By Jeff on 12/25/2008 11:00 PM

We're taking a few days off here around Charter Island. However, here's hoping that those of you around the world are enjoying a festive and healthy holiday season. Despite the general weirdness going on around the world these days (any days?) I sure hope that someone is actually listening to Jimmy sing "Christmas in the Caribbean" in St. Barts, possibly gearing up for Christmas festivities at some place Foxy's on Jost van Dyke, cooking Christmas dinner on their bareboat anchored in the Tobago Cays while gazing out across the Atlantic, or maybe even celebrating Christmas on Christmas Island. To everyone - at home or on the water - cheers from the folks at Charter Island!

By Jeff on 12/15/2008 11:37 AM

As someone that spend many years of my youth exploring the San Juan Islands (U.S.) and Gulf Islands (Canada), I'm not surprised that the region has quickly become a popular bareboat charter destination. With protected waters, hundreds of anchorages, lush, green foliage, and many quirky and quaint towns to visit, it is without question an ideal cruising area with something to do for everyone.

One of the more popular destinations in the San Juan Islands is Roche Harbor. Featuring one of the larger marinas, a large bay with good holding, and a collection of restaurants, spa options, and more, it just offers so much to do. It's also host to some pretty famous parties - specifically 4th of July. It's also usually quite warm in the summer and has some pretty cool traditions, such as the retiring of the colors each evening.

However, with the frigid blast of cold hitting the Pacific Northwest this past weekend, it cast a very different look on an otherwise warm and cheery place!

Actually, it might be hard to imagine for some of the sunseekers (like myself) but cruising the San Juans in the winter is quite enjoyable. Despite the colder temperatures, it's strikingly beautiful and features relatively decent weather due to residing in a rain shadow that keeps it drier than areas further south such as Seattle. It's also very quiet (possibly too quiet - you might find some services closed down for the winter months so check ahead) and is certainly far away from the rat race of major cities.

(photo courtesy of Roche Harbor Resort and Islandcam.com)

By Jeff on 12/10/2008 3:39 PM

A while back, I mentioned that Channel 19 on XM - "Kenny Chesney's No Shoes Radio" - was a good one to dial in from time to time. Well, earlier this week, I hit paydirt while randomly clicking the the XM dial in the car. After stumbling past "E Street Radio" and "Grateful Dead", I landed on... "Radio Margaritaville". Now, I've been an online listener since the early days of streaming. I was also quite frustrated when Jimmy signed the deal for Sirius Radio. While not necessarily making my XM Radio obsolete, it certainly rendered it significantly less valuable in my eyes!

Now, with the merger of XM and Sirius, the entire lineup has become more interesting featuring the best of both worlds. Thanks XM and Sirius for getting Jimmy (and related artists) onto my XM radio.

BTW - a portable XM device might be a good Charter Gadget for your next trip. While the satellite coverage is theoretically limited to the 48 contiguous states, I've *heard* reach does go beyond the borders to surprising distances!

By Jeff on 12/9/2008 1:56 PM

Now that we've reached December, many can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Atlantic Hurricane Season is officially over for 2008. Man, was it a doozy. According to The Weather Channel, there were a total of 16 storms, 8 of which turned into hurricanes with 5 being defined as "major".

What does that have to do with chartering, you ask? Well, if you've ever given your contact info to a charter company, you've undoubtedly received the many "summer/fall discount" offers in the mail. This is because summer and fall are slow travel seasons for places like the Caribbean due to both climate unpredictability and the fact that come September, many families are back to school and unable to travel as much.

The weather unpredictability is driven directly from hurricane season which runs from June 1 through November 30th. When you consider that Atlantic hurricane season supposedly peaks around September 10th, you can see why charter companies (in the Caribbean, at least) work so hard to motivate sailors to charter in the fall months. I've seen offers for as much as 30% off of charters, specials on larger boats in various fleets, and more.

The big question is simple: is it worth it? Well, here are a few points to consider.

1. Years ago, I did a charter in the BVI during early June. It was damn hot and particularly humid. I'm not sure that I would charter at that time again simply because it was uncomfortable. Were the savings worth it? At the time, the savings made the difference between chartering and not chartering.
2. Hurricane weather impacts more than your sailing experience. Many islands and infrastructure can be devastated by hurricane weather. While it's also GREAT to visit to help inject cash into local economies as they wrestle with the impact of hurricanes on many services we take for granted, it's likely better to do it AFTER the season has passed when some sense of order and reason has returned.
3. Hurricane activity, and the impact on weather, can vary wildly. A crystal ball would be nice right now if you're considering a charter for next fall (BTW - you might want to wait and book closer to get the better deals then). Some years - like 2008 - can really impact the quality of your trip. Here's an interesting comment from a recent Weather Channel article:

"The 2008 hurricane season was an all time record breaker; 5 of the 6 months of hurricane season had a major hurricane. The old record (2005) was a least one major hurricane in 4 months of hurricane season."

In other words, had you booked a discounted charter during "charter discount season", there wasn't really a month where a serious hurricane didn't threaten that trip.This is significant because most people, when spending their hard-earned cash (especially right now) plan a trip of charter-like proportions and expense (even at a discount), they want to know they're going to get paradise and nothing less!

What to do?

It really depends on a number of factors:

• Where are you going? Some locations (definitely beyond the Caribbean) remain adequately removed from the impact of these storms. Places like the Windward Island (southern region) have more stabilized temperatures and suffer less nasty weather. Also be sure to look at locations you're considering to see what historic averages show for weather. Here are some interesting charts for the BVI:

Average rainfall (by month) for Road Town, Tortola, BVI

Average temperature (by month) for Road Town, Tortola, BVI

(charts and images courtesy of www.weather.com)

Looking at these charts, September is likely hot and wet in the BVI. And, who knew that November could experience so much rain? Granted, it's tropical rain (warm, quick bursts) but if you're expecting cloud-free days, you might want to think again.

• How flexible are you? From all of the research I've done, it's best to approach the discount season for charters with a very flexible gameplan. That allows you to really understand the local impact of hurricane season, react to weather patterns, and being to be selective. From what I've seen, there remains plenty of inventory for boats to charter at this time of year for those flexible enough to play it loosely.
• Utilize travel insurance. If you can't be flexible and need to book far in advance, it's probably worth it to purchase travel insurance or some charter protection plan that ensures that if you do need to cancel at the last moment, you'll be covered and recoup the majority of your charter costs.
• "Hug the corners". Figure out the months and focus on the earliest part of hurricane/discount season or the latest part. This will enable you to at least get closer to the more favorable times (and more ideal weather, possibly) that something right in the middle of the season.

I'm sure there are more ideas (please share them in the comments field!) but hopefully some of these thoughts share a little light on how hurricane season affects discounts on bareboat charters and why.

By Jeff on 11/23/2008 8:41 AM

Here at the palatial Charter Island headquarters, we finally saw our first heavy frost. Although the skies are clear, the temperature gauge shows a chilly 36deg F. For those of you in the islands, I'm glad someone's doing it! For the rest of us, we can dream of our next adventure. And, maybe drift off to warmer memories of our last charter.My mind is stuck on memories of being anchored off Petit St. Vincent, 11 feet of crystal-clear, warm water, and a brisk easterly that despite its velocity of around 15 with gusts to 20, is still 85def F and (remarkably) carrying sands aloft from as far away as Africa.

By Jeff on 11/5/2008 3:22 PM

A few years back, my father-in-law bought me a headlamp. I first thought, "hmm... cool. Not sure what I will use it for but cool. And, I might look funny wearing it." These days, after having it around, it has become indispensable. It's one of those pieces of gear that I always know where to find when I need it most. While doing some work outside in the dark a few nights ago (trusty headlamp deployed), I was reminded how useful it really was. And, the majority of my memories of it saving the day are directly related to sailing AND applicable to chartering.

Think about it; they are light, incredibly small, are relatively cheap, usually come resistant to the elements, and enable you to work in limited light situations with two hands instead of having to rig up some stand for a flashlight (or rely on someone to hold one while shaking or drifting off the subject you're working on).

Here are 7 examples of how I've used my headlamp or how it can come in handy during your next charter:

1. Backup flashlight - on a bareboat charter, chances are you'll find weak or dead batteries in the single flashlight onboard. You won't want to pack an extra flashlight to travel lean. A headlamp - probably about 2 ounces and no bigger than half your fist is a great backup when you need it.
2. Cleaning out a plugged sump pump - On a charter in the San Juan Islands, I got the pleasure of clearing years of hair out of a sump pump reservoir/drain grate in the forward head. No one wanted to be near and I needed both hands while trying to figure out what the heck was going on. Saved by the headlamp.
3. Dealing with a dragging anchor at 2am - when you're in a new cruising area, different boat, different anchor, usually very little anchor chain with lots of rode, and maybe someplace that blows 24 hrs a day (like the Grenadines), you're going to drag anchor. It's that simple (especially if you don't dive on the anchor to check it out before you retire for cocktails). Walking around on deck in the middle of the night trying to run the windlass or at the helm trying to see other boats in the anchorage before you hit them, having the ability to look at something and have it automatically illuminated is very nice.
4. Picking up a mooring after dark - sure - you're not supposed to be sailing your chartered boat after dark. But, it happens. Unexpected weather. A longer than anticipated lunch stay because the beach was so great. Next thing you know, someone is trying to wrangle a corroded, growth-encrusted mooring loop in the dark. Enter the headlamp. (be sure to tie a tether to the headstrap though so that it doesn't fall off when you pull your head back through the lifelines!)
5. Reading a book in the cockpit at night - simple but important. For some of us, this is just about the only time we get to actually read a book. Even though many charter companies provide funky, little, half-coconut shell cockpit lights, they don't work half the time. You usually want to sit outside, even after dark, to enjoy warm temperatures and read. So whip out your headlamp and you're set. Ignore the comments from the crew.
6. Finding your dinghy at the dinghy dock after a late night at the bar - this is really one of you potential worst nightmares. You've been enjoying a great evening... A jump-up at Basil's or Bombashack... just pick any of the usual places. It comes time to leave, you head down to the dinghy dock, and there are 39 dinghies that look just like your charter boat dinghy! What? A very cruel test - usually while somewhat "impaired". While I can't guarantee that a headlamp will make your vision and senses clear, it can make it easier to spot some unique identifier you've thoughtfully placed in or on your dinghy ahead of time. Note: place that identifier first.
7. A makeshift steaming light - if you've spent much time in the Caribbean, you know that popular anchorages can be treacherous at night. Locals careening through the anchorage at dark. Fellow charterers that successfully navigated #6 above only to now face finding their boat while in a hurry. Whatever the case, this is a useful tip that I've heard others say has come close to saving their lives; wear the headlamp while you navigate through the anchorage back to your boat. Some headlamps even offer a strobe/flashing option. That's even better. But, it's all about making yourself visible and keeping two hands to use as needed.

I'm sure there are more examples but these are the most obvious that come to mind from my experiences and those of others I trust. But, don't forget to buy and pack a headlamp - it's crucial gear for your next charter.

By Jeff on 11/3/2008 10:58 PM

Moorings recently announced their 40th Anniversary Photo and Video Contest.  I know from experience that photos and video from charters are always a highlight of mine as well as with friends that wish they had been there. With some of the incredible scenery in the islands and unique situations that come up, I'm sure Moorings will end up with some entertaining and amusing material to review. Understandably, a "Visible Moorings logo is a plus" but I'm just wondering; how many striking images will incorporate the Moorings logo?

I definitely applaud their use of things like YouTube for video. However, a friendly tip to the folks running the contest: your video requirements to something other than ".jpg format" (you might not get many videos - that's for still images only).

For more details on the contest - including information about the prizes including a free 7-day charter or 2-person stateroom on a crewed charter - be sure to visit the Moorings site. You have until June 1, 2009 to submit your photos and/or videos.

By Jeff on 11/3/2008 10:47 PM

Well, we finally made the swing we've been promising for... well... months (and months and months and... you get the picture). But, we believe it's been worth the wait. Over the next couple weeks, we'll be turning on a few more areas of this site that will be quite cool. We've upgraded our web platform. We've expanded content. Let's just say that it's been a major effort that, with some luck and contribution from the community, will become a useful resource for first-time charterers and experts alike. That's it for now. Stay tuned over the coming days...

By Jeff on 8/21/2008 10:22 PM

While running a quick errand during lunch hour, it was hard to not notice how many tourists were exploring the streets of my home city. Staring and pointing at landmarks while waiting for traffic to clear crosswalks. Locals also seemed to be caught up in the hubbub of the urban experience.

For me, it reminded me that - in reality - I would rather be standing on a corner of a very different type of city (or in some instances, town). In this case, I drifted off to Ensenada, Mexico, where I had cleared through customs during a sail last fall from San Diego to Cabo with my Dad and uncle. The buzz of the typical US city just doesn't cut it for me and it's probably relates somehow to why I so enjoy chartering in far off, culturally different locales.

The sights... sounds... smells... Honestly, they're not always the freshest or happiest. But, they are different, new, and bring a new perspective in unexpected ways. And, it's the texture that makes visiting these places - particularly by boat - so remarkable.

On virtually any corner in Ensenada, there were curious shops with names are only vaguely understood. Farmers were camped out at various locations selling their best produce. Food stands were serving up carne asada tacos. And - I was just a little uncomfortable with which direction I should had and that made it pretty enjoyable. Everything about it felt new and exciting.

Isn't that what travel and adventure are supposed to be about?

By Jeff on 8/20/2008 11:41 AM

I've blogged before that Kenny Chesney's music is a great charter trip companion. He seems to be poised to receive the torch from Mr. Buffett someday as the sailing/partying/escapist musician. So, it was a pleasant surprise to find the other day that XMRadio has a new channel: 18 - Kenny Chesney's No Shoes Radio.

Yeah - it's probably a leeeetle more Kenny Chesney than I need. However, somewhat like Jimmy Buffett's "Radio Margaritaville", it features a wide range of music that will either make you think about sailing in paradise or possibly inspire you to book that trip and load up your iPod with some great tunes for a charter!

XMRadio listeners - check it out on 18 (or online, via the "Listen Online" option).