world of chartering

We continue an annual springtime tradition this month by bringing you an overview of Greater Bay Area Bareboats and 'Multi-Passenger' Crewed Charter Yachts.

When Special Occasions Arise

Bay Area Charter Fleets Shine Even if you own a boat of your own, we'll bet there are special occasions when you wish you had a bit more space to entertain special guests, and far fewer half-fi nished projects to make excuses about. That's when you might consider the offerings of the Bay Area's vast fl eet of (drive-it-yourself) bareboats and professionally crewed charter yachts. One of the beauties of either, of course, is that you and your entourage simply show up, step aboard and take off. When bareboating, you simply return the boat unscathed and turn in the keys — no bustling hours of pre-sail prep and post-sail cleanup. And with crewed yacht charters your responsibilities are even fewer, as professional crew make sure you and your party are well-cared-for throughout the cruise. If you're thinking of buying a boat of your own, sampling different makes and models via bareboat chartering makes great sense, as you can put each boat through its paces in a variety of conditions, or do a liveaboard cruise for a few days by special arrangement. When it comes to large group events such as family reunions, milestone birthdays, graduation celebrations or teambuilding exercises, the Bay's fl eet of large-capacity crewed yachts and schooners will meet your special needs with pampering professional service. We encourage you to peruse the listings below and make a few notes. After all, you never know when a special occasion will suddenly arise.

Bareboats — There are roughly 200 bareboats available for rental here in the Greater Bay Area, but the businesses that manage them are not simply rental agencies. Almost without exception, bareboats rented here are offered by sailing schools — usually called 'clubs' — that provide a full spectrum of courses, from basic sailing to coastal cruising and celestial navigation. In most cases, you don’t have to be a member of the club to rent a boat, although nonmembers will pay somewhat higher rental prices. The first time you charter with a company you will probably have to get checked out by their staff so they’ll feel confi dent that you’re not going to run the pride of their fl eet into a container ship. Our advice concerning checkouts is to drop by the rental outfi t a few days ahead of time and get 'signed off', so you won’t cut into your precious charter time on a busy weekend. Beyond rental discounts, there’s usually added value to club membership such as dockside barbecues; ‘social sails’, where everyone pitches in a few

CLUB NAUTIQUE

Bay Area Sailing Schools & Bareboat Charter Operators

Afterguard Sailing Academy & Afterguard Charters Oakland & Treasure Island 1 3 1 www.afterguard.net

Club Nautique

Alameda, Sausalito 3 3 www.ClubNautique.net

Wor

Alameda, San Diego, Puerto Vallarta 1 1 , 1 11 1 www.sailing-jworld.com

Monterey Bay Sailing

Monterey (831) 372-7245 www.montereysailing.com

Modern Sailing School & Club

Sa salito 1 www.modernsailing.com

OCSC SAILING

erkeley 3 www.ocscsailing.com

Passage Nautical

1 3 33 www.passagenautical.com

a i a htin ai in

Santa Cruz (831) 423-SAIL (7245), 3 www. c c .co

Sailtime

Bay Area & Beyond (415) 869-2861 www.sailtime.com/san-francisco-bay/training

San Francisco Sailing School & Club

(415) 378-4887; www.sailinglessonssf.com

Spinnaker Sailing of Redwood City 3 3 13 www.spinnakersailing.com Spinnaker Sailing of San Francisco (415) 543-7333; www.spinnaker-sailing.com Tradewinds Sailing School & Club Richmond 1 3 www.TradewindsSailing.com

Club Nautique sailors show their spirit. Although this is an archive photo, the same scene plays out every week on the Bay.

bucks to cover costs; and charter flotillas to idyllic venues in the Caribbean, South Pacific, Europe and elsewhere. If you don’t own a boat and/or don’t have close friends interested in sailing, joining a club is a smart move. The friendly ambience of a sailing club creates a low-pressure forum for advancing through the hierarchy of classes. And the natural camaraderie that comes with shared activities on the water often spawns lasting friendships. Even if you already own a boat or have access to a friend's, the Bay's fleet, with its wide variety of boat types, can be a valuable resource. Suppose, for example, that you go out racing often with friends, but you rarely get time on the wheel. Renting a bareboat is the perfect solution for honing a broad range of skills. Chartering a large, fully equipped bareboat in the Bay Area can also help you prepare for your dream trip to some tropical sailing venue. Once you’ve taken total responsibility for a big boat in Bay waters — including anchoring practice — you’ll be able to step aboard a bareboat anywhere with confidence in your abilities, as opposed to the angst brought on by trying to fake it.

Crewed Charter Vessels — The vessels listed in our Crewed Charter section (this month and next) are accessible to folks of all ages, with no sailing skills required whatsoever, as their charter prices include professional crew.

As noted earlier, even if you are a longtime sailor with your own fleet of sailing craft, there are times when chartering one of the vessels listed here might be the perfect solution to a particular challenge. Similarly, when your coworkers are scratching their heads trying to come up with an original plan for the annual office party, you’ll be a hero when you introduce them to the idea of an exhilarating Bay cruise aboard one of these comfy sailboats — rather than a boring motoryacht. Guests who care to pitch in with the sailing chores are usually welcome to lend a hand, while the rest of the group soaks in the salt air and takes in the sights. The Bay Area’s fleet of fully crewed charter vessels breaks down into two principal categories: ‘Six Pack’ boats, which are licensed to charter with up to six paying passengers — we'll feature them next month — and the ‘Multi-Passenger Vessels’ (or 'Inspected Vessels') listed here. As you will learn, some can legally carry up to 90 passengers.

'Multi-Passenger' Crewed Charter Vessels (7+)

Adventure Cat

Carries to assengers. erthed at ier 3 , ock , in San rancisco. 1 1 3 or info@ adventurecat.com; www.adventurecat.com

Argosy Venture: his ft evins motorsailer also offers e editions eyond the Golden Gate. ilt as a rivate l ry yacht in 1 , her rightwork and eriod styling are an eye-catching sight when she roars across the Bay at 12 knots. M lti assenger certified. erthed at ris ane Marina. vaila le for s ecial c stom charters locally incl ding cor orate , family charters and e editions, as well as film and dive charters. 1 charters@argosyventure. com; www.argosyventure.com

Bay Lady

Certified for assengers most comforta le with a o t . erthed at So th each ar or, San rancisco ne t to all ark . 1 3 333 spinnaker.sailing@yahoo.com; www.rendezvous-charters.com/sailing-yacht/ bay-lady.

Bay Wolf

Certified to carry to assengers. ick s in San rancisco and Sa salito. 1 info@sfbaysail.com; www.sfbaysail.com

Cat Ballou

Carries to 1 assengers. erthed at Schoonmaker Marina, Sa salito. 3 chuck@sanfranciscosailing. com; www.sanfranciscosailing.com.

Chardonnay II

Carries to assengers. erthed at Santa Cr ar or. 31 3 1 13 charters@chardonnay.com; www.chardonnay.com.

Eros aving een ased in the ay rea for decades, this 1 3 ft classic schooner still