Chartering a bareboat yacht |
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Chartering a bareboat yacht is a great way to enjoy the nautical experience along with the great feeling of freedom and the comfort of privacy. Bareboat is a big part of charter in Croatia because the islands and the coast offer a fairly friendly environment for the foreign sailor; meteorologically and geographically. The eastern Adriatic has dense island groups where the distances from island to island are quite small and everything is near. Among more then thousand islands, many can offer shelter in bad weather, there are not many dangerous reefs and the navigational charts are very precise and detailed. In addition, Croatian institutions that are responsible for search and rescue, as well as safety at sea in general, are on the highest European standard. Nevertheless, there are some circumstances that can have quite an effect on your holiday. That is why we would like to offer some advice on haw to assure that your bareboat charter runs smoothly. .png) Before you leave home Before departing for Croatia, check for visa and additional health insurance requirements at home. Croatia has a fleet of more than three thousand yachts that are chartered bareboat, owned by close to a hundred charter agencies. Naturally, not all of them have the same mode of operation. They equip their boats differently, they include different items and services into their charter fees, they have different rules regarding embarkation and disembarkation time and so on. To prevent any surprises upon arrival, ask your agent about these details. Usually the charter packages are similar but there are minor differences. Before the arrival at the marina you should know if an outboard engine is available or even included in the price. It is recommendable to have one onboard, it tends to be very useful in many situations. Check if towels are provided. Usually the boat will be equipped with small bathroom towels but often they are to small even for after showering so it is recommendable to bring some beach towels or similar. The same applies to soap, shampoo, kitchen detergent, kitchen cloths and such. Most of it will be provided on the boat but if you have special preferences, it is good to be prepared to include these things into your first provisioning in the marina. A store will never be far from the marina. At the marina Always remember to get your check-in and check-out time. Usually check-in is at 17:00 hours and check-out is at 9:00 hours on Saturdays. This is sometimes not the case so ask for the exact time in the marina. Some charter agencies demand that the boat be returned to the marina on Friday evening so the check-out on Saturday morning is not delayed. Check-out at 9:00 means that the boat should be ready for the cleaning crew at that time. In other words, you should be packed and ready to disembark. Keep in mind that you have to do some basic provisioning in the marina so try to be there earlier if you are planning on sailing out on Saturday afternoon. The staff at the charter base has to prepare all boats for charter in just a couple of hours so your boat might be ready before the specified time but try not to be in the way and keep in mind that Saturdays are very chaotic in marinas in summer. Check-in The check-in is performed to ensure that the boat is undamaged and equipped according to specifications. That is important for you as well as for the charter company. After the check-in you will sign a form that everything is in order and that you will return the boat in the same condition. You will be given a check list; go thru it and check for everything on that list – you never know what you might need and it will have to be there on check-out. Sometimes you damage or loose stuff along the way; in that case it is good to previously ask for a price list witch states what you will be charged for certain items (bucket, winch handle, tender, outboard engine…). If you do manage to sail out on Saturday afternoon, be sure that many near-by ports will be packed; especially if the forecast is not good. Sometimes it is even not a bad idea to sleep over in the marina and sail out early in the morning. It never hurts to ask the marina staff or the base manager for advice. Route To determine a route, most important is the weekly weather forecast. You can get one in every marina or even at your charter company you will be provided with one. Do not ignore it. Adapt to the weather conditions and modify your route accordingly. An often mistake is to make overeager plans and then end up “chasing” islands all week. The point of a sailing holiday is to relax, not to cross as many miles as possible; especially not against the weather. Be sure that the route will get you back in time for check-out. There are some issues you should be aware of in the high season; ports will get crowded very soon in the day. Not just at the dock, but at the anchorage as well. The best anchorages further away from towns will also fill early in the afternoon. Before upcoming bad weather, sacrifice an afternoon to find a berth or a decent anchorage, you will be glad to have done so. Also, you will sometimes find a free space at the dock but for some reason the harbormaster will not let you dock. Try not to get into long arguments with him; he probably has a valid reason why he is doing that. Instead, go on and try to find an alternative. Docking and anchoring Docking and anchoring, along with sailing, are situations in witch it is most common to cause damage to the boat or stress to your crew. Do not rush, do it calmly and always think everything thru before you commence. While docking always listen to the harbor master, not to people from other boats. When anchoring, always let out enough of the anchor chain and be sure to dig in the anchor properly. Also, be careful to leave enough space for others in case of change in wind direction. Sailing Sailing is a great way of transportation. Nevertheless, wind is a powerful force and the boat and crew can handle only so much. When sailing out with your chartered boat, take it slow the first day. Test the boat in mild conditions, listen to it and test it. Different boats will react differently and have to be handled differently. Also, boats are chartered every week by a wide variety of sailors; good and bad. You never know if there is a minor malfunction somewhere. Once you have set sails, sailed and rolled in again, you already have some reassurance that everything is in order. Very important: a charter boat is not a racing boat. The difference is huge; in material quality, craftsmanship, attention to detail and handling in the past. One should never push a charter boat all the way. Most of the sailboats in charter are cruisers anyway, but even with a sportier model, be gentle. With strong wind, in respect to the size of your boat, reef the sails to prevent loss of control and potential damage. Keep in mind that sailing on high seas also adds to the strain of the boat hardware. A boat’s resilience has limits. We hope the advice we provided will be helpful. Don’t forget to enjoy your holiday! |
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