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

[letsgetsailing3]

The BVIs are great, but another place you could sail is around on the Chesapeake Bay, near Annapolis.

When I first started sailing, we participated in a flotilla with a captain (Annapolis Sailing School), and learned quite a bit.

May work out better financially, and if you have a captain on board, you'll learn some things about sailing.

Just another option to consider.

[Dooglas]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

Princess Louisa Inlet. I will have to admit it is the singular most spectacular spot in the PNW — although I hear Alaska has lots to compete with it. But Louisa is well within range of any charter company's base

I agree that there are many beautiful cruising destinations in NW Washington State and SW BC. I am not so sure I would recommend the area for new sailors looking for their first cruising experience though. The NW/BC - heavy fog, extreme tides, daunting tidal currents, drizzling rain, rocky bottoms, sunken logs, difficult anchoring grounds, cold water, often little or no wind in the summer and real howlers much of the rest of the year, etc. I think I'd choose the BVI for a first time around that you want to go well.

(And don't get me wrong - the NW and BC are my home cruising waters and I love them dearly. I just don't think they are the place for inexperienced cruisers to start.)

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by Dooglas

I agree that there are many beautiful cruising destinations in NW Washington State and SW BC. I am not so sure I would recommend the area for new sailors looking for their first cruising experience though. The NW/BC - heavy fog, extreme tides, daunting tidal currents, drizzling rain, rocky bottoms, sunken logs, difficult anchoring grounds, cold water, often little or no wind in the summer and real howlers much of the rest of the year, etc. I think I'd choose the BVI for a first time around that you want to go well.

(And don't get me wrong - the NW and BC are my home cruising waters and I love them dearly. I just don't think they are the place for inexperienced cruisers to start.)

I guess its all what you know: constant 20+ knot winds, overcrowded mooring fields with little to no anchorages, rushing to get to the next spot before everyone else, more credit card captains than you can shake a stick at, loud party spots... the idea of the BVIs actually kind of daunts me ...

Disclaimer: Never been there, the above is all hearsay

[Auklet]

The OP finally got around to telling us the crux of the mission.

Post #63: (I should have mentioned we have kids age 8 and 10, so we are looking for more of a warm/swim/snorkel/hike type experience).

So forget about cold places. And no one is getting "off the grid" (or at least far off) by taking the family to a major tourist destination such as the BVI or St. Thomas, etc., for a vacation even if they are great destinations generally.

Conversely, Princess Louisa Inlet is definitely "off the grid" for most folks, including even the experienced sailor/boater. It's a long way from anywhere in a sailboat--40 n.mi. up the reaches (once inside Jervis) with virtually no place to "pull over" along the way. Must transit the very narrow Malibu Rapids near slack water to enter the inlet. It's cold; both the air from the shadows cast by the surrounding peaks and the water, which is cold everywhere up there. Anchoring near Chatterbox Falls is in deep water; there are isolated rocks about that a keel might strike. No services are there; no stores, no concessions, no fresh water, no fuel, etc. Careful management of the boat's freshwater is critical. No beginner on a first charter should attempt it, IMO.


BUT--it is definitely "off the grid." Fits my criteria of Post #56: As for getting away from it all, the basic formula parameters: level of difficulty, level of comfort, and accessibility. Sites that are further from HQ, or are otherwise difficult to reach, and are colder/rougher are those where you won’t find many people.

BEAUTIFUL and PRISTINE it is. Maybe some other time for these folks.

[bensolomon]

Ttcbj,

I would recommend the Chesapeake bay (my home water). There, you have 1000 different anchorages at your disposal. You can make longish hops between anchorages, and the water is relatively protected. You can go up a river and drop anchor and not see another soul if you choose, or take the kids to a really fun town with an ice cream parlor and a toy store in the same day.

Your kids will have plenty to do in nature. There are ospreys, eagles, ducks, herons and on. Also, drag a line behind the boat for some fish. Unfortunately, no snorkeling. The water isn't good for that.

There are innumerable places to go/anchor and explore. The Chesapeake bay cruising guide is an excellent resource. Also, there are many bare boat charter companies to choose from. I can give recommendations if you would like.

My three kids grew up sailing on our boat all through the Chesapeake, anchoring out, swimming, exploring and on and on. They loved it (they are all mid twenties, now).

To answer your question about how you find places to anchor, etc, I typically start with a chart review and evaluate where I think would be a good Anchorage. Then I go on active captain to cross reference.

[Auklet]

Originally Posted by bensolomon

Ttcbj,

I would recommend the Chesapeake bay (my home water). There, you have 1000 different anchorages at your disposal. You can make longish hops between anchorages, and the water is relatively protected. You can go up a river and drop anchor and not see another soul if you choose, or take the kids to a really fun town with an ice cream parlor and a toy store in the same day.

Your kids will have plenty to do in nature. There are ospreys, eagles, ducks, herons and on. Also, drag a line behind the boat for some fish. Unfortunately, no snorkeling. The water isn't good for that.

There are innumerable places to go/anchor and explore. The Chesapeake bay cruising guide is an excellent resource. Also, there are many bare boat charter companies to choose from. I can give recommendations if you would like.

My three kids grew up sailing on our boat all through the Chesapeake, anchoring out, swimming, exploring and on and on. They loved it (they are all mid twenties, now).

To answer your question about how you find places to anchor, etc, I typically start with a chart review and evaluate where I think would be a good Anchorage. Then I go on active captain to cross reference.

These are all great points, but, forgive, what about bugs and sea nettles?

[Dogscout]

CROATIA. While there are many party spots, there are also many empty bays and lots of outdoor exploring and natural beauty. Charter out of Split/Kastella and sail for Vis or Lastovo. Stop at Mijet for the national park. And many other places in between.

[bensolomon]

Auklet,

On average, the mosquitoes are not bad at anchor if there is a breeze. They are much worse on land. I will agree that there are those times when the Chesapeake mosquitoes are bad. As for the jellies, not bad until late summer, and you can sail to more fresh water like up river, and they don't make it there. I happen to have a nettle net, though. I never worried about it because I was able to deploy the Bay pool off the stern of the boat and the kids could swim in there and they were protected from the nettles.

I just came back from Croatia on a bareboat. I could have lived there forever. It was a perfect mix of middle of nowhere and then quaint historic towns dating back to before the Christian era. That said, not for beginners. They were very strict on requiring a VHF radio license, and at least one form of verified competence whether it be an international certificate of competency or the like.

Getting back to the original question, I still think the Chesapeake would be the best place for the OP to convince his wife that this would be a wonderful lifestyle for them. From the Chesapeake you can make a small ocean trip to mystic Connecticut and points north. You can sell South down Bay and circumnavigate the Delmarva peninsula for a short ocean experience. The possibilities are truly endless.

[BlueH2Obound]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

I seem to remember the sea trial being the best part.

Yeah, but then after you finalize the deal, you discover all the those hidden flaws that may have made you reconsider the deal!

[proudsailor]

Originally Posted by jen1722terry

Is it legal to sell your wife?

If so, would a potential buyer get her surveyed?

Happy New Year!!!!

Was thinking the same thing! Sometimes one needs to shed certain responsibilities to take on others. But if selling your wife was not your intent, we've charted the BVIs and found quiet, isolated places and also found packed party places (when we were looking for parties). BVIs are easy charter places and can be less crowded in the off season. And riding the ferry to Tortola is like weights being lifted off your shoulder in anticipation.

Consider Puerto Rico as an option if you're looking for warm. Vieques, Culebra, and bays around the island offer gorgeous and isolated spots. Plus it's an easy ride up to the rain forest for hiking in remote spots.

Also, consider a charter w/ experienced sailor friends for the first go around. Helps minimize anxiety & gives some level of personal space (they can go ashore for dinner while you stay aboard

[sck5]

Wives are more like Pavlov's dogs than you probably realize. I was quite open with my wife saying "I love sailing and I want you to love it too so I am going to shamelessly bribe you whenever we go"

To prepare, answer the following questions

1. What does she like to eat? Go get it.
2. What does she like to drink? Go get it.
3. What is her favorite music. Make sure you have it with you.
4. Does she like to shop? If yes, make sure you go at least one place where that is possible and give her a surprising amount of money to play with.

And dont under any circumstances go out for the first time in bad weather. You may like "man against nature" but she may well not. First impressions count for a lot.

Your mileage may vary of course, but it worked for me. I knew I had won the time she said "Can you make it go faster?" But I kept up the shameless bribery. It worked and she laughs every time I do it. That means I have a happy wife on a boat! Nothing better!!

[lestersails]

I would not even consider anything other than the BVI for this intro cruise. For the purists, it is akin to Cabo, Miami Beach, yada yada. 'Party central'. 'Crowded'. From their perspective, they are 100% right, but this is not your challenge. The most important thing for this first trip is that it goes smoothly. You want easy, line of sight navigation, predictably adequate water depths, steady (and not too strong) winds, little likelihood of squalls, plenty of mooring balls, and no (little) tides. You want a small catamaran for ease of handling and no heeling. And you absolutely, positively must have an experienced hand aboard. No responsible charter company will let you take a boat out without experience*. Even if they would, you must not do it. I think your best bet is to do a live aboard week long cruising crash course. US Sailing or American Sailing School. They are expensive, but actually fun. Do it with your wife if she is a go-getter and is attracted to challenges, and is interested in things like vectors and alternators. If she is not, do it alone and then do a BVI cruise with a hired captain/instructor if you have anything less than high confidence in your ability to manage a boat after the live aboard course.
The far and away most important thing is that nothing major goes wrong on the first one or two cruises. A little more crowded than you would like is the least thing you should worry about. A successful, sunny week in the BVI will attract anyone to cruising. After that success, then start adding challenges like unpredictable winds, tides, being miles from civilization, thin waters, etc.
Go for it!


* I have chartered from CYOA many times - no way would you pass muster on their test sail. They send you out with a staffer on the first morning around the Charlotte Amalie harbor to have you hoist sails, dodge anchored/moored boats and the sea plane take offs and landings, ferries, etc. That person judges whether you know what you are doing. And if not, they will tell you to moor it back up in their harbor and that you can't go out again until you find a capable captain.

[Gliderpilot]

If what you are looking for is to see real cruising and the possibilities of the sailboat cruising lifestyle, you should go where the cruisers go, not where the partiers and huge charter companies are. My recommendation is to find a private charter in a place like George Town, Bahamas. There is a large cruising community in the Bahamas and they like to base out of George Town. The Bahamas also have the added benefit of calm water sailing, hundreds of isolated or deserted islands and bays to explore, and for the adventurous you can do open ocean night passages, or stay on the Bahamas banks for fabulous sailing in protected warm shallow seas.

From your description of what you like and are looking for the Bahamas seems like a perfect fit. Plus the Bahamas are easier to get to by air than the BVI’s and are doing a great job of working with tourists and cruisers during the pandemic. Far better than the BVI’s. You can private message me if you want more ideas or information.
Cheers
Rod

[lestersails]

Oh and one more thing. You know your relationship with your wife better than anyone. In some relationships it does NOT work to have the husband be the captain of the ship and sailing instructor - too much power differential and command/control dynamic. In that case, you must set it up so there is a third party instructing and commanding your wife. In other kinds of marriages that kind of a dynamic can be fine because the wife has a strong role in other domains and it balances out more broadly. Just something to factor in - again, a happy cruise outcome is your sole goal here!

[alaskacaptron]

Originally Posted by ttcbj

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!!

As usual there are lots of good suggestions here, so you’ve come to the right place with your question. I started on a Hobie 16, and 40 some years later cruise Alaska to find the type of place you’re looking for.

Along the way I spent the better part of 9 years wandering around the Caribbean. When I wanted a few weeks doing what you describe I went to St John in the USVI. Easy access to both remote and popular beaches, a wide variety of sailing depending on which side of the island you’re on. Right now it’s busier than usual because of people’s hesitancy to go to the BVI, but there is lots of hiking, great snorkeling and diving, and friendly people. Start with a cruising guide and read about the area, and then talk to a few charter companies about whether you will need a captain or not. Most of the areas you will visit will have moorings so learning to anchor won’t be critical (if you plan ahead) and the most daunting experience will be trying to bring the boat back into the slip when it’s time to go home. I did the bareboat thing all over the world before I bought my own boat to cruise and that option served me well. Good luck, and don’t wait!