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

[CaptJDK]

Join one of the flotillas organized by the American Sailing Association (ASA.com).
They have several to choose from in the Mediterranean, BVI, Bahamas, Tahiti, Seychelles.
You don't have to be an experienced sailor to join but you always learn from others on the boat you share. It makes for fun sailing fellowship, and you can gain valuable charter experience from such a trip.
You do as much or as little as you want. Some like to spend time at the wheel, other practice their sail trimming, and others (often the wives) like to work on their suntan, read a book or just plain relax.
Give it a try, you will not regret it.

[Bunnellr]

Forget selling, look into time charter. Oh, wait, misunderstood the topic.
Only speaking to Med. Many places a week trip can hit that will captivate. East and north coast of Sardinia, all of sicily, much of greece, Aegean turkey. Croatia is beautiful.

I don't see any quals that will get you a bareboat charter. And you don't want one. Rent a skipper so you can go ashore wherever and focus on your wife. Data point: skipper on 60' mono in greece 2019 was euro 1000.

Not to open a can of worms, but if this is selling based on comfort, consider cat.
Bob

[lestersails]

Originally Posted by 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.

May be regarded as off topic. But I would award you a Spinal Tap 11 for "more like Pavlov's dogs" and "give her a surprising amount of money to play with". I would not only be sailing solo if I had that patronizing attitude but probably be served with divorce papers. All relationships are different. You should do what works for the two of you. But, wow.

[CaptJDK]

Originally Posted by 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.

Check out the ASA flotillas in Croatia. Great fun... ASA.com

[lo2jones]

Does anyone know what it is about Kemah Tx? Everything from chartering a 19 ft Balboa to bigger boats or getting information, it seems like a great place.

t-3400 has great advice: start out someplace easy. Not following this advice means you’ll probably be too stressed to commune with nature, ie places like Nortern Antilles, La Paz Mex. La Paz Mexico is a nature lovers paradise! It’s easy to get to from the US, and no distractions.

[Prairie Chicken]

Without reading all 7 pages of this thread to see if this has already been suggested, spend some cozy evenings with your wife watching YouTube cruising videos. There are plenty of great vids which will give the flavour of life aboard--and provide good home entertainment. Start with vids such as Sailing Florence Around the World, WE Sail, Sailing Ruby Rose, Sailing Fair Isle, Ran Sailing, and then find others you like. There's lots of poor ones too, but if you have a look at some of the above, you'll recognize the ones that don't warrant your time.

[Danlong99]

Try sailing The Sea of Cortez - for off the beaten path. There are several large charter groups out of La Paz, including DYC and Moorings.

Also, the San Juans, but you will be chartering in June, July or August.

Regardless, good luck on selling the wife.

Dan

[Painless]

Originally Posted by Dooglas

Exactly right. Many beautiful anchorages in the BVI.

I'm not sure of the" charter load" at the moment from CoVid restrictions but I have been in the BVIs right after IRMA hit and there were very few boats. I was there in March 2020(right before they locked down) and there were boats everywhere...the problem s there are so many moorings that it is difficult to find a place to anchor. Getting into one of the bays early you can generally find an empty mooring but since "Boaty Ball" evolved, a lot of their mooring balls have been reserved so people can continue to sail in the afternoon and still know they have a spot to moor to in the late afternoon.
We saw a few arguments occur with boats that came in and found another boat on their "reserved "spot.
BVIs will give your wife a good idea of what sailing in warm weather with pretty consistent winds will be like....as far as the partying, you can partake or not...You'll have a great time!

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by jen1722terry

Is it legal to sell your wife? ...

I figure that is why he has to go off-grid.

[desertsailor]

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!

Couldn't resist: A few times you mention "Sell the wife" or "Sell my wife..." Perhaps you are looking for an alternative solution.


Just Sayin'

[R Hutcheson]

Things to consider. If your experience in truly limited one season on a beach cat, you probably won't find anyone who will let you take out a charter on your own. It seems most companies start in the 40' range for boat size these days. You used to be able to go as small at 32', but I haven't seen one that size available in years. Handling a 40' boat that is very different than a small day sailor. Things like using your arm or leg to fend off from a pier can result in serious injury. A tangle in a line which simply pinches your hand on a small boat, can remove your hand if caught between a winch and highly loaded sheet. Anchoring, picking up a mooring, reefing, and simply setting the main, can be hard on a relationship if you're winging it. You can easily have a trip which will result in neither of you ever wanting to see a big boat again. There are plenty of good sailing schools. It should not be a problem to talk to the school in advance, and tell them what kind of trip you are interested in. You may need to charter the whole boat if you want to avoid having others on board who are more interested in the nightlife, or you may be able to compromise a little on that one. My first sailing school experience was five nights with only one of those in a marina with a bar. We did not spend a lot of time snorkeling etc, we sailed and practiced, but if we had wanted to cover less ground and relax for a day the captain would have accommodated us. You can also charter, with a captain. Typically he or she will be with you during the day, stay until you are set for the night anchored/moored/or at a marina your choice, and they are picked up by a powerboat, and leave you alone for the night. They come back the following morning. Most are happy to teach you as well, but may not be a skilled as a certified instructor in doing so. You know your and your wife's preferences the best. The main thing to keep in mind is avoiding terrifying, and avoid frustration. Finally, look for real buy in from your spouse, not just willing to do it, because you want her too. Frequently, this involves a larger more luxurious boat than you may think you need, or is even convenient, or possibly a less capable boat than you would desire. Think, I can have, the hard core bluewater, go truly anywhere boat I've always wanted, or I can have the floating tennis court my wife wants. If she hates to heel, and can't stand not being able to see out when she is below decks, your not going anywhere in that bluewater cruiser, at least not with her. It doesn't matter that the boat can do Antarctica, you won't be leaving the dock. However, you may find you can do years of cruising around the Caribbean and east coast on that production charter cat. Good luck with whatever you decide. I hope it works out.

[Cynara]

Look to the west coast. Of Mexico, Costa Rica, etc

[Larryo]

I could sure argue for a few day trips in bigger boats, and a few one night overnights. Stepping from the Hobie Cat to a 7 day secluded charter miles away is not exactly a small step.



You might want to convince her with smaller step.... THEN, let HER plan your 7 day trip.

[Cynara]

What kind of charter do you want. When someone cooks the food, washes the dishes. Bring you drinks while sitting on the deck, or something closer to real life

[Larryo]

Another BIG question.... what does SHE want?