Taking classes in January, should I bareboat in March?

[JasonS]

You've got a great plan to sail following your classes. We did the same class schedule with water sailing">Blue Water Sailing School in Fort Lauderdale about 6-7 years ago. You might want to consider Florida. Bahamas in January could be great or could be a bit bumpy. Option of sailing in Biscayne Bay provides good quiet anchorages as well as opportunity to dock one night if you want to go have a nice dinner at Dinner Key and practice docking boat. And if ocean weather is really rough, you can complete everything in the bay. Good place for learning navigation with lots of markers. Also, if you bring 4 people, BWSC will set up a private custom course for you with your own boat. We brought another couple and the 4 of us had a great learning experience.

Many years ago, did US Sailing in Annapolis, which is good too, but cold in January.

When you book your charter boat let them know you want a captain who is really good with observing and providing advice, but that you want to do most of the sailing yourself. It will give you a great chance to practice the newly learned skills. Congratulations. Start preparing for "the bug" (no not the flu), and the next set of questions you'll have is how to buy yourself a cat and retire!

Jason
Breathe
Manta 40

[doublewide]

That's a fast learning curve without much practice along the way. It sounds like you don't have many offshore days underway. I think you will not be ready to bareboat from Nassau to the Exumas in March. If you do it, and nothing goes wrong, it will not be because you were ready.

But you will be ready for the next baby step. Since you will have done your cruising course in the BVI, you could easily take your family cruising in March in the BVI. You will know the islands, and there is less danger in the BVI than there is in a passage to the Exumas.

AND the weather is MUCH better in BVI in March than it is in the Bahamas. Cold fronts regularly visit the Bahamas in the winter months.

If your charter company (or you or your wife) have doubts about your readiness to skipper a bareboat in the BVI, then ask for a captain to begin the cruise with you, with the idea that when the captain thinks you are ready you can put her/him ashore.

I think your family will have a wonderful experience. Imagine being within 50 feet of the family for a week, with no TV or internet, and very little shopping!

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by JasonS

Also, if you bring 4 people, BWSC will set up a private custom course for you with your own boat.

This. We chartered our own boat and had our own instructor for all of our course work. One captain for two people beats the hell out of 4:1 or 6:1. And, depending on the similarity of your and your wife's learning styles, be sure to bugger off to study or watch the waves while she is helming or docking or doing anything that might prompt you to "be helpful." Having two competent people in their own right will be a major plus later on.

[Augi]

Similar to a previous response, I would recommend hiring a captain that will allow you to do everything as if he was not there, up to the point where, you would be risking damage to the boat or injury to the crew. That way the wind, sea and boating gods will teach you as much as possible. Then later over drinks or meals you can discuss all manner of sailing topics including the situations where the captain corrected you or stepped in.

Analogous to defensive driving or good driving habits you want to develop "forehandedness", where without thinking, you are already reacting correctly ahead of where the boat is.

That just takes time on the water sailing encountering many different situations.

Many have learned to sail without any classes or help from an experienced sailor on board. You can do it by taking baby steps to stay safe. If you take a captain along in March you probably will have more fun, see and sail more, learn the correct habits without thinking more quickly, and avoid damage to the boat or injury to the crew.

[Mithril Bham]

I have instructed in the BVI, San Juan Islands, Alaska & Med. I have seen naturals I would let use my boat after a week. I have seen some I wouldn't trust with my boat after a year. Most fall in between. You will feel your level of confidence. Trust your gut. If you feel nervous then don't do it.

If you are taking the class in the BVI my recommendation would be to charter in the BVI. Sailing Disneyland. The safest place I've ever sailed plus you will have experience there. I realize airfare is significant.

Best to take an experienced person with you on your first cruise. Whether a captain or a friend with time on the water. You will feel better.
Definitely study Coastal Nav. ASA has a good video. Docks & rocks.
Good luck

[AZUS]

If the Admiral wants a captain, I'd suggest a compromise - see if the charter company will hire you a "crew". It may cost the same as a captain (and s/he may actually be a captain on other charters), but your family can effctively bareboat, with a knowledgeable hand to pitch in if you get uncomfortable. That's how i did my first Moorings bareboat 20+ years ago, and now my wife and I sail our own cat in the Med. For that cruising ground, you know more than you think.

[Otia]

Watch the movie "Chasing Bubbles" (its on YT) it will convince you can go BB.
To play it safe do it in May.
Your first hurdle will be the Yellow Bank. If you survive that you'll have plenty enough time to sail down the Exumas. Problem there with a BB charter boat is you only have VHF and you're out of communication range for long enough to start worrying about the weather. You'll probably meet sailors to help you with that.

[jmschmidt]

I recommend you do all your charters with a captain if all you are talking about is the once or twice a year bareboat charter. I don't care how many ASA courses you take but with no boat ownership experience, no crewing, cruising or racing experience and maybe no local knowledge of where you will be chartering, you better think twice.

I've been on boats since the age of 12, owned them and raced them for 20 years but the first times I did bareboat charters in Australia and French Polynesia I went as crew with guys who had done it many times before.

I don't know your profession but would you practice medicine on your family without completing residency?

[Timethief]

You've gotten a lot of good advice so far, but I'll throw in what I did. I took the Blue Water Sailing School week long class in September a few years back (had a great time with Duane!) - a 37' cat. 3 weeks later, my wife, myself, and a friend of ours took a crewed Moorings 48' cat. Upon arrival, I showed the captain my shiny new credentials (hadn't even gotten my stickers yet!), and told him I wanted this to be the most luxurious bareboat cruise in history, and I wanted him to make sure I didn't kill anyone!

He was amenable, and I did EVERYTHING! It was a great experience! 9 months later, my wife and I took out a Lagoon 410 out of Ft Lauderdale (Fun in the Sun Charters), and sailed back down to Miami and Biscayne down to Key Largo for 4th of July week. Basically, I single handed (unlike your wife, mine hadn't taken the classes). It was a great experience, because I knew the waters (for the most part) from the training class.

It was great to be able to do it all in small and comfortable steps. Not much stress - exploring the unknown (and it is unknown til you do it by yourself) has a little stress, and that's good since you're learning. Really learning at that point.

I would definitely have the captain as backup - some companies even have Day Captains (they're there during the day, and go home at night, coming back the next morning) in the Bahamas. Ask. Best of both worlds!

Have fun! It will be a blast either way!


-Peter

[Lihuedooley77]

First, excellent on you and your wife taking the classes together, , and learning, and being motivated to do so. Very, very important.

As a USCG lic, capt, instructor, charter captain, and deliver skipper, ( 35 yrs), I am quite aware of students and their abilities, and how they individually progress . Some become skilled and safe seaman, others, not a clue .

As other CF'ers mentioned, all of those courses, in one week, is a challenge, and as is how much you both retain. On your bahamas sailing vacation, with the shallow waters of the bahamas, and the cold fronts, and no local knowledge, we would strongly recommend a professional capt on board with you. More fun, and more additional information and learning, and easier days and nights.

Your wife, the Admiral, has some good solid common sense, as do you for inquiring on this board.

Kudos to you both for taking those lessons, and now doing a sailing trip with the two of you and a capt. on board. Watch standing , helm, navigation, reefing, mooring and anchoring, and some one who has local knowledge, will be all round safer for you all and the vessel.

Hopefully, you will also be using coastal piloting, and navigation, and not just rely on the electronics. Do you have an hand bearing compass, charts, and nav tools, and cruising guide. We still use both, paper charts, coastal piloting, GPS, crusing guides, eyeball nav, and keep a log . Plus, stay current as possible on the weather situations .

Will you be standing helm watches, actually steering the vessel and actually sailing, a proper point of sail instead of sitting back, and let the auto pilot run the show. Will you post bow watches in shallow waters and entering anchorages or marinas .

If anchored in strong weather, will you stand anchor watches ? Three people sharing those duties make life a whole lot better than two.
Erica and I, for many years now, are the only crew, but when we first started sailing international bare boating world wide, we had other sailing club people , who shared the duties .

Now, after all of your courses, and continued study, the real practical seamanship will come into effect. You wisely are using both.

We have sailed the Abacos, Bahamas, and it took a short time to get used to the shallowness of the water. We had good sailing, no groundings, anchored bahamian moor under sail, no engine running, and had no groundings. However, we did see other vessels who did ground their monohulls. Bottom was sand, and they just waited for the foot or so tidal change. They would be kicked back, realxing, and a couple hours later, we were ashore having a Click Beer and Conch Fritters, and we saw them entering the harbor at hope town. We anchored outside, and dinked in. They were going into a slip.

Not sure if you can do a one way passage and drop off the boat, but as suggested, that would be a great idea. More time to enjoy, not all rushed, and visit more islands.

Years back, we sailed the windwards and grenadines, no one way trips in those days. Some of our passages were over 70 miles, and no night sailing . We had to return back up the island chain to St. Lucia. However, the wind was great, and we had fun and spirited sailing. But, if we did it again, we would drop off the boat in Grenada

Gold stars for taking those sailing courses, but , as mentioned, the effort and work that you put in, and understand and retain and add in the actual experience sailing international waters will make the difference in being real sailors.

The smart sailors never stop learning .

Good on ya

[Tingum]

A week is not enough time for a Nassau to Exuma cruise. Look into some of the charters in Abaco, easier navigation and more places to go. More protected water and many more anchorages.

[JC Reefer]

Originally Posted by Tingum

A week is not enough time for a Nassau to Exuma cruise. Look into some of the charters in Abaco, easier navigation and more places to go. More protected water and many more anchorages.

Agreed. Nassau is pretty exposed trying to leave or return to the area.

Abaco is an easy one. Plenty of wind options, all in protected waters. The surrounding islands are a short sail away from another drink. Except on man-o-war cay

[Lihuedooley77]

Hoshier

This is an excellent thread, with everyone assisting you with superb suggestions .

Just FYI,

Sailing in march, Dec thru March. This is the time for what they call the Christmas winds that can occur during that period of time. 18 to 30 KTS. I know this is the situation in the BVI, not sure about the Bahamas but seems they are caused by passing high pressure systems that could cover other caribbean locations.

Just FYI, and something to be aware of.

Again, we will pass on what we have experienced, we sail the caribbean in may, Usually the last two weeks. It is before Hurricane season, and two weeks because one week rips past at light speed.....this includes the BVI.

Yonder in years, just before the big freeze when the brontos roamed the earth, my dream of sailing the in caribbean was accomplished, And that was the BVI, on a sailing club cruise . We had 12 boats but did not have to sail in a flotilla.

Well, I fell in love with the BVI, .

A couple of months later I was working our Sailing Club Booth at the Newport Beach Sail Boat Show. A fellow came up to my booth and we started talking.

I am all excited and told him that we had just been sailing the BVI, and how much I enjoyed it. He happily mentioned he felt the same way, and had sailed the BVI ... five times.

Five Times !! I thought, who would sail there that many times.

Well, this next May 2019, will be Erica and my, 17th BVI Bareboat Sailing Vacation.
And we, still go for two weeks of sailing and a night ashore at a hotel, then have an early boarding of the boat, the evening before the charter to provision and do our own personal inspection of the vessels systems, inventory and rigging .

Also, on this next bvi trip, we will be visiting anchorages and marinas that we have not been to before . Honestly, we are excited about this next trip as if it were our first. But, again, we hold off until may .

What could possibly be new after 34 years of 16 previous BVI two week sailing vacatiions ?

1. The NEW WILLY T, in Great Harbor on Peter Island.

2. The Dogs, for a new snorkeling site

3. Marina Cay.....not new, and always on my birthday, but what will be new to us is the outside restaurant. The beach is still beautiful and view fabulous

4. Another new , to us, marina, will be Scrub Island, in a slip, and all the ammenties of land showers, swimming pool, swim up bar, wonderful view restaurant, etc. Yep, totally spoil our selves for a couple of days.

5. Nanny Cay, on Tortola, toward the end of the sailing trip, top off with water and fuel, any needed provisions, and enjoy the hotel pool, and restaurants.

Plus all of the old favorites as well.

Point being, even tho you may have sailed an cruising ground before, some will just keep inviting and drawing you back, again and again. Like Tahiti, and Australia.

And , as Ben and others mentioned, keep the Admiral happy, as well as the rest of the family, and there will be years and years of marvelous sailing vacations .

Keeping the fun light illuminated is a good plan.

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by Hoosierdoc

Aaaand.... the admiral has decided she wants a hired captain

It is a wise decision. Tell the hired skipper to not interfere unless you are facing real danger and then, when safely moored at the end of the day, discuss and evaluate the daily sail.

[Hoosierdoc]

Thanks for the advice all. We have booked a boat out of Tortola and will use a friend as captain who has quite a bit of blue water experience.

May shoot for Abacos this summer with my brother and his family as a true bareboat.