Sell the Wife: Off Grid/Beautiful Nature in a 7-day Starter Charter?

[Cllewellyn]

I second KenKo's recommendation. This past November, I was in the US Virgin Islands and found St. Johns to be basically one big National Park. Short hop by sail or ferry to and from St. Thomas (with airport, resorts and restaurants). I was on a private sailboat, but there were lots of charters available. The US Virgin Islands were selected as there is no immigration issues from the US, nor major COVID restrictions (which do constantly change.) Easy to be off grid and in Beautiful Nature. Have fun!

[ttcbj]

Originally Posted by Dooglas

Exactly right. Many beautiful anchorages in the BVI.

Thanks for all the responses above.

Literally, how do you find the beautiful anchorages? The hikes, etc? The good snorkling? There were a few specifics suggested above, which is great, but is there a more general resource? A good book, a website, etc? I am trying to get to the point where I can plan out a sort of itinerary, (or at least a vision), and I think most of the easily accessible information is for major attractions (the baths, particular bars) which sound overrun.

I agree with the above post that a crewed charter might be a good starting place, but before I spend all that money, I'd like to know that there is a path to learning how to find the good spots myself.

What I am trying to ask is, if you were going to the BVI or USVI (or anywhere) for the first time, with my goals, how would you go about finding places to go? What resources would you use?

Thanks!!

[celle2000]

Originally Posted by ttcbj

We are new to sailing (bought a Hobie 18 last summer and love it). Moving up to chartering a bigger boat involves a lot of logistics and expense. I need help selling my wife on it.

We really love getting off the grid (e.g. backpacking). Many of the 'first charter' locations (e.g. BVI) seem to have more of a busy party atmosphere (go to this or that bar, etc). I thought the USVI might be better, but the moorings suggested itinerary includes things like "Magen's Bay... [has]... lifeguards, concessions, and paddleboard rentals." and Charlotte Amalie is... "teeming with hundreds of stores."

Anyway, I am trying to sell my wife on the idea that all the logistical hurdles associated with getting into sailing might have a payoff, and the payoff we are looking for is natural beauty, being a little bit off-grid, and a sense of adventure. Is that possible in a 7 day charter appropriate for someone new? Any suggestions, books, websites, etc would be appreciated. I need a way to paint a picture that is compelling and specific.

I'd also consider doing a crewed charter, despite the expense, if that is a better way too 'see the potential' of sailing, but I still need to be able to show my wife "here is where we are going to go, and its going to be great".

Thanks so much!

I would suggest flotilla sailing - more common in Greek Islands (I can recommend Sailingholidays.Com) and Croatia than in Caribbean. But these typically fly via london and include that portion of the airfare in their package - these flotillas allow you to sail alone but with a lead boat nearby with captain and mechanic and hostess - should problems arise - and they handle all the logistics. If you want to ease the wife into it - then take a week or two flotilla sailing in the Ionian sea.

[warren5421]

Don't know if this will help but gives URL for updates to visit. From the "CARIBBEAN COMPASS"

https://www.noonsite.com/news/novel-...try-worldwide/


This document is exclusively about COVID-19 restrictions pertaining to visiting yachts at ports of entry worldwide.

CARIBBEAN
Caribbean Bound 2021 – Yachting Protocols
Noonsite’s round up of what to expect throughout the Caribbean basin.

Click on Biosecurity to find current and up to date info.

Anguilla: **OPEN** (with pre-permission only)
See Anguilla Biosecurity for details

Antigua **OPEN**(from 02 July) and Barbuda: **CLOSED** (until 08 September)
See Antigua and Barbuda Biosecurity for details

Aruba: **OPEN** (with restrictions from 1 November)
See Aruba Biosecurity for details

Bahamas: **OPEN** (from 29 July)
See Bahamas Biosecurity for details

Barbados: **OPEN** (from 12 July)
See Barbados Biosecurity for details

Bermuda: **OPEN** (with restrictions from 09 September)
See Bermuda Biosecurity for details

Bonaire: **OPEN** (with restrictions from 11 June)
See Bonaire Biosecurity for details

British Virgin Islands: **OPEN** (from 01 July, 2021)
See BVI Biosecurity for details

Cayman Islands: OPEN (from January 2021 with pre-application)
See Cayman Islands Biosecurity for details

Cuba: **OPEN** (restricted ports – from 19 October)
See Cuba Biosecurity for details

Curacao: **OPEN**
See Curacao Biosecurity for details

Dominica: **OPEN** (from 21 January 2021)
See Dominica Biosecurity for details

Dominican Republic: **OPEN** (from 08 July)
See DR Biosecurity for details

Grenada: **OPEN** (with restrictions from 16 May)
See Grenada Biosecurity for details

Guadeloupe: **OPEN** (with restrictions from 09 June 2021)
See Guadeloupe Biosecurity for details

Haiti: **OPEN**
See Haiti Biosecurity for details

Jamaica: CLOSED
See Jamaica Biosecurity for details

Martinique: **OPEN** (from 09 June, 2021 with restrictions)
See Martinique Biosecurity for details

Montserrat: CLOSED
See Montserrat Biosecurity for details

Puerto Rico: **OPEN** (from 19 May)
See Puerto Rico Biosecurity for details

Saba: **OPEN**
See Saba Biosecurity for details

Saint Lucia: **OPEN** (from 09 July)
See St. Lucia Biosecurity for details

Sint Maarten: **OPEN** (from 1 June)
See Sint Maarten Biosecurity for details

Statia: **OPEN** (from 10 February 2021)
See Statia Biosecurity for details

St. Barts: OPEN
See St. Barts Biosecurity for details

St. Kitts and NEVIS: **OPEN** (from 31 October)
See St. Kitts Biosecurity for details

St. Martin: OPEN
See St. Martin Biosecurity for details

St. Vincent and the Grenadines: **OPEN** (from 22 June)
See SVG Biosecurity for details

Trinidad and Tobago: **OPEN** (from 17 July, 2021)
See Trinidad & Tobago Biosecurity for details

Turks and Caicos: **OPEN** (from 22 July)
See Turks and Caicos Biosecurity for details

US Virgin Islands: **OPEN** (from 1 June)
See US Virgin Islands Biosecurity for details

[rramsden]

You should seriously consider sailing school. There's a lot to learn about sailing a yacht.
I did Offshore. They give US Sailing certs, rather than ASA which most schools use. But it's basically the same thing.
I chose Offshore because they had a 7 day live aboard in BVI for the bare boat cert. First did a 3 day weekend closer to home for basic keel boat. You can also do that in 3 single day lessons.
I'm not a traditionalist. Did the live aboard on a 42' cat.


That was over 10 years ago.

Now I own a Fountaine Pajot Bahia, 46' cat.


Rich
S/V Fleur di Lis

[Don Sloma]

Yeah, before you sell the wife, you might try giving her a week of sailing on a bare boat charter, but in a crewed flotilla. I'd suggest Puget Sound's San Juan Islands, or the less developed Canadian Gulf Islands, or even Desolation Sound, BC about 150 miles north of Vancouver, BC. Charter there out of Campbell River on Vancouver Island. But watch out for bears in Prudeau Haven Marine Park! Plenty of wild places, hiking, whales, seals, dolphins and other critters to see at sea and on land. No bears in the San Juans, but only a few towns. Only a few of them too big in the San Juan or Gulf Islands. And charming. Charter for the San Juans or Gulf Islands out of Anacortes, Bellingham or Friday Harbor. Or in Canada, out of Sidney or Vancouver, BC. If you do Vancouver, drive an hour or less as you come or go to the top of Grouse Mountain or to hiking in some of the most beautiful wild places in North America. Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia are full of islands with no ferry service, so no cars, not many tourists except on boats, lots of parks. beaches. etc. Do it between July 15 and August 10 for longest days, mildest breezes and best weather. Do it in September for fewer people, cooler weather, more beautiful light, but more chance of rain, fog in places and big wind. Do the crewed flotilla to learn to handle a bigger boat on your own. A 30 to 35 footer will be plenty comfy for 2 who like each other. If you go with a flotilla they'll always be a guide to keep you off the rocks and mudflats and help a few moments away, albeit out of your immediate space.

[captstu]

Have you received many offers to buy your wife?

[MartinF]

Unless you have other experience it would probably be unwise/very difficult to charter a bare boat. A crewed charter is extremely expensive for a couple. You are left with flotilla, "charter a cabin", or a week on a course. A flotilla or a course would teach you more. A course would give you a certificate to present when you book an independent bareboat charter.

Blue sky, golden sand, high temperatures, sheltered water; everyone in N America is also searching for these things. If you want solitude you may like to to think about going north [#5 above] or further [#7] or maybe the Great Lakes, eg you could drive to Great Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan.
Good Luck,
M

[JPA Cate]

Convince your wife?

Maybe she'd like to take that 1 week charter money, and buy a trailer sailer, which you could then take and use coastally, obviously further and further on longer vacations. If you do this with an older monohull, it all fits very much more easily in one's budget. I think the charter route may work well for extremely affluent people, but if you spend it on a week, even a sail training week, you don't have it for champagne at the next celebration. Or the down payment on a cruising sailboat. Boats, once beyond the trailer sailer level, start costing a lot more for upkeep, too. It all depends on your likes and circumstances, but for a woman who likes backpacking, she will not be afraid of the physicality of monos. I'm a really long term cruiser (we're in our 36th year of cruising), and I'm well aware many people love their catamarans like we love our monos, and I've come to feel that perhaps there is more of the feeling of being at one with the natural environment, when you are in the water as opposed to skittering on top of it like a water bug.

I hope Don C L or thomm225 show up in your thread: both sail small, inexpensive, old monohulls, that are extremely fit for the places they are located, and seem to enjoy them a lot. I'll bet Don could take his boat to Mexico, too.

Among your earlier responses here was one which said put her comfort and fun first, with which I strongly agree [most women new to sailing do not like being cold, wet, terrified and seasick ]; and that could mean planning your deepening involvement in sailing together. Not knowing her, I don't know if she'd prefer to be on the pampered princess side of sailing, or more involved, and equal sailor with you, and developing competencies together. She won't be best pleased if you get that call wrong. If you do follow through and eventually go cruising, the independent, willing to try new stuff, doesn't mind terribly if something goes wrong kind of gal often turns into quite a good sailor and super companion. Remember, when she's on watch, she has your life in her hands: her competence and self confidence benefit both of you.

As to where, depends on whether you want to fish or swim more. Tropical places have a certain turquoise colored water beauty; the PNW is physically attractive if you like pine trees, and sea food. Hiking is possible in both environments.

Good luck with it, and have fun.

Ann

[sail sfbay]

Originally Posted by ttcbj

............Is that possible in a 7 day charter appropriate for someone new?.....I'd also consider doing a crewed charter, despite the expense, if that is a better way too 'see the potential' of sailing, but I still need to be able to show my wife "here is where we are going to go, and its going to be great".............

My expereince is charter companies are not going to charter their sailboats without an a long sailing resume OR charter one with a captain. Options to develop sailing resume are: 1) purchase your own mid-size or large sailboat, 2) take ASA clasess, 3) join a sailboat school where you can qualify on progressivly larger sailboats in their fleet. Once you have a resume with sailing boats of a similar size you want to charter you will be ready to charter without a captain.

[jmschmidt]

Why don't you just do what your said. Sell the wife.

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Convince your wife?



Maybe she'd like to take that 1 week charter money, and buy a trailer sailer, which you could then take and use coastally, obviously further and further on longer vacations. If you do this with an older monohull, it all fits very much more easily in one's budget.

My wife is worth more to me than any $$! (Just in case she reads this... but it is true!)

I think Ann's suggestion of a trailer sailor is an excellent option. Take it to local lakes, then expand to either coast and/or Lake Superior, etc (being a British Columbia sailor, I recommend Washington State and BC).

[Cadence]

Since you are MO. with the COVID "thing" I'd confine my hunt to the
US. Maybe the Keys.
With your experience a charter without a captain may be difficult.

[FabioC]

Just back from a two-week charter in the BVIs.
It is true that in the BVIs they have created an "industry" around chartering, with restaurants, bars, and places to party everywhere. However, as others have said, there are still plenty of secluded bays and beautiful spots away from the crowds.
From a sailing vacation perspective, especially for a first charter, the great thing of the BVI are the mooring balls, they are everywhere, even in secluded locations. That takes away a lot of the stress from the charter, especially if you are short handed. Basically, you always have the choice between anchoring and grabbing a mooring ball, and you can decide based on the location and weather conditions. Some of the bays are actually fairly exposed and if you had to anchor there, you would be in for a rolling night, with anchor watches, which are a PITA when short handed. Instead, just grab a mooring ball (you can even reserve it in advance with the boatyball app) and sleep through the night without worries.
USVIs are fairly "easy" as well as sailing grounds, but I would say the BVIs are the easiest location I have sailed. And truly beautiful.
(one note about USVIs/BVIs: because of covid, jumping back and forth between USVIs and BVIs in the course of the charter, which was common before covid, it is not possible/practical anymore; but it is not a big deal, just choose one, there are plenty of places to visit without the need of crossing the border back and forth)

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

St John, perhaps on a sailing cat, would be great for a week with another couple. And it would be super easy, especially if you hired a captain for one day. Charter from CYOA and drop him/her off at Red Hook.