Charter Boats, don't you just love them?

[kas_1611]

Originally Posted by svmariane

What was that expression? Something like "Ye without sin may cast the first stone"?

Oh trust me I am not throwing stones around, have had a few comedy moments myself so I am just as guilty as anyone else.

I guess what I was trying to get at was more the "are the charter companies actually checking competencies" rather than the "are people competent". Although there are occasions when you really do wonder about the people.

Keiron

[monte]

Originally Posted by svlamorocha

I understand what MarkJ talks about. I have sailed a couple dozen thousand miles (mostly working on other people´s boats) but happen to have my own little boat that has bareboat markings because it is chartered out when I do not use it.

I am TIRED of so called cruisers that judge others based on the bareboat markings on their boat. A few weeks ago I was at spreader level (after climbing singlehanded with ascenders) changing a damaged shroud with the mast up while at anchor and had to cope with two idiots (one a singlehanded "cruiser" and one a skipper of a "skipper only" crewed charter boat) yelling at me that I was anchored too close to them and I had to move right away, etc, when in fact I had snorkeled to check the anchor positions and scopes and new there was no problem.. I learned that many bareboaters sailing with their families may be inexperienced, but it is also true that many singlehanded cruisers and "skipper only" (as in no host/ess) crewed charter skippers in charter boats may not have long term company for a reason. Of course that is not the reason to paint every singlehander the same!

Those experiences definitely aren't confined to charter yachts. Last anchorage we dropped our anchor 30m behind a little mono. It was neglected and the gunnels were 30cm from the sea it was loaded down so much with crap. The Brazilian guy was waving his arms yelling crap at us as we anchored. I rechecked, all good and continued to anchor while he waved and yelled. We were far enough but any further wasn't possible in the particular anchorage (near the jetty at st Pierre, Martinique). After we stopped by in the dinghy for a chat and he continued to rant and rave about how he had been hit by 6 catamarans at anchor. We politely explained we haven't hit anyone before and didn't plan on hitting him either. He was pointing at his bent stanchions, deflated dinghy and any other damage (including rotted woodwork). Jen was translating his Spanglish and all I could understand was the occasional catamaran comment.
This anchorage ( le Marin, Martinique ) we anchored and next day a guy from a cat 200m away came racing by in his dinghy waving a big stick, yelling at us in Spanish, something like, Australia, your mothers a btch, fk you. He continued to rant and rave, wanting us to move. We later mentioned it to the neighbouring yacht and apparently he does it to any yachts anchored within 300m or so, tells them he has no insurance and it's their fault if he drags etc. crazy stuff and definitely not the norm but in a lot of cases the guys that think they own the place because they were there first are worse the the occasional inexperienced day/week tripper.
Some context on how far away he is...the cat on the right of the pic...

[captain58sailin]

It is much more fun to come down to the boat launch ramp on a Friday night and watch people backing their boats into the water.

[Easybeat]

Had you thought that there anchor light didn't work and they were using what lights were available...
I've done a few charters and have found all sorts of things that didn't work and you have to compromise...
Wrong lights are better then none when anchored surely..
Or maybe they were just daft and didn't know...

[Palarran]

Originally Posted by monte

Some context on how far away he is...the cat on the right of the pic...

Attachment 102298

In a Med anchorage you would be able to fit at least 5 more boats in between you two

Last year we went to Rhodes Mandraki harbor. I think everyone feels special entering the harbor between the Dama Dama deer. My family had been doing a pretty good job of Med mooring and got ready for this harbor without delay. My daughter played out the anchor as I helmed us back to our spot and my son waited to throw a line ashore. But for some reason we started to turn to starboard from the bow until we basically hit (with out fenders) the boat next to us. No mater what I did with the throttles we couldn't get off the guy. My son ran up and found our anchor had run right up the neighbors chain. Daughter hadn't let out enough, caught the chain, then thought she had too much out because we were backing up so easily.

Anyway, it was a highly visible and hugely embarrassing mooring job but the only ones who seemed to care were us. Everyone else was like - been there, done that, who cares. That's what I try to do with other people. Why not lend a hand instead of heaping scorn on other sailors? Cast the first stone, by the grace of god, what ever you call it - we've (almost) all been there.

[scottmills]

We call them BBB's (Bare Boat Bombers).
It's not as funny after one runs over your anchor line (clearly marked) then at night, cuts free of his mooring and slams into you and the crew yells "we were on a mooring!"
Well, thousands of dollars of damage and a sleepless rest of the night later - I calmly said "I can go to the SVG Coast Guard, Customs & Immigration and call the (un-named) charter co., or you can whip out an estimated damage repair cost, in cash, now, before you leave this port"
Guess who scurried to the ATM's and withdrew maximums ? you got it, the captain and his crew who had not properly secured themselves to the rented mooring.
Never let one of these boats go, you'll never be able to chase down the charter company, or the captain, who may or may not be licensed.
But it truly is comical watching all the groundings, collisions and near misses that happen daily.
Beware of the BBB's

[monstads]

Having recently done our first bareboat trip (BVIs), I would say that showing proper lights seems like no-brainer to be able to get right. However, during the charter briefing they pointed out the nav light switches with a "you won't need those, since you're not going to be moving after dark anyway". Turns out he was right, but I did make a point of familiarizing myself with them later. I will readily admit to not having near as much experience as I'd like, but I'm working at it ..

As far as chartering mishaps, our mooring pendent was run over by the loud dry stack shuttle boat running between Marina Cay and Trellis Bay. Shook our boat a bit and no damage, but while assessing, the shuttle got his prop stuck on a different mooring pendent, which jammed the engine. After a bunch of back and forth, he managed to cut loose, and drifted down to a third mooring, but couldn't get the engine started, and the skipper had to bum a ride back to Marina Cay. My only point is that bad things happen, and not always due to inexperience of the bareboat charter crew..

[svlamorocha]

Originally Posted by monte

The Brazilian guy was waving his arms yelling crap at us as we anchored. (snip) Jen was translating his Spanglish and all I could understand was the occasional catamaran comment.

Monte my friend,

If he spoke Spanglish then he is probably not a true Brazilian. Maybe an Argentine faking it. Or maybe you have been hanging out with Yanks for too long and forgot your geography.

C

[Captain Yiannis]

Originally Posted by Easybeat

Had you thought that there anchor light didn't work and they were using what lights were available...
I've done a few charters and have found all sorts of things that didn't work and you have to compromise...
Wrong lights are better then none when anchored surely..
Or maybe they were just daft and didn't know...

This is mostly the truth about lights in charter boats, ....and not only.

After beeing 25 years in charter buisiness as agent , owner, surveyor, skiper and many other things, I can say that almost all about chartering you said, .. are factually correct.
There is always a thin line between our jugment and the reality.
So lets be ..safe.

And Mark , ... do not exaggerate,
..this is not "the most expensive vacation week of their life".
I could say that, chartering a sailing boat is a cheep way to do vacations around any place on earth, considerably,
Unless you are looking for luxury,
something that no many people are looking for , if, they are going sailing,
..and that because, all of them have to combat with the water element.

That happens to be true for those who are chartering motor boats , and these boats ..are addressed to diferent clientele.

[s/v Beth]

I used to charter, been there, learning. I have also anchored "too close" to a boat, or to their dismay, between them and the beach. Always more than 2 or 3 anchor rode lenghts away, but it doesn't matter.
Yes, NOOBs over their head and old locals thinking the bay belongs to them are two of the "features" of cruising.
No doubt about it.

[monte]

Originally Posted by svlamorocha

Monte my friend,



If he spoke Spanglish then he is probably not a true Brazilian. Maybe an Argentine faking it. Or maybe you have been hanging out with Yanks for too long and forgot your geography.



C

Haha yes it's true, I have no idea what it was. Jen was translating and she knows Brazilian, spanish and Portuguese (and French and English) and she had no idea what it was..btw I never remember geography, I think I was too busy drawing yachts in geography class...

[Saleen411]

Charter boats love em or hate em you have to chuckle at them

Check out "Captain Crash"......takes out 6 boats while "sailing" into Anegada harbor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxg30c6z00E

Credit Card Captain extraordinaire....

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by kas_1611

Just taken a stroll to the end of my pier and 4 charter boats have come into the marina. Nothing unusual about that but it is 9pm local time and dark.

So 2 boats are showing the correct navigation lights. Well done to their skippers for knowing the regulations. 1 is showing his anchor light with his bow level navigation lights and the other is just showing his bow level lights.

Really?

Now in Croatia before you are allowed to take command of any vessel you have to show a certificate of competence. I have an RYA Day Skipper and my wife an RYA Yacht Master Coastal certificate. In both of these a fundamental part is the CollRegs and Lights and Symbols. Both qualify for the International Certificate of Competency so it begs the question "are the charter companies checking or are charter skippers actually competent?"

Has anyone else seen equally as daft a situation?
…

Come sail anywhere in SE Asia mate. Colregs? What colregs? Lights? Yes, or no… whatever, maybe green red purple blue yellow pink orange or all these all at once, flashing or not, whatever… Tell ya what, if they were obeying the colregs around here, I've seen a heck've a lot of surfaced submarines in the past few months! With some kind of disco on deck…

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by monte

…

This anchorage ( le Marin, Martinique ) we anchored and next day a guy from a cat 200m away came racing by in his dinghy waving a big stick, yelling at us in Spanish, something like, Australia, your mothers a btch, fk you. He continued to rant and rave, wanting us to move. We later mentioned it to the neighbouring yacht and apparently he does it to any yachts anchored within 300m or so, tells them he has no insurance and it's their fault if he drags etc. crazy stuff and definitely not the norm but in a lot of cases the guys that think they own the place because they were there first are worse the the occasional inexperienced day/week tripper.
Some context on how far away he is...the cat on the right of the pic...

Attachment 102298

Funny you should say that. I had EXACTLY this experience at Le Marin, on more than one occasion. Even got yelled at when I was ACTUALLY IN THE WATER FREEDIVING THE ANCHOR TO CHECK CLEARANCE ETC>

Perhaps there is some kind of weird culture there… (that said there are a few wrecks up on the reefs around the inner harbour where I presume you were, a bit to the South of the marina area across that little shoal?) ... reminds me of a ferryman in Antigua, who, when I remarked about the odd fact that a monohull of a certain nationality had anchored so close to the dockside at English harbour (with no stern lines) that he could literally have just stepped ashore, the little ferry guy (you know the one, takes you to Slipway or Galleon for a few EC) just nodded and said "But look at de flag."

[kas_1611]

Originally Posted by Saleen411

Check out "Captain Crash"......takes out 6 boats while "sailing" into Anegada harbor.

Credit Card Captain extraordinaire....

What were they thinking coming in under full sail and why when it all started to go horribly wrong did they not dump the sails?

Also another good reason why anchor floats/balls/markers are not a good idea. Sure no one knows where your anchor actually is but at least muppets can't get caught up in your lines.

I'm sure it's not just the "charter/credit card" skipper who has got into difficulties but it sure feels like it when you are watching them come in with a website on the boom.

Keiron