Our Experience Chartering with Horizon, BVI

[busyengineer]

We just got back a week ago and they are the biggest crook's in the Caribbean! They lied to us and sent us out on an unsafe boat! Seriously. We will never charter with them again!

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by busyengineer

We just got back a week ago and they are the biggest crook's in the Caribbean! They lied to us and sent us out on an unsafe boat! Seriously. We will never charter with them again!

Who are "they"?

[Reality Check]

sometimes you feel the need to take a tad of salt with some post when the poster had no history and no public profile or any information about them but only post is a bitter negative.... Maybe I'll just take a nice Rum...

of course anyone can be the exception and have a bad time but give me a break on the cried all the way home bit....

Hope some ight is shead on this "report"

[Tevfik]

Originally Posted by busyengineer

We just got back a week ago and they are the biggest crook's in the Caribbean! They lied to us and sent us out on an unsafe boat! Seriously. We will never charter with them again!

Which company were you referring to? Sunsail/Moorings or Horizon?

[SweetSerenity]

Horizon Yacht Charter did not live up to their claims....they were unprofessional...the boat had serious issues...never again....Not with Horizon... anyone have other recommendations?

[SweetSerenity]

I know you will enjoy sailing in the BVI ....its such a wonderful experience....and I truly hope your experience with Horizon is a great one.

Horizon did not come close to meeting the expectations of professionalism nor service that I had.

You would do your self a favor to be the one to double check everything.....for example dont ASSUME that the jib sheets are ACTUALLY tied to the jib....

I thought that one could safely assume certain things....on our first tack....we discovered the port side jib sheet was NOT EVEN TIED onto the Jib... we did not notice it as we unfurled the jib to sail.....wow...and this was just the beginning of our sail....

just double check everything.....dont assume anything!!!....

& have a wondertime time!!!

[Tevfik]

Thanks. We made a reservation at Sunsail (at Tortola) for a week for the end of this month. If anything noteworthy, I will share it here.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by SweetSerenity

Horizon did not come close to meeting the expectations of professionalism nor service that I had.

You would do your self a favor to be the one to double check everything.....for example dont ASSUME that the jib sheets are ACTUALLY tied to the jib....

I thought that one could safely assume certain things....on our first tack....we discovered the port side jib sheet was NOT EVEN TIED onto the Jib... we did not notice it as we unfurled the jib to sail.....wow...and this was just the beginning of our sail....


..


:

A jib sheet adrift and you're complaining???

[maytrix]

Originally Posted by Tevfik

Thanks. We made a reservation at Sunsail (at Tortola) for a week for the end of this month. If anything noteworthy, I will share it here.

I'm sure you will enjoy it. Any boat can have issues, but I have found Moorings/Sunsail to be very professional and helpful.

Both our past charters we had issues. And both times it was fixed when/where it was conveinent for us and quickly. That's really all you can ask for with any charter.

[seahorseFL]

Originally Posted by Vasco

A jib sheet adrift and you're complaining???

From the tone of SweetSerenity's post, I am thinking that was just the tip of the iceberg...

[maytrix]

I tihnk one problem is that the charter companies rely on the previous charterers to inform them of issues. I suspect there are many that don't report any issues or problems and then those issues can get left for the next charterer.

It does make a good argument for sleeping aboard the night before however so you can do a full check on everything.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by maytrix

I tihnk one problem is that the charter companies rely on the previous charterers to inform them of issues. I suspect there are many that don't report any issues or problems and then those issues can get left for the next charterer.

It does make a good argument for sleeping aboard the night before however so you can do a full check on everything.

So.... if a person charters a boat for a week.. bashes up a load of stuff and leaves it in a barely seaworthy condition... but covers it up well... all the Charter Company does is bung on clean bedding, a quick hose down and thats it...
I turn up and have a crap time/nearly sink... its not their fault for poor maintainance/management... its all on the previous renter.... get real mate
Thats just sheer laziness and seriously bad management

[maytrix]

Originally Posted by boatman61

So.... if a person charters a boat for a week.. bashes up a load of stuff and leaves it in a barely seaworthy condition... but covers it up well... all the Charter Company does is bung on clean bedding, a quick hose down and thats it...
I turn up and have a crap time/nearly sink... its not their fault for poor maintainance/management... its all on the previous renter.... get real mate
Thats just sheer laziness and seriously bad management

Tha'ts not at all what I said.

Major issues should be found by maintenance and if not, the charter company should be held responsible.

Smaller issues could more easily be missed. We're dealing with boats. Some things just won't be caught until they are used more heavily. I think a lot depends on how the charter company manages it as well.

As an example, say the generator kicks out after 6 hours continuous use for some reason? That's something that likely wouldn't be noticable in normal maintenance checks. So if noone reports it, it could go unresolved until someone finally does report it.

[Vasco]

A good charter company will de-brief the charterer at the end of the charter and do an inspection. They should always inspect the sails. And the familiarization tour before setting out should always include unfurling and/or hoisting the sails. Most of the problems encountered on charter boats are engine or refrigeration related.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by boatman61

... all the Charter Company does is bung on clean bedding,

Nah. If you didn't get lucky they leave it as is.