Joy Smith's Blog

Are you looking for an escape to the tropics this winter? If so, perhaps you are considering charting a boat. There are many companies vying for your business, so it pays to beware—and to learn from the experience of others…
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I suppose we deserved it. Had we not been lured by the cheap price and glossy brochure that promised every amenity we could imagine, we might’ve looked a bit harder at the charter company’s reputation and the physical aspects of the boat and avoided the charter from hell. There were eight of us splitting the costs; four couples expecting privacy, good food, and good times. The first sign that things might not be as rosy as expected occurred shortly after our arrival at St. Vincent, when the charter company’s driver crammed us into a dilapidated jeep with its passenger door torn off, causing us to hang on and pray as the jeep maneuvered steep hills and hairpin curves.

From then on things went downhill. The marina facilities were poor from the four-hour wait for dinner at their on-premise restaurant to the unkempt, cold-water showers in the head. When the charter manager opened our assigned boat, a long-in-the-tooth Jeaneau 46, a wave of boat smell attacked us. “Phew. Mold!” The boat looked dirty; a film of dust coated the insides of all the cabinets and lockers. “Of course it’s been cleaned. That’s roach repellent; we need it down here. “Even though we wiped off most of the vile stuff, poor Becky, who was allergic, spent the next few days teary-eyed and sneezing.

And where was our fourth couple to sleep? The boat was advertised as sleeping eight, but the eighth person’s berth was the salon floor. We muttered to ourselves, although it did no good, and settled on rotating berths. The bed linens and towels, two per person, were worn thin and reeked of Clorox. Extra pillow? Towels? Sorry.

The charter company briefing was brief--the handoff of a chart covering the beautiful, but barren, Grenadine chain. The food we’d ordered, split provisioning, arrived on top of our departure. As we scrambled to inventory and stow everything, a staff person arrived with a tray of steaming hot rolls. “How nice.” We thought things were looking up until we dug into our provisions and discovered that the rest of the bread was moldy, and realized that there were no deli-meats for sandwiches and that all the meals needed to be cooked. The home baked “treats,” ominously packaged in opaque foil pans and labeled “lasagna” and “apple pie,” were a mish-mash that proved unfit to eat. (This was about 10 years ago, when supplies and restaurants were scarce in the Grenadines.) Fortunately, we’d stocked up on rum.

“Be careful out there,” the dockmaster called, as we tumbled out of the harbor, unescorted, and sashayed through the channel fighting 25-35-knot winds. Yikes! No one told us Grenadian waters were rough. Somehow, we had missed the fact that these conditions are normal for the windward Grenadines in January. The boat sailed like a dream, but her lines were frayed, the sails were threadbare, and the steering wheel responded like a drunken sailor. At our first stop, Bequia, the dinghy engine conked out, stranding us there for 2 days until the charter company got around to making repairs. At the time, there were no water taxis. Once we settled in, we did manage to have a good time, except for the berth problem. Rotating berths meant moving linens and gear each night, and that one couple would always be cheated out of comfort and privacy.

From that experience forward, we became fussy about choosing a charter company, more diligent in studying boat layouts, and careful about provisioning. We realized it costs more for the best-- a new model boat in good repair, and a charter company that is fastidious about maintaining their fleet and about providing good customer service. We learned to ask specific questions and to verify information. We spoke with former charterers to find out if they had any problems, and consulted charter company ratings and reviews in cruising publications.

Charter boats take a beating, which is why first echelon companies will only keep a boat in charter for 3 to 5 years. These boats are often sold to second-tier companies, such as the now defunct charter company we described above, or to private buyers. It’s generally cheaper to charter an older boat, than a new one.
A good company will allow sufficient time between charter drop offs and pickups to completely clean and overhaul the boat. At The Moorings, we’ve seen staff members strip a boat of cushions and wash them all down, hose out the entire bilge, scrub out lockers and cabinets, sterilize the galleyware, sand down teak cockpit seats, and lubricate and test all working parts. And--they have no need for roach spray.

A first-rate charter company also understands that customers don’t expect to lose valuable vacation time waiting on a bad part. When our dinghy engine sputtered and died, a working engine was delivered within four hours, There was same-day service the time we clogged one of the heads; and once, when the CD player was stolen from the boat (that’s another story), the next ferry brought its replacement.

Read the chartering agreement carefully. If something is missing or is damaged, you will be billed for its replacement or repair. To avoid erroneous charges, check over the boat thoroughly when you inventory it and report deficiencies and potential problems, such as a shredded anchor line, bent stanchions, torn sails, or missing supplies. A passing boat ran over and cut our anchor line on the “charter from hell.” If my husband hadn’t harangued the evildoer to replace it, we would’ve owed the charter company a new line.

Arrange to have repairs made for malfunctioning engines, refrigeration systems, stoves, and toilets before departure. With a top-notch company, everything will be working (save for the occasional blow fish caught in the engine intake pipe) and you’ll cast off at noon, when most charters actually begin. With lesser companies, we've wasted wonderful afternoons hanging about the dock waiting for last-minute repairs to be completed.

Be prepared to spend more money for the right boat. It’s vacation. Remember? Match the boat style and size to your crew. If you’ve gourmet cooks in your group, as we did one year, be sure the galley has enough space to accommodate multiple delicacies-in-progress. Whenever we’ve skimped on size we’ve paid for it by tripping over duffels of gear that had no home and fighting to share a tiny head.

We’ve found that it’s only fair, when sharing the cost with other couples, to provide a separate cabin for each, with a private double berth and head. This means paying attention to those tiny diagrams in brochures, touring charter-offered boats at boat shows, or should the opportunity arise, visiting a charter location. Some mono hulls, like Beneteaus, are designed for chartering with cabins of equal size and comfortable facilities. We’ve found that catamarans work especially well for four couples, especially if some are non-boaters. There is more deck space and the boat won’t heel underway and tip over the glasses of liquids left about.

Check the expected weather conditions for the month you plan to charter. Look at websites and information brochures. While the lowest rates may entice you to charter off-season, be aware that this can mean erratic weather. Signing on for a Tahitian charter during rainy season might mean enduring the tail end of a cyclone, as we did. In the Caribbean, the Christmas winds last from November to March. During that time you’re apt to encounter squalls, high winds, and rolling swells.

Now, about the food. I’ve devoted an entire chapter to provisioning for a charter in my book, Kitchen Afloat. It all boils down to how well you like to eat; how much you are willing to pay for it; and how much work you want to do yourselves.

he year following our “charter from hell” we returned to the Grenadines, minus one couple who’d had enough. This time, we were determined to do everything right. We threw out the brochures touting bargain rates, and paid top dollar by going with The Moorings out of St. Lucia—there are other good companies based in Grenadines now, as well. We selected a boat with three separate cabins and heads and traveled late March, when the winds and seas were more manageable.

No way would we trust Grenadine provisioning again. We signed up for split provisioning, but prepared for the worst by toting an ice chest stuffed with foods we had found lacking on the earlier trip. We might’ve saved ourselves the trouble. The Moorings was well supplied with American meats and breads--frozen, of course, as well as other desirable imported foods. We were provided lunch fare that didn’t need cooking, fresh bread, and fresh vegetables and fruits.

Needless to say, after gorging ourselves on both the food brought from home and the provisions provided, we departed the Grenadines after that charter bulging out of our shore clothes. But we were also plump with satisfaction, because we had finally figured out how to avoid the charter from hell.