C B I T O B V IF R O M D I N G H Y S A I L O R T O B A R E B O AT C H A R T E R S K I P P E R

W H A T I S B A R E B O A T C H A R T E R I N G ?Bareboat chartering is chartering a boat where you are responsible for all aspects of that boat’s operation

W H Y B A R E B O A T C H A R T E R I N G ?An amazing and economical way share sailing and a vacation with your friends!

O B J E C T I V E S

• Help you decide whether you’d like to pursue a bareboat charter

• Familiarize you with requirements, knowledge and skills required to bareboat

• Introduce you to options for fulfilling the requirements and obtaining the knowledge and skills

P R E S U P P O S I T I O N S

• Bareboat in the British Virgin Islands (BVI)

• Great place to get your feet wet as a bareboat skipper

• 35’-42’ monohull

• At least one other capable sailor aboard; more is better

• Pick crew you can verify are capable

• It’s best if you’ve sailed together before

• Lots of time skippering Rhodes 19 and/or Sonar

E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y

• Charter Roadmap

• Big Boat Handling Under Power and Under Sail

• Tiny boat handling: Your Dinghy

• Big Boat Systems

• Provisioning

• Navigation

• Learning Options

• Learning Recommendations

C H A R T E R R O A D M A P

• “First” day

• Fly out

• UNPACK at the boat after noon

• Exchange USD for ECD

• Provisioning

• Second day

• AM: Chart and Boat Briefing

• PM: Departure

• Last day

• Back before noon

• Boat Check-in

B O AT H A N D L I N G

B O A T H A N D L I N G U N D E R S A I L

• Experience sail handling on a 35+ foot boat in 25+ knots

• Reefing and un-reefing under sail

• Never needed a reef on a Rhodes 19 or a Sonar

• Needed a reef on big boats more often than not

• Raise and lower sail underway with the aid of the engine

• Try to experience conditions where you need to put away an entire sail

• Reef on the mooring or in sheltered waters if you think you’ll need it when you “get out there”

T I M E S K I P P E R I N G C B I K E E L B O A T S I S R E L E VA N T

• Especially when it’s really really windy

M A N E U V E R I N G U N D E R P O W E R

• Big boats drive like a car

• Big boats “park” like a car on an icy hill with no brakes.

• Parking without stopping

M O O R I N G U N D E R P O W E R

• If you can get on the moorings and dock under sail you'll manage

• Practice anyway

• Go slow: Icy hill, no brakes

• At least you have reverse

• Learn how to tie on

A N C H O R I N G U N D E R P O W E R

• You might not have to anchor in the BVI but you need to know how in case you do

• (Usually) More maneuvering room than mooring

• All chain in water where you can see the bottom is the easiest anchoring there is

• Can still be difficult

D O C K I N G U N D E R P O W E R

• Icy hill, no brakes

• In the BVI your charter company can handle this at the base

• Insist they do

• Plan your charter such that you don’t have to dock!

• If you must find a wide open spot on a light/no wind day

D I N G H Y H A N D L I N G

W H A T T O B R I N G O N D I N G H Y T R I P S

• Paddles!

• Flashlight or headlamp if there is any chance of darkness

• And a backup

• Small anchor

• Dinghy pump?

D I N G H Y T R I P P R E P

• Check fuel level

• Review the charts and cruising guide before you dinghy anywhere

• Especially in the dark

• Bring a chartplotter!

D I N G H Y T R A N S P O R T

• Ask the charter company how to transport your dinghy

• Whenever you’ll be sailing take the engine out

• So much easier to do this while still sheltered instead of underway

• Drain plug too!

D I N G H Y “ M E C H A N I C ”

• Learn to detach, attach and bleed the fuel system

• Learn how and when to operate a choke valve

• Make sure your outboard is “tinkling”

• Make sure you always close the fuel cap, fuel cutoff and air intake before you tilt up the motor

D I N G H Y T I P S

• Always wear foot protection when you’re going ashore

• Make ABSOLUTELY SURE all your crew can get aboard the dinghy from the water before you leave the vicinity of a boarding ladder

• Be very careful coming ashore in surf zones

• Tie a decoration onto your dinghy so you can identify it

B O AT S Y S T E M S

G E A R Y O U ’ L L L E A R N T O T E A C H• The Dinghy

• Winches

• Clutches

• Reefing Systems

• Put in a reef when there is no reason to do so

• Furling Systems

• Marine Head

• Propane System & Stove

S K I P P E R S Y S T E M S

• Battery Management

• Distribution Panel & Battery Switches

• Water Conservation

• Bilge Pumps

• Boat Instruments

• Tach, wind instruments, depth sounder

• Engine control panel

• oil pressure, engine temperature, ignition, fuel cutoff

• VHF Radio

M O R E S K I P P E R S Y S T E M S

• Forget everything you learned from an ASA book about boat repair • Call the charter company if something breaks

• Make sure you keep that phone they give you charged

• Place a test call before you leave

• Check for a 911 equivalent

• 911 works in the BVI

P R O V I S I O N I N G

P R O V I S I O N I N G I S J U S T G R O C E R Y S H O P P I N G

• Review provisioning lists and suggestions just in case

• Water is the most important provision

• Dehydration is a real threat

• Make sure your crew drink enough water

P L A N F O R “ R O U G H W E A T H E R ” D I N I N G

• Consider:

• Cooking

• Eating

• Seasickness

S E A S I C K N E S S

• If you don’t suffer from seasickness you’ll need to know how to help your crew get through it

• If you do suffer from seasickness and you’re prepared to skipper then you probably know more about it than I do

• Scopolamine patches are the only thing sailors I know have used that work

• You can't recover from extended seasickness without food and water

M E D I C A L C O N S I D E R A T I O N S

• Emergencies

• Routine

• Seasickness and remoteness exacerbate chronic conditions

• Ask your crew if they have any critical medication or conditions (diabetes). If they do have them write down or print out what to do if they can't

N AV I G AT I O N

TA K E A C L A S S R O O M N A V I G A T I O N C O U R S E

• Do the homework!

• Practice navigation when you’re sailing

• Even if you’re not tasked with navigation

• Come up with navigation plans for past and future trips

E L E C T R O N I C N A V I G A T I O N

• Use your charter boat’s chartplotter

• BRING YOUR OWN

• Smartphone Apps are

• Easier to Use

• More Reliable

• More Up-to-Date

• Learn how to use it ahead of time

• Make sure everything is downloaded ahead of time

V I S U A L N A V I G A T I O N I N T H E B V I

• Buoys show you where not to go and mark narrow channels

• Don't sail onto land

• Beware of Anegada

C R U I S I N G G U I D E S

• Buy these ahead of time

• Review them beforehand

• Good ideas for things to do

PA P E R C H A R T S

• These will be aboard

• You'll use them at the chart briefing

• The boat probably won’t have the tools needed to navigate with the paper charts

L E A R N I N G O P T I O N S

U LT I M AT E LY Y O U ’ R E R E S P O N S I B L E F O R A C Q U I R I N G T H E K N O W L E D G E A N D C R E AT I N G T H E O P P O R T U N I T Y T O P R A C T I C E

“Experience is knowledge plus practice”

A S A L I V E A B O A R D C O U R S E

• Don't take this in the BVI

• St. Vincent and The Grenadines

• Schools near Newport

• Narragansett Sailing School

• Some of the Harbor Sailing Clubs

• Get 104/Bareboat and you're done

• Consider the catamaran version of the course

• US Sailing offers similar courses

A P P R E N T I C E S H I P !

• Find a skipper who lets you run the boat some days you're out cruising or on the way to races

• (S)he won't let you break the boat

• Pay attention to what they do anyway

• Check out the crew meetups

• Let your sailing friends know that you’re interested

O T H E R L O C A L L E A R N I N G O P T I O N S

• Small Keelboats on the Harbor

• Courageous Sailing

• CBI partner!

• Boston Sailing Center

• Boston Harbor Sailing Club

• Some offer ASA ratings

S U G G E S T E D R E A D I N G

• Annapolis Book of Seamanship

• The Complete Sailor

• Sailing a Serious Ocean

• The Cruiser’s Handbook

• What Now Skipper?

L E A R N I N G R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S

F O R A L L S K I P P E R S

• As much hands on experience as you can get your hands on

• Sonar Mastery

• Time on big boats

• Navigation course

• Read some of the recommended books

F O R S E L F S TA R T E R S• Take a week long ASA bareboat

course

• Once you're comfortable skippering a Sonar in 25kts

• I recommend Narragansett Sailing School

• Then practice as skipper

• A membership on the harbor

• As “skipper for a day” aboard other boats you crew on

S T R U C T U R E D L E A R N E R S

• Pick a local school and start taking their classes

• Pick one with a progression that lets you practice as skipper when you're done

• ASA Ratings are a bonus not a requirement

• Still try to sail as crew aboard other boats

• When you feel you’re ready

W R A P - U P

TA K E A W A Y S

• There is a lot to learn

• Choose your own mix of structured and unstructured education

• As you progress return to these slides to make sure you don't omit anything

• You'll know when you're ready

Y O U C A N D O I T !A N D I T ’ S T O TA L LY W O R T H I T ! ! ! !