Show of hands: who actually chartered boats before buying?

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by CatNewBee

BTW, everybody was at some point a greenhorn

This isn't strictly true as there are people who grew up with boating/sailing or who spent a great deal of time on other people's boats before going out on their own.

[CatNewBee]

Originally Posted by Jammer

This isn't strictly true as there are people who grew up with boating/sailing or who spent a great deal of time on other people's boats before going out on their own.

They weren't experts when they stept the first time on a boat deck for sure. You have to learn the lines, some grow up with boating, some start later. Experience takes time.

There may be people out there who think they are born as experts, even before seen a marina in real life, instead of in a YT channel, but...

I met many people making the sailing certifications courses, and then charter or crew eventually for a week once every few years with friends or a charter captain. They may have done 3 or 4 one week cruises motoring all the time to the next restaurant in 15 years, they stil are greenhorns in regards of sailing.

[Knotical]

Bought without chartering.

I had decided to buy a sailboat and was looking at specific ones, didn't think I needed to "try" chartering first to see if I like to sail - that I do.

[belizesailor]

To carry it one step further, Ive also chartered after owning a boat. For a short visit to a distant venue, chartering fits the logistics.

[schrater]

I chartered many times before buying. I didn’t charter to test specific makes of boats, but I definitely wanted to get familiar with styles of boats, plus make sure that I had enough familiarity to be ready to own my own. Yes, chattering is very expensive, but so is boat ownership.

[coretodd]

Hello All,

This will be a bit of a sales pitch, but my wife and I thought there was a market for a "real-life" sailing/catamaran cruise experience at a reasonable price. We started a cruise business and run affordable cruises out of the West Coast of Florida and the Keys. We never could have afforded a cruise in the BVIs or similar locations when we were shopping. Our cat is a 2004 Admiral Executive 38.

PS - I wanted to adhere to the rules so I didn't post our website. Please message me if you have friends that might benefit from our offering.

Thanks,

Todd & Lynn
SV Papillon

[Alanvkrasno]

Yes I chartered a Nautitech 46 open in the grenadines and loved the way it sailed. I have chartered several other cats. A Bahia and Catana but didn’t ever want to own one. The Nautitech I chartered exactly with the intention I might buy one and I have. Or nearly. It’s being surveyed next week. The key was finding an owners version to test sail. Most charter yachts are too basic and roughed up to really appeal.

[SV THIRD DAY]

It's a Myth that Chartering prepares you for Cruising.
Sure it can be fun, but vacation mode is totally different than Living Aboard Cruising Mode.

[hitec1]

Our plans 10 years ago were to move aboard and cruising full time. I'd been boating my entire life and we had a 27-foot hunter on the lake at the time.

We thought we wanted to catamaran as our forever boat. Though aside from a Hobie Turbo, I'd never sail a catamaran or been aboard a cruising cat. We looked at and chartered Catamarans. Fearing that we might not be able to afford a catamaran, we also chartered many monohulls trying to decide on what would fit us best if we could not afford a catamaran.

Ultimately we purchased a 35 foot Fontaine Pajot Tobago catamaran. Two years later we graduated to SeaQuell our current boat which is a 40-foot Manta catamaran. We highly recommend chartering or at least sailing on a like boat before to make a decision to purchase.

Looking back, if we had it all to do over again, I would charter even more boats. You only think you know what you need until you've spent time on the water!

[Pegu Club]

What we did was a community sailing class in Mystic Ct. Then we did an ASA 101 class in Barrington Rhode Island, then purchased a 1975 Bristol 24 in Groton Ct, sailed it for three years (great little boat), then bought a 1977 Bristol 29.9 in Long Island NY, and sold the Bristol 24, all in the same week. We did a refit on the 29.9 in the off season while sailing her during the warm part of the year for two years.

We are now entering our second year as full time cruisers. We have been down to the Bahamas and back up the east coast. We are heading back to the Bahamas for the winter months, Christmas in George Town is the goal, maybe Bermuda on the way back north. We really never considered chartering.

Fair winds,

[Lost Horizons]

I did not charter before buying the first cruising sailboat. However, I did charter before buying the fourth one. It was a potential alternative that was ruled out after spending a week on it. Certainly provided a much better perspective than a boat show.

[CatNewBee]

I would rather recommend to save the money and then invest it in the future boat. 5k for a week of charter plus flights plus expenses for eating out, fuel, whatever gives you a 1000Ah LFP bank, a solar install, decent inverter or upgraded electronics..

[Fbfisher]

Chartered for 30 years, mostly for a week long cruise once a year, before our life and finances could accommodate owning. Now I sail every week and we multi day cruise about 45 days a year.

[Schuedog]

We are chartering one that is the model we are looking at. Just to see how small or large a 40ft cat really is.

[GK_]

I chartered sailing catamarans of the same brand/model before bidding on one. In 2-3 days charter you really get a sense for the vessel and how it sails. It is not cheap to do this but purchasing a catamaran without knowing much about it seems crazy.


The alternative is to crew on the types of vessels you intend to buy, but then you are on someone else's timetable.