# In order to bareboat charter...



## Equitas (Sep 26, 2011)

I've owned a catalina 30 for 5 years and had a great time with it. I'm interested in chartering in the carribean. What will I need to do to do so? Do I need to show a company a certain number of years of boat ownership? a certain number of prior charters? or will I only be able to charter with a captain.?


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## Tim R. (Mar 23, 2003)

Do you have a pulse?

All kidding aside, your 5 years with the C30 should be fine. Boater safety classes also help.

I have witnessed some very inexperienced people on charter boats. They either lied or the charter companies just want the $$$. I think the latter considering the boat briefing is supposed to weed out the liars.

When getting you briefing, listen and take notes. Ask questions too. Do no try to brag or show the staff how much of an expert you are. This will get you a captain for your first night for sure.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

The answer depends on the charter company. We're doing a Sunsail charter (our first) in April. They have a place on their website where you can submit your sailing experience (they're interested in sailing experience not boat ownership) and see if you are eligible to charter without hiring a captain. I found their bar extremely low.

One person in our group has only done lake sailing and he is allowed to captain a chartered boat. He decided against it.

That said, you will still have to demonstrate that you can dock the boat and use the electronics. If they don't feel that you are proficient enough, you'll have to hire a captain for at least a couple hours to bring you up to speed before they'll let you go out alone.


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## Equitas (Sep 26, 2011)

THanks guys. That's so helpful. We've done a Power & Sail Squadron boating course, and passed the Canadian Powerboat operator's card licence,, and both have restricted marine operator's licence (for the VHF).


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## FarCry (Apr 21, 2007)

As stated previously it really depends which company you choose to go with. Some just need to confirm your credit card is working while others require you to show some basic skills. By basic I mean the ability to drive the boat under power, put up sails and be able to tack a couple of times successfully. I do charter briefings on the weekends and couldn't agree more with Treilly's comments. Feel free to PM me for any further information.


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## Ninefingers (Oct 15, 2009)

I have one year great lake sailing on a 33 keel boat. Certification similar to ASA 103 (?). I've been told I'm pretty much good to go. 

Although here's a question. And this will surely wrinkle a few feathers, lol! I have only used a furling main. How hard will it be to learn to raise and reef a traditional sail? From the looks of it, most charter boats have traditional mains.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

Ninefingers said:


> Although here's a question. And this will surely wrinkle a few feathers, lol! I have only used a furling main. How hard will it be to learn to raise and reef a traditional sail? From the looks of it, most charter boats have traditional mains.


The hardest part I've found is completely lowering the main underway and folding it down on top of the boom.

Center the main. Heading into the wind helps so that the main flutters and the tension is released. Have the helmsman put the boat in neutral or if you must go forward, go as slowly as possible. The helmsman should keep a lookout and alert whoever is lowering the main to any approaching wakes so he or she isn't knocked off balance and if the boat has to turn into a large wake (which means the wind will fill in the sail). When going on deck, don't forget the sail ties. If just reefing the sail this will be when you tie the reefing lines (if equipped) rather than take it all the way down. Some boats are equipped with a hook that attaches to the leading edge of the sail to keep it in position while you tie the lines.

It's easier to reef the main before raising it completely. If you know that the wind is strong before leaving the mooring/anchorage/dock, tie the reefing lines before you leave.


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## NortenoSailor (Aug 14, 2010)

When I first chartered in the Caribbean, my sailing resume was even skinnier than Equitas', but I was still allowed to charter (Sunsail)


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## FarCry (Apr 21, 2007)

DRFerron said:


> The hardest part I've found is completely lowering the main underway and folding it down on top of the mast.
> 
> Center the main. Heading into the wind helps so that the main flutters and the tension is released. Have the helmsman put the boat in neutral or if you must go forward, go as slowly as possible. The helmsman should keep a lookout and alert whoever is lowering the main to any approaching wakes so he or she isn't knocked off balance and if the boat has to turn into a large wake (which means the wind will fill in the sail). When going on deck, don't forget the sail ties. If just reefing the sail this will be when you tie the reefing lines (if equipped) rather than take it all the way down. Some boats are equipped with a hook that attaches to the leading edge of the sail to keep it in position while you tie the lines.
> 
> It's easier to reef the main before raising it completely. If you know that the wind is strong before leaving the mooring/anchorage/dock, tie the reefing lines before you leave.


I've never had much luck folding the sail against the mast and have taken the easier route of just letting gravity put it on the boom instead. 

Back to Ninefingers. There are many monohull sailboats in the Virgin Islands area that have have furling mains. The ones with conventional mains pretty much all have sailbags and lazyjacks on the boom. Many you don't have to even leave the cockpit to raise or lower the main. Either way it's not hard to do after seeing it done once. As Drferron says, just make sure you are into the wind, especially with full battens and lazyjacks.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

FarCry said:


> I've never had much luck folding the sail against the mast and have taken the easier route of just letting gravity put it on the boom instead.


Good catch, thanks. And I was probably sober, too.


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## FarCry (Apr 21, 2007)

No worries. I got a chuckle out of it and hoped you would too.


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## Tim R. (Mar 23, 2003)

Every boat I have ever chartered in Caribbean(Moorings, Sunsail, private) had a stack pack and the main simply fell into the pack(once upwind) as the lazy jacks guided it down and we zipped it closed. Don't worry about reefing. Use only the head sail when you feel you need to reef. Keep it fun and easy.

Graphic courtesy of Doyle sails:


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## SeaDreamer1Day (Jun 25, 2010)

*Stack Pack*

The Stack Pack sure looks handy. That is a nice setup.


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## Equitas (Sep 26, 2011)

Oh wow. Didn't realize that bareboat chartering was that easy!!.

We've got a week with RCI timeshares, so I think the next thing we'll be doing is an RCI captained boat for a week.

Has anyone done this before? if so, what suggestions can you make? where to go from, which company to use / avoid. etc..


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## bacampbe (Mar 17, 2009)

I've been on 4 charters now--3 with The Moorings (BVIx2 and Abacos) and 1 with TMM (Grenadines). All 4 had stack-packs. Of the 4, only 1 would drop all the way into the lazy-bag head-to-wind without someone going forward to pull down the last third or so.

Basically, you can expect a stack-pack, or maybe even roller furling. But, with the economy of the last few years, what you can't expect is good maintenance. (Don't get me wrong--most were great boats in relatively good shape. But this particular item seems to be a maintenance problem)

And as annoying as a poorly maintained classic main/stack pack may be, I can only imagine a poorly maintained roller-furling main would be like. (Full disclosure--_my_ boat has a furling main. It's great if you are used to it, but I can't imagine a typical charter captain failing to FUBAR it.)


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## Patient (Jan 7, 2009)

With the Moorings, once you make an account on their website, there is a section to fill in a sailing "resume". You can do that now to get an idea of what they are looking for.

I skippered a 40' Bene with them 2 years ago when I was only 30. I was the youngest captain at the skipper's meeting thats for sure. Never the less, I submitted my resume online and also faxed all my US Sailing certifications along with my US Sailing member ID that they can look up in their database. After they verified my certs, I was never asked about sailing capability again.

Something funny regarding credentials. Back in the 80s when the Moorings first hit the scene, my dad who had sailed all his life was asked to take a sailing dingy out with a Moorings staff member to verify he knew what he was doing, along with a written test. We were bareboating as a family which wasnt as mainstream back then. I think that was their way of verifying bareboat applicants back then. Considering how easy it is to get through the gate nowadays, part of me wished they did that today as well. I ran into a lot of captains that had absolutely no idea what they were doing, to the point of endangering their crew and others.

Short version. You will be fine and better equipped than most that qualify.

PS: The most important advice I would give you would be to attend the skippers meeting, ask questions and absolutely make sure to listen and ask questions during your boat's walkthrough with staff.


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