Use these guidelines to determine what qualifications you need to charter a boat:
SIZE – The boat you want to charter should be no more than 5’ bigger than the boat you have ample experience on and are competent handling. When considering what you’re competent handling, try not to think of sailing in wide open waters. You should consider your ability to handle the boat in a new marina with a cross breeze of 15-20 knots. Also, understand the line loads that are on the hardware while under sail and if your crew is versed in handling these line loads and avoid misusing the hardware. A lot changes as you move up in boat size so please
EXPERIENCE – Your boating experience should be within the last 3 years. It’s okay if it’s been longer but we may have to schedule a short refresher. It’s not always like “riding a bike”. So if it’s been a while, some people get right back into the boat handling and others take a while.
OVERNIGHT CRUISING – For charters that are 2 or more days, we require previous overnight experience aboard, a basic knowledge of boat electrical and mechanical systems, competency in docking and harbor handling and experience reefing sails in high wind situations. If you’re lacking this experience we can still make it happen with the right instruction and briefing.
DAY SAILS – For day sails we don’t require the systems and overnight experience but you still have to get out of the slip and then dock the boat at the end of the day. So keep in mind that about 90% of the damage to a boat occurs in the marina.
IT’S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU HONESTLY EVALUATE YOUR QUALIFICATIONS.
All charterers, regardless of experience, will work with one of our Briefing Captains and get a charter briefing. The standard charter briefing will go over systems, mechanicals, sails, safety and chart hazards. A charter briefing is a “where it is” familiarization of the boat. It is not a “what is it?” or a “how does this work” briefing – not unless you have told us in advance that you would like more information on a particular topic or are requesting time with a captain.
We will schedule time based on what you told us on the charter application and the evaluation you gave yourself. If we determine that your skills and experience aren’t quite what was stated on the application, we will have to schedule more time with you.
DON’T DELAY YOUR DEPARTURE FROM THE DOCK. We want to give you all the information you need but we also need to properly schedule the briefing time. Our Briefing Captains are tightly scheduled and if you need a lot more time than what your application indicated, we might have to reschedule for more time. You cannot leave the dock unless we feel you are competent to handle the vessel and situations that may arise while out on charter.
We cannot guarantee that you will be ready to take the boat after working with a captain. It is entirely up to you to demonstrate your ability to safely and competently handle the boat. That is why it’s so important that you fill out the charter application accurately. It’s okay if you need more instruction or time with a captain. But if we have to spend more time than anticipated, we may have to reschedule a captain and that could mean that you’ll spend more time at the dock.
Most of our boats are privately owned by individuals who trust us to manage them. Because of our standards and the trust of the boat owners we can offer a wide variety of sail and power yachts. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to working with you to ensure a great charter experience.