The time has come for the occasional or maybe even annual bareboat charter in one of the many exotic locations this beautiful world has to offer.
You got yourself a couple of families or 10 friends together and booked that awesome >40′ catamaran for a week or two. Not a cheap exercise you think, but worth while. You have always had a passion for sailing, just never enough time. Now you are ready to set off and do it.
Basic rules for a successful voyage, in no particular order:
* Know you boat
* Know your crew
* Know your environment
* Know your limits
* Be prepared for everything
At a bare minimum, you hold a “RYA Dayskipper Certificate” or equivalent, converted to a “Certificate of Competency” in order to legally hire and operate a yacht in most parts of the world.
You would have also done some sailing back home, most likely at your local club, gone on a few trips on your mate’s yacht or even chartered a smaller yacht with your family before.
Now you are faced with a 11 t behemoth, that’s 14 meters long and over 7 meters wide. It got 115 sqm of sail area, extends 1.2m under and 23.0m! above the water. There are no breaks and even a small puff of wind will drift her sideways when moorning.
You have never sailed anything like it. Nor have you ever sailed with the people you are about to embark on a two week journey with.
You have no idea what they are capable or not capable of. How much assistance will give you when the chips fall, the wind picks up or a thunderstorm rolls in?
To top it all off, you have never sailed in this area before. You don’t know the local tides, current and weather conditions. You have no idea what the ground is like or how the topography effects your upcoming day’s sailing.
And you are now the captain.
You are responsible not only for this boat (and your damage deposit), but also for everyone on it as well as the people on other boats you might have to give way to.
Everyone will be looking to you for answers because they haven’t got a clue what’s going on. The only person with the ultimate responsibly for everything is the one you see in the mirror… YOU!
Looking at the list I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I would say you fail to meet most if not all, basic requirements to carry out a successful trip given this scenario.
Sounds scary? Well, it can be scary. But it can also be very rewarding if you are prepared.
PROFESSIONAL SKIPPERS:
Before I go any further: if you feel that the above is beyond what you are comfortable with or think it’s too much to deal with and enjoy your holiday at the same time, you may want to consider hiring a local skipper to show you around.
Most charter companies offer this service for about $150-$200/day.
They know where to go, the best palaces to see and the safest places to anchor. They know the boat and can even teach you to become familiar with a yacht this size, so you can have sailing fun and relax at the same time.
TIPS TO BE A GOOD CAPTAIN:
If you like being in charge, you love sailing and don’t like the idea of having a stranger on board, here are a few tips that might help to make your holiday a more successful one:
PREPARATION:
It’s the key to every successful mission. The more you read and plan about your trip before you leave home, the better.
Buy the local sailing guides / publications/App. Your operator might have them on the yacht you charter, but they contain a wealth of information you won’t have time to absorb once on the trip
* Weather forecast availability (VHF Schedule or Web based), wind conditions and local phenomena
* Tides & Currents
* Sunset & Last Light
* Marina & Mooring opportunities: Costs, Rules and VHF coms if applicable
* Anchoring opportunities: Water depth, slope of the ocean floor, ground conditions, width of bay, prevailing winds, local operators who might use this place professionally
* Local rules and customs
* Distances to next planned destination. I work on 5nm/hr for approx of 6hrs/day. That allows for a relaxed start at 9am, lunch & swim at 1pm for 2 hrs and making you destination around 5pm (places do get busy as the sun goes down)
* Emergency support & Rescue. Phone numbers. VHF frequencies.
COMMUNICATION:
Just because you know what you are talking about doesn’t mean that other will understand what you are saying. “Port, bow, sheet, leeward” … What are you on about ?
Issue simple & precise instructions that have been explained and discussed before they are required. One mark of a professional sailor/crew is the ability to communicate without shouting and screaming at/to each other.
Nothing feels better than grabbing that mooring ball the first time or setting your anchor without a loud or harsh word spoken!
For example, instructions and procedures for anchoring and grabbing a mooring ball are to be briefed WELL BEFORE entry to the harbor area and make sure each person knows their duties and responsibilities.
Establish dedicated, simple commands and hand signals. When the wind blows, they can’t hear you and you can’t hear them. They are 13m away from you!
A suggested method is to use your arm to point at the mooring ball or sandy bottom target area for the anchor. Arm straight in the air means mooring ball straight under the boat. The person at the helm can immediately see where to go and what gear to use in one glance. A ‘clenched fist’ in the air means STOP. Stop for everything: Stop the boat, stop using the windlass. Only if you see the ‘Thumbs Up’ may you proceed.
Try this technique as you cruise and enjoy everyone asking you how long you have been cruising as a team!
KNOW YOUR CREW AND THEIR CAPABILITIES:
Unless you were experienced, you can’t expect to manage a yacht that size with that many people alone.
Apart from it being fun for your friends to be actively involved in boating activities, there will be times when you need to draw on your crew to help hoist the sail, retrieve the anchor, throw the morning lines etc.
Or even just to look out for each other as you don’t have eyes in the back of your head when driving and someone falls overboard taking a pee.
TASK ASSIGNMENT / SHARING:
Assign different tasks to dedicated crew. Not everyone needs to know everything. Someone learns how to steer the boat into the wind. Others might learn how to unpack and repack the sail or bring up the anchor. Someone can be in charge of make sure all lines are stowed in a tidy manner at day’s end. Before you get under way, have a member of the party check that all hatches are closed and secure, no ropes are hanging overboard and then report that to the Captain!
You can see where i am are going with this – there are plenty of tasks on the boat and giving each person a part of the workload not only makes your life easier, it also results in a shared experience and pride in accomplishing that task. It is a great feeling to come home from a vacation and know you were part of the team while sailing. Our kids love telling their friends how they are the Dinghy Captain and crew, etc…we just appreciate the help!
Also, people like to work in teams if it’s unfamiliar work they do. It helps to build confidence. So get two people on the bow for “anchor retrieval” for example
BE CONSERVATIVE AND HAVE A PLAN:
No prizes for being first. Slow things down. This applies to every aspect of the trip.
Don’t start engines and haul up the anchor until you have been through your pre-departure routine:
Dingy / paddle board hoisted and secured
ALL windows closed
ALL ropes stowed and out of the water
Swim ladder stowed.
Decks clear of “stuff” so no-one trips.
Everyone accounted for!
Coming into port routine:
Familiarized yourself with the layout of the marina?
Considered wind direction?
Briefed your crew of who does what, when and how?
Fenders out?
Lines prepared?
Anchor routine …
Reefing routine …
But “taking your time” goes beyond the obvious. Take the time to think of the big picture. Have you taken the time to assess today’s weather or route? Where you will go if something goes wrong? A good, safe anchorage where to stop for lunch maybe?
Why is this so important.
For example; as soon as you leave the protection of the marina or overnight bay and cruise out into open water, wind conditions will change. If there are still pillows or towels on the railing, they will disappear. Is the rig set up for the second or even third reef (which by the way aren’t fully “automatic” compared to the first one on most yachts).
BE PREPARED TO CHANGE YOUR PLANS:
This is a particularly difficult one. Ultimately, you are on a schedule. The boat has to be back at a certain time, people have to catch flights home, there are things everyone wants to see etc.
None of that matters if the safety of the operation can’t be guaranteed. You can always re-book a flight, call for someone to ferry the boat back to its original destination or come again next year to see that particular town / beach / cave.
What you can’t do is upright an upside down cat in a rush, get ‘unstuck’ from underneath a bridge that was too low, get your boat off a reef or God forbid, revive a dead body.
IF IT DOESN’T FEEL RIGHT, IT AIN’T RIGHT!
So if you need to re-route because you miscalculated the tide, read the charts wrong or the sea is too rough and people are seriously seasick, whether there is a storm coming and you are not going to get to your destination in time or things just didn’t work out the way you thought they would… so be it. Change your plans. Go somewhere else, go back, cut the day short. Do whatever is required to stay safe.
You are the captain, your crew expects you to make these calls.
ASK QUESTIONS / GET HELP:
There are a lot of qualified people out there. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You base manager and his or her staff should be there 24/7 with advice if needed.
You won’t look like an idiot for asking a seemingly simple question (well, maybe). But you will look like a total fool if you mess up something that could have easily been avoided… like that reef EVERYONE knows about.
DON’T ASSUME ANYTHING:
If you haven’t questioned or thought about something and talked about it, researched it or considered it, you are most likely to have missed something.
We are programmed to see what we want to see and hear what we expect to hear. However, it might not be what’s actually happening. This is known a Confirmation Bias.
So stop and confirm. Again and again if necessary. If there is doubt, make it no doubt
LEAVE YOUR EGO AT HOME:
There is no room for you and an inflated ego on a yacht. Yes, you are the captain and ultimately your decision is final, but it should one that’s been derived by consultation and constant revision of the circumstances.
AND FINALLY …. RELAX:
Bareboat Charters are fun. Not only do they provide an opportunity for a great holiday, they also provide you, as the ‘manager, with the rewarding experience of having given your crew the time of their life’s. Challenge accepted?
Some charter companies offer a “friendly skippered” for a few hours at no or minimal charge.
Pay attention during the boat check out. I have had clients feel like this was a waste of time until you discover the dinghy has no fuel or you can’t find the windlass breaker.
Why does everyone pick up a mooring ball from the bow? Bring it along the side then walk it to the front.
All good info – thanks!
Hi Chrystal,
Yes, a couple of hours ‘familiarisation’ might be an option if on offer. Maybe just need to ask.
The mooring ball from the side would work if there is no or little wind. I was reading about a transom pick up recently.
Hello Nils_
Great article, excellent tips very will explained
Thx
Hi Davor, tks for the comment. Hopefully it will creat some awareness.