The husband in the other couple did most of the arrangements. As I recall, it wasn't seasonally chosen, it was work schedule (judge and attorneys). I just remember getting a date and keeping my calendar clear. I'm sure that a "typhoon season" would be easy to determine.
As a sidenote, I avoided Facebook like the plague for years. Now, since travelling a lot, we have found groups on Facebook that can really help on planning foreign travel. If you think TF is a font of knowledge, get entry to a Facebook group like "Go with less-nomadic life, early retirement" (a private site that requires an invitation from a "nomad" that you've met.) Yes, it's somewhat difficult to gain entry, but like a private club, hooligans aren't tolerated and many are surprised to find that they are hooligans. We have been using it a lot and you can post requests for the best museum, croissant, beer, taxi, etc. in Prague, Budapest, Paris, and you'll get several replies in a few days. Even works for "water based travel" like our upcoming trip to the Seychelles. Detailed info from people who have recently been there, done that.
Sailing in behind the reefs was decadent. It required more attention to depths, and was a little spooky to see obstructions on the bottom pass that are 50 feet down, but that was the most fun for me. We went outside the reef for longer passages, but other than getting some salt spray and seeing whales, the inside was just fine for me. Fishing was better, but like in B.C., the chances are good that it will be bigger than you need.
I didn't notice any private property signs, but maybe I was oblivious. Half of the time we went ashore it was on little uninhabited atolls out on the reef. We never tied to a marina and I didn't really look for any other than getting back to the one we left from.
Snorkeling and food were the highlights. Fishing is possible and we had gear, but lounging on the boat and buying seafood ashore seemed like a better plan. Not really any hiking. If you have a couple of days ashore, there are local small businesses that will take you into the back country in a jeep. The guide knows some history, flora, and fauna, but the scenery sometimes made me wish he would stop talking.
Wife of other couple was not a strong swimmer, but we found the perfect solution. There are breaks in the reefs that are too small for most boats. Find one that's "kayak size" when the tide is coming in. On many of these, you can walk on a sand beach to the outside, float through the cut with the current, get out walk back for another run. We found several shallow enough so that you could stand and say "come look at this." You wont see a manta ray, but for most people the fantastic variety is enough.
You can go the other direction on an outgoing current. You float along in the nice shallows until just outside the reef. Then the bottom drops out and you're looking into the abyss. It will occur to you that this is where the Great White lives. You will find out that there is a strong side current such that swimming back in takes you +600 feet down the shore. I did that one time.
Only downside was the refrigeration wasn't really up to snuff. It is difficult conditions for a fridge/freezer, so we just changed strategies. Don't remember if there was a generator or AC. Never thought about it, yet no suffering on a sailboat in paradise. The dinghy motor was larger than necessary, but then they cater to Americans. 30 hp might be great if you want to tear around, but difficult for a couple of geezers to wrestle down an onto a bobbing dinghy. 5hp would be more than enough to get all of us ashore. No need for speed.
Ground tackle was fine, but I'd guess the weather situation is "on, off." It is either going to hold in the normal 7-15 knots or it won't hold in a typhoon.
I don't remember the qualifications process. I think the other gentleman had chartered with Moorings before so he was a shoe-in. I've used my old Coast Guard AB card a few times (which really means nothing in the world of small boat handling) and charter companies seen to give that way more deference than it deserves. I would contact another Mooring office if possible and try a dry run. Then you might have your ducks in a row when looking in the Societies.
One thing that I always remember about this trip is "who's captain?" We would take turns. The other gentleman was older than I by a decade and basically used paper charts his entire boating life. He would zoom out on the MFD to get a "paper chart" view. I would zoom in. I'd be at the helm and he would come up next to me and zoom out on the MDF. I'd look down and think what the hell happened? Then he'd say "you're way too close to that channel marker, reef, etc." When zoomed out, the boat icon became comparatively larger and it did look like we were close. But I could look out and see the marker was 300 yards away. Crazy. We had to reach an agreement that the person who had the helm also had the MFD.
