Charter Tips

Ten years ago, if you’d told me I’d be sailing the Caribbean and reviewing charter boats for a living, I would have laughed. But as luck (and deliberation) would have it, that’s precisely what I do. As the founder of CharterAdvisors.com, I’ve reviewed just about every charter boat out there. Now, I help folks figure out which is best for them.  The question I most often get asked is, “What bareboat do you recommend?” To answer, I’ve created Capt. Kev’s Formula for the Perfect Bareboat.

On the last day of the 2013 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, a crew of eight spirited Dutch women invited me aboard Tiger Pause, a Beneteau 50.5, to race bareboat with them and their hired French skipper, Chantal Medrinal.

We thought it would be interesting to poll a number of SAIL’s writers to see what marine electronics they actually own and use. Their boats should be bristling with the latest and fanciest gear, right? Well, yes—and no…

There’s nothing quite so liberating as being on charter. Not only are you on vacation, you’re on a sailing vacation, with the express mission to explore, enjoy and relax. Except, of course, when things get serious.

On Christmas Day 1969, after we’d opened presents, with wrapping paper still strewn across the floor, my father made an announcement: “Our big present this year is a trip to the Virgin Islands.”  I was ecstatic.

Any bareboat skipper who’s experienced a restless night at anchor knows that bareboating can sometimes be stressful. And while some veteran bareboaters positively enjoy planning trips and controlling ships, others know how glorious it can be to give up the helm and embrace the vacation. That’s when they try out crewed yacht chartering.

Before I actually took my family on a flotilla vacation, I couldn’t understand why anyone would take their family on a flotilla vacation. The mere thought of sailing along in a group of a dozen boats, being herded like sheep into marinas by some officious lead skipper, not to mention the forced jollity with total strangers, filled me with horror. After all, one of the reasons I go sailing is to

If your goal is to be able to charter a boat in your dream destination, nothing will prepare you better than a sailing course taught on a charter boat. Working on a charter boat, your instructor can walk you through the entire charter process, from chart briefing and provisioning to the final return. And who’s to say your class can’t be in that dream locale?“We use charter boats to teach

In the October issue of SAIL, we take you on charter adventures in the Spanish, U.S. and British Virgin Islands. You may have sailed there a dozen times before, but there are always new gems to discover. We asked our panel of Island Experts to divulge their best Virgin Island charter secrets. Here’s what they came up with