Advice For First Time Boat Charter
Vacations can become “times of your life” when you get aboard a boat. It can be a day to remember if it goes well. You will need to follow some simple rules to avoid problems. Here are a few basic tips to make your day trouble free.
If you have chartered a boat “bareboat” that means there’s no crew on board. If you have not got the necessary paper work you will need to hire a fully qualified skipper. Often the charter company can organise this for you.
Fuel is not normally included in the price of a charter. It will be charged to you as an extra at the end of the trip. Something to think about as boats love to guzzle back the diesel.
Take plenty of sun lotion the power of the sun is deceiving at sea and it’s effects are not always noticed until you are back on dry land. The other side to that coin is that you can tan three times the speed at sea.
Snorkel and goggles are a must if you are going to moor up and take a dip in the sea. They’re great for spotting jelly fish before it’s too late [a problem in the Med] or sharks [in other seas]
The safety warning are usually recited at the start of the trip and they are worth listening to. Children must wear life jackets at all times. Adults are normally only required to wear them if they can’t swim or in bad weather.
It’s tradition to tip the skipper at the end of a trip or if you are lunching ashore it’s often a good idea to invite the skipper along, he might have some great sea stories to share with you.
There’s the basics, most of all have fun – if it goes well you will have one of the most amazing days of you life!