Confused trying to charter and not enough experience!

[Scottie Dog]

Hi all maybe someone can shine a light on this because I'm confused,

I have my IYT bareboat skipper license so thought me and the girlfriend would charter a yacht out of Phuket for a few days help me gain some more experience keep my hand in so to speak as I haven't had time for much sailing since I took the course.

I've done over 200nm and 2 night sail but seems the charter companies won't allow me to charter because I've never been a skipper. I don't have my own yacht if I did I wouldn't be chartering so what am I missing here this is why I wanted to charter.

I'm hardly going to have a skipper join me and my GF for 5 days sailing and if they won't let me skipper a yacht how do I get experience as a skipper.

I was just honest and told them my experience should I have just lied and said I'd skippered dozens of yachts in the past.......?????

[skipmac]

First thought, if you lie about your experience and something happens, even if it isn't your fault, it could be a big problem for you. It isn't uncommon for foreigners to always take the blame in some third would countries and if you misrepresent your experience that could cancel any insurance coverage for the damages.

I have done very little chartering but from discussions on this and other forums it sounds like some parts of the world will charter a boat to anyone with a credit card and isn't legally blind. Have you tried chartering elsewhere to see if you can get one trip on your resume?

[Hudson Force]

I'm wondering if there is a conflict with the use of the term "skipper" with this problem. I am more familiar with charter businesses requiring that their clients have experience at the helm and operating sailing vessels. Have you discussed the interpretation of "skipper" with the charter company?

[denverd0n]

Curious also, what company you are using. My guess is that a worldwide company, like Moorings, will be more accustomed to dealing with this sort of thing, and therefore easier to work with.

[Lizzy Belle]

Which companies are you asking? I have googled a few in / near Phuket, and they list the requirements on their websites.

Example from Phuket-Yachts.com:
The skipper of the yacht must have skipper experience on +/- similar size yacht for minimum 4 weeks cruising or a skipper licence equivalent to RYA Coastal Skipper or higher

Originally Posted by skipmac

it sounds like some parts of the world will charter a boat to anyone with a credit card and isn't legally blind.

Yeah - we do too. Any sailboat under 15 meter (49') can be chartered / sailed by anyone who feels like it ... Same for power/motorboats, as long as they can't go over 20 km/h.

Very entertaining, especially when a group of 12 boats (!!) enters the marina and they all have to try and get their boats in a slip -- which we had happen here just a week or two ago. No real damage done tho, in the end, thanks to a harbor master in a dinghy and lots of luck (and near misses).

[Scottie Dog]

Thanks for taking the time replying and no worries I'm not away to lie about my experience or lack of. They have said I don't need a license just more time at the helm why I was trying to charter but not to worry. Sweet dreams charter and Elite Yachting are the 2 I've heard back from.

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by Scottie Dog

Sweet dreams charter and Elite Yachting are the 2 I've heard back from.

Elite Yachting is Phuket-Yachts.com, see my post above for their requirements.

On sweetdreamscharters.com it says (on the FAQ page):
"Your charter fee includes a full time captain. This is your vacation and we want you to sit back, enjoy the views and not to worry about anything except enjoying one of the most beautiful sailing areas on earth."

Sunsail does charters in Phuket as well, they have an on-line resume check: "Take a minute or two to complete our Sailing Resume and we can immediately show you all of the products and destinations which are best matched to your experience."

[Scott Berg]

When I worked with bare boaters we would sometimes put a captain aboard for the first day or so to confirm the charterers skills and then hop off. You wild probably learn a lot from the captain AND get the experience for next time?


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[fdr14127]

A couple years back we chartered with a flotilla out of Goecuk, Turkey and had a couple in the fleet from Britain who had never sailed before. They showed up three days early and had some coaching from the Aussie SunSail staff and set off with us. They weren't the first ones in the bay for the barbie at night, but they never missed. (And I don't think their tardy arrivals were due to the lack of experience)....

Take a sail with SunSail or Moorings (flotilla's are fun), they will accommodate you so that you can burnish your CV with some helm time. Problem solved

[jkindredpdx]

I know this doesn't solve your immediate problem, but joining racing teams is good way to get experience...

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by Scottie Dog

I have my IYT bareboat skipper license so thought me and the girlfriend would charter a yacht out of Phuket for a few days help me gain some more experience keep my hand in so to speak as I haven't had time for much sailing since I took the course.

How did you get your IYT without being a skipper? I would think that a percentage of the time you sailed during that course would count as being in command and control of the vessel? I know back when I started doing courses the instructors generally after the first day did very little unless you were about to do something that endanger the vessel. The students were in control and allowed to make decisions (and mistakes).

I don't think it would be lying to claim a few days as skipper?

[bjymd]

Consider doing some flotillas with ASA or Offshore to get miles and time on the water

[Cheechako]

I've chartered 3 times with no more credentials than experience... not sure why you are having that issue. ...?

[Ded reckoner]

The best opportunity presented with sailing classes is you should be able to charter that exact boat from the company offering the class. If you do this within a couple of weeks of taking a class, you still have all the confidence from passing the class, and you can increase your confidence by replicating all the activities and procedures as skipper. This builds up your resume. There's a big difference between skippering a boat and crewing on a boat. I expect most companies chartering boats are looking at the hours you've skippered. I recommend your sailing resume be truthful. If you, or some company, don't think it's sufficient for bareboat chartering, then keep chartering that boat from your last class and build up your hours. Then, take the next level sailing class and follow it up by chartering that same boat as skipper and repeating the classwork. Your skillset will improve and increase and your resume will start to look impressive.

[yachttie]

Hi Scottie Dog
Maybe you should come to the Whitsundays in Australia. Rules seem very flexible.
yachttie