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Boat Tour | Life Aboard
| Protection and What to Bring | Behaviour
On Board |
Autonomy and Systems | Safety Issues
You've just arrived at
your base and boarded your boat for this much anticipated cruise
with 2 other couples, your close friends. You are the unquestioned
skipper! If you have been sailing with them before, and if they
are sailors, they probably know the drill and a quick reminder of
the stuff below might not even be necessary. But if it is the first
time they are going on charter with you, and especially if they
first-time sailors, you need to do a full briefing about what is
going to go on. This is a checklist suggestion for an organized
briefing to your crew.
 TIP: A good idea is to print
this and give it to your charter companions a few days before leaving
so they can already understand what to expect. And remember: as
a skipper, your job is to make sure everyone is having a phenomenal
time, learns a lot, and comes back thrilled and safe, ready
to go again!
Boat
Tour
You can either give a tour of the boat yourself to your
friends, showing the main parts of the boat and the cabins, or have
them participate in the tour the charter company briefer will give
you after you board. In either case, it is a good idea to start
with it to give a general understanding. Point out the parts that
can hurt, like in this boom can destroy your skull if you don't
duck when I say!
Life
Aboard
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Necessity of a tidy boat
Being on a 30 or 40 somewhat feet boat for a week or 10 days with
6 people imply close quarters and an understanding that this is not
like at home. Beyond the simple comfort, it is a matter of basic
safety for everyone on board, before casting off in the morning
for that next heavenly anchorage, to see that everything be properly
stowed and secured. In the staterooms and in the common areas.
Everyone must understand this and participate. You don't want
this expensive camera to fly across the salon and get smashed during
a tack, right? In the galley, everything must be put away and dishes
preferably washed: pots and pans, food containers, etc. The idea is
that everything that can fly, will! Especially,. heavy stuff must
be well secured. In the cockpit, anything that can hamper a maneuver
must be put away. Beware of the sunbathing cushions on the cockpit
floor when you need to rush to the main sheet! Lines and sheets must
be properly coiled, ready to be used instantly. In short, there is
nothing more hellish looking than a messy, disorganized boat!
- Bathrooms and heads
Again, very different and slightly more complicated than at home.
Everyone must understand how they work before using them. And don't
forget: abusing the toilet paper quantity is not a good idea!
Show the shower drain. Show the seacocks (see safety below.)
- Sharing the work
The main idea of a successful charter cruise with good friends is
that you will still be friends after the cruise! Nothing will
spoil a cruise more than 1 or 2 couples feeling that they are doing
most of the work: cooking, dishwashing, tidying the common areas, etc.
Therefore, you should organize at the start a fair and simple rotating
system for the daily chores. Then make sure it is respected!
Protection
and What to Bring
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Against the cold: Yes,
I am not kidding. Even in the Caribbean or in the Mediterranean,
you might need a jogging suit at night -like in the Bahamas
in winter for example. Even more appropriate if you are chartering
in New England or Pacific North West.
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Against the sun: Very
important. The sun can be brutal in some areas and in the
Caribbean in particular, where, because of the constant Trade
Winds, you do not always feel it. Every guest must have an efficient
sun lotion, good sunglasses, a hat and some aloe gel or something
similar to soothe those sunburns.
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As far as what to bring, go to our detailed section on what to pack.
Behaviour
On Board
Participation is the key word. When a bunch of friends
go sailing together, they become a crew. A crew has rules and roles.
The skipper must brief first-time sailors thoroughly and define
everyone's role according to desires (some charterers just want
to read and sunbathe - nothing wrong with that! ) and physical capabilities.
First-timers: everything is doable, even steering, if you get the
proper explanation. Also, a first timer must avoid taking initiatives
without asking the skipper his/her opinion. A good charter skipper
must encourage questions. A great skipper teaches his seamanship
to those who want to learn. I personally enjoy doing this a lot,
especially with kids.
Besides, it keeps them busy!
Autonomy
and Systems
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Water:
Again, this
is not like home: water supply is limited. To avoid filling
the tanks in the middle of the charter week, try to save water.
Do not let the water run while brushing your teeth. This gorgeous
blonde with long thick hair cannot wash her hair every day using
10 gallons of water each time. Keep your showers short. You
get the idea.
-
Power/Electricity:
Same concept. Crew must avoid leaving lights on without reason.
Beware of the little fans in the cabins: turn them off when
not used. If you have an inverter on board, watch out with this
1500W hair dryer with the same blonde.
Safety
Issues
While a charter is a week of fun, let's not forget that
everybody on board must understand basic safety issues. Here is
what to show.
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How to close the hatches
in the cabins and shut the seacocks in the bathrooms before
casting off. I always double-check this myself. You will never
forget it again after you have this forward stateroom bed full
of sea water during this choppy upwind tack!
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How to use the radio. Basics:
Channel 16, transmit, respond.
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Location and use of the
fire extinguisher.
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Man over board. Unfortunately,
it can happen. Explain what you will do, that panic will be
very counterproductive and assign one adult to keep his/her
eyes on the MOB at all times.
-
Seasickness: show all the
tricks to avoid it (don't stay down below unless necessary,
look at the horizon if you feel queasy, etc.) Make sure guests
who are prone to it take the proper medications well before
casting off.
A last word: you do not need
to make all this sound like boot camp. Do not make any of this sound
dreadful or like a drag. The whole idea is still to have a blast
sailing in a great area with good friends.
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