat may be a good asset. My advice is always to prototype any tool to see how you get along with it.