ON CHARTER

THE MANY BENEFITS OF CHARTERING A CAT

With more room, lower costs and shallow draft, what’s stopping you?

PLANNING A SAILING CHARTER IS A METHODICAL

process with multiple considerations. Where should we go? What size and type of boat will we need? And—importantly—How can we all live together on a boat for a week and remain friends? Many of those decisions boil down to one big question: monohull or catamaran?

ONE HULL VERSUS TWO

One great thing about cats in general is that they satisfy many different types of sailors. New sailors who are not accustomed to the heel of a monohull will quickly feel safe and relaxed on a multihull. This is nice for them and the others onboard, who—lest we forget—are on vacation. We all want to relax and savor our precious moments on holiday, rather than hanging on for dear life and watching breakfast become fish food over the leeward rail.

Novice sailors will also enjoy the comforts afforded by a catamaran’s spacious layout. The confines of a monohull can be intimidating for newcomers used to the creature comforts of home.

More experienced sailors, who may have sailed a beach cat, previously chartered a monohull or are considering a boat purchase, will be rewarded with a new experience. Adding the practical knowledge gained during a cat charter to your sailing resume will only help in

the long run, and sailing a multihull can provide a needed boost in confidence to break out of habit and try a new venue on your next voyage. Plus, there is no better way to push yourself than by trying out some erstwhile tricks while learning new skills.

SET IT AND FORGET IT

From sail handling and motoring to anchoring and mooring, modern catamarans have become extremely user-friendly. Whether you are a trim freak or Otto Helm is your best mate, a cat’s sail controls are set up for ease of handling to help you get the most out of the wind conditions. Often, the running rigging on a cat is led back to the helm, keeping it centrally located. This is nice because it keeps the congestion out of common areas where people may be having a meal, sunbathing or just trying to stay out of the way. And it doesn’t hurt if you’re shorthanded, either.

Maneuvering under power in a catamaran is easy with engines in each hull. Windage is the biggest difference between a cat and a comparatively-sized monohull; make sure you pay due diligence to how much the wind will move a cat around at slow speeds. In a cat, unlike a monohull, with two engines you can basically spin the boat on a dime. This comes in handy when maneuvering in close quarters like a mooring field, anchorage or marina. In tight spots, try steering less with the wheel and concentrating more on how each engine will turn the vessel. One trouble with operating a cat under power is having limited ability to see all four corners of the boat. To alleviate this problem, post a crewmember in blind spots to help you tell distance. And it never hurts to hand them a fender!

COME ONE, COME ALL

Family, friends, neighbors, your kid’s soccer team—everyone can fit on a catamaran. One overriding and undeniable advantage of a cat is the plethora of living space for all aboard. Multiple cabins and heads, a large bridge deck and galley, ample storage room and a spacious deck are common features on most charter cats.

Many people choose to charter catamarans based solely on these criteria alone. And why not? Large families or groups of couples can have their own personal space instead of cramming into smaller cabins, galleys and heads for a week at a time. One common hesitation of charterers is finding the perfect mix of friends who will work well on a sailboat for a week (and remain friends afterwards), and that problem is only compounded

when you try to pack them into a tight space on a monohull. When several families charter a cat together, not only are there cost benefits, but there’s also ample room for activities. The trampoline is a great spot to soak up some sun while waves pass below, or take in a star show on a clear night. Large tables in the saloon and aft deck can easily accommodate card games, happy hour and family style meals. A catamaran with four large cabins can comfortably accommodate four couples,

all of whom may not be seasoned sailors. Your crew will appreciate having the ability to spread out in their private spaces down below as well as on deck during the day. Crew happiness is of utmost concern when deciding to charter, so try a cat and stay friends.

SEALING THE DEAL

Finding a big enough monohull to accommodate a sizeable group can be a challenge in certain areas, but large catamarans capable of fitting the whole crew are readily available through many reputable charter companies, including The Moorings, Sunsail, Dream Yacht Charter and many more. Catamarans have plied the waters of the world for thousands of years, sailed by everyone from fishermen and explorers to racers and day sailors. But now, the popularity of charter cats is at an all-time high. Be discerning and choose a vessel that will truly accommodate your needs— and those of the broad spectrum of guests who choose to set sail with you. One of the biggest reasons for choosing a cat in the Abacos is depth. The Bahamas are relatively shallow in general, but the Sea of Abaco rarely sends your depth meter deeper than the mid teens. Cruising in a cat with a shallow draft will keep your nerves at bay as you glide though the water, just feet from the bottom. The thin depths also make for trouble-free anchoring. And the numerous sandy bottom bays and coves are at your disposal for a lunch stop or overnight visit.

The Abacos’ proximity to the East

Coast of the United States also makes the area a logical choice. Several flights arrive and depart from Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay each day, and charter boats, grocery stores and restaurants are all nearby. The reasons for choosing a catamaran as your next charter vessel and the Abacos as a place to cruise are too many to count. The large platform you choose to cruise on will maintain your comfort, while the pleasures of exploring the beaches, anchorages, reefs and restaurants that envelop this tropical locale will keep you coming back for more. For more, visit here.

2022 SUMMER SAILING VACATION GUIDE

Whether you want to build skills or just get away for some fun cruising, this summer is the perfect time to sign up for a charter, a sailing school or an expedition. Here’s how by George Day

CHARTER VACATIONS

Summer is the season for chartering all around America and offers a great opportunity for you and your family to discover cruising grounds far from your home waters. Surveys of our readers over the years have shown that the Pacific Northwest is the most popular region to charter in summer in the continental states followed by New England and the Great Lakes. The Chesapeake Bay is popular in spring and fall but can be too hot and airless for summer cruising. Florida, also, is great in spring and fall, and can be fine all summer but the humidity and frequent rain squalls can be an issue. In the Pacific Northwest you can charter either a sailboat or a powerboat and since the wind is often light in summer and the current between islands very strong, a boat with a good motor is the key to happy cruising. There is good cruising all around Seattle and the islands or you can point the bow northward and head for the wild region around Desolation Sound. You will see bears and eagles and dine often on wild salmon.

The Great Lakes are too often overlooked by sailors on the coasts but the lakes have some of America’s prettiest cruising areas and the great pleasure of sailing in sweet, fresh water. The favorite places to charter will be the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior, near Duluth, Green Bay, Sturgeon Bay and Door County in Lake Michigan and the famously beautiful waters of the North Channel in northern Lake Huron. Great Lakes cruisers swear that the North Channel is America’s finest summer cruising ground, rivaling the Pacific Northwest and the coast of Maine; if it is not on your cruising bucket list, it should be.

The Coast of Maine is famous for it’s thousands of islands, harbors and rivers that combine to offer a lifetime’s worth of sailing and cruising opportunities. It can be foggy in early summer so the best times to explore Maine under sail are in late July, August and September. Old timers will tell you that on foggy days you should sail to the heads of the bays for better visibility and on days when the wind clears from the north, you can venture to the offshore islands like Matinicus and Monhegan. Along the way you can stop in charming towns like Booth Bay, Rockland, Camden, Castine, Blue Hill and Southwest Harbor and learn to speak like a Maniac. Ehyup. Southern New England is the East Coast’s summer yachting capital and the heart of the region will be Newport, RI. That’s the place to start and from there you can head east to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket or west to Long Island

Nanny Cay, BVI

Sound and famous destinations like Block Island, Mystic, Shelter Island and Oyster Bay. You will sail in company of some of the grandest and most beautiful sailing yachts in the country, will see everything from Optis to 12 Meters racing around the buoys, and will catch sight of an osprey or two circling above your anchorages. July and August are the height of the season, but June and September can be lovely and less crowded, too.

The Chesapeake Bay in late spring and early fall is one of the East Coast’s most interesting places to charter. Starting in Annapolis you can head down the Bay to St. Michael’s, Oxford and Tangier Island or sail north to the Magothy and Sassafras Rivers or even downtown Baltimore for a night on the town. Florida is a sailing and chartering destination all year around and the two best destinations will be Ft. Lauderdale on the east coast and St. Petersburg on the west coast. You have to keep an eye out for summer squalls and always have a plan B when making coastal runs. Also, Florida is America’s lightning capital, so keep a weather eye for storms. The Bahamas offers great summer cruising and will be less humid and have steady trade winds all summer long. You can either cruise the Abacos out of Marsh Harbor or explore the Exumas from a charter base on New Providence Island (Nassau). Old time Bahamas cruisers will tell you they prefer the spring, summer and fall seasons to the winter simply because the weather is more settled and the crowds gone. The Caribbean is open for chartering all summer long and you will find great off-season rates to keep the cost as low as possible. This summer, the charter companies in the BVI, USVI, Puerto Rico and St. Martin will be eager for your business and will be offering great deals to keep their fleets busy. The Caribbean in summer is slightly more humid than winter and it tends to rain more often. But, it is still the Caribbean and the hospitality can’t be beat.

SAILING SCHOOLS Building sailing and cruising skills while on summer vacation in some exotic destination sounds like a perfect combination of fun and travel for the whole family. There are two branded

sailing school operations in North America, schools associated with U.S.Sailing (the sport’s national governing body) and those affiliated with the American Sailing Association (ASA). Some of the larger and older schools, such a Colgate’s Offshore Sailing School or J/ World, are U.S. Sailing schools that follow the curriculum created and maintained by U.S Sailing. ASA has 350 schools around the world and provides a similar curriculum. The choice between the two systems will often come down to where you want to sail and what you want to achieve. It is interesting that ASA has many international affiliates. There are 37 ASA schools in China and there is even one in Egypt. If you have your heart set on sailing in French Polynesia, you can charter a bareboat or you can fly in and attend a ASA affiliated school and build sailing skills. US Sailing has dozens of schools all around the U.S. plus schools in Bermuda, The Bahamas, the Caribbean and Mexico. So, however you slice it, wherever you want to travel, you will be able to find a sailing school nearby. To find a sailing school log on to www.ussailing.org and www.asa. com.

EXPEDITIONS

For those who want to get some real blue water sailing experience and learn seamanship and cruising skills from sailors who have hundreds of thousands of miles under their keels expedition sailing is the way to go. The most well known offshore instructors are John Neal who is now running sailing expeditions in Scotland and the Pacific Northwest. Every year for the last 35 years, he has roamed the planet under sail while offering in-depth instruction on everything to do with offshore sailing from weather forecasting to engine maintenance to manoverboard drills and much more. www. mahina.com.

John Kretchmer is a veteran offshore sailor who has sailed all over the world and now runs expeditions in the North Atlantic, Caribbean and the Med aboard his Kaufman 47 Quetzal. He usually has four to six paying crew aboard and everyone gets to manage the boat, stand watches and learn the ropes as they do. Kretchmer is a great guy, a fun storyteller and a good teacher of all things to do with blue water sailing. www.yayablues.com. Andy and Mia Schell have jumped into the expedition business with both sea boots and run six to 10 expeditions per year aboard their Swan 48 Isbjorn. Andy has vast offshore experience and was closely aligned with the Caribbean 1500 for many years. He also has one of the most popular podcasts available anywhere and is a frequent author. www.59-north.com. Paul Exner runs a smaller expedition program aboard his 31-foot cutter Solstice. He can accommodate three guests and has focused his sailing in the Caribbean. In 2018, he was branching out and is running expeditions from the BVI to Panama, through the canal, up the west coast and then to Hawaii. If you are looking for small boat experience and an intimate environment, Paul has just what you are looking for. www. moderngeographic.com.