Advice for a couple of new Day Skippers

[Hodders]

Before we had kids (so about 15 years ago), my wife and I used to spend at least a couple of weeks a year sailing with friends on bareboat charters. In total we have about 6 weeks of bareboat charter experience where the sailing was as much part of the holiday as the sunshine.

Now the kids are older we want to be able to take them with us on sailing holidays.

So we have both done DS theory and recently got back from a 5 day course for the DS practical.

The big questions is what would people advise as the next step:

1) Organise a bareboat flotilla so we have help (if we need it) with mooring/reserving berths etc.
2) Just get on with it and book a week somewhere easy - Ionian/BVI etc and take things easy.

We are pretty confident with navigation and the actual sailing bit, handling a strange boat in a busy stern-to harbour with no lazy-lines with a tricky cross wind is where nervousness would set in!

Any advice gratefully received as we are very much aware that DS is very much the first step.

 

[bdh198]

2. I think you should just get on with it. You’ll have no trouble in benign conditions, and if you have a couple of kids on board with fenders at the ready and taking manoeuvres slowly you’re unlikely to do any serious damage if things go a bit pear shaped (other than perhaps a slightly bruised ego). There will also, in all likelihood, be plenty of hands ashore in marinas and on other boats to catch a line if needed. However, it is probably sensible to book sooner rather than later so the skills you picked up on the practical course are still fresh in your memory.

Of course, there may be other reasons why option 1 might work better for you, for example, if you enjoy sailing in company.

 

[DownWest]

Sounds like bareboat flotilla is your first step.
We did a bareboat non flotilla in the Sporades a few years back. Three couples in a 46. Only two of us had sailing experience, but it was in sept, the end of the season and the winds were relatively light (no meltami..) ports were not too busy, but still cheerful with good food.
With children, Flotillas might be more fun for them.
Did moure up next a flotilla of 27fters and chatted . Seems they were paying not much less that were were per head, but quite cramped conditions on there's, compared with the 46 we had.
Stern too mooring has it's moments. There was a bit of a brisk cross wind when we berthed back at the base, so picking up the fixed fore rope and backing into the berth there required a bit of concentration .

 

[Beneteau381]

Get in

Before we had kids (so about 15 years ago), my wife and I used to spend at least a couple of weeks a year sailing with friends on bareboat charters. In total we have about 6 weeks of bareboat charter experience where the sailing was as much part of the holiday as the sunshine.

Now the kids are older we want to be able to take them with us on sailing holidays.

So we have both done DS theory and recently got back from a 5 day course for the DS practical.

The big questions is what would people advise as the next step:

1) Organise a bareboat flotilla so we have help (if we need it) with mooring/reserving berths etc.
2) Just get on with it and book a week somewhere easy - Ionian/BVI etc and take things easy.

We are pretty confident with navigation and the actual sailing bit, handling a strange boat in a busy stern-to harbour with no lazy-lines with a tricky cross wind is where nervousness would set in!

Any advice gratefully received as we are very much aware that DS is very much the first step.

Get in touch with Sailing Holidays, book a boat on a flotilla holiday in the Ionian, your DS is more than ample quals. About 10 families per flotilla. The kids hook up and do their own thing, the parents do the same, bliss

 

[penfold]

If you want to gain these quals for the sole purpose of mooring stern-to in Greece, better to hire a skipper/instructor for a few hours/a day in Greece and learn mooring greek-style, rather than a whole load of stuff that won't make your holiday better.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Get on with it. I went to Croatia on bareboat non flotilla after my DS course. Just me and my daughter who had never been on a boat before. (Not what we told the charter comp). We had a great time and learned together.

 

[KeelsonGraham]

Just get on with it. You're way past flotilla territory. Time to strike out on your own and learn from experience.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Just get on with it. You're way past flotilla territory. Time to strike out on your own and learn from experience.

Agreed. Except the OP might like the flotilla social side, done loads of both, all good.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

...
1) Organise a bareboat flotilla so we have help (if we need it) with mooring/reserving berths etc.
...

NB. "bareboat" = rent the boat on your own. "flotilla" = you're in a gang.

 

[laika]

Do the flotilla.

Unless you're one of those alpha-types with total self confidence who never notice their failures, not having anyone more competent on board is a big psychological step, no matter how much you actually know. Add to this that if you're talking about next year, you'll forget things between now and then.

Flotilla is the perfect step here. You don't have to follow the pack, you're in charge of your own boat, but you have some kind of backup if you need it (not that you will). Most people don't get much holiday so why risk it having any stress. Flotilla next year, bareboat after that.

 

[RJJ]

Do the flotilla if you want the social side. The kids might Iike it better.

For the sailing and mooring, you might feel more comfy with the flotilla supervision. It's fine. But from what you've said, I think you're beyond it. More fundamentally, do what so many (nominally experienced) BB skippers omit to do: watch a heap of YouTube videos and read various articles and blogs on med mooring technique; take a good hour or two with "your" yacht to do spins right and left, and turning astern and ahead under power and conscious of wind effect. And have the humility to decide to anchor off rather than going for some very challenging situation.

And feel free to ask the charter base team for a short tutorial. In my experience they will try very hard to help; it's in their interests to help you avoid smashes.

Another route is team up with another family and make a mini-flotilla.

Personally, I have done flotillas and wouldn't do so again. I don't particularly like the organised fun or scheduled restaurant bookings. But I can see the attraction, each to their own.

 

[Hodders]

The long term aim is the solitude and peace of a quiet anchorage. We're much more a quiet drink after an evening swim than a lively night in a busy bar.

Sailing is a passport to places that other people can't get to. That makes us sound really anti-social! We're not, but if our only mooring was the start and finish with peaceful evenings at anchor in-between we'd be happy.

We did our DS on a Beneteau First 40.7 so a single rudder and no bow thruster. Single rudder gave good steerage astern and the ability to give a short burst of forwards for any quick correction. We did practise stern to moorings on some finger pontoons and played around with powering off the windward stern line to control the bow.

But very aware it's very different when you don't have advice on hand.

 

[Hodders]

Should add, really appreciate all the advice!

 

[jordanbasset]

The long term aim is the solitude and peace of a quiet anchorage. We're much more a quiet drink after an evening swim than a lively night in a busy bar.

Sailing is a passport to places that other people can't get to. That makes us sound really anti-social! We're not, but if our only mooring was the start and finish with peaceful evenings at anchor in-between we'd be happy.

In that case a bare boat charter is the answer for you (which from your experience you should be more than capable of doing), but just a thought do your teenage children and partner think similar? If they do then go for it, if not then consider a flotilla, you will still get lunch time stops at anchor, with plenty of swimming and relaxing. The social side of flotillas means you can join in if you want to, but there is no compulsion. You can find your own restaurant, quiet bar etc.
From my experience on a flotilla there may be organised meals out 2-3 times in the week (which you can join or not) and the rest of the time you choose where you want to eat. Even in the organised meals afterwards you can go back to your boat or find a bar to your liking. You also normally have a couple of days 'free sailing', where you can choose where you want to stay over night, so if you fancy a quiet overnight anchorage, you can do. Also the flotilla skippers are normally okay with you going for longer on your own if they believe you have the required experience.
I think some who have not been on a flotilla think it is something like an 1960's Butlins holidays, with everything organised for you from the time you get up to the time you go to sleep, it really isn't.

 

[scottie]

NB. "bareboat" = rent the boat on your own. "flotilla" = you're in a gang.

Bareboat =no skipper or cook ?

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Bareboat =no skipper or cook ?

Yes, and also true of flotilla. You're the skipper of your allocated boat, and you cook on board or eat out. Although there's a 'lead boat' with a skipper, hostie and sometimes an engineer.

 

[pij27]

Are you looking to get your own boat and then sail when you can? Or are you just looking for a couple of weeks holiday each year? If the latter then look at bareboat charter and that way the cost is not too high.
Personally I would look for a small yacht and just enjoy day sailing and weekends and build on your knowledge and experience.
But the major thing is to decide what it is that you are after? A couple of weeks sailing a year as a family holiday or the start of a boat ownership and years of fun

 

[lustyd]

Yes, and also true of flotilla. You're the skipper of your allocated boat, and you cook on board or eat out. Although there's a 'lead boat' with a skipper, hostie and sometimes an engineer.

I think the point was that bareboat and flotilla are entirely unrelated things and your first post suggested otherwise. Bareboat vs skippered and single boat vs flotilla and both work with both.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Before we had kids (so about 15 years ago), my wife and I used to spend at least a couple of weeks a year sailing with friends on bareboat charters. In total we have about 6 weeks of bareboat charter experience where the sailing was as much part of the holiday as the sunshine.

Now the kids are older we want to be able to take them with us on sailing holidays.

So we have both done DS theory and recently got back from a 5 day course for the DS practical.

The big questions is what would people advise as the next step:

1) Organise a bareboat flotilla so we have help (if we need it) with mooring/reserving berths etc.
2) Just get on with it and book a week somewhere easy - Ionian/BVI etc and take things easy.

We are pretty confident with navigation and the actual sailing bit, handling a strange boat in a busy stern-to harbour with no lazy-lines with a tricky cross wind is where nervousness would set in!

Any advice gratefully received as we are very much aware that DS is very much the first step.

It's strange I always find it easier to use my anchor when going stern to.drop it and motor back against it at the same speed of reverse,it stops the bow blowing off .
Make sure that it doesn't drop faster than your astern speed or the bow will blow around. I find this happen when using lazylines.

 

[Aurai]

My only addition, is take the time to practice with your chosen boat in open water. Reverse up to a fender or something in the water, practice throwing lines. Practice for a couple of hours everyone having a go and then head from A-B