Bareboat Tips and Recos

As most of you know, Bess and I are still... "between boats", however, our 25th wedding anniversary is this year (September) and e are CONSIDERING bare-boating as an option for a memorable trip.

We are very experienced in Caribbean travel with well over 30 visits since 1990, so we are good there. We visited many of the islands and understand the general culture. Not sure if this matters or not, but I think it's worth mentioning. That said, we aren't married to one island over another. The BVIs are the most used by charters, so that is certainly on the list by default. Although, if you haven't noticed, our anniversary falls on the statistical PEAK of the Atlantic hurricane season. Something else worthy of noting.

What are our options and what should we look for in a good charter company? We are considering using The Moorings, but I know there has to be a less "mass market" solution that could give us more boat or amenities for the same money. However, if that is the best option for getting good customer service and a well-maintained vessel, we are still okay using them. Speaking of which, we (well, ME really) are not afraid to shell out a little coin for this. It is, after all, a once-in-a-lifetime celebration that, good or bad, we would like to be memorable.

Finally, while we have very little experience in blow boats, we aren't ruling it out as we may become sailors in the not-to-distant future. Worst case, we can always just use it as a swizzle-stick power boat and leave the sails down. I wonder if spending a week on a sailboat might give us a real idea if the different accommodations from Skinny Dippin' are truly something we could live with.

Thanks in advance for you guysezez input and looking forward to learninz me sumptin'.

Tom-

Just a thought, might look at the Sea of Cortez maybe La Paz. Spent a couple of days boating there in the fall of 2013 looking at a Willard trawler. Beautiful water with lots of marine life. Would think you could charter out of La Paz or one of the other major tourist cities. Not much risk of hurricanes there.

Ted

That's a neat idea.

Greetings,
Mr. T. 25 years and you're wimping out in the Bahamas? Hell, man...go to Europe and rent a canal boat through wine country or better yet, through beer country. Poor Bess. She's a saint for sure.

Perfect time to be in the PNW! Would love to spend time in the San Juan's during Sept on a trawler. If you still want the Caribbean how bout the Grenadines/St. Vicent. Charter a sailing cat and motor sail around the islands.

I lived in St Croix in the early 80's and sailed all over the BVI's. Been back numerous times to charter boats out of Tortola. TMM is who we have used and had great success ( I always try and get the newest boat in the fleet). The last time we switched over from monohull to a 42 ft Jeaneau cat. What a pleasure sailing (or motoring) around on a cat in that area. I love to hang at the north sound ( Virgin Gorda) and get a mooring ball in front of Saba Rock for a few days, a very cool place right next to the Bitter End yacht club.

Perhaps look at the Ionian Sea off Greece. We were cruising there Sept 2013; perfect weather, beautiful anchorages, clear water, and the crowds have thinned by September.

I was told there are more bareboat charters available there than anywhere else in the world. Mostly blow boats, but why not try something new like a catamaran.

Not married to the Caribbean, but would sorta like to scope it out by boat for a change. The PNW is an option we didn't consider, but Europe is not really what I want. Well, except for an F1 race.

Robert, is TMM an acronym (actually an initialism) for The Moorings?

And a power cat is what Bess keeps mentioning as an option... I suspect if she likes it, we'll have to buy one.

Here ya go,
http://sailtmm.com

roguewave said:

Here ya go,
Caribbean bareboat Charters - Belize, Grenadines and the British Virgin Islands

Click to expand...

Ratts! looking at the calendar, they appear to be, like a lot of businesses down there, closed for the entire month of September.

I love new adventures and we have them all the time. But for me personally I would avoid one on a big milestone event like your 25th. It's an event you'll talk about for the rest of your life. I wouldn't want it to be reliving the hurricane fiasco or the sailing fiasco. I'd go tried and true here.

I had a great experience chartering in the Desolation Sound area of the PNW in August. Think first half of September would be similar.

September is the best time of year to cruise Puget Sound. Start in Anacortes, and head as far north as Glacier Bay, Alaska!

Anacortes Yacht Charters
Crown Yacht Charters, Anacortes, Washington

Pau Hana said:

September is the best time of year to cruise Puget Sound. Start in Anacortes, and head as far north as Glacier Bay, Alaska!

Anacortes Yacht Charters
Crown Yacht Charters, Anacortes, Washington

Click to expand...

Prior to buying our boat, we did two bareboat charters with Desolation Sound Charters out of Comox. DS is very nice in September and there are often good last minute rates. Also, the low Cdn $ works in your favour. DS is a one day steam from Comox.

http://www.desolationsoundyachtcharters.com


Jim
Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

Last year (1st week of September) we chartered a boat on the Caledonian Canal is Scotland, absolutely loved it.

Marty...................

Count me in on the PNW rec. great time of year, great cruising, tons of charter options. No brainer to me.