Charter advice needed

[Kings Gambit]

A lot of the crewed charters come with Captain and Cook, I have not used them, but if I were doing a crewed charter I would go that route and let them provision and cook.

When ashore, the crew ALWAYS buys for the Captain. Unless they have been spectacularly capable, then he rewards their good deeds.

Charters: Deal with the charter company officers directly, not a broker middleman. The last thing you need is to arrive on your expensive vacation and find a mis-communicated mess.

I did a bareboat charter for some novice sailor friends a few years back and against my better judgement took a Leopard43. A floating condo! Thing had a genset the size of my Yanmar, 3 zone AC and walk in reefer (kinda). Each couple got their own stateroom with ensuite head (4 cabin. It was fabulous, and the crew is still begging for a return adventure.

I just don't see how one is really getting away from it all if you're taking it all with you! Cruising and anchoring is more akin to camping in the wilderness than staying in a beachside hotel, at least that's the way it used to be! The BVI, so I've heard mention (but I have not gone there), now more resembles an RV "campsite" where all the big campers and RV buses are powered up and noisy than a nice get-a-way sailing venue. Is it true?

 

[Gunni]

You will not find much wilderness in a BVI charter, and for some people on their first charter that is what they are looking for. Most of the harbors have mooring balls, so the anchor skill requirement is nominal. But during high season it is a race each day to get to your destination and claim a mooring. There are too many charter boats in the cruising grounds.

 

[Kings Gambit]

You will not find much wilderness in a BVI charter, and for some people on their first charter that is what they are looking for. Most of the harbors have mooring balls, so the anchor skill requirement is nominal. But during high season it is a race each day to get to your destination and claim a mooring. There are too many charter boats in the cruising grounds.

Reminds me of a discussion/presentation I once heard from a fellow with the National Park Service. The lament--too few people either visit, or even know about, some of the parks such that it's difficult to keep the parks supported w/ federal dollars. The solution--make them more accessible (i.e., roads/freeways, ferry services, sea planes, lifts, mooring balls, etc., so the undetermined, lazy, and/or non-adventuresome "citizens" can go there w/o experiencing any inconvenience of accessing remote areas. Result-- area loses the character of a nature park finally feeling, if not looking, more like a Florida beach overrun with littering tourists than a nature area. Ex.--so many cars now in Yosemite Valley and Yellowstone that they now have their own air quality issues. Egaaads-- so the purist park-goers start to avoid those places for even more remote venues and destinations. At least with the northern Channel Islands off California the area is so rugged that mooring fields might not survive more than one or two winters w/o extensive maintanence. Thermophiles hate the cold, and folks who cannot anchor, or do not trust their own skill, fear it. A fanastic place! until some goof in a powerboat comes in, anchors up wind but a few meters, and then turns on the genset (or portable Honda generator) to use the microwave, etc. Perhaps better that than be surrounded w/ floating condos full of people yelling, jumping into foul water, zipping around in motorized inflatables, and "boom-boxing" me into a grumpy mood while trying to "relax"!