Anyone who loves being on the water has a dream cruising destination—or several—in mind. Yours might be to explore hidden grottoes in the cool azure waters of the Mediterranean, snorkel in the crystal-clear seas of the Caribbean, feel the wind in your hair in the Whitsundays or dive into the mystical oceans of the Far East. Whatever destination is on your proverbial Bucket List, finding a vessel and a reputable charter company in your area of choice and managing the details of the booking, however, can quickly hamper those dreams.

Having identified the need in the market for a one-stop, full-service global charter booking resource, Maryland-based firm 12 Knots created 12knots.com, a comprehensive, real-time search engine and booking platform for sail and power yacht charters around the world.

Unique from other booking sites, 12 Knots takes its offerings several steps further. Clients can search for listings by destination, vessel type and model, budget or via global map of professional charter companies, all of which can be further narrowed down with filter preferences. The charters offered span from crewed term charters (three days and up) to cabin (shared) charters to bareboat (DIY) charters. A personal booking manager is available around the clock to assist with any inquiry.

THE IDEAL YACHT CHARTER RESOURCE

“We didn’t set out to create this platform, but we saw the need for it, and it has evolved into one of the industry’s leading charter listing sites,” says 12 Knots founder and general manager Grigory Eliseev. Founded as a sailing school in 2009, 12 Knots had an operations base in Montenegro—a popular charter destination—and noticed that as students were learning to sail, they were also searching for charter companies with whom to put their newfound skills to use.

“At the time, searching for a charter vessel in a specific area was quite complicated; there was no single place where you could check dates, availability, prices and boat specs,” Eliseev says. “You had to call or email several companies and wait for their reply. Particularly in the Caribbean, where there are hundreds of charter operators, it took a lot of time to contact the companies and then compare the offerings.”

Eliseev and his team began compiling their contacts and accumulating a database of charter options to share with their clients. What started as a listing of 100 boats has expanded into an online database of 22,000 vessels ranging from sailboats, powerboats, motoryachts, trimarans, catamarans, gulets and houseboats. The majority—95 percent—of the vessels on the 12 Knots website are managed by professional fleet operators, while a small number of vetted privately owned vessels, mostly operating in remote areas such as the Philippines, comprise the rest of the listings.

“Our database is expanding all the time,” Eliseev says, adding that professional charter companies are providing their listings through 12 Knots as the platform continues to gain international exposure. “We are adding new fleets and new charter companies in destinations all over the world.”

THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER

With 12 Knots, it’s simple to search for the perfect vessel or charter type that suits your budget and your preferences in your desired destination. If you don’t have sailing experience or don’t want to charter a whole boat, the cabin charters option offers sample daily itineraries, boats and available dates, and a price per person and cabin per day.

For crewed charters, your search results will also include a list of extras you can select—from tips to provisioning and meals to crew preference—to allow a view of the inclusive price depending upon the type of boat and duration of your charter. The 12knots.com website also allows you to filter results by equipment, year built, number of cabins or berths, and more.

Offering a selection of boats from multiple fleet operators, each with at least several boats in their fleet, gives clients a great selection of vessels from which to choose in a particular area. Having the peace of mind that your vessel will be reserved—reservations are held for four days without obligation—and available for your arrival is an additional benefit.

The 12 Knots loyalty program offers discounts and booking incentives as well as a client account portal to access previous bookings or upload a client sailing résumé—something that the company requests of its bareboat charter guests to document training and experience levels.

When it comes to discovering your dream destination, 12knots.com is particularly useful in providing detailed destination-specific information, such as cruising conditions, temperatures, rainy days per month, sample itineraries, and average prices throughout the year. And finally, the 12 Knots dedicated booking manager has knowledge of the global fleet, destinations, sample itineraries, and vessel types to suit each guest and guide you in making an informed decision about your dream charter experience.

In sailing terms, 12 knots of wind is said to be the ideal condition for a perfect sail. Now, with its ever-expanding online booking system, 12 Knots provides the ideal conditions for charter bookings too.
For more information or to start booking your next vacation, visit 12knots.com.

The post Smooth Sailing appeared first on Cruising World.

Apparently, we want it all—and bareboat charter companies are trying to give it all to us. If you haven’t checked out the bareboating scene in recent years, then you might find a fair bit of it unrecognizable. Yes, personal freedom and natural beauty are still part of the package with island and river cruising alike, but in many cases, everything from the booking process to the boats has undergone a serious upgrade. 

Wet heads? A lot of today’s bareboaters won’t book boats that have them. No air conditioning? That’s a deal-breaker now too. Squeezing like sardines into itty-bitty berths? Forget about it. Life is too short.

“The boats are going more luxury,” says Lisa Mclean, ­marketing manager at Le Boat, who adds that especially since the pandemic, bareboaters are insisting on comfort. “It doesn’t have to be luxury, but people are more discerning—and people value spending money on experiences. They’re willing to spend a little bit more to have the boat customized the way they want it.” 

That includes having enough room to move. Numerous ­companies are investing in fleets with bigger boats because ­bareboaters are demanding them. This is especially true of catamarans, says Tina Huewe, US senior marketing executive at Dream Yacht Charter.

“Modern vessels are built with comfort and convenience in mind, featuring spacious cabins, fully equipped galleys and high-quality furnishings,” Huewe says. “Innovations like air conditioning, watermakers and improved refrigeration ­systems have become standard on many charter boats, ensuring a ­comfortable living environment regardless of the destination.” 

Ian Pedersen, senior marketing manager for The Moorings in North America, says that his company is experiencing the same trend, with today’s bareboaters preferring large-volume ­catamarans to smaller-volume monohulls. 

“The modern-day charter experience is very much about large catamarans,” Pedersen says. “Both sailing catamarans and power catamarans have become the norm in the charter space as guests crave space, comfort, and all the amenities of home.”

At Voyage Charters, broker Peter Jones says that he has noticed this significant change in bareboaters’ expectations in a relatively short time span. Even five years ago, Voyage Charters was booking boats with manual pump toilets and no air conditioning. Today, the new boat is the Voyage 590, which won Best Charter Boat in Cruising World’s 2022 Boat of the Year competition. 

“That boat has six equal guest cabins with walkaround beds and en suites, plus crew quarters,” Jones says. “Everything’s electric and inverts off batteries from generators that start when they’re programmed to. It’s a massive change.”

From his vantage point on Tortola, Jones says, he sees all the boats that other companies are offering for charter. The entire market, he says, has “trended radically” toward bigger boats with more amenities, including a major shift into power ­catamarans. 

In some cases, transformations are ­happening ashore as well. The British Virgin Islands remains the top destination for The Moorings, Pedersen says, and the company recently completed extensive renovations to the marina property, hotel, on-site restaurants, gift shops and on-site supermarket. 

“If you haven’t chartered with The Moorings in the BVI recently, we welcome you to join us again and see for yourself what a difference a few years can make,” Pedersen says. 

In terms of new destinations, The Moorings recently announced its first one in years, in La Paz, Mexico. It’s expected to be up and running in time for the 2025 season. 

To the north, Le Boat recently added a route along Canada’s Trent-Severn Waterway, based on the popularity of the Rideau Canal route. Bareboaters from the United States are choosing to drive to the boats instead of hopping on a plane—about 15 to 20 percent of them with their pets in tow, for an additional $180 cleaning fee, Mclean says.

“It doesn’t have to be luxury, but people are more discerning—andpeople value spending money on experiences.”

—Lisa Mclean, Le Boat

“We’ve seen big English sheepdogs, tons of golden retrievers, and of course, the purse puppies,” she says. “We’re also seeing a lot more multigenerational travel. Pre-COVID, our smaller boats were more popular. Now, it’s the four- and five-cabin boats. I think people are appreciating being on vacation with their families, or celebrating special occasions like a wedding anniversary or a 50th birthday that they didn’t get to celebrate during COVID.”

Le Boat is also seeing a sizable increase in inquiries for Holland and the United Kingdom, particularly along rivers such as the Thames. Mclean adds, “People are more appreciative of getting on the smaller waterways and getting out of the big cities.”

Huewe says that Dream Yacht Charter is seeing a similar trend with bareboaters in Europe. Demand is increasing for destinations that just a few years ago, many people didn’t even consider.

“While Croatia has long been a favorite for sailing enthusiasts, some of its lesser-known islands are now gaining popularity,” Huewe says. “Areas such as the Kornati archipelago, in easy reach from our base in Šibenik, and the Elaphiti Islands close to Dubrovnik offer tranquil waters, picturesque landscapes, and a growing number of modern marinas.”

Technology too has become a must-have while bareboating. Today’s cruisers are not willing to settle for access to Wi-Fi once a week at an internet cafe onshore. They want USB ports to charge their devices, and the ability to work or attend school from on board. 

That profile fits at least 20 percent of Le Boat’s customers today, Mclean says. “People aren’t just traveling for vacation now. They’re working from wherever they are now. You’re on vacation, but you’re still checking email and calling in for a weekly Zoom meeting. Instead of doing it from your kitchen table, you’re doing it from the table on the boat.”

Demand has also increased for tech-focused booking processes, Pedersen says. The Moorings audience is more youthful than in decades past, with more clients in the 35- to 45-year-old range. They’d rather click on a screen than talk to a person.

“As such, much of our planning processes have become mostly digital, allowing guests to complete almost the entirety of the pre-departure journey online before they arrive to pick up the boat,” he says.

Demand for modern tech also extends to the helm and engine room in some of today’s fleets. Bareboaters don’t just want to be online, Huewe says; they also want top-notch weather forecasting apps and eco-friendly propulsion systems.

“Modern catamarans and monohulls are now equipped with state-of-the-art navigation systems, including GPS chart plotters, AIS, and advanced autopilot systems,” Huewe says, adding that Dream Yacht Charter has partnered with Fountaine Pajot on electric-propulsion options. “The Aura 51 Smart Electric yachts have been part of the Dream Yacht fleet since spring of last year, and meanwhile have been joined by the electric Fountaine Pajot Elba 45 and various electric Dufour 530 Smart Electric models.”

Going forward, these companies say that bareboaters should expect even more creature comforts as new models join the fleets. Jones says that Voyage Charters has a 51 in the early stages of production and coming to charter next year with four en suite staterooms plus two cabins for crew. Le Boat also has plans in the works for a more luxurious option for bareboaters who want even more amenities.

“I think that as soon as one charter company is offering something to try to entice charter guests, it becomes an expectation,” Jones says. “It’s raising the bar for everyone a little bit. The result of that is that we’ve got these super-equipped charter boats with all the bells and whistles.”

The post More, Bigger, Better: The Modern Charter Experience appeared first on Cruising World.

A bareboat charter is perfect for kids. It’s fun, it’s educational, and it bonds parents and children. Rediscovering the joys of boating through the eyes of a child is a remarkable experience that transports you back to your own first days on the water. 

But, as with everything involving kids, you’ll need to plan ahead for success. 

Set the ground rules long in advance, reinforce them before you cast off, and offer subtle reminders during the charter. The most important rule is that the skipper’s word is law. With two families aboard, parents should sort out the various issues in private. Bottom line: One person is in charge.

Life jackets are essential, but how and when you require them is up to each parent. In my case, all preteens have the run of the cockpit and the cabin without life jackets. Set one foot on deck, and the life jacket rule is in force. Adults should set a good example by wearing their own PFDs so that the kids don’t feel like outcasts.

Before you depart for your charter, find comfortable life jackets for the kids: Wearing bulky PFDs is a quick way to turn a swell trip into a hell trip. Life jackets for youngsters should be lightweight and flexible for their active lifestyle, and ideally have colors that are “cool” designs. With a comfortable PFD, kids won’t think twice about wearing it constantly. If possible, have them wear the life jackets before the trip to make sure there aren’t any chafing issues.

Kids also need nonslip shoes just like adults, and they need sun protection in the form of hats, sunglasses (with cord!), sunblock and protective clothing. And, to fully integrate them into the “crew,” they should have their own sailing gloves as well.

No running and no horsing around until they get ashore. And no kids on deck unless an adult is present. No youngster leaves the boat without permission from an adult. For smaller kids, no one goes forward (even at anchor) without an adult present and on watch.  

When it comes to swimming, the buddy system is always in effect, either with another youngster or with a parent.

The Boat and Trip

For several reasons, I’m partial to catamarans, both power and sail, when it comes to kid charters. Cats have more room inside for playing, they’re more stable, and kids love the trampolines on the foredeck.  

When planning your charter, try to break the distances into small chunks to prevent boredom. A four-hour passage between two harbors can benefit from a short beach stop that creates a pair of two-hour trips, and lets the kids unleash that pent-up energy too. 

 As any parent knows, comfort foods can save the day. Whether it’s a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch or a special cereal for breakfast, make sure you have all the makings on board. It’s a good idea to pack some of their favorite treats in your luggage too because snacks and candy brands aren’t universally available.  

Trust me, kids will be hungry from all the activity, so take plenty of nonperishable snacks. It’s nice to think that they should all be nutritious, but, hey, this is a vacation. Mix up a routine of potato chips with cereal bars, and dried fruit with peanuts.  

A bareboating pleasure for adults is the happy hour, so include the kids. Create virgin piña coladas or Shirley Temple daiquiris to enjoy with the grown-ups.

Time for Fun

Snorkeling is a part of bareboating, but let them try it first in shallow water on a beach. Not only does it feel more secure when they can put their feet down, but it’s a lot easier to adjust masks and fins in shallow water.  

Most charter companies offer masks, snorkels and fins with their charter package, but my experience is that children’s sizes are slim pickings. Buy these at home so you know they fit, and take them with you.  

Kids need sun protection in the water, so take some tightly knit T-shirts to protect their backs. Since they’ll want to explore the beaches and reefs, have reef-runner slip-on shoes too.

Get the kids involved on the boat. Let them take the helm, crank a winch, place a fender. Give them a piece of line, and teach them a few knots before the charter. Then, during the charter, have them tie a few knots for real projects such as fenders or dock lines. Reinforce these efforts with praise. 

For better or worse, this is the digital age, and many kids are addicted. One professional skipper solves this problem by telling young guests that he has to confiscate their gadgets because, as on airplanes, they interfere with the navigational equipment.  

On the other hand, kids love the electronics on board, and a chart plotter (with supervision) can fascinate the youngsters with planning courses and setting waypoints.

Share the responsibilities. One family regularly appoints different youngsters to specific duties, with titles such as dinghy captain (tending the tender), buoy officer (pointing at the buoy for the helmsman when mooring) and forward lookout. Most kids get a kick out of cooking, and the barbecue on board is the perfect chance for them to learn how to flip burgers and steaks. After all, every restaurant has a sous chef to handle the details. Why not a bareboat?

A bareboat charter is a wonderful educational opportunity in so many ways. One family takes books on birds, fish and the local area. Learning about the islands and the wildlife then becomes the key to evening trivia contests.

Encourage and help your youngsters to keep a journal or log of the charter. They can add postcards and drawings, as well as everything from shells to postage stamps from the area. These are not only fun to look at in future years, but they also provide the basis for school reports or show-and-tell sessions. There are a number of logbooks aimed at youngsters in most marine stores, or you can make your own.

Kids need their space, so be sure to designate areas where they can keep their things and have their private time. Have enough blankets and pillows available if they want to curl up for a nap (or make a blanket fort). 

Don’t forget the simple stuff. Being allowed to stay up late and sit on deck with the adults to gaze at the stars (a star chart is helpful) is always a special treat. On one drizzly charter, we taught the kids to play hearts, and they loved beating us. 

One last piece of advice: Don’t overplan everything. Families already have overcrowded worlds with too much scheduling. Use your bareboat charter as a chance to play together, enjoy each other, and just relax.

 Most important, chill out and have fun.

Award-winning writer Chris Caswell is a regular CW contributor and the ­editor and publisher of Charter Savvy, a digital magazine for bareboat charter. 

Pirate Treasure 

Pirates are endlessly enthralling to kids, so you might trace a treasure map that, amazingly, matches your itinerary. It could be “found” in a bottle on a beach, and it might just lead to a trove of chocolate doubloons. You’ll need to take the bottle with you (glass, not old merlot), along with parchment-type paper, a pen that seems old (not a ballpoint), and doubloons. Stash the “treasure” and then “find” the bottle. Don’t forget the “10 paces due west from the colored rock” directions. —CC 

The post Tips For Chartering With Kids On Board appeared first on Cruising World.

I know what you’re thinking: a week to cruise around one little island? Having run charters on my Lagoon 410 Guiding Light for nearly a decade, my answer is: You bet! 

With the pandemic came a renewed interest in the US Virgin Islands, especially for US citizens, who found the nearly 20 square miles of St. John to be as ripe as ever for a fun, easygoing experience. Here’s a taste of what a week around St. John looks like. 

Day One: Pick up or meet your boat. I prefer to start in Red Hook because it is on the east end of St. Thomas and a good jumping-off spot. If you start in Charlotte Amalie, simply add a ­two-hour upwind motor to get to the east end. The first stop is on the southwest corner of St. John: secluded Rendezvous Bay. Tuck up into the eastern part of the bay just off a rocky beach. Here you have the choice of two snorkeling spots. The one to the left is against the cliffside, and you will be amazed at the variety of sea creatures. The second spot is on the opposite side of the boat. This one is from the edge of the beach all the way out to the point, where you’ll find large rocks, walls, and overhangs covered in coral and fish. It’s a bit deeper (in 15 to 25 feet of water) and more advanced, but it’s amazing.

Day Two: The first stop will be in Reef Bay to hike up to see the 500- to 1,000-year-old pre-Colombian petroglyphs and the last active sugar factory on St. John. This factory is also the only one that brought in steam equipment. After the hike, head half a mile or so to the east and snorkel Tektite Point in Great Lameshur Bay. NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ran underwater tests here back around the late 1960s. Finish your day at Salt Pond Bay, where you will find only five other boats because you have to take a mooring while inside the US national park that makes up two-thirds of St. John.

Day Three: Start your day with a sunrise hike out to Ram Head, one of the most ­popular hikes on St. John. Other highlights of Salt Pond Bay are the wonderful beach, turtles and snorkeling. If you want a more adventurous snorkeling itinerary, then check out the cliff between Salt Pond Bay and Blue Cobblestone Beach to the south (also where the Ram Head hike goes by). You can walk from the beach to the other side of the peninsula and check out the artwork people have made from coral on the beach at Drunk Bay. Around 2 or 3 p.m., head around Ram Head with the boat and anchor in Coral Bay so that you can have dinner at Skinny Legs, a funky little burger-and-sandwich joint that people love.

Day Four: Spend the morning snorkeling along the mangrove-lined bays of Otter and Water creeks in Hurricane Hole. This is one of my favorite snorkeling spots in the whole Virgin Islands because it has coral, sponges, fish, and other creatures in and on the mangrove tree roots. It is very different from what you find elsewhere. After snorkeling, head back to Coral Bay to grab lunch at Lime Out, a taco boat that has “lily pads” for your group to hang out in. Next, head to the east coast of St. John and Newfound Bay, which I can almost guarantee you will have to yourself. Make sure you are comfortable with reef navigation because you’ll need to sail between two reefs on a lee shore to enter the bay. You must have good light, so get there early. Once inside, you can tuck in behind the southern reef for an amazing view of the British Virgin Islands. If the weather is favorable for snorkeling outside the reef, it’s well worth it. Otherwise, explore the entrance to the bay on both sides. Rays fly through this bay all the time.

Day Five: It’s time to enjoy a 4-mile downwind sail to Waterlemon Bay, which has some of best examples of soft corals in the Virgin Islands. The best snorkeling is on the back side of Waterlemon Cay, reportedly the last place in the islands that pistol duels took place. You can also enjoy the beach and walk over to Annaberg Sugar Plantation, which is the most popular historic site on St. John and has the largest of the five windmills on the island. Up on the hillside from the anchorage, you will find a garrison house.

Day Six: Beach day! Choose among four major beaches and a handful of small beaches, all within a 1-mile area. Each beach has its own atmosphere: Francis is quieter and has a boardwalk hike; Maho has food trucks; Cinnamon is the national park’s campgrounds; and Trunk is one of the most beautiful. My favorite is the small beach to the west of Cinnamon Beach. You will probably have it to yourself. You can moor at any of the bays, but I prefer Francis Bay because it is the calmest and provides the best breeze. Another choice is to spend the night in Caneel Bay or off Honeymoon Beach, and dinghy around the corner into Cruz Bay to enjoy dinner and nightlife in town.

Day Seven: You can snorkel Whistling Cay and hang out on another beach in the morning and early afternoon before heading downwind to Christmas Cove. This is a popular anchorage outside the national park. There is great snorkeling along a 5-foot ridge at the head of the bay, as well as around the Fish Cays in the middle of the bay. The best part of Christmas Cove is having pizza for dinner from Pizza Pi, a boat built specifically to dish out traditional New York-style pizza. 

After 11 years of running charters in the Virgin Islands and Eastern Caribbean, Capt. Shane McClellan is setting sail for the Greater Antilles, including Cuba and Belize. Follow him at svguidinglight.com.

The post Seven Days Around St. John appeared first on Cruising World.

To invite or not to invite? In the matter of having guests aboard for days at a time, cruisers mostly belong in one of two camps. It’s either “You bet!” or “No way!” 

My wife, Rebecca, and I understand all the reasons why other sailors say no (sharing small spaces, always needing to be “on,” herding cats, fixing heads, feeling responsible for other people’s happiness and safety). But we invariably say yes. 

We both have a hospitality mindset, honed through years of working professionally as yacht crew. We take the business of having fun seriously, and we genuinely enjoy sharing our time, talents and toys with others. Having friends and family visit our own modest cruising boat is a challenging yet rewarding game we enjoy playing together. 

When planning our trips with guests, the first thing we look for is consistently nice weather. If people are flying in and have moved heaven and earth (and that hard-to-get dog sitter) for these few precious days, you want sunny skies and fair winds. You don’t want to wait out a norther that’s blown out all the best anchorages, or deal with days of rain and squalls. So we try to find a place that, in season, provides day after day of nice conditions.

Next on our list is places to provision. Beyond weather, the other thing that makes the trip, as any pro crew can tell you, is what’s on the table. Rebecca loves to make and serve good food, and she needs the ingredients to do it.

We also look for a variety of experiences, with relatively short distances between anchorages. Part of what we love to share about the cruising life is the contrast between civilization and the wild, between relaxing and exploring. We have learned that long days of sailing burn out the guests, leaving little time for eating, socializing and land excursions. And we like to cruise downwind and one way if possible. If you’re going to deliver the goods, why not go for the best sailing conditions? One-way travel shows off the best anchorages while economizing precious time. 

It’s also important to have cell service and/or Wi-Fi. Most of us cruisers know how to carve out blissful days and weeks of being unplugged. But expect your guests to need to stay in touch. Another must-have is transportation hubs. Ideally, you will pick up and drop off your guests near a major airport, and you will meet them at a dock. Having made some insane surf landings in a dinghy filled with guests in nice clothes clutching their luggage and electronics, I can tell you that this is important.

Based on these criteria, we’ve found several places in our voyages that fit the bill nicely. Our latest favorite is the Costalegre, a sublime stretch of largely undeveloped Pacific coastline south of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

This cruising ground has fine weather in winter, with sea temperatures warm enough that swimming is enjoyable. There is plentiful marine life. The route has excellent marinas at either end, tranquil anchorages along the way, and miles of untouched golden beaches. And thanks in part to billionaire telecom pioneer Carlos Slim—whose 52-meter Feadship, Ostar, ­frequents these waters—there is cell service along much of the route. We have an AT&T unlimited plan, which gives us calls and data in Mexico at no extra expense. 

Our itinerary is planned well in advance. By now, we know better than to just wake up every morning and ask, “What do you guys want to do?” The plan must have regular mealtimes and a set schedule for everything. Otherwise, half the boat wants to do one thing, half another. Without some order, people neglect their sunscreen and forget to eat. Misery ensues.

“We just want to spend time with you on the boat,” your friends might say. 

But it’s unlikely they really want to do nothing at all. It takes a well-practiced layabout, far from the shores of deadlines and industry, to suspend all Type A impulses and just be. Anchor out, sleep in, eat breakfast sometime after noon, swim, sunbathe, read and repeat. Our ideal day is not for everyone! Nor do the guests want to wait out a three-day blow while organizing every locker to pass the time. 

“We’ll help with anything you need,” they say.

But that does not mean they want to scrub the bottom, replace the holding-­tank macerator, or polish anything. They definitely would not enjoy standing watch in a marginal anchorage and shining the spotlight anxiously on a jagged lee shore all night long. And guests should not be cooking or barbecuing on a boat in which they know nothing of its hazards, workarounds and idiosyncrasies. The duty of squeezing a pile of fresh, juicy Mexican limes might be a better fit.

Down Mexico Way

“South of the border”—as Sinatra crooned—on the Costalegre, we start the trip from Puerto Vallarta, where guests can arrive on any number of cheap daily flights. We dock our Beneteau 361, Liberte, at either Paradise Village Marina or Marina Village Nayarit at La Cruz so we can tidy up, do laundry, wash the boat, and fill the tanks prior to guest arrival. For provisions, we head to Costco, or the equally impressive big-box stores Soriana or Chedraui. Rebecca soaks the fruits and veggies in our sinks using Microdyn or BacDyn Plus, both readily available.

Prior to a trip, we have our guests fill out preference sheets, another carryover from our previous experience as charter crew. These list emergency contacts and passport numbers, along with any medical conditions and food allergies. We also remind them not to pack much. (Besides, we’ll need room in their luggage for that inevitable replacement boat part or last-minute Amazon order.)

When the airport taxi drops our guests at Liberte, appetizers and drinks are ­waiting. In these waters, it’s margaritas, guacamole and pico de gallo, all made from scratch. Our guests get a boat orientation, including the all-important tutorial on using the head. We talk about conserving water and power, how to charge their devices, and how to make coffee if you’re the first person up.

Banderas Bay is a destination in its own right, a fun place to spend some time before you head south. Begin eyeballing the weather forecast for rounding Cabo Corrientes, which like any cape, big or small, deserves respect. Mike Danielson, who runs PV Sailing, offers a daily weather briefing on the Banderas Bay cruiser’s net at 0830, Monday through Saturday, on 22A.

Check out the farmers market on Sunday in La Cruz and Tuesday in Paradise Village. The Paradise Village Yacht Club holds a regular racing series on the bay, with its amazingly consistent sea breeze that fills in every afternoon, bang-on schedule. And Marina Village Nayarit holds a steady stream of seminars on all things cruising.

If you’re in La Cruz, definitely wander the town in the evening and eat some streetside tacos. In Paradise Village, your guests can stroll the resort to see the resident tigers (rescued from private collectors) and swim in one of the resort’s pools. As you sail Banderas Bay, dolphins will certainly greet you at some point, and possibly humpback whales. Off La Cruz, you’ll often see Lasers from the International Sailing Academy, tacking and jibing crisply under the guidance of Olympic coaches. 

When it’s time to go south and you have a favorable forecast around Cabo Corrientes, consider an overnight passage. Technically, you can pull into Punta Ipala, just past Cabo Corrientes, but there isn’t a lot of room in the anchorage due to underwater hazards and fishing boats on moorings. So, a better landfall is Chemela Bay, which is 90 miles or 15 hours of sailing away, your longest passage on this trip. We like to depart in midafternoon to catch the tail end of the sea breeze, round the cape at sunset, and arrive in Chemela after sunrise.

RELATED: Sailing to Mexico with the Baja Ha-Ha

The prevailing winter seasonal breeze along the Costalegre is out of the northwest, which makes for a nice broad reach as you go. The swells are also pushing from astern. The sea breeze dies out around sunset, but if you’re lucky, a land breeze will come up by midnight. Now you’ve switched from starboard to port tack, sailing upwind but in mellow conditions. I’ve always enjoyed the contrast of booming along this coast in a rollicking sea breeze, followed by the subtleties of night sailing in a fragrant offshore wind.

Chemela Bay is a lovely place to spend some time. If the Pacific swell is mellow, find an anchorage amid the 11 islands in the bay, a protected nature sanctuary. The snorkeling here among the rocks can be grand, as is exploring by paddleboard. We keep two inflatable boards on Liberte’s deck for just such an occasion. If there is a swell and the anchorages look like they have too much surge, head for the northwest corner of the bay and anchor off the little fishing town of Punta Perula. 

Here, as throughout your trip, you will see pangas and their pangeros handling them with skill. Sometimes you might think that they’re passing too close and too fast to your anchored boat for your taste, but these are their home waters, and they know the way. The pangeros are a breed all their own: part Old Man and the Sea, part gondolier. If they see you in need, pangeros will come to your aid. If it’s fish you desire for dinner, wave them over and arrange a trade. Much like cruisers, these men enjoy the freedom of the ocean and are ­self-sufficient and super-handy. 

Chemela offers a chance to stroll the beach for as far as your legs want to go. If waves are booming and you don’t want to try your luck with a surf landing, head up the little inlet near town and tie up where the local boats do. If the cook needs ­something extra for the galley, you can buy it in one of the excellent small tiendas. Or enjoy a meal on the beachfront. For dessert, make sure to hail a passing vendor and buy their cocadas. These homemade candies from shredded coconut and condensed milk are pure heaven.

On Liberte, the pool is always open. We have a boat with a sugar-scoop stern, so once the ladder goes down (with a suitable briefing about currents or any other hazards), we have the world’s best swimming hole off the back of the boat. We also teach our guests the cruiser’s trick of rinsing off with the deck shower after the afternoon (or night) swim, so they’ve done double-duty and showered too. This helps avoid the water tanks running dry—one of the banes of having guests aboard.

From Chemela Bay, as you can see by consulting your cruising guide (we recommend the splendid Pacific Mexico: A Cruiser’s Guidebook, by Shawn Breeding and Heather Bansmer), you will see that it is 30 nautical miles, or five hours sailing, to the next major anchorage. But if you have an extra day or so, and especially if the swell is relatively gentle, there are a couple of stops, often overlooked, that will add some extra magic to your voyage. Paraisio is a wild little pocket anchorage that defies description and is good in south winds. Careyes is a little slice of the Mediterranean, and if you look at the charts closely, you’ll see a place to anchor in decent protection off this super-exclusive enclave. The reward is a backdrop of brightly colored homes on the cliffs, an excellent restaurant on the beach, and a far-out, sun-soaked vibe where polo players mingle with reclusive artists and world travelers.

Kickin’ Way Back

The next stop is Tenacatita, where a little community of cruisers anchors for months at a go. You can tune in to the morning cruiser’s net to give your guests a taste of this life. The cruisers have a daily afternoon social hour where they swim to shore, walk the beach and play bocce, and they would welcome you to join. Or anchor out at the nearby—and aptly named—Aquarium, where your guests can snorkel to the reef right from the boat.

Rebecca loves to fish, so we cruise this coast with a line in the water and a lure dancing in our wake. If the reel sings, it might be dorado or tuna. The most frequent catch we’ve had lately is Pacific crevalle jack, a fish that fights so hard that its local nickname is toro, for bull. Not everyone sees this mighty gamefish as food, but we beg to differ. The best advice is to treat it like beef, and so we do. Bleed the fish right away, remove the bloodline (dark area with a strong taste), marinate for at least an hour, then grill to medium on the barbecue. Serve with horseradish. There’s your sea-to-table sustenance, as fresh and local as it gets.

Sooner or later on this coast, all routes lead to Barra de Navidad. In our beloved Barra, you can anchor in a protected lagoon, or take a slip at the marina in front of Grand Isla Navidad Resort. The town is low-key, colorful, full of great restaurants, and fun to explore. The French baker comes around by panga every morning, delivering a boatload of deliciously tempting goods. There’s yoga on the beach at the hotel, and water taxis anytime you need a ride to town.

Barra has its own charming, miniature malecon, where we go to watch earth-shattering sunsets and bask in the perfectly warm evenings. There’s ­indigenous art for sale, a surf shop and a small surf break. The local kids have perfected the tricky sport of skimboarding, and it’s a treat to sit on the beach in the afternoon and watch them have a go. Rent a beach umbrella for $5, sip from a fresh coconut, and plunge into the ocean and the sun at regular intervals until you’ve achieved seaside nirvana.

If it’s time for your guests to say adios, they can easily depart from here. They can hire a driver to take them back to Puerto Vallarta ($100 and three hours), or fly out of ZLO Manzanillo, which is only a 25-minute drive away. Or, if they want a final dose of the good life, head south one more day. Take an afternoon cruise down the coast to Las Hadas, go for a swim, and watch the lights twinkle on in this fairy-tale resort. It’s an easy taxi ride to ZLO from here.

If you’ve done your job right, your guests have had the trip of a lifetime. On their fair-weather Costalegre cruise, they browsed markets, combed beaches, explored little towns, ate their fill of fresh tacos, and marveled at whales. They enjoyed star shows, epic sunsets and sparkling mornings. They practiced their Spanish and added a new reality or two to their world. Perhaps you even managed to con them, Tom Sawyer-style, into cleaning the bottom or shining a bit of stainless, after all.

We always take plenty of photos, and we put together a Google Photos album of the best to send to our guests. We’ve found that our brains enjoy a trip three ways: the planning and anticipation, the travel itself, and the recollections.

And, perhaps most important, don’t forget a little R&R for the crew. Because, as Rebecca and I can attest, there is a little hideaway, just around the corner from the bright lights of Manzanillo’s port city. Go there, just for you. It’s a steep-walled anchorage with caves where you can hear the sea inhaling and exhaling. Wait for the first stars and a sliver of crescent moon, and listen to water ebbing and flowing all around you. It’s like floating in the middle of a haiku. After dark, strip down and jump in. The bioluminescence flickers around your body, electric blue. The Milky Way glows overhead.

By now, your guests are somewhere back in the (un)real world, and you are immersed in the gentle rhythms of the cruising life again. Together, you have added another bright chapter to life, thanks to that most excellent memory-making machine that is your sailboat.

David Kilmer cut his teeth on nautical ­hospitality in the Caribbean, as colorfully described in his book A Peril to Myself and Others: My Quest to Become a Captain.

How to be a “Superguest”

So we’ve explained how to be a great host. But how does one achieve greatness from the guest perspective? Here’s how:

• Pack light. Leave room to bring boat parts, the newest issue of Cruising World, and treats. 
• Leave your troubles at home. Show up excited, curious and grateful. Sail in the now.
• Learn how the boat works. And help keep it in one piece. Don’t waste water or clog the head.
• Be a considerate shipmate. Go to bed when you see your hosts yawning. Take up a small space, and help keep a tidy ship. 
• Share your preferences. Be specific when asked about what you want to drink, eat and do. “I’m easy” or “I’m good with whatever” doesn’t work.
• Find a small boat job. Learn the ship’s method to do dishes or swab decks, or be the trip photographer. Know that the crew usually does not need help.
• Keep your eyes sharp. If you see, hear or sense something amiss, let the captain know.
• Express gratitude. Offer cash, meals ashore, or a reciprocal experience in your favorite vacation spot. Write in the ship’s guest book about what you loved most.

The post Inviting your friends to come cruising and hoping to host like pros without losing your mind? appeared first on Cruising World.

Uno!”

The now-familiar game-ending shout rang out from the cockpit, followed by the groan of the other players and the gloating of the victorious. I heard the cards reshuffle and another round begin. We were underway during a weeklong charter of the Florida Keys, and I was patting myself on the back for remembering to grab a few games and decks of cards before we left the dock. With sketchy cell service in the area, the kids—three teens and one preteen—had a sort-of forced break from their screens and made heavy use of the games, Uno in particular. To me, this was nothing short of magic, during a year that desperately needed some.

The idea of a shared charter between our family (myself; my husband, Green; and our daughters, Caitlin, 15, and Juliana, 11) and our close friends Giulia and William May (and their daughters, Marianna, 17, and Camilla, 15) came up a couple of years prior, but we were finally all able to make it happen in December 2020.

With travel restrictions and rising COVID-19 numbers pretty much everywhere this past winter, we needed a destination that would be easy to get to (our family was driving) and, well, open. Dream Yacht Charter’s new base in Key West, Florida, was a perfect fit, and a sort of return to some old stomping grounds.

Dream Yacht Charter opened its Key West base at the Stock Island Yacht Club & Marina in fall 2020. Domestic charter destinations received a huge boost due to COVID-related international travel restrictions, and Key West and the Florida Keys are about as tropical as you can get without leaving the continental US. To our crew, this sounded absolutely perfect.

Green and I grew up in Florida and lived for a while pre-kids on our boat in Key West. We haven’t been back often since, and this was the first time we’ve taken the girls there. They humored us, more or less, on our memory-lane trip down the Overseas Highway. Our friends beat us there, and we met up with William and Marianna at the marina pool waiting for our charter boat to be ready for us. Not wanting to waste a minute of time, Giulia and Camilla were already on a massive provisioning run.

“Should we have a teen side and an adult side? Or should each family get a hull?” These were the totally legitimate questions being floated by the kids as we climbed aboard and shared a welcome toast with our glasses of champagne. Our ride for the week was a Fountaine Pajot Astréa 42 named Asgard, and with four en suite cabins, it was a perfect fit. While each rooming plan had its merits, we ended up with a hull for each family, although Juliana typically slept in the main saloon. The well-appointed galley was Giulia’s domain (Italian through and through, she’s honestly one of the best cooks I know), and stowing the bounty she brought back from the store took some finesse. One thing was for sure: No one would starve this week.

On our first night away from the dock, we didn’t go all that far. Last-minute trips to stores for random forgotten items and another bottle or so of rum—just in case—took up a chunk of the morning, but once we pulled away, it felt great. We anchored off Archer Key, one of the small mangrove islands about 5 miles west of Key West, but it instantly felt a world away. The girls took no time at all getting in the water, while Green and William went exploring in the dinghy. Giulia and I enjoyed some prosecco while watching one of the Keys’ famous sunsets. The weight of 2020 that everyone had been carrying in some way evaporated, even if it was only for the week.

From the planning stages of this trip, the goal had always been to visit the Dry Tortugas. Even though I used to live in the Keys, I had never been, and the photos of Fort Jefferson looked so intriguing (It’s a big brick fort! In the middle of the water!) that we were all really excited to see it. Honestly, we thought it would be a given. Realistically, however, the Dry Tortugas is about 70 miles west of Key West. A haul, and depending on the weather, it could be lovely, or a complete no-go. And there’s the return trip to think about as well.

The distances involved and the time we had in which to do it all was definitely in the back of my mind. Green’s too, particularly when he checked the latest weather forecast. For the most part, December is a wonderful time to be in Key West, but cold fronts do come through and can mess up an otherwise well-planned week. Of course, one was coming, and we needed a more protected anchorage to sit it out. Our Day Two destination became Newfound Harbor, up the Keys a bit, between Ramrod Key and Little Torch Key. A conservative move, but we were on vacation and didn’t want an uncomfortable night at anchor. And fortunately, we left our first anchorage early enough to give us time for a stop at the reef.

The Keys are protected by the Florida Reef, the third-largest coral barrier-reef system in the world. It extends nearly 350 miles from St. Lucie to the Dry Tortugas and in depths ranging from 15 to 35 feet. A highlight of any trip to the Keys includes diving or snorkeling at any one of the reef sites. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary maintains almost 500 free moorings along the reef for visiting mariners on a first-come, first-served basis, and we were able to grab one not too far from Key West for our snorkel adventure.

“The fish are nibbling my toes!” Camilla squealed as she swam in the turquoise water of the Sand Key reef, southwest of Key West. The rest of us geared up with our snorkel stuff and jumped in. The fish, used to plenty of day-trippers from the snorkel boats, were indeed friendly. At 30 feet or so, the reef is very accessible to snorkelers and divers alike. The water felt refreshing, and there was even a turtle sighting. Back aboard, it was time for lunch and a drink before heading to our anchorage ahead of the front. William, an eager fisherman, got the lines ready to troll behind the boat for the roughly 25-mile trip. The Keys is a world-class fishing destination, and visions of mahimahi whet everyone’s appetites.

To try for the Dry Tortugas—or not. Green called a crew meeting to discuss our plan. Depending on how strong the front was, and how sloppy the seas were, the trip to the Dry Tortugas could be, well, uncomfortable, and several of our crew tend to get seasick. If conditions weren’t right, we could run out of time waiting for an appropriate window to make it there and back. If this were the case, he said, we should come up with a plan B. The thought of not going to the Dry Tortugas and checking out Fort Jefferson was disappointing, to be sure, but the thought of anyone being miserable was bad too. So we sketched out an alternative: Sail up the Keys and check out all the dive spots, have a beach day at Bahia Honda State Park, and maybe spend time in Key West at the end, with lots of sailing, relaxing, good food and Uno games to pass the time. No stress. Not a bad plan, really.

The front came though that evening, and our protected anchorage did its job of keeping everyone comfortable. Swimming at the reef plus a good sail meant that we slept well. The next morning, the sun was shining and the crew was eager to get underway. But where to? We took another look at the weather and decided that, as long as everyone was on board, so to speak, we could make a go of the Dry Tortugas. The plan now was to head back down to Key West, splurge on a slip at Key West Bight Marina, and then, assuming the weather was still favorable, be off the dock by 0700 the next morning.

With the post-frontal wind now a bit northerly, we had a nice, if chilly, reach back to Key West. None of the kids had been there before, so we decided to check out downtown. Due to peaking COVID numbers pretty much everywhere in December 2020, we all decided to play it as safe as we could, and skipped the many bars and restaurants dotting Duval Street. Not to worry—Key West is crazy enough, even if you’re just out for a stroll. The Cuban music, Christmas lights, and even a bike parade with dozens of people dressed in Santa’s finery all added to the town’s festive feel. We hit a few obligatory souvenir shops, and once the kids started asking to stop at the henna tattoo booth, we decided it was time to head back to the boat. Dinner was burgers on the grill, and Giulia introduced us to a version of a mojito cocktail that replaces the soda water with lager-style beer. And dare I say, it was pretty good.

The sun wasn’t quite up as Green, William and Marianna got the boat ready to head out while I settled up the dockage bill and bought some ice for the cooler. The weather report looked good—our sail there would likely be bumpy, but our return trip in two days should be smooth sailing. It was definitely sweatshirt weather, but at least the sky was clear. We motored out of the marina, and once in open water, put up the sails. Next stop: Dry Tortugas National Park!

Our ETA was about 1530, and conditions were a bit sporty. Much of the run between Key West and the Dry Tortugas is in relatively shallow water, which can kick up waves. Juliana—who, despite growing up on a sailboat, still has a tough time at sea—slept most of the day. Caitlin and Marianna took turns at the helm for a while, while William remained hopeful that his fishing lines would produce a tasty dinner. After a while, the kids retreated to the saloon for some rounds of Uno while glancing at their phones as the cell signal faded away.

The Dry Tortugas might be only 70 miles away, but it really feels out there. Not often on a charter vacation do you have the opportunity to sail out of sight of land, so this journey really felt like an adventure. There are a number of shoals (some are marked) and wrecks of various depths on the chart, so a keen watch was necessary. Asgard handled herself well, and I found myself really appreciating the ergonomics of the boat—everywhere I sat was comfortable, and handholds were always in just the right places. It occurred to me on this leg of the trip why I hadn’t actually ever been to these islands before, despite having lived on a boat in Key West. Green and I had lived aboard a 32-foot Pearson Vanguard at the time, and unless the winds and seas were perfect, it would have been a long slog of a trip. The timing just never had been right.

“Fish on!” William shouted, and from the trouble he was having reeling in the line, we all thought it could be a big one. With fingers crossed for a mahi, he instead landed a false albacore/bonito. False albacore can be a tricky fish to prepare, and since none of us had had success with it before, we tossed it back. Ah well… there were more fish in the sea, right?

I had taken a break from the sun and had been reading in my cabin for a little bit, and when I came back up, Green directed me to the horizon. Rising out of the bright cerulean water was a brick-red fort. It seemed so out of place, like it had been magically placed there. We had finally made it to Fort Jefferson and Dry Tortugas National Park.

While a seemingly unlikely place for a massive fort, the location of the Dry Tortugas served as a strategic advance post for ships patrolling the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Strait in the mid-1800s. Comprised of more than 16 million bricks, it’s the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere. Pondering the logistics of building it is mind-blowing. Construction of the fort lasted for 30 years, from 1846 to 1875, though it was never actually finished; construction eventually ended with the Civil War, when the fort was used as a Union prison. The most famous (infamous?) prisoner there was Dr. Samuel Mudd, who was convicted of conspiracy in the assassination of President Lincoln and had set the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln’s assassin.

There are extensive reefs surrounding the islands of the park, so to get to the main anchorage on the southeast side of the fort, you need to basically do a wide circle around the island. We happily dropped the hook at about 1530, and decided to immediately go check out the fort. It was nothing short of impressive. We chatted with one of the park rangers stationed there and took a self-guided tour. Since it was late in the day, we nearly had the fort to ourselves. Day-trippers come over by ferry and seaplane, so once they leave, it’s just the campers who are staying at the primitive campground adjacent to the fort, and the cruisers. The late-afternoon light was gorgeous, and we all enjoyed stretching our legs as we walked under the multitude of brick arches and explored each level of the fort.

Back at the boat, the girls brought out the Scrabble board and invented some creative takes on the game. Asgard was pretty tricked out, so after dinner we connected our phones and cameras to the boat’s TV and played slideshows of all the photos we had all taken so far. Choosing a “photo of the day” was difficult. With the Dry Tortugas’ remote location comes a feeling of really getting away from it all, which is amplified when you take a look at the night sky—the stars there are incredible.

There is more to the Dry Tortugas than Fort Jefferson (which is technically on Garden Key), so the next day, we sailed over to Loggerhead Key, which is notable because of its beautiful lighthouse. Due to the reefs, no sailing between the islands is direct, and our journey to the west side of Loggerhead took most of the morning. There is one day-use mooring buoy here, and we were lucky to snag it. The angle of the sun, however, was less than ideal for getting to the mooring, which is situated among numerous coral heads. After a nail-biting 15 minutes on approach and a few close calls, we were secured and eager to get in the water. I had rented two inflatable stand-up paddleboards from Dream for the week, and we finally got to use them. Everyone had a blast ­swimming, checking out the coral heads near the boat, and paddling the boards. And the vista couldn’t be beat. “This is easily one of the prettiest places I’ve ever been,” Green commented. I had to agree.

Later that afternoon, we took the dinghy on a snorkel expedition of a shipwreck on the reef extending to the southwest of Loggerhead Key. Much of the wreck is close enough to the surface to be snorkel-friendly, although I would have loved to have had scuba equipment with me. The site, known as the Windjammer Wreck, is a Norwegian sailing vessel named Avanti that sank in 1907 while en route to Uruguay from Pensacola. It might not be easy to impress teenagers, but I’m pretty sure that snorkeling on a shipwreck did.

Unfortunately, our time at Loggerhead was up, and we trekked back to the fort anchorage for the night. We made it back with enough time for Juliana to have one more swim and for William and Camilla to explore in the dinghy along the shore. Sunset that night was breathtaking, and I swear that I saw the green flash. After dinner, William was trying a little night fishing from the stern when something in the water grabbed his attention. It seemed…big. Maybe a shark? Shining his headlamp into the water for a closer look, he discovered who our visitors were: three goliath groupers. He quickly put the fishing gear away, and we all gathered on the transoms to watch the incredible fish, which I had never seen in the wild before. Goliath groupers are an endangered ­species and can grow to be more than 8 feet long and 800 pounds. Their visit lasted easily a half-hour and was one of the coolest things I’ve witnessed. Watching the kids take it all in was the best part.

All too soon it was time to head back to the Dream Yacht Charter base. Our return sail was as lovely as the sail there was sporty, and everyone was in high spirits from the adventure we’d just had. After a few days of no cell signal, the teens were ready to be connected again, although I definitely was not. We made good enough time for a stop at the Marquesas Keys, an uninhabited group of islands west of Key West. The islands are low and mostly mangroves, and for us, unfortunately, offered no fishing luck. Oh well.

Since the boat had to be back at the base by 0900, we decided to anchor out for our last night aboard near the entrance channel to the marina. On the way there, William did have some fishing success, and a king mackerel would be part of the night’s menu, along with any of the remaining provisions. Taking in one last sunset, we all reflected on what an amazing week it had been. Giulia put it best when she wished out loud that we could just keep going. Me too, I thought, and we started chatting about where we might want to charter next.

We turned in Asgard the next morning and said our goodbyes, thankful for the opportunity, and in particular to have shared it with the kids. Taking a break from the stress of 2020 and piling on a boat for a week truly soothed our souls—even the teens had to agree—and it was, in ways we all needed, magic.

Jennifer Brett is CW’s senior editor.

If You Go

Weather: Key West is a year-round sailing destination, although the best time to go is between early November and early May. Summers are hot and humid with frequent thunderstorms and a chance of tropical storms. Winters can range from warm and muggy to cooler and drier if a front has passed through. While in the Dry Tortugas, you can check with the park rangers for the latest weather forecast (since your cell phone won’t work, and reception of NOAA weather radio is spotty).

Fishing: The waters of the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas are highly regulated, so it’s best to brush up on the rules ahead of time. If you plan on fishing, purchase your fishing license before your charter at ­gooutdoorsflorida.com.

Park Fees: Visitors to the Dry Tortugas National Park must pay an entry fee, and if you’re there on a boat, you’ll need a boat permit. All can be purchased at the Garden Key dock house.

The post Finding Magic on a Journey Through the Florida Keys appeared first on Cruising World.

If you decide to self-provision before a bareboat charter, figuring out exactly what you need for a week on board, usually for multiple crewmembers with different food likes and dislikes, can be daunting. As a crewed-charter cook, I’ve provisioned for between four and seven guests every week during the sailing season for the past 20 years. Early on, I learned that for all to go smoothly, not cost a fortune and to avoid waste, I needed to plan daily meals in advance, then shop accordingly. Here are some tips. (For more general hints on provisioning for charters, see “Provisioning Made Easy”.

If you’re sailing with family, this is a job for the family cook. If you’re sailing with friends, choose one person to organize the menu and food-shopping list—you can easily share the actual shopping and meal prep once you’re all at your destination and aboard. In general, keep meals (and recipes) simple, using ingredients that can be found almost anywhere. For breakfast, remember that everyone will be eager to get sailing, and sumptuous cooked breakfasts take time. (Plus, not everyone will rise at the same hour—you’re on vacation!—and there’s nothing worse than cold scrambled eggs.) Continental “buffet” breakfasts are the way to go: fruit, granola, yogurt, muffins or sweetbread (store-bought are fine), even bread and butter with jam—plus a pot or two of coffee—and you’re good to go.

On charters in Greece, we follow local tradition and eat a light cooked lunch with salad most days; this is often easier than making sandwiches for a crowd. On rough days, ­pre-made sandwiches do fit the bill—use whatever’s available locally. Tortilla wraps can easily be made in advance, and when individually wrapped in wax paper or plastic wrap, they will store well in the fridge until lunchtime. In the evening, we generally head ashore to a local island taverna for a meal, but whenever we do eat dinner aboard, to avoid heating up the boat with the stovetop or oven, generally we turn to the trusty transom barbecue: grilled fish, chicken, steaks or burgers with a small appetizer, fresh bread, and a big salad or two.

Ready to get started? Here are a few of my tips:

Gather food preferences. Unless you’re sailing with family and you know everyone’s likes and dislikes, not to mention appetites, email your crew a few quick, simple “food-preference” questions. Include basic questions such as appetite level (small, medium or large), food allergies and items anyone hates or will not eat. Do people want tea or coffee? What kind? Decaf or regular? Then ask specifics about what kind and how many drinks people want aboard (water, soda, beer, wine, booze, mixers). Include snack preferences: chips, nuts, crackers, cheese. And so on. Ask them to take five minutes to fill it out, save it (or snap a photo) and email it back to you. Remember: A major reason for food waste is buying items your crew either doesn’t like or won’t eat.

Plan the week’s menu: breakfast, lunch, dinner (or whichever daily meals you’ll eat on board). Once you have your mates’ preferences in hand, plan a menu for the week: breakfast, lunch and/or dinner for each day. If you’re chartering for a week, estimate how many days you’ll actually eat every meal on board, and how many days you’ll head ashore for dinner. Keep in mind that the first and/or last days of your charter might not require all meals aboard, depending on where you sail. Keep meals—even cooked ones—uncomplicated and easy to prepare on board. Next, on a blank piece of paper, make a simple grid, as shown in the photo on page 80. To keep it simple, do it by hand. Write in the days of your trip (Saturday through Friday, for example). Fill in daily breakfast buffet items at the top. Then, for each day, on the left, fill in your menu for lunch and/or dinner. Leave the last full day of the charter blank. On the right, list all the ingredients you need to buy for each day’s meals—all ingredients, right down to the condiments you’ll need if sandwiches are on the lunch menu. For dinners or cooked lunches, it helps to have your recipes in front of you while you do this, unless you know them by heart.

Of course, once you’re there, you can mix up the order of meals, but this ensures you have all the ingredients you need on board. Store your recipes on your phone or tablet or print them out and bring them with you—that way people can take turns cooking. If you need herbs or spices, to save money and avoid waste, either bring your own (there are travel spice kits available online) or buy fresh, if available. (This is my ­preference. I always include fresh parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano.) Depending on the boat, you might even need to add salt and pepper to your spice list. Now you’re halfway there.

Make your master grocery list. This is easier to do on a laptop, which makes it simple to add, delete, cut, copy and paste. Impulse shopping with a bare-bones list or no list at all is the biggest reason for wasted food at the end of a charter (not to mention added expense). Use your menu plus your crew’s food preferences to make your master list. Finally, add basic staples such as napkins, paper towels, facial tissue, toilet paper and cleaning supplies (such as dishwashing liquid, sponges and all-purpose spray cleaner). It’s helpful to categorize the list (meat/seafood, produce, drinks, dry goods, dairy, cleaning supplies), which will save you lots of time at the grocery store.

You’re almost ready to go sailing! Once you’ve arrived at your destination, your list will make provisioning quick and hassle-free. If you do run out of something as you go, most charter destinations have either large or small markets in various ports, making topping up odds and ends (or sampling local delicacies) easy and fun. In Greece, even tiny islands have a local bakery—fresh bread and/or pastry on demand!

At charter’s end, get creative. Mealwise, I call the last full day of a charter a “Joker Day”—short for: “Let’s use up everything we have left.” On the last day, usually I serve impromptu meals using odds and ends still left in the fridge or storage lockers. Sailors are a resourceful lot; you’d be surprised by the delicious meals you can make by amassing and assessing all the stray items lingering at the end of a charter week.

Got leftover bread, milk and a few eggs? Splurge and make a big breakfast on your last day. French toast is an easy option, or make a bread-crusted quiche: Oil an ovenproof dish, tear bread into small pieces, and press to the bottom. Drizzle generously with melted butter. Beat eggs with a dash of milk or cream, add salt and pepper, then stir and pour over bread to cover. Top with grated cheese, if you have it. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until eggs are set. No bread? No problem. Skip it, and just make baked eggs—like a crustless quiche.

If you have a few stray pieces of fruit still lingering —grapes, melon, bananas, pineapples, berries, kiwi—slice or chop and toss together to make a simple fruit salad; any combination will do. If you have lemons or limes, squeeze juice over fruit, add a drizzle of honey, and stir to combine; otherwise, just slice and serve.

Leftover pasta? Cook it up and make pasta salad. You can add chopped bits of stray onions, celery, tomatoes, green peppers; just about any kind of cheese; sliced turkey or ham—even items like that half-jar of pickles or olives in the fridge. Add some mayo, bottled vinaigrette or just oil and wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, then stir, and you’re good to go.

If you’ve got canned or jarred treats lingering—such as marinated artichoke hearts, asparagus spears, roasted peppers or olives—arrange them on small individual plates, ­garnish with whatever herbs you have left, and enjoy with fresh bread (if available) as a last-day lunch. In Greece, this variety of small plates are called mezedes, otherwise known as tapas. If you have eggs, add these: Just hard-boil, peel, slice into quarters, and arrange on a small plate. Add salt, pepper, a splash of red wine vinegar and a bit of oil, stray capers if you have them, and you’ve got another plate. Ditto with stray bits of cheese, salami, tomatoes or cucumbers: Cut, slice, and make a plate. Fresh veggies—such as carrots, peppers, zucchini, eggplant or mushrooms—can be sliced or julienned and ­marinated for a few hours in bottled or homemade ­vinaigrette to make a marinated-­veggie platter. Alternatively, toss with oil, salt and pepper, and roast for 20-25 minutes at 390 degrees F, and you have delicious roasted vegetables. Raw carrots or zucchini, cut into sticks, can make a small raw-veggie platter. For dips: If you have a bit of mayo left, add a squeeze of lemon or lime. If your spice kit includes curry powder, mix mayo with a shake of curry, and stir for a dip with zing. You can even mix leftover ketchup and mayo for a simple thousand-island dip.

The possibilities are endless, and will differ in every sailing location. The trick is to evaluate what you have, then get creative. Besides, there are few foods that aren’t satisfying when consumed while swinging on the hook in a stunning harbor in your chosen vacation paradise.

That’s it! All it takes for easy, stress-free culinary success on charters—with no leftovers—is a little preplanning with a dash of creativity.

Lynda Morris Childress and her husband, Kostas Ghiokas, have sailed and chartered their Atlantic 70 cutter, Stressbuster, in the Greek Islands since 2003.

The post Provision Planning for a Sailboat Charter Vacation appeared first on Cruising World.

If you ever go to Belize, the first thing you’ll need to know is that there aren’t a lot of people there. Though small in size, vast stretches of sea and jungle spread out before you, and it can be a long time till you see another human. Which is a shame, really, because these folks are some of the warmest you’ll meet anywhere, living in a place they refer to as “the Jewel.”

On a recent visit, I learned that the paucity of developed areas is no accident: Fully two-fifths of this Massachusetts-size country is set aside as national parks, forest reserves, Mayan sites, and conservation areas. And because of this, wildlife proliferates, with ­myriad mammals, lizards, fish, and more species of tropical birds than you can count. It is said that outside the cities, there are more animals than people, and I believe it.

Like the US and Canada, Belize spent time as a British colony until achieving independence in 1981. It is a stable, parliamentary democracy where English is the official language, and its citizens make a living primarily from agricultural products and tourism. It’s a great place to visit (or live), and many cruise ships go there, but what makes it special is a magnificent barrier reef that calms the coastal water and makes for some of the best snorkeling and diving in the Western Hemisphere.

Wanting to get out on the water during my visit, I contacted Belize Sailing Vacations (belizesailingvacations.com) and arranged to hop on for a return delivery of one of their charter cats to its home port in Belize City. At the appointed day and time, I met Capt. Eric and first mate/chef Christie, crew of Luna Sea, a Leopard 46.

Within minutes, we casted off from the docks at Amigos del Mar, a small marina and dive shop on Ambergris Caye (pronounced “key”) near the Mexican border, and were underway.

The day was a Caribbean dream, with light east winds and sublime, sunny skies. All day long, it was barrier reef to port and mainland to starboard, motorsailing along at 5.5 knots, with the sails drawing and a single engine purring at 1,500 rpm; the depth of the pellucid, turquoise water was consistently in the teens. I took a quick look around: The boat was whistle-clean and ­well-maintained. In ­addition to its crewed-­charter ­offerings, Belize Sailing Vacations is also the only American Sailing Association-affiliated sailing school in Belize.

Occasionally we would pass a stick protruding from the water. How odd. Eric pointed at one and laughed. “Fishermen put them there to mark their traps,” he said, “one of the few things we have to watch out for here.” For sure, boat traffic was not high on the list of concerns. For the entire day, we saw nary a recreational boat—only three tugs and a few fishing pangas.

Christie whipped up a lunch of shrimp tacos with fresh pineapple, and said with a wry smile that it’s wine-thirty and that the bar is open. I glanced at the sky and noticed that the sun hadn’t crossed the yard arm yet, but what the heck—we were in Belize!

When I sail, I like it to be robust—not too much, just enough to scare me a little. I’d like to tell you that we were charging along, riding the whitecaps down that coast, but the fact is, the most difficult thing about that day was resisting the urge to take a nap—these are gentle, user-friendly waters. Even the semidiurnal tides are easy, ­averaging less than a foot. I rode with Eric for much of the day at the helm, and he regaled me with stories of life as a charter-boat captain. The Bimini top kept us cool and reminded me of the country’s motto, and how true it is: Sub Umbra Floreo (Under the Shade I Flourish).

At one point, we saw a strange sight: palm trees sticking out of the water. No, I learned, not a sunken island, but Belizean-style navaids.They should paint one green and the other red, I thought. At 1450, Belize City peaked over the horizon just as we squeezed into the narrows at Porto Stuck, and Eric kept a close eye on the depth sounder, which bottomed out at 3.5 feet under the keel.

Small island villages floated by; Caye Caulker, which was split in two by Hurricane Hattie in 1961, is a popular place for tourists. An hour later, we spotted fishhook-shaped St. George’s Caye, Belize’s first capital in the 18th century and site of a sea battle that fended off a Spanish fleet: a great source of pride and a national holiday every September 10.

The ruddy sun dipped low; Luna Sea lined up with the straight and narrow inlet of Old Belize Marina. Eric spun the nimble cat on a dime and squeezed into the tight slip along the pier.

After fist bumps and farewells, I was on my way to Philip Goldson Airport, already planning the day I will return—by boat, of course—to have a closer look at these exceptional waters and the jewels they contain.

The post A Jaunt Along the Coast of Belize appeared first on Cruising World.

Horizon Yacht Charters’ three bases in the Caribbean islands are welcoming guests for the charter season. While their bases in Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have been open to tourists for some time now, the base in the British Virgin Islands just opened on December 1.

Grenada

Open since July, Horizon Yacht Charters in Grenada requires visitors to present a negative PCR test taken within seven days of travel, health declaration forms and waivers, and download the Ronatrac mobile app for contact tracing. Forms can be found at covid19.gov.gd. Horizon’s base is located at the True Blue Bay Boutique Resort, which is on the list of Pure Safe Accommodations. More information can be found at puregrenada.com. Visitors must quarantine at the hotel for the first seven days and then have the option to get a PCR test to move about the island if found negative.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Horizon’s base at St. Vincent and the Grenadines, also open since July, requires travelers to complete a pre-arrival form, arrive with a negative Covid-19 test completed within seven days before arrival, must be retested upon arrival in St. Vincent and quarantine for five days in their hotel. With a negative test result, guests can then start their sailing charter but must be monitored by SVG Arrivals for up to 9 days. Horizon’s base is located at the Blue Lagoon Hotel & Marina, which is on the list of approved accommodations for Quarantine. Forms for visitors can be found online.

“Throughout the entire Covid-19 pandemic, we have been working closely with our guests, providing them with up to date information and helping them to reschedule charters when necessary and without penalty,” states James Pascall, director of Horizon in Grenada and St. Vincent.

British Virgin Islands

Visitors to the Horizon base at the British Virgin Islands after December 1, 2020, requires proof of negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 5 days before the day of travel, proof of medical coverage, and must complete a travel declaration and upload test results before boarding flight.  Visitors must also wear a tracking bracelet, use approved transportation, and quarantine for 4 days on their yacht or hotel  . You can find all of the information here.

“Planning a sailing charter to the Caribbean islands is one of the safest ways to travel during the pandemic,” said Andrew Thompson, Director of Horizon Yacht Charters. “We are excited to welcome our charter guests and know that they will experience the most amazing time sailing these islands. The first four days of quarantine can be spent sailing around the islands to many designated anchorages, so clients can also enjoy swimming and snorkeling from their pre-provisioned and prepared yachts. After their negative 4th day test (testing stations will be set up around all the islands), clients are free to sail and go ashore wherever they wish.”

Having arrived in the BVI in the mid-80s, Sylvia Driver, Director of Horizon Yacht Charters said “I have never seen so much marine life, dolphins, and turtles. Our environment has benefitted from the tourism break, and it’s looking even more beautiful wherever you go. Now truly is the best time to experience the underwater wonders of the BVI.”

The post Sail with Horizon this Winter in the Caribbean appeared first on Cruising World.

As you think about your dream charter, what do you envision? There’s sailing, swimming, snorkeling, walking the beach, and great meals in the cockpit with a gorgeous view.

Those delicious meals and laugh-filled happy hours are some of my favorite memories. So let’s talk about how to provision for a charter trip, with some special notes on provisioning in the COVID-19 era.

Depending on the charter base, the typical provisioning options include:

• Provisioning through the charter company, either with preplanned-meal options or a grocery list. Groceries are delivered right to your boat.
• Using a provisioning company or provisioning service at a grocery store. Order online and your supplies will be delivered to your charter base. Some charter companies, such as the Moorings and Sunsail, are now requiring companies to drop off deliveries at the office to limit the number of people on the docks. Staff then deliver the supplies to your boat.
• Going to local grocery stores in person, shopping and transporting it back to your boat. This is generally the least convenient, taking up a day of your trip, and is subject to any local COVID-19 regulations.

Bareboat chartering is a great way to get away while still staying reasonably safe from COVID-19, and provisioning through your charter company provides an extra measure of safety as well as convenience.

The Moorings and Sunsail have implemented measures to ensure that provisioning is as contactless as possible. “First, staff responsible for provisioning our yachts will undergo daily temperature checks and will be wearing proper personal protective equipment to limit contact as much as possible,” said Ian Pedersen, senior marketing manager for the two ­companies. “Once groceries are selected, they will be put into a sealed, disinfected container, and labeled with the date and time it was sealed. This ensures that from the time the items are taken from the shelves to when they are unloaded on the yacht, the only person who touches these items is the guest.”

If you want something not offered by the charter ­company, using a provisioning service to fill in items works well.

The good news is that there aren’t any major supply issues due to COVID-19 according to Dan Lockyer, vice president of global tourism for Dream Yacht Charters. Yes, toilet paper is readily available! However, it’s a fact of life on islands that something might be sold out on a given day. Always keep a copy of your provisioning list and check off items as you unpack the delivery.

It’s better to know something is missing while you’re still at the dock, when you can hopefully find an alternate source or a substitute. If not, you can at least plan for it.

Should you plan on eating some meals out? Check with your charter company to see if local restaurants are open and if there are any COVID-19 restrictions. If available, I’d opt for a couple of dinners or happy hours out. Most tropical destinations have wonderful outdoor restaurants, which considerably lessens the risk of dining in public.

In the past, some charter and provisioning companies would allow you to return unused items at the end of your trip for a partial refund. Most are not allowing it now as part of their COVID-19 restrictions. This can make it a little trickier to plan the “just right” amount for everything. For anything you’d really hate to run out of (yes, toilet paper, I’m looking at you again), I suggest buying a little more than you think you’ll need and give it to the charter-base workers at the end of the trip if it’s left over when you get back to the dock.

As you unpack your provisions, it’s helpful to label what meal each item is intended for. I also create a snack bin that is available to everyone whenever they want. This will help prevent unwelcome surprises such as discovering that all the cashews were eaten as snacks when you intended part of them for cashew chicken. I also wash all the produce and cut into pieces any that are intended to be snacks. Anything else that takes prep work I try to do also.

While it’s extra work while at the dock, this simplifies meal prep once underway. And that’s when I want to put together delicious meals quickly—there’s just too much other fun to be had!

Carolyn Shearlock is the author of The Boat Galley Cookbook, and the founder of theboatgalley.com. She and her husband, Dave, are currently in the Florida Keys aboard their Gemini catamaran, Barefoot Gal. Through the years, they’ve chartered in the BVI, USVI, Turkey and Alaska.

Make A Plan

Consider planning each meal and making a list of all ingredient amounts needed to reduce waste at the end of your trip. Most provisioning companies aren’t currently allowing returns.

The post Charter Provisioning in the Covid-19 Era appeared first on Cruising World.