Absolutely wonderful book(s). I’ve visited close to half of the islands of the Caribbean … as a landlubber, never as a sailor. It is like night and day. As a novice catamaran sailor, the information was invaluable. Great insight about customs, questions to ask the charter company rep about your boat, and a zillion other tidbits of information.
From a Verified Customer ***
Good information for bareboat charter in the beginning, but wait until later where they talk about important sailing and safety tips. Laughed out loud at the anchoring tip about 100 meters of chain (no spoiler alert). Jeff
Michael’s qualifications: RYA (Royal Yachting Association) Yachtmaster Instructor, ASA (American Sailing Association) Sailing Instructor, US Sailing Instructor, US Coast Guard 100 ton Merchant Mariner Credential, BVI Boatmaster Class 1, STCW (first aid, fire fighting and sea survival).
David Blacklock
David’s qualifications: ASA Sailing Instructor, US Coast Guard 100 ton Master MMC (Sailing and Towing endorsements), BVI Boatmaster Class 1, STCW, PADI Rescue Diver.
Neither of us started out in a sailing school. Yes, between us we have sufficient instructor credentials and professional qualifications to sink a ship, but our sailing was mostly learned piecemeal—some from friends, from dads and uncles, from Scouts, from just playing around in boats–and a good deal from racing. Much of this was of great value and some—such as racing—less so.
We don’t wish to demean yacht racing, but it is by definition the very epitome of imprudent seamanship—where you learn to carry too much sail for too long in too much wind—but lots of fun both on and off the water.
We’ve been sailing Caribbean waters for decades, in many capacities—from sailing instructor to charter company owner, corporate manager, and professional coach. Between us we’ve seen it all and done most of it. We’ve made mistakes, dragged anchor, snagged propellers, bounced off docks and off the seabed—so we know what we are talking about. “If you haven’t been aground, you haven’t been around,” they say. Well, we’ve been around.
Michael sailed in America’s Cup-level competition in the 1983 British challenger, Victory. David pottered around on boats in New Zealand and Australia. We both taught sailing on New York harbor at the same time—without knowing each other, though we did wave Hello as we sailed by—under the shadow of the Twin Towers. And we survived tugboats, cruise ships, freighters, garbage scows, Thursday night racers, as well as day-tripping tour boats. That experience led us to want to save others from many of the mistakes and misfortunes that have come our way. And to share the joys and satisfactions, too.
Things have changed in the Caribbean this year, at least our part of it. And the future is a little less predictable than we thought it was just a few months ago–a fact that might make these books even more useful than we had imagined. But we are betting that the waters will soon be blessed with yachts under sail and sailors overjoyed. We intend to be among them and hope you’ll be there too.
MICHAEL offers a coaching service in the Caribbean. Find out more at Caribbean Sailing Coach
A recent (Jan 8, 2020) report in the BVI BEACON newspaper details the tragic story of two incidents wherein persons in the water were run over and killed by other vessels. These events highlight the importance of taking preventative action when in the water. Many charter yachts come equipped with inflatable orange beacons that attach …
One of the fastest growing categories in the charter end of the market is the relatively new Power Cat niche. It has created a surge of interest in the Caribbean. Particularly this winter season, 2020, where the wind has disappeared for weeks at a time–bad for sailing but GREAT for motoring! SmarterCharter friend John Wooldridge, …
The US Coast Guard has put out a friendly reminder that you should put together a float plan and leave it with a trusted person anytime you are heading off shore or on a lengthy voyage (even of just a few days.) They even have a nifty link to a template you can use to …
Links to instructional videos and other materials:
APPS: As for the Animated Knots by Grog link above, the same producers have a very good App for iOs/iPad/Mac and Android
Also, a very basic style of simple Knot-tying App, Knots Guide by Susa is likewise for iOs and Android. Free.
Dock your Boat
HERE’S an app we like for help with docking–though it’s strictly MONOHULL oriented. DOCK YOUR BOAT is available for Android and iOs. Here’s a video showing its capabilities. Free, plus upgrades.
BOAT HANDLING
Three videos on Basic Sailing (the RYA Competent Crew course) on a monohull, from a series by a British sailing school, Learn2sail. The information here is accurate though the boat being used may not match your yacht exactly. The principles and practises are, however, sound:
Video 1: An overview of the interior, VHF/Chart table/Safety items, the cockpit + lockers, Flares/ Winches/ Engine Checks etc.
Video 2: Up to the cockpit. Life Jackets/ Flares/ Winches/Knots, etc.
Video 3: Departure off the dock/Basic maneuvers/Return to the dock, etc.
MOB Recovery: The UK’s RYA pages on Man Overboard recovery.
