Sunsail / Age of Charter Thoughts

[smarcus3]

I wanted to toss out the question for peoples comments on using Sunsail on my first BVI charter.

Also, what's the trade off between older / newer boat (0-1, 1-3,4-6, etc.)

Thanks

[Flagman101]

Sunsail should not be a problem.
Keep in mind that most charter companies suffered severe loses and damages to there fleet. Chances are the boat will be freshly retrofitted, repaired.
New boats have the latest design features.
Hard to explain without knowing which boat your are looking at.
Most new cats now have a lounge area in front.
Having chartered new and older boats I would say that the biggest difference will be cosmetic.
Scratched and wear.
But most charter boats work hard and age very fast. I have seen newer boats with maintenance issues. And Older boats that worked just fine.

[smarcus3]

Looking at the Sunsail 41 or Sunsail 38.

Anticipated start would be May 11th 2018

It would just be 2 of us on board so space shouldn't be an issue with any size. The only reason for either is the price between either is within $200 for a week.

Also the price difference from the oldest to the newest Sunsail 41 is $3000-$3500

[buckoneil]

We have sailed with Sunsail several times. we never took the newest boat available, and never had a problem. Unless you are trying to impress someone, the older boats are just fine. Sunsail takes superb care of all their boats, and the boats are designed for hard use they get. No need to spend the extra money, save it for Dark 'n Stormies and Painkillers!

[smarcus3]

Originally Posted by buckoneil

We have sailed with Sunsail several times. we never took the newest boat available, and never had a problem. Unless you are trying to impress someone, the older boats are just fine. Sunsail takes superb care of all their boats, and the boats are designed for hard use they get. No need to spend the extra money, save it for Dark 'n Stormies and Painkillers!

So just to make sure I understand, you would have no second thoughts on taking the 3-6 year old @ $3000 vs 0-1 @ $3500.

Appreciate all the feedback from everyone.

[Flagman101]

None at all.
Like he said. Save it for the Painkillers.
March is superb.

[smarcus3]

Originally Posted by Flagman101

None at all.
Like he said. Save it for the Painkillers.
March is superb.

Great!!!!!

Did you mean to say May?

[Scatterling]

We chartered a 3 year old Lagoon 38 from Sunsail out of Marsh Harbour, Bahamas a few years ago, and had no problems with the boat. It was worn, but well maintained. Everything worked.

[Alec H]

I own a Sunsail 41DS, presently awaiting repair after the storms. My boat has been under contract with the company for 5 years. I've tried to find time to use my boat once or twice a year, and over the years, the only real changes have been cosmetic. Things do wear out, but they are quickly R+R'd. Shira has new fans, a new forward hatch, new canvas, new sails...It is worth noting that the owners of these boats can be pretty finicky, and the company has always tried to make the boat look and function as almost new anytime I took her out. The only reason I can think of to pay the extra for a young boat would be new technology. I know they re-opened for business about a week ago. I also know that they have just commissioned about 3 dozen new boats to replace those that were lost. I would say that by May, the operation will be back to normal.

[P3sailor]

We chartered from the Moorings, basically Sunsail, and had no issues with them, in fact they were very accommodating and we would charter from them again.

[Hhew]

Here’s one reason to go with the newer boat: batteries. Sunsail and Moorings will tell you that you need to run the engine at least one hour in the morning and one hour at night to keep the house batteries charged. Refrigerator/freezer, and autopilot tend to be the biggest drain, and these boats don’t come with solar to trickle charge. The night charge is a PITA because you are trying to get the boat cooled down for sleeping and the engine heats up the aft cabins. A 3-5 year old charter boat on that charging schedule will have you up in the middle of the night when the low voltage alarm starts beeping. Seems like those batteries age quickly with heavy charter use. The boat with the new batteries will hold a charge better. That said, I’ve always been impressed with the overall condition of the Moorings and Sunsail fleet, even the older boats. So if you go with the older boat, don’t scrimp on the charging.

[DeepCut]

I think the biggest issue is whether boat was properly repaired after Irma or "patched" up . With so many boats damaged, getting all repaired is a big job. I would discuss concerns with any charter company and then follow through with email summary of your discussion (good paper trail). If you are expecting used but repaired fully and then arrive to find a functional but lots of repairs needed, then you will be let down.

The age of the boat is one item to consider, but the quality of the ongoing maintenance is a more important issue. For those companies who's pro forma is "guaranteed" income, all repairs come out of their potential profit.

[basssears]

Originally Posted by smarcus3

I wanted to toss out the question for peoples comments on using Sunsail on my first BVI charter.

Others have pointed out that things are going to be a little different in the BVI's post hurricane... but whether for the worse or the better you'll get to find out, and since you've never been there before you won't miss what's gone and you might enjoy a little mellower experience.

Our first two charter experiences were with Sunsail and I think it's a perfect company to start with. We have since done some charters on classic/older boats, and some other more random chartering adventures that all went fine since we had some experience by then, but would have been sketchy if they were our first charters.

Originally Posted by smarcus3

Also, what's the trade off between older / newer boat (0-1, 1-3,4-6, etc.)

Thanks

Sunsail has their act quite dialed in, and they take good care of their boats... anything that is "older" of theirs would still be considered quite new in other company's fleets, you would be fine with the older boat and saving the money for other things (cocktails). Be sure you do a very careful once over of the boat before you leave the dock (you will be arriving the night before, try to resist the temptation to just go to the bar and instead use that time to do a thorough survey on your boat so you can find anything that needs to be attended to). If this is your first charter with them they may be making you go out for the first day with a captain, he'll do a boat check out and chart briefing with you and you can really get dialled in on anything that needs to be attended to.

Also, keep in mind if you have serious issues, part of the reason for Sunsail and the BVI area is that they have very good support structure with people on all the islands and chase boats etc and will get to you very quickly if you have problems, other companies and other areas don't/can't offer that.

I don't have any experience with any time OTHER than May (so take with grain of salt), but we really liked May... things are quieter but most places are still open, the mooring fields are a little emptier, it definitely doesn't feel like I sometimes hear it described in the high high season.

-- Bass

[snippet]

With all due respect for these big companies I would expect a lot of the unpredictable this season in the BVI. Moorings and Sunsail have a lot of resources to bring to Tortola but 215mph winds swept away all semblance of normal operations and fleets. I'm sure they have brought boats across the pond from other bases, they've done quick repairs and some total and thorough re fits and some new boats were delivered but what you get will not represent the usual promotional presentation.

Chartering a boat is not like renting a car. I expect problems with every boat I take out for a week or two. It's part of the gig; unless safety is compromised just work with it. Good times, good stories; anchor rodes get laid over each other, batteries constantly need a charge, a fan doesn't work, a door won't latch and someone will overfill a holding tank. Treat the boat like it's yours and report all problems back to base. Go the long way to the next anchorage and watch the fun.

[Maple Leaf]

Sunsail is a great company for your first charter. I completed a one week charter with them last Saturday out of Grenada. I sailed a 40 ft Cat out of Tortola last May (pre-Irma) with just myself and my girlfriend. The idea was to experience what the cruising life would be like with just the 2 of us on board. It was better than I could have imagined,
-The 38 ft out of Tortola in May will work great. Sunsail has a great reputation for maintenance. One small tip......bring a tablet with your own charts. I use iSailor but I heard Navionics is good. This will give you a back up to the yachts GPS system. (Had to rely on my tablet2 or 3 times in the last 10 years of chartering.
Have fun.....in my opinion, BVIs will be ready for cruising this coming May. Yes Irma will have destroyed many establishments but the waters, the vibe, and the experience will be great! Not to mentioned that the BVIs are a great learning ground with Level 1 sailing.

Fair winds my friend!