Abacos in feb, next charter after BVI's

[iainonline]

Thank you all for the advice, I didn't expect such a great response. I do love the idea of being able to anchor anywhere and I checked on the website and it is 4ft 10" draft which definitely makes a difference. I think I'll get the cruising guide and take a look at that first, plus delay the trip to get better weather.

[denverd0n]

Don't know about The Moorings, but if you look at Sunsail's website (and, after all, they're really the same company), their 36' boats in Marsh Harbour have a draft of 4' 10", as iainonline says.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Teknav

If you can postpone your trip to the second half of April, you'll get better charter prices and a nicer weather forecast/window. Watch that 6 ft keel! Learn how to dislodge yourself if you hit a sandbar; a "bare-boat charter" sailing course should show you how and allow you to practice it. If you hit a sand bar, you will need to tilt the boat to about 25-35 degree angle, to get dislodged. Your dinghy will be used to pull on the main sail's sheet/line, until the boat tilts and get freed from the sand bar. Gentle rocking will do it, most of the time. Then, slowly power up to move away. If all else fails, you will need to call a marina/your charter company and get towed; a very pricey proposition. That is the main reason to get a boat with a keel that is preferably less than 5 feet. Another reason to consider, is the reduced speed/increased drag with a bigger draft. Have fun!

[maytrix]

Just another thought for you if anchoring is desired is to check out the Grenadines. Warmer in the winter months, lots of sailing and you can pretty much anchor everywhere.