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What does it take to charter a boat?Crewed or Bareboat? Will I qualify to bareboat?All it takes to charter a boat with captain and crew is a vacation. This is truly a decadent way to sail, with someone taking care of all the details including passage planning, boat handling and maintenance, provisioning, and meal preparation. You can do as much or as little as you choose. It’s really not that expensive if you have two or three couples sharing a boat. Between the room charges and food costs in a hotel, you’ll find that it’s pretty comparable. But if you want to charter bareboat, with you as the skipper and your crew backing you up, then you’ll need to do a bit of preparation in advance. Chartering in the islands takes the same basic seamanship skills as handling your own boat at home. You need to know navigation, sail trim and boat handling, anchoring and mooring, and basic trouble shooting. You do not need special licenses or certifications outside of the EU, although those do help if you’re arranging your first charter. What you do need is to show experience as the skipper of a vessel the same length as the one you wish to charter. It also helps to have a prior charter say a weekend on the
You will need to provide a sailing resume a list of all the courses you’ve taken, and all the vessels you’ve sailed (what, where, what capacity, and for how long). Essentially, if you have owned a boat and you have documentation of ownership, that’s proof. Most reputable charter companies will interview you and check you out (go along for a short sail with you) if it is your first time with them or if they need to be made comfortable about your boat handling skills. If after the check out, they are still not comfortable with your ability, they may insist on putting a licensed captain onboard at your expense. Once you have chartered with a company like the Moorings, you will be in their system, check in becomes routine, and you even get discounts for repeat bookings. If you want to be really sure you will qualify, there are several sailing schools offering bareboat certification courses. They will provide you with a “license to charter”, which does not substitute for time at the helm. You will still have to show that you skippered a vessel on your own in the size range you wish to charter. In addition, US Sailing has just introduced a Bareboat Certification program that will assist American sailors who wish to charter bareboat in the
Bareboat Charter Certification Resources
How can I find the right charter boat?There are essentially three ways find a charter vessel in your desired destination. You can work with a broker or booking agent who represents multiple charter companies. These folks will often handle all the details for you, much like a travel agent, but they specialize in boat charters. One of the longest operating booking agents is Ed Hamilton. They even offer a form online to help assess if your sailing resume will qualify you for chartering bareboat. The second way to charter is to go directly to the charter companies. There you have the option of many charter companies, some of whom specialize in bareboat, others in crewed charters only, and still others that offer the option. There are also individual boat owners who charter typically with crew as well. There are benefits and drawbacks to each type.
Some additional items to consider: the reputable charter companies will provide charts, walk you through the main aids to navigation, show you your route options, establish clear procedures for where to go, when to check in, and what to do in the event of a problem, and show you where everything is on your boat and how to operate it. They will also offer provisioning options, and we seriously recommend taking at least the basic provisioning. You want to spend your time sailing not shopping, especially when you do not know the territory. You may also be able to negotiate staying aboard the night of your arrival for a nominal extra fee to avoid the cost of staying in a hotel. That way, you’ll be settled in and ready to go in the morning. Choosing your destinationWhere you go may have a direct relationship with how much time you have and how comfortable you are chartering. Some of the islands are a little more difficult to reach. Others are a snap with daily direct flights from the
Chartering in the Caribbean & Bahamas (click here)
Click here to view a map of the Caribbean. Visit T2P for an informative, free on-demand online viewing of Paradise Found, a Gary Jobson production on chartering in the BVI through Sunsail.
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