Charter member?

[Phil Herring]

This week we're collecting charter boat experiences.

Have you chartered

Where have you chartered?

Which companies have you chartered with?

Which combinations would you want to do again?

 

[Boomer54]

I’ve chartered three times. Twice in the BVI and last summer in Greece. Been on a Leopard 42 cat (very roomy and sailed quite well); a beneteau 50 (very nice) and a beneteau 45(very nice). I’ve used Conch Charters (older boats but very well maintained) and The Moorings (new boats). No bad experiences.

 

[Hayden Watson]

Charted at Catalina 34 out of Anacortes years ago when we had our first boat moored on Coeur d' Alene. We had a great time with two couples.

 

[shemandr]

We chartered a crewed O'Day 34ish in the Virgin Islands 37 years ago for our honeymoon. I wasn't experienced enough to bare boat and I couldn't BS the Admiral into it. So, it was mostly great. I wouldn't have enjoyed being responsible for the boat seeing rocks here and there that weren't really marked. The crew made all the meals and provisioned so we didn't have to deal with that. They put us in the best places at the best times. Their local knowledge was valuable.
So why haven't we gone back? Well, life. Including our own sailing life here at home. A winter trip would be nice , and we've talked about it among friends but once specifics are discussed interest has dropped off. Not everyone has the same expectations.

 

[Southpaw]

We chartered a 2000 Beneteau 36 in the BVI’s in 2012 with Conch Charters. We loved it so much in 2013 we bought a 2005 Beneteau 343 from Conch Charters and would go down three times a year until last February when we sailed her back to Florida. In the three years that Southern Cross was in Conch Charters fleet they took good care of her and was a pleasure to work with.

 

[Phil Herring]

Has anyone heard any first-person accounts of conditions in the BVI? Curious how long it might be before the charter boats are back up and running there.

 

[David in Sandusky]

We’ve chartered most years since 2000. Here are our thoughts:

Place, Company, boat, crew,
Comments on Company/boat, overall

Lake Erie Islands, private owner, Ericsson 35, 5
Good boat, my first cruising experience, good combination of anchorages and island destinations.

BVI, Moorings, 45 catamaran, 8
Fine boat, Moorings responded in 3 hours to a drive train issue, great cruising ground

North Channel, Canadian YC, Hunter 340 , 2
Same, Same, Hunter 35, 4
Both boats were fine, best cruising ground of all. We have sailed our Hunter 27 there and back, and sailed another summer in the West End with our friends on their Hunter 30.

Apostle Islands, Superior Charters, Catalina 34, 2
Same, Same, Catalina 36, 4 adults, 2 children
Both boats were good, great cruising ground if you master anchoring downwind of Islands.
Superior broke their commitment to follow up and settle their failure to fill our water tanks on the second charter.

San Juans, Anacortes YC, Catalina 30, 2
Same again
Love the boat, great cruising ground, Orcas!

West Coast of Sweden, private owner, Fantasy 37, 4
Excellent, unique boat, wonderful cruising grounds, great fish on old fishing islands converted to vacationlands, granite anchorages, 1,000 year old Vilikng waymarks.

Cote d’Azure - Nice to Hyeres, Moorings, Beneteau 34, 2
Fine boat, Great mix of culture, anchorages, and food!

Thousand Islands, Kingston Sailing Charters, C&C 30, 2
Boat was in mediocre condition, another great cruising grounds, countless anchorages, saw a play in Gananoque, walks on Canadian Island Parks.

Marathon Key, private owner, 34 footer, 2
Beautiful anchorages in the Keys, but countless lobster pots made every sail an emergency slalom!

Narragansett Bay to Martha’s Vineyard and back, Freedom 34, 3
Great sailing grounds, fine boat, the 12 meter fleet (~8) passed us on our way to the Vineyard, great lobster, so glad for the radar as we were in thick fog on the way back.

Bay of Islands NZ, Moorings, Beneteau 36, 4
Fine anchorages, fun walks in the Park Islands, the boat performed well. Amazing stars, and fun long distance cruiser neighbor in Te Wi Bay.

We use an American Airlines MasterCard to fund our airline travel to cruising grounds. We are returning to places we loved (North Channel, San Juan’s, and Apostles so far), and thinking of the Bahamas (snorkeling), the Chesapeake Bay, and the Amalfi Coast (food and scenery).

This summer, we will take 2 weeks on our h27 in the Lake Erie Islands, in addition to our normal weekly getaways.

 

[LeslieTroyer]

My wonderful partner and wife of 34yrs chartered a Moorings 39 in Tortola BVI in1984 May 23, we went with fully provisioned so we didn’t have to spend the day shopping. The first day we had a skipper so we could show proficiency - he left before that first night. Speaking of night we would set a air scoop because it was very hot in the v-birth. Then it would start to rain on us so we would pull down the scoop and close the hatch, then it would stop raining and get hot so up goes the air scoop. This process was repeated at least 3 times a night.

We are talking about going back with friends this time. To share the adventure and cost.

It was a fantastic honeymoon. Exceeded only by our 30th anniversary in Moora, French Polynesia at the Intercontenial one of the rooms thatched roofs built out over the water.

Les

 

[nightowle]

Croatia, monohull 40' and Thailand, cat 43' with Sunsail. Thailand boat was presented with water missing in the tanks. Glad we caught that. It was a tired boat with glitchy problems, too.

BVI, cat 38' through Footloose. Very nice boat but problems with dinghy engine.

Italy, Amalfi coast, 40' monohull. Contracted through Ed Hamilton (brokers) for much newer boat than delivered via Sail Italia, Moorings base operator. Boat stank from holding tank and lines. Dinghy engine problematic. Ratty sails. Bottom probably not cleaned since new. Very disappointed.

Self drive canal boat in France through Le Boat. Great experience, nice boat.

Bottom line.....I will not charter through Moorings/Sunsail again. Ever.

 

[ToddS]

We chartered a 2008(ish) Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36i a few years back out of Conch Charters in Tortola (BVI). Small, low-key operation... we loved the boat, and loved the people at Conch Charters. I would not hesitate to charter with them again. They have "older" boats, but the boat was in great condition... and saved us a fair amount of money over the other charter operations there. We chartered in late November into early December, and it was VERY windy that week. Constantly blowing 25+... sometimes 30. This made me nervous as a first-time charterer, in an unfamiliar boat, and unfamiliar waters, so we motored more than we sailed many days... I also rented moorings everywhere we went rather than anchoring, because I knew I'd never sleep well at anchor worrying about dragging. The place is amazing though. Great harbors, fantastic snorkeling, easy navigation, beautiful islands (and cheap rum!). I'd go back in a heartbeat! Here is a link to the review for Conch Charters my wife wrote after our charter: http://www.viyachts.com/bareboat-trip-reviews/conch-charters-jeanneau-36-sonneborn.php

 

[Sailm8]

BVI's with the Mooring 6 times on everything from a Bene 32 to a cat 3800
Abacos 1 time don't recall the company but the boat was a 40 ft Manta cat
Keys and Dry Tortugas a St Francis cat Yachting Vacations
Keys again IP 380 Yachting Vacations
Chesapeake Bay Moorings monohull
Grenada Leopard 44 Moorings

I would go back to the BVI's in a heartbeat. Since we usually charter with nonsailing friends I end up doing all of the captain responsibilities. Sailing the BVI's is so easy and comfortable, I get a vacation too.

 

[HansWerks]

No charters yet, need to get bare boat certified. I have only sailed fresh water inland lakes for the past 30 years. Thanks for the thread as you have reminded me that i need to get certified.

 

[Ed Caldwell]

BVI charters:

• BEYC day sails when they had a couple of Freedom 30s (late 90s)
• Beneteau 39 Tradewinds Yachts (out of business)
• Three Sunsail charters on Beneteaus from 38-42 ft
• The Catamaran Company Lagoon 440
• TMM Helia 44 last July (before Irma)

Other locations:

• Abacos on Lagoon 420 from Dream Yacht Charter
• St. Vincent and Grenadines Beneteau 423 from Sunsail

Have also been on other trips in the BVIs and Windwards as either student, instructor or crew where I was not the charterer. Definitely will do the Abacos again as I managed to reserve the week after Sandy went through, and it was windy but cool, and the water was all clouded up with suspended sand. Not the postcard version of a trip to the Bahamas. Will also do the Grenadines again for the uncrowded, "old Caribbean" vibe and great sailing. Have had a few relatively minor boat issues (poor refrigeration, rusted out anchor chain), and one bigger issue (cooling hose broke and tried to sink the boat of Bequia), but nothing that would dissuade me from using any of the above companies again. Someday maybe Croatia and French Polynesia.

The BVIs were my first charter destination and the place I usually take newbies for their first experience. Last three charters have been on cats for the generator (air conditioning while at anchor/mooring ball) and flat sailing, again to allow the newbies to better enjoy the total experience.

 

[Ed Caldwell]

Has anyone heard any first-person accounts of conditions in the BVI? Curious how long it might be before the charter boats are back up and running there.

Phil, check out a series of videos that MarineMax has put on YouTube with titles containing the word UPDATE:
https://www.youtube.com/user/MarineMaxVacations/videos

I've seen other reports and videos from charterers such as

, then you'll get suggestions for other similar videos to watch, just note the date. It's a good news/bad news thing - still lots of damage evident, but the sailing looks great and makes me want to go... The big companies are up and running, but the smaller ones have limited fleets.

 

[Simon Sexton]

I have chartered several boats out of Sea Star Base Galveston:
- Gazelle (50 ft steel hulled staysail schooner; manufacturer remains unknown)
- La Isla (C&C 57 Center Cockpit)
- Salsa 2 (Freedom Yachts 30 Schooner Concept)
- Shazam (Ranger 32, first owned by Steve Jobs)
- Alessandra (make unknown, 34 ft. monohull racer; well-known for winning Harvest Moon Regattas in the 80s-90s)
- Bruce Kirby Sonars (21 ft. keelboats)
- Tom Foolery (1957 Chesapeake Bay gaff-rigged oyster schooner)
- Luna Sea (40 ft. custom catamaran designed in Hawaii as a blue water cruiser)
- Point Glass (82 ft. WWII retired Coast Guard cutter donated to Sea Scouts)
- Bay Smart (115 ft. customized research vessel)
- Liftoff and Fandango, aka. "The Twins" (two Pearson 30 racers)

I have also chartered three boats out of Lake Travis:
- Quintessence (Hunter 450 Passage)
- Ripper (Ranger 23)
- The Office (Sea Ray 38)

Out of Kemah/Galveston with the Sea Scouts:
- Envie (Allmand 31 Tri-Cabin)
- Defiant (San Juan 30)
- Flyin' Anne (Tartan 30)
- High Hopes (Ranger 28)
- Sirley (manufacturer unknown, well known to win Harvest Moon Regatta)

And, of course, I sailed several classic ships as well:
- Barque Elissa
- Barque Eagle
- Schooner America
- El Galeon

 

[Hardware]

We have bareboat chartered in the BVI five times. First with Footloose, Beneteau 51, nice boat few problems. After that charter we went with catamarans just for more room. 2nd charter with Conch charters, Belize 43, nice older boat. Minor problem, alternator belt.
After that charter we have only chartered with Voyage Charters out of Sopers Hole. Getting to Sopers is very easy as it is first stop from St Thomas on many of the ferry's. Voyage is a smaller company with the most beautiful boats (IMHO). We chartered two 50' cats on one occasion, big group of 16. The next time was 10 of us on a 58' cat. Then we did it again with a different group of 10 on the same 58' "Toucan Play". We did have one problem on Toucan Play, we spun a prop on the hub picking up a mooring in Trellis Bay, it was hell maneuvering a boat with 31' beam with one engine. We didn't hit anything and they came out the next morning and changed the prop. I highly recommend Voyage Charters. First class boats with first class operations. When you charter you will most likely be checked out by Rane, son of the owner. If you have problems, you have his cell number. Great people!!
Current News; we have friends that chartered in the BVI in December 17, they said the places were nearly empty, but the places they visited were VERY HAPPY to see them. Soggy Dollar was operational as was Pirates. Not much else at that time. Destruction was incredible.
We have a charter booked in Tahiti for May 2018, we went with The Moorings this time.
--Jim

 

[Meriachee]

This week we're collecting charter boat experiences.

Have you chartered

Where have you chartered?

Which companies have you chartered with?
Cooper Boating out of Sydney
A Catalina 28mkii named "Escape" a number of times
A Benteau 32 named "Spirit of the Winds" a couple of times
Which combinations would you want to do again?

Probably none since ours is ready to be seen in an anchorage.

 

[MrBill_FLL]

Marathon Key, private owner, 34 footer, 2
Beautiful anchorages in the Keys, but countless lobster pots made every sail an emergency slalom!

Lobster season starts early August, and ends March 31st.
April-May are good months if you don't like lobster traps!

 

[SVBOB]

Of more topical interest might be: Where have you chartered a Catalina?

I know of a good one in Alaska....

 

[RickyTak]

Go to Facebook group Operation Sail It Forward. The group was created by the Catamaran Company but other charterers are posting too. In short, things are looking good and a lot of destinations are up and running but a lot of rebuilding still needs to be done.