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Cabin Layout | Size / Budget / Skills | Monohull vs. Catamaran | Equipment and Gear
Choosing a boat implies a choice
of layout and size. It is a little easier than choosing a charter
area, but not much more. But hey! That's what the fun is all about:
preparation and anticipation! Your boat selection will depend on
the number of people in your party, your budget, your and your crew's
sailing skills, and your comfort level tolerance.
Note: This article
deals only with choosing a bareboat.
1.
Cabin Layout: Number of People in Party vs. Comfort Level / Tolerance
It is your first consideration because it will determine your charter
boat's minimum size and layout. If you have a party
of 6, you know you need at least 3 cabins. Many charter boats have
a layout that accommodates 2 additional people sleeping in the salon convertible
settee. We do not recommend you do this, unless you don't mind the feeling
of camping in cramped quarters for a week. Besides, you might run into
some trouble when it comes to decide who will sleep in the salon! On the
contrary, if you can afford it, we always suggest chartering a boat that
has one more cabin than necessary. It can always serve as storage room
for all that extra-gear, or as an additional quarter if someone wants
to sleep alone during the cruise. It also increases your privacy (see
below). If you have more than 4 people in the crew, we also suggest having
2 heads/bathrooms; 6 people for one head/bath is really inconvenient.
Always keep in mind that your layout choice will also affect your party's
privacy. Typically, in a monohull boat, contiguous cabins
are only separated by a plywood wall. Let's just say, without getting
into graphic details, that mostly every sound or word in one cabin will
be heard in the next. Just so you know, OK? Therefore... When you visit
the charter companies' web sites, or browse the brochures, you will see
all the layouts of the boats in their fleet. Some web sites even have
"virtual tours" videos, but beware of the enlargement effect of the wide-angle
cameras! Take your time "visiting" boats and in the end, determine which
layout you and your crew will feel the most comfortable with. There is
no mathematic answer to this, as each crew will have different tolerance
levels for comfort or discomfort, privacy or lack thereof - an early 20's
crew will not have the same expectations as a group in their 50's. Now,
you can choose a size.
2. Size / Budget / Skills
2-cabin/1-bath are usually in boats from 32 to 36. 3 cabin/2 bath layouts
-the most popular- come in any size between 36 and 50ft. A 4 cabin/3 bath
layouts usually requires at least 46/47 ft. up to 50ft. unless you charter
a catamaran (see discussion below). A 5-cabin/4 bath will be at least
50ft.
Obviously, the bigger the boat the more money you must spend. Of course
the budget is shared between the crewmembers. This part is a no-brainer
since you know what you can afford or not.
Now regarding the size, another limitation is your sailing experience
-and your crew's. Handling a 38 ft. sailboat with 2 pairs of good hands
is not a big problem when you know what you are doing... and you do, don't
you? d:-) However a 50-footer is a totally different story, because everything
is much bigger and therefore more difficult to control. It is not more
difficult technically, but the forces are much higher: get over-canvassed
with a 120% genoa on a 50ft. and you will have to deploy a lot of strength
to shorten sail. So the bigger the boat, the more you have to anticipate
and the sooner you have to prepare it for a coming squall, the sooner
you have to reef. Therefore assess your skills and your crew's honestly
and make your choice in consequence.
3. The Big Debate: Monohull or Catamaran
The following comments apply whether you charter a bareboat or a crewed boat.
(View our tips for catamaran
handling)
Catamaran Pros
- The catamaran will provide you with considerably more room than a
monohull basically everywhere on the boat: in the cabins, in the salon
and in the cockpit, the latter usually being huge, since it spans over
both hulls. A typical 45 ft. cat will have 4 large staterooms, with
genuine queen-size beds, each with en-suite bathroom, and a salon/cockpit
combination capable to sit and entertain 20 people. A 38 to 42ft. will
have 3 staterooms and 2/3 bathrooms. The cockpit and the salon are on
the same level, which enhances the feeling of spaciousness. There is
ample headroom everywhere. The foredeck also has a big net between the
hulls, which makes a great sun bathing area. As a result of this roominess,
a catamaran rarely feels crowded as it is relatively easy to get some
seclusion and quietness from other members of the party.
-
Because of the cats layout
configuration, you have full privacy in every room and you don't
hear anything from one room to the other.
- The other major factor is that a catamaran does not heel and
does not roll at anchor. This usually makes seasickness a non-event.
Incidentally, it makes it somewhat safer for kids running around.
-
A catamaran usually sails
faster than a monohull on some point of sails (beam reach and
downwind).
- Cats have a shallow draft, allowing you
more gunkholing than a monohull.
Catamaran Cons
-
A hard-core monohull sailor
once said: "When I sail a cat, it feels like I am driving
my living room!" He meant that a cat does not convey the "real"
feeling of sailing, with the "rail in the water" as
they say. That is precisely because a cat does not heel, and
a monohull does, sometimes a lot. So if you are in for hard,
pure sailing, you will not get that felling on a cat. Only a
monohull will give you the full experience!
- Lastly, a cat does not typically sail too well upwind and needs a
different technique for tacking and anchoring. (See
tips for cat handling).
Conclusion: If you are bringing with you a party of first-time
sailors, or older people, or people who could feel apprehensive at sea,
you probably better off with a cat.
4. Equipment and Gear Considerations
- Anchoring equipment: Most charter boats with reputable charter
companies have a power windlass. If you can get a boat with this gear,
GET IT. It is worth gold.
-
Canvas top or Bimini: This
piece of canvas mounted on a frame over the cockpit is a must
in my opinion if you are going to a sunny area. Some older boats
in the Med do not have it, and that is a problem.
-
Dinghy: In the Caribbean,
all dinghies come with an outboard. But I had to pay extra in
the Med to get it. So ask in advance. Paddles are nice, but...
- Electronics: Most boats today have an autopilot, a GPS, a
VHF, a radio/CD combo, and a cellular phone. Newest boats even have
chart plotters! Make sure you know what will be on your boat, and bring
lots of CD's! If you have an iPod, you may bring a transmitter which
will broadcast your music wirelessly to the FM tuner on the radio. those
transmitters (like the iTrip) are found in all good electronic stores.
-
Other: In the Caribbean,
you can rent a windsurf or a kayak to take with you, but those
are optional and cost extra on bare boats.
Go to the next section: Booking your charter »
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