I'm a newbe with only 2 years of expeience. I have a slip live near a lake and get lots of hours in. I have no formal sailing education yet. My ambition is to Charter a boat in the Caribbean to have more time to snorkle and enjoy the blue waters of the west indies. I've talked to a near by sailing school and they have recomended that I test out of the basic 101 keelboat, and continue with the 103 coastal then take the Bareboat Chartering, sounds fine to me. I would like to compleat this within 2 years. My questions are 1 How to get experience with a 30+ footer to learn, and take the 103 without owning one, or being able to rent one, books only take you so far. 2. When I get to that point, how do I find out how and where it is safe to cruise in the Caribbean for ex: Antigua. I'm sure by then my sailing skills will be up to par. But How do I fine where is a safe place to anchor, not to harm any coral! also I don't need to run into any sandbars, I'm I able to order charts maybe to charter should be able to provide me with help. What are to best steps to plan for a overnight sailing vaction. Thanks inadvanced Dano O'day 192
Not!! Kile
- Thread starter ShelliO
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Contact the Charter Companies
Assuming that you're serious, I'd recommend contacting Moorings, or one of the other major charter companies. They all have websites. Cruising areas are determined by your experience level,and charts of the area are furnished. It's never too early to start a dialogue with the charter companies, and there is a ton of information out there. Larry Wilson
Assuming that you're serious, I'd recommend contacting Moorings, or one of the other major charter companies. They all have websites. Cruising areas are determined by your experience level,and charts of the area are furnished. It's never too early to start a dialogue with the charter companies, and there is a ton of information out there. Larry Wilson
Charter Flotilla
The ASA courses are an excellent foundation. Get the ASA certifications you mention and when you contact the charter companies inquire about a bare boat flotilla. Here's an example: http://www.moorings.com/CharterProducts/Flotilla.aspx This is an excellent way to get into chartering. You'll be on your own boat but there will be a flotilla leader who will spend time with each boat until he is confident you have your stuff together. The flotilla leader will know the best places to sail and anchor and make sure all the clients have a great time. Once you do this you'll have more confidence and can charter on your own.
The ASA courses are an excellent foundation. Get the ASA certifications you mention and when you contact the charter companies inquire about a bare boat flotilla. Here's an example: http://www.moorings.com/CharterProducts/Flotilla.aspx This is an excellent way to get into chartering. You'll be on your own boat but there will be a flotilla leader who will spend time with each boat until he is confident you have your stuff together. The flotilla leader will know the best places to sail and anchor and make sure all the clients have a great time. Once you do this you'll have more confidence and can charter on your own.
Dano, Another posibility is the local
community college for any sailing courses that they offer. Crewing on the weekend races is also a place to get some larger boat experience. Once you make it known that you have an interest and are willing to help you will be welcome aboard many boats. This will not substitute for the ASA certificates but the more experience you can gain the better you will feel about taking on the responsibility of a borrowed boat. PS you didn't sound like a "Kyle".
community college for any sailing courses that they offer. Crewing on the weekend races is also a place to get some larger boat experience. Once you make it known that you have an interest and are willing to help you will be welcome aboard many boats. This will not substitute for the ASA certificates but the more experience you can gain the better you will feel about taking on the responsibility of a borrowed boat. PS you didn't sound like a "Kyle".
Charter
Thanks for the Moorings web site info I'll be looking into that, are there any other sugestions? for chartering companys? What other ways can you get experience with larger boats. Ps Kyle's OK he made a good point Thanks Dano
Thanks for the Moorings web site info I'll be looking into that, are there any other sugestions? for chartering companys? What other ways can you get experience with larger boats. Ps Kyle's OK he made a good point Thanks Dano
bvi for new charterers
Hi Dano, I recommend the British Virgin Islands for your first charter. I've chartered many different places with family and friends and the BVI is perfect for 1st timers - each day's sail can be very short (2 to 6 hours), anchoring is easy, there is almost no tidal range, and you can pretty much navigate just by sight. The best option might also be to take a captain. I believe the large companies (like the Moorings and Sunsail) let you take a captain for just a couple of days and then you can continue on your own. Mike
Hi Dano, I recommend the British Virgin Islands for your first charter. I've chartered many different places with family and friends and the BVI is perfect for 1st timers - each day's sail can be very short (2 to 6 hours), anchoring is easy, there is almost no tidal range, and you can pretty much navigate just by sight. The best option might also be to take a captain. I believe the large companies (like the Moorings and Sunsail) let you take a captain for just a couple of days and then you can continue on your own. Mike
ASA courses
Dano don't worry about not owning the boat for the ASA 103 courses or any of the courses. Insurance rules won't allow the instructors to teach the course on any boat but their own and most of the schools have the boats.
Dano don't worry about not owning the boat for the ASA 103 courses or any of the courses. Insurance rules won't allow the instructors to teach the course on any boat but their own and most of the schools have the boats.
OJT is a popular form of training in the military
OJT on the job training is a great way to learn how to sail. You don't mention the size of boat that you are now sailing. I was sailing a 26' outborad powered Macgregor and chartered a Hunter 30 at Marathon in Florida. It wasn't that big of a transition!!! The biggest thing was not being able to use the outboard like a thruster. But going from large lake to coastal Florida Keys was amazingly easy. The worst thing to happen was snagging a few lobster pots especially the first day. We snagged one really bad near the end of the trip...it was underwater and wrapped the prop. I had to go overboard and finally used a knife to cut the line free. All of the essential tools of coastal cruising you use on a large lake. Tides are a factor but not that difficult. With GPS navigation it is even easier now. Our charter boat had LORAN but my piloting skills were good and we rarely used the LORAN. Once we had an argument about our location. My wife using LORAN said that we were one place my binoculars and map said another. The argument ended when a numbered buoy came alongside and confirmed that my binoculars were correct. If your lake is small and easy to navigate you might want to trailer your boat to another strange lake and navigate it using piloting skills. We had been on several stange lakes including the huge Kentucky lake before our first charter in the keys. You might want to do as we did. I used binoculars and dead reckoning and my wife followed along using GPS/LORAN. Usually we agreed. A common error was my wife misreading the chart when she was plotting our position. We both learned a lot. But there is no substitute for being captain and making decisions especially since you say that you have read a lot. Putting that knowledge to use is something that you will have to do.
OJT on the job training is a great way to learn how to sail. You don't mention the size of boat that you are now sailing. I was sailing a 26' outborad powered Macgregor and chartered a Hunter 30 at Marathon in Florida. It wasn't that big of a transition!!! The biggest thing was not being able to use the outboard like a thruster. But going from large lake to coastal Florida Keys was amazingly easy. The worst thing to happen was snagging a few lobster pots especially the first day. We snagged one really bad near the end of the trip...it was underwater and wrapped the prop. I had to go overboard and finally used a knife to cut the line free. All of the essential tools of coastal cruising you use on a large lake. Tides are a factor but not that difficult. With GPS navigation it is even easier now. Our charter boat had LORAN but my piloting skills were good and we rarely used the LORAN. Once we had an argument about our location. My wife using LORAN said that we were one place my binoculars and map said another. The argument ended when a numbered buoy came alongside and confirmed that my binoculars were correct. If your lake is small and easy to navigate you might want to trailer your boat to another strange lake and navigate it using piloting skills. We had been on several stange lakes including the huge Kentucky lake before our first charter in the keys. You might want to do as we did. I used binoculars and dead reckoning and my wife followed along using GPS/LORAN. Usually we agreed. A common error was my wife misreading the chart when she was plotting our position. We both learned a lot. But there is no substitute for being captain and making decisions especially since you say that you have read a lot. Putting that knowledge to use is something that you will have to do.
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