Bareboat Chartering:
Many students are seeking formal sailing classes and certification as a prerequisite to be able to charter a boat and go sailing. The student should understand that a certificate is neither a prerequisite nor a guarantee that the student will be able to charter a vessel.
Let us explain: The charter companies are in the business of chartering boats. This is the product they have to sell. At the same time if their vessels do not come back in good condition, they will not be in business for very long. What the charter companies are looking for, is your desire to charter one of their vessels, your ability to pay for the service and they are looking to feel comfortable about your ability to safely operate the vessel. This last point is the key to success, both for you as the charterer and for them as a business. Once said all this makes perfect sense.
The charter companies have devised a number of methods to ascertain your ability to skipper a vessel. The good ones actually send you an extensive questionnaire upon initial contact and filing this out gives them a resume of your experience. Formal training is also a plus. After reviewing your credentials they may inform you that you have met their minimum qualifications and that they will charter you a vessel. Actually the charter companies will usually phrase this in such a way that give themselves an out.
Upon your arrival at the charter company's office they will show your group to the boat and a person from the office will come aboard to show you the idiosyncrasies of the vessel; where the water tank and fuel fills are, how to check the holding tanks, spares, ground tackle, engine checks, etc. At the same time this representative of the charter company is checking you and your group out. If they have any doubts as to your ability, the charter company will ask you to demonstrate your competency. You will be asked to move the vessel out of the slip, hoist the sails, tack a bit, maybe even do a man-overboard drill. You will be asked what the proper procedures are in an emergency, how to use the radio telephone, how to use the fire extinguishers.
If this process goes well you will be on your way, if not the charter company will require that you take with you a captain. Most times this will be for the first day or two but they may require you to have the skipper for the entire week.
Even if you are fine with the check out and sail away as the skipper of your own vessel there will still be limitations. There will be a list of "safe anchorages" that will be strongly suggested. There will also be limitation as to where you may take a vessel and most Caribbean companies do not allow any night time sailing.
Credit has to be given to the charter companies. The number of times a charter vessel actually gets into serious trouble are very few and far between. We counsel our students to sail with a paid captain the first time they charter or if they are chartering to a new area. It is a good way to get local knowledge and it helps in building a good relationship with the charter company.
Our 200 Course, Offshore Bareboat Certification spends a lot of time teaching how to be a successful bareboat charterer. How to survey a vessel, ask the right questions and make sure that the vessel is ready. We also teach the student how to get past minor troubles so that minor problems are only small irritants and do not ruin your vacation.
Why don't the charter companies use and require formal certificates from US Sailing or the American Sailing Association? The simple answer is business, they do not wish to artificially limit their clientele. Only about half the charter clients come from the United States, and only a small percentage of these have formal schooling or certificates. Many charterers are boat owners that want warm weather and different scenery. They have the skills they need to operate a vessel safely and they got that experience in other ways. Of the non-US charterers there are a great number of Australian, British, French, Dutch and a dozen major certifying agencies. Many countries require formal training for anyone wishing to operate any kind of minimum size vessel. There are a few states here in the US that are moving in that direction, but the requirement is not extensive enough to satisfy the requirements necessary to charter a large sailboat.
Special Note: When you are the skipper of a vessel, your primary legal and moral responsibility is the safety of your crew, guests and the vessel. This is no small point, the charter company is trusting the safety of $150,000+ worth of boat to you. Most companies use a "demise bareboat contract", in which; during the term of the contract, you are 100%, totally responsible for the vessel and any damage the vessel may cause. So disregarding a charter company's "daylight only" sailing rule and hitting a reef means that you could be held responsible for all repairs, towing charges, plus fines for damaging the reef, plus legal damages from the company and for any injuries to persons aboard the vessel. Also since you were sailing after sunset the company's insurance for the vessel is not in effect so they will not cover anything. Hitting a reef in the Florida Key's National Marine Sanctuary can result in a $10,000 fine.
Now that I have successfully scared you away from ever leaving your house again. Let me say that hundreds of folks go sailing aboard charter boats every year and the vast majority never have anything but a great time. Just remember that skippering a vessel is a serious business and the better you prepare yourself, the more fun and less trouble you'll encounter. Take it slow, work at gaining the skills, remember that building experience is the key.