world of chartering

We return to a familiar theme this month, as we present our case for Booking By the Berth in a Bareboat Flotilla, and Charter Notes.

Sail, Don't Sulk:

Our Cure for Wintertime Blues Here on the West Coast, as glorious autumn days are replaced by the cold, rainy days of winter, it's hard not to feel a bit gloomy. So consider this: The best way we know of to shake off the wintertime blues is to book a charter trip to some sun-kissed tropical sailing destination. Not only will the trip itself elevate your spirits, but the pre-trip anticipation of barefoot sailing, wearing nothing more than board shorts or bikinis; snorkeling in turquoise lagoons; and 'solving the world's problems' at palm-thatched beach bars will undoubtedly do wonders for your soul and psyche. What's that? You've got no one to travel with? No problemo. These days, with the crushing time demands that many employers require of their workers, it seems to be getting harder and harder to assemble a crew of your favorite sailing buddies to join you on a far-fl ung sailing getaway. That's precisely why many sailing schools, yacht clubs and charter operators organize multiple-boat sailing vacations to exotic locations. All you have to do to join the fun is sign up, put your cash on the barrel head and pack your sea bag. Typically, you can book a single berth or pay a bit more and have a cabin to yourself. While the idea of joining a boatload of folks that you've never met before may seem a bit daunting, in our experience getting to know a whole new group of

Pinch me, I think I'm sailing in a postcard. Idyllic, age-old harbors like this are a common sight in Greece and Croatia.

sailors can add to the fun, especially since couples or individuals who sign up for such adventures tend to be easygoing, gregarious and eager to pitch in and help with whatever tasks need doing — from trimming sails to galley duty. Also, in preparation for trips promoted by Bay Area sailing clubs, organizers usually host at least one pre-departure planning party to break the ice. We know that many lasting friendships have resulted from such adventures, and undoubtedly more than a few romances have been sparked also — although that probably shouldn't be your primary motivation for signing up. (See the sidebar below for a partial list of upcoming trips offered by Bay Area sailing schools. With most, you do not have to be a club member.) On such trips the focus is generally on fun, relaxation and getting to know foreign cultures, but a lot of valuable experiential learning takes place also, which could help prepare you for skippering your own boat — or charter boat — in foreign waters someday. In addition, some trips specifically focus on earning various levels of formal credentialing. (And, of course, sea time acquired on such trips is acceptable if you ever apply for a US Coast Guard captain's CLUB NAUTIQUE license.) In some cases a particular individual (other than a club employee) will volunteer to serve as captain in order to gain experience, but in all cases there will be one or more sailing school employees within the fl otilla who serve as fl eet leaders. They do the route planning, order provisions, and often provide or designate a captain for each boat in the fl otilla, who will take responsibility for safely skippering the boat, and managing its onboard systems. Trips to some popular destinations attract a half dozen similar boats or more, which adds to the fun — and, of course, gives you more boats to race against as you travel from point to point. Much as we love to plug the trips offered by Bay Area sailing schools, there are also

many, many scheduled sailing fl otillas offered by large international charter outfi ts — particularly in Greece, Turkey, Croatia and various Caribbean islands. On most of these trips, you'll find yourself in the company of spirited Northern European sailors who tend to embrace the 'more-the-merrier' concept of boating. Europeans absolutely love large fl otillas, and their enthusi-

DAVID KORY

Above, the happy crew of Club Nautique charterers dinghy ashore during a Caribbean fl otilla cruise.

BY PERMISSION OCSC SAILING

In September, skipper Jessie Levin (right) and crew sailed Greek waters in a 12-boat fl otilla organized by Berkeley's OCSC Sailing.

Upcoming Flotillas offered by Bay Area Clubs

Modern Sailing

• Jul, 2018 — Croatia (Aegean Sea) • Aug, 2018 — Croatia (leg two)

OCSC

• Sep, 2018 — Turkey • Jan, 2018 — Antarctica

J World

• Nov, 2017 — Cabo-Puerto Vallarta cruise • Mar, 2018 — San Diego-PV Race • Winter, 2018 — various Mexico races • Jul, 2018 — Newport-Bermuda Race • Jul, 2018 — Pacifi c Cup Race (Hawaii • Aug, 2018 — Hawaii - San Francisco

Spinnaker Sailing of Redwood City

• Nov/Dec, 2017 — St. Lucia • Jun, 2018 — Tahiti • Sep, 2018 — Southern Italy • Dec, 2018 — British Virgin Islands asm for carefree fun on the water tends to be infectious. Partying? Oh yeah. In our experience European fl otilla participants tend to be in celebration mode almost nonstop — but especially when they're Med-moored side by side along the seawall of a waterside village or port. As much fun as bareboat fl otillas are, though, they are but a single subset within the realm of what we call bookby-the-berth travel — known by travel professionals as FIT trips (for individual travelers). Although this general heading includes such mainstream offerings as cruise ships and bus tours, there are also a great variety of possibilities in the realm of sailing. For example, when it comes to prep for offshore cruising, John and Amanda Swan-Neal's Mahina Expeditions are highly acclaimed — for decades their scheduled trips have taken them to both high and low latitudes. If your usual sailing activity consists of running keelboats around buoys in the Central Bay, you might get a kick out of an experience at the opposite extreme of book-by-the-berth possibilities. That is, crewing aboard a traditionally rigged schooner or square-rigger. From personal experience we can tell you that few vantage points yield panoramas more breathtaking than those seen from a roost on the upper yardarms of a tall ship — especially after you've scampered up the ratlines like a shanghaied deckhand from a bygone era. Check out Tall Ships America (formerly ASTA) for a list of ships that offer hands-on participation to 'swabs' of all ages. Many of them travel along one-directional, multiple-leg routes to exotic landfalls. Some such vessels also participate in eye-popping tall ship gatherings in the US or Europe. During the winter months — and closer to home — Bay Area-based schooners Seaward and Freda B often offer crew spots on trips to Southern California or Mexico. Although only offered in summer, another means of sampling the tall ship experience is to sign on for a short cruise through the waters of Downeast Maine aboard a so-called Maine Windjammer. Whichever style of sailing appeals to you, we urge you to stop moping around lamenting the gray skies above and lock in your plans for a sailing getaway soon. As we said, merely the promise of an upcoming adventure will go a long way toward chasing away those nasty wintertime blues.

— andy

Flotillas are usually run on similar-sized boats, making sailing in company all the more fun — with bragging rights going to the fastest.

Charter Notes We like to keep things upbeat in these pages, but on the subject of Northern Caribbean hurricanes, even our most hopeful spin falls short. Although The Moorings, Sunsail, TMM and others are doing everything possible to bring in replacement boats to their British Virgin Islands bases — some brand new — in order to honor the paid charters on their books, the challenge of rebuilding infrastructure in both the US and British Virgins is truly dismal. If you've paid any attention at all to the news lately you know that Puerto Rico suffered a crippling blow from Hurricane Maria only two weeks after Hurricane Irma devastated the neighboring Virgins. And because nearly all goods and supplies bound for the Virgins must fi rst pass through Puerto Rican ports, there is a logjam of supplies of epic proportions. As we go to press, thousands of Puerto Ricans are still without such basic necessities as potable water and tarps to shelter them from the sun and rain — and many Virgin Island residents are in similar shape. As complete as the devastation was in places such as Virgin Gorda — which suffered a direct hit from Irma, with gusts as high as 200 mph — we know that the islanders there have wasted no time in beginning to put their shattered lives back together again. We expect that most native West Indians will rebuild if possible, but there's no denying that doing so will not be easy, and it will not be quick. If you have an opportunity to cruise or charter in those waters this season, you'll have the privilege of mooring in bays that are less crowded than they have been for decades, but don't expect to fi nd fully stocked bars and restaurants at the head of every anchorage. Rum and reggae? Yeah, we expect that even now there are at least a few barefoot entrepreneurs eager to sell cool libations to visiting yachties, just as there were 50 years ago, when yacht chartering was in its infancy in those waters. What can you do to help? You might start by contributing to the staffs of your favorite charter operator, many of whom lost their homes. (See company websites for donation links.) And while you're at it, why not book a charter for next summer (2018) or winter (2019). By that time the whole region should be in much better shape.

JENNY RUFFELL SMITH

There isn't much waterside infrastructure left in the Virgins, but a few sailors' havens are already back in business — including Foxy's bar.

— andy

Sail on MERLIN with Bill Lee

Sail out of Santa Cruz on the legendary Merlin Hoist the sails, crank the winches, everyone gets to steer, set the spinnaker if weather permits, and learn some offshore safety, too. 6 guests maximum. 2-hour sails with a USCG licensed skipper on board.

« « « « « « « « « « Fall Specials: Per person - $150 Entire boat, 6 persons max - $600

Call or email Bill Lee with any questions and your desired schedule dates • wizard@fastisfun.com • (831) 345-5542

Merlin Sailing, LLC

DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE

HURRICANE UPDATE: REOPENING IN DECEMBER*

*The sun will shine, the warm breeze will blow. Our team provide a personal service and truly care about your charter experience. Since Services will be limited, but TMM will be chartering 1979 friendly and memorable staff have welcomed our clients, delivering first-hand local knowledge of the British Virgin Islands. Year after year we strive to deliver this experience with new boats entering our fl eet. whilst maintaining a diverse fleet of modern yachts at competitive prices.

All the information you need to book your charter can be found on our website, www.sailtmm.comAll the information you need to book your charter can be found on our website, www.sailtmm.comTo book your charter go to www.sailtmm.com For additional information please contact: For additional information please contact: 1-800-633-0155 1-800-633-0155

or charter@sailtmm.com or charter@sailtmm.com

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