Charter do's and don't

[Rubikoop]

Every year the Interline Regatta provides lots of work for the repair technicians. I don't know which year it was that not only did one boat run aground but at least four more followed them onto the reef at Anegada. A close friend has a 2015 50' mono in Moorings fleet and they weren't able to use their own boat this fall because it was hauled for repair from major damage suffered during, yep, the Interline Regatta. Not minor damage but a complete rebuild of the area that used to hold the top of the rudder shaft. And repairs to the bottom 12" of the rudder...

Back to the subject. Lock up your dinghy all the time. Keep one person sober to run it. SLOW down in an anchorage. Assume nobody else in the anchorage wants to hear your music. Keep an eye on the water gauge and refill the tank before you are soaped up in the shower and there's no water to rinse with. Bring way more money than you think is possible to spend. Have fun and come back again!!!!

[Steven UK]

Thanks guys lots of good info there. We're there for ten days which is a stretch for us (we're not millionaires) so we will be looking to be somewhat frugal. I will speak to the charter guys (conch) after a few days sailing to see if we can get a bit further afield. I haven't done this before so I'm not sure what to expect. I like the idea of leaving the music on full blast to help find the boat, but I probably won't do it...

[StuM]

Originally Posted by ztsf

Hah! Just read the one about leaving your stereo on loud. You can do that, but don't expect anyone on the boats moored around you to be too friendly the next day! Try using your anchor light, and one or two distinguishing lights in the cockpit or at the stern. You'll make more friends that way.

Whooooooosh!


Guess you need one of these:

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by atoll

don't run out of anchors,the boat only comes with 2.........

...

You'd be surprised (or maybe not) how common this is. Ive been around the charter industry a long time and charter guests losing anchors is quite common.

[Steven UK]

I got it... I won't be showering naked on the transom either.

And from an earlier thread I also like the idea of "submerging the boat to rehydrate the balsa core" but I probably won't do that either...

[atoll]

and don't forget the best time to run your generator is between 6pm and 8pm in the evening whilst all the other boats are onshore at happy hour

[Steven UK]

Hilarious,

[atoll]

when emptying the coals from the barbeque at night............make sure the rubber dinghy is not tied up under it............

[Saleen411]

DON'T do this:big grin:....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxg30c6z00E

[Stephen Fascian]

Originally Posted by atoll

when emptying the coals from the barbeque at night............make sure the rubber dinghy is not tied up under it............

That's a good one,

Make sure you tie your dinghy up well, the poly line is slippery I see some one loose a dinghy at least once a week. Also shorten the scope before backing down, getting the painter rapped in the shaft sucks. Not a great way to start off happy hour.
Don't anchor if it's blowing those under size delta anchors don't hold well. Better yet stick to using the mooring balls. That way you won't bang into me.
Take it slow when picking up the mooring it also sucks to have the mooring line rapped is the shaft and prop. I see that a lot too.
Keep your eyes open, know the roles of the road. If I'm on starboard tack don't try to run into me.

[Steven UK]

A lot of what I see is from arrogance i.e. You don't know what you don't know. And you you have a choice you could assume you then know everything or be like me sh1ting your self thinking 'what if I missed something important' it will be clear soon enough. Hope I don't make you tube...!

[meirriba]

As to Anegada we had no problems neither with Sunsail nor with Moorings (which are now together anyway).
The issue of finding your boat at night in crowded anchorage (while drunk) is a real one. We have used a handheld gps waypoint

[sparau]

Originally Posted by atoll

and don't forget the best time to run your generator is between 6pm and 8pm in the evening whilst all the other boats are onshore at happy hour

To be safe you really need all bright deck lights on all night (solves the problem of finding your boat) so you will need to run your generator or engine a lot.

No one's mentioned yet to run your dinghy near swimmers, it gives them peace of mind knowing there's someone near.

Lastly, if you need to empty your holding tanks in a marina, turn your engines on first, hides the noise and to some degree the smell

NOTE: that last one wasn't a charterer...

[upstateny]

Originally Posted by ztsf

Hah! Just read the one about leaving your stereo on loud. You can do that, but don't expect anyone on the boats moored around you to be too friendly the next day! Try using your anchor light, and one or two distinguishing lights in the cockpit or at the stern. You'll make more friends that way.

Part of the BVI experience/fun is going ashore during the day, having a great meal, getting totally wasted, spending 30 minutes at the dock trying to find your dingy, trying to remember who has the key for the dingy lock, getting in the dingy with no flashlight that you forgot, realizing you did not turn on the boat anchor light when you left, one of the inebriated females in the dingy states "great were all drunk, its dark and were lost". No worries after 30 minutes trying to find your boat, the alcohol wears off , mostly because of adrenaline, you find your boat with no lights on and all is good.

BTW-1 when using the BBQ grill please move the dingy with the gas tank on the other side of the boat, upwind toward the bow. My understanding is your boat insurance does not cover dingy damage. If your dingy burns up or explodes for some reason while cooking on grill, it can cost you $1000s.

BTW-2 always do you own calibration of the depth gauge.

[Steven UK]

all advice taken, understood and being put into practice. we had a good sail from Norman to Jost yesterday. good wind and some swell. kind of what we needed to get the excitement factor up. the bay on the West end of Jost (by soggy dollar) was a nightmare no peace the waves not the party's all night and not the easiest beach to get the dingy off. good news is my son is turning into a first class first mate and sometimes captain.