# Chartering in the Windward Islands



## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

Many cruisers wish to augment their cruising budgets by chartering. I see the gleam of easy money for doing something they love, in the eyes of those cruisers we meet, when we mention we are chartering. Full term chartering is a lot of things, but 'easy money' isn't one of them. 
As a professional, every other boat I have chartered on has been owned by someone else and I’ve been hired to crew her up and make money (or not, but that’s a different post). It’s never been my home, just the place I live and work.
Full term chartering one’s own boat is a completely different thing. It is like inviting total strangers into your home and being on call 24 hours a day for a week or more. Only they can’t just step out the door and go for a walk. If they want to go ashore, you’ve got to take them. If they want to go for a swim or snorkel, you’ve got to watch them and be instantly available should they need assistance. If it’s rainy, then they might need entertaining. If they want a drink.... you get the idea.
Cruisers often talk about ‘weather windows’. Charter boats don’t! When it’s time to go, you go, whether it’s a flat calm or blowing 40 knots. In the latter case your boat takes a lot of punishment, as does her crew. Christmas is high season and the season of high winds. If you want to charter, then you will be crossing the channels in the height of the Christmas Winds, whether you enjoy it or not. Cancel a few charters because of equipment failure or any other reason and the brokers won’t offer you any more charters. I told one broker who had 4 passengers for us that we only take two passengers and she’s never contacted us again. I guess she doesn’t make enough money off two? I don’t know anyone making it only on the charters they get directly from their web site.
Food. Sometimes I think my wife a miracle worker of the first order. On two of our charters we could not buy limes or eggs on any of the islands we visited. What’s up with that? Menu planning flies right out the companionway when an item or ten just isn’t available THIS week. You’d think fresh fish would be a given. Guess again. Papayas, mangoes, pineapples and sweet oranges are all seasonal. You can’t book charters around food availability. 
And most importantly, you’ve got to make it all wonderful for your guests. We’ve had a honeymoon couple and a man’s dream 50th birthday. It’s not like there is a ‘do over’ for these special times. Some of our guests have saved many years for this ‘dream vacation’ and that is a huge responsibility. It needs to be everything they have dreamed of and more, if that’s possible. It is the crew’s duty not to allow their own physical or mental ills to tarnish their guests’ enjoyment. Where IS that bottle of Ibuprofen?
On the other side of the coin, the rewards are immeasurable. We now have friends with whom we can stay all over Europe. Friends who share their lives with us and watch ours via the internet with an understanding reserved for those few that have sailed with us. Friends whose recommendations are already filling up our schedule for next year and beyond, taking their friends and family members sailing in the West Indies.
Oh yeah, and it is nice to have a bit of extra money coming in. But ‘easy money’ it is not!


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

Livin the dream, mate. Living the dream.


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