Advice on Yacht for Bachelor Party

[barnakiel]

In St Miguel we met a bachelor party sailing a proper city ferry catamaran - huge open deck spaces, bars, pro stereo equipment and a DJ onboard. Pretty awesome!

They sure had a hell of a party - you could tell this from a mile!

b.

[Stumble]

Contrail,

I held a 100 tonn masters I got about 15 years ago until about five years ago when I let it lapse. I took (though it wasn't required) a two week course and then a one day exam.

Right now I am helping a young kid build up the sea time he needs on a larger boat to qualify for the 100 tonn. From what he has told me the exam hasn't changed much since when I took it. Except that the background checks are more serious.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Badsanta

Your trying to do too much in a short time.

Absolutely.

[Capt Phil]

Good comment, stumble... I rec'd my 100 ton Masters back in the 70's and at that time I believe the test was about 3 hours long and pretty basic. I had already been licensed in Canada with a Mates ticket for coastal, inland waters which is no longer even provided for.
But I spent about 10 years of commercial sea time pulling logs, barges and float camps around the BC coast as well as commercial fishing for a few years. I was given credit for all my sea time and the mates ticket exam at Vancouver Vocational Institute was much more difficult than the 100 ton exam.
The main reason for sitting my 100 ton Masters was to satisfy insurance companies on deliveries up and down the US coast. As long as I kept it current, there was heaps of work.
Just did a few charters but found them trying and not a lot of fun so stuck with deliveries which was pretty lucrative back in the day. Phil

[ThomasWeiss]

Not at all trying to sound negative but have you thought about the (very real) possibility that some of you guys will get seasick? I'd also want to point out that you want to do this in active hurricane season so the travel plans can and will change. As I said I'm really not trying to stomp on ideas just tossing some food for thought.

[Cadence]

Rent a hotel. It would be safer and cheaper. A bunch of drunks on a boat?

[contrail]

Originally Posted by Capt Phil

Good comment, stumble... I rec'd my 100 ton Masters back in the 70's and at that time I believe the test was about 3 hours long and pretty basic. I had already been licensed in Canada with a Mates ticket for coastal, inland waters which is no longer even provided for.
But I spent about 10 years of commercial sea time pulling logs, barges and float camps around the BC coast as well as commercial fishing for a few years. I was given credit for all my sea time and the mates ticket exam at Vancouver Vocational Institute was much more difficult than the 100 ton exam.
The main reason for sitting my 100 ton Masters was to satisfy insurance companies on deliveries up and down the US coast. As long as I kept it current, there was heaps of work.
Just did a few charters but found them trying and not a lot of fun so stuck with deliveries which was pretty lucrative back in the day. Phil

Hmmm. Interestingly different experiences! My first go was in 1988, in Long Beach. I wanted to be able to skipper small day boats for spectators to the America's Cup and I needed an OUPV. A sailor since childhood, I spent a couple of days skimming through a study guide then took the test. I thought it was a solid test...passed, but was the only person that day to pass all his modules on the first try; the others had to come back another day. Eventually I let that ticket expire. Fast forward to 2005, and I took the test in Annapolis. Pretty similar to the first time. One day to take the Master's ticket, and sailing and towing endorsements. No particular problems after skimming the study guide for maybe a day. Each time there was a morning session and an afternoon session to get the three certifications and each time I finished early, although it was well over three hours. More like four or five.

Fast forward to 2014, in Miami, and it was a whole different kettle of fish. First of all, they required a commitment of three days (!) to take the test. One module per morning or afternoon, six modules including a sailing endorsement, so three days. You could go more quickly, but you had to commit to that amount of time. I had already scheduled my flight out for the early afternoon of the third day, but I kept it to myself. This time, the test was a lot more rigorous and I had to re-take one module. I passed the re-take, and everything else, but I barely made my flight! So, two and a half days, including one re-take. Admittedly, I am older, but I would say just about as sharp as before! And way, way more experienced and knowledgeable, which I would think helped.

In any case, for international use, you also have to take the STCW. I took it at the Chesapeake Marine Center in 2005 and in St. Thomas in 2013. Both times it took five weekdays. There is an abbreviated version that is good only in limited areas. I am guessing that you may not have had to get that one. I understand that next go round has some additional modules.

So, while none of it was brain surgery, it wasn't exactly trivial, although your experience seems to have been very different. Perhaps there are differences between exam centers, but that seems unlikely. Oh, well. By the way, although I sailed many days on each of my licenses (all of it on small boats, however), I was given no credit for any of it when my licenses lapsed, and I had gone beyond the grace period. Had to start from the ground up, as it were. I will not allow my current license to lapse again!

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Rent a hotel. It would be safer and cheaper. A bunch of drunks on a boat?

Most sensible reply so far.

[DDabs]

I didn't read anything about a hot tub on the yacht, so.... horrible idea

[Celestialsailor]

Ah...just go for it. How hard could it be and what could possibly go wrong?

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Ah...just go for it. How hard could it be and what could possibly go wrong?

[JPA Cate]

Sorry, OP, but a bunch of drunks -- even happy ones-- on a boat that they can fall off of could lead to a really terrible outcome. It is very easy to drown when you're drunk. Plus, I can't imagine a skipper that I'd go to sea with who'd want to do it.

Maybe fly to the Bahamas, if that's where you want to be, and stay in a hotel.

Ann

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Sorry, OP, but a bunch of drunks -- even happy ones--

Ann

Oh, come on Ann! If I arrived on your boat with a case of beer and a pizza you and Whats-his-name would relish the devilish night we would have!

I am sorry we didn't connect up in Australia when we were both there. It would have been fun!




Sent from a stupid phone that replaces words with weird stuff.

[CarinaPDX]

Well into the 2nd page before a focus on the obvious: drunks on a boat??

Since the skipper is responsible for everyone's safety, and for the boat's condition afterwards, if I were in his shoes I would start with "Hell no!" and be very difficult to persuade otherwise. And as noted already, this could be quite the experiment in projectile vomiting - which the crew are going to be less than thrilled about cleaning up.

Why not save this idea for a time when a few couples can kick back together in luxury? That could be great fun.

For a big gesture fly to Prague - it is a popular place for bachelor parties these days.

Greg

[Jim Cate]

In the unlikely event that you find a boat and skipper that will undertake this charter, please be kind enough to post the dates and prospective stopping places here on CF. There are lots of CFers who cruise in that area, and if I were they, I'd want to be somewhere else!

I completely agree with Greg ^^

Jim