Crewed Charter

Steve McCrea, president of Ed Hamilton & Co. , shares these tips for finding the best crewed charter vacation. McCrea is a member of the American Yacht Charter Association, the Charter Yacht Brokers Association, and a former general manager of Sunsail Sailing Vacations in the United States.

1. Choose a Broker and Stick with Him:
It’s good to shop around at first to find a good fit, but at some point it’s advantageous to choose one broker to work with rather than trying to pit one broker against another, which is usually the worst way to utilize a broker. A good broker will be your advocate and should act more as a consultant than a salesperson, and you should get that feeling. Your broker should have seen the boats and met and interviewed as many crews as he or she can, will let you know when they haven’t, and will be prepared to vet the boats and crews they haven’t seen. It’s best to use a broker who is a member of AYCA, (American Yacht Charter Association), CYBA, (Charter Yacht Brokers Association), preferably, both.

2. Choose a Location Wisely:
This is key for bareboat charters as well as crewed charters. It ties into choosing a broker as well, as a good broker should have good destination knowledge, not just a sense of the various stops and general ambiance of the area. Your broker should also be able to advise on the sailing conditions, and particularly, the expected sea state.

When considering the sea state, it’s important to think primarily of the lowest common denominator, i.e. — your guests with the least amount of boating experience. Very often we have clients choosing locations solely by where flights are most direct, (or more frequently, cheapest).

Certainly ease of air travel has to play a role, especially for families, but choosing a sailing location only on flight availability is rarely a good idea. One may save two hours in an airport, only to lose five hours beating or motoring upwind – airplanes go upwind far better than sailboats! Naturally the more unspoiled locations are harder to fly to, but they’re often worth it.

3. Set a Realistic Budget:
Everyone has a budget, from most economical to the biggest spenders. It’s important to set this realistically — neither too low, nor too high, as both can be problematic. Everyone wants a good value, of course, but setting a budget is all about maintaining expectations. At the end of the day what matters more than what you spent is whether or not your expectations were met, or hopefully exceeded, by your experience.

If you set too low a budget and focus too much on getting a deal, you’re bound to compromise on the quality, and need to lower your expectations accordingly. There are sometimes discounts and offers, but they’re generally not large with most good crewed yachts, and fairly rare with the most popular ones. If a boat is offering a big discount, there’s probably a reason, and not usually a good one. The best deal is always found by choosing the right boat and crew for your group.

It’s perhaps counterintuitive, but it can be difficult, impossible even, to meet expectations if your budget is too high. If you’re pushing to the top of your budget because your heart is set on the newest, shiniest, largest boat you can possibly attain, it’s not unlikely that your expectations will rise to an unattainable level. Keep the budget comfortable enough to enjoy your vacation (and to be able to afford another!).

Remember also to budget for a crew gratuity, which can be a notable expense. Your broker should advise you of this, as well as explain what tip levels are appropriate. If you have a broker suggesting crew gratuity as a place to save money, you’ve found a completely unscrupulous broker and you should move on. They likely have a poor reputation with the boats and crews and that’s no way to start the relationship.

4. The Crew Drive the Charter Experience:
Books could be written on the subject, and every situation is different. A key guideline is remembering that the crew is generally a more important consideration in making your choice than the boat is. The crew drive the experience. What’s great about that goes hand in hand with staying realistic about the budget. There are excellent crews on even the smallest boats, which means you can have a great charter at any reasonable price point. The emphasis on crew is stronger in Caribbean yachts in the sub-85-foot range or so, but remains a point to consider in almost all crewed charters.

While the crew is key, of course the boat has to meet your standards. When planning on paper, the vast majority of charterers go straight to the layouts, (this phenomenon is true of bareboats as well as crewed yachts), and they often make their choices based on the accommodations. You of course need a comfortable place to call home for the week, but the reality is that you’ll spend about one percent of your waking hours belowdeck. Remember to focus on features that are important, such as outdoor space, access to water, comfortable outdoor seating and lounging areas, room both to enjoy the sun and to escape it.

It’s generally not good to get wrapped up in specific watersports toys, for example, SUPs, kayaks, towable toys, etc. If something’s important to you, by all means let your broker know, but provided the boat has a tender with a large enough outboard to handle wakeboards and/or waterskis, then any specific items you may want can be rented or purchased.

5: Dates and When to Book:
Many people are locked into when they can go, especially families with children in school. However, the more flexible you can be, the more choices you’ll have and subsequently the better value for money you’ll get. If possible, try to book 6 to 8 months out, and for the most popular weeks, (New Year’s, Presidents Week, Easter), 10 to 12 months is better. We’re generally able to find customers suitable boats even within a month, (except for New Year’s), but the choices will be greatly reduced so it’s a matter of choosing what’s left rather than getting exactly what you want. Those holiday weeks are the ones to avoid if possible, as they’re much busier on the water, and will cost more, especially in terms of airfare. A good broker can advise on when a good time to go is, and what weeks are busiest.

Click here to read more about how to plan a charter vacation.

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Sea Cloud Sailing

Sea Cloud Cruises, which offers trips aboard three- and four- masted barques measuring more than 350 feet in length, has focused its itineraries and destinations in 2014 also to appeal to small-boat sailors. The company, which has offered full-service, multithemed cruises throughout the Mediterranean and other European ports since 1979, is adding shorter trips and those that allow wind and weather to determine ports of call (departure ports and arrival ports remain fixed). The company also offers transatlantic crossings from Spain to the Caribbean. For rates and itineraries consult the company (www.seacloud.com).

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Superior Magic

“You have a job,” said Steve Frischmann. We barely looked up from our trout sandwiches and fries, our Millers and our Leinenkugels, the fare du jour at Maggie’s, a popular lakeside joint in Bayfield, Wisconsin.

Pausing momentarily for emphasis, the captain of Windwalker, a spanking new Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 509, and a trim, fit man with many watery miles in his wake, went on.

“One, relax,” he began. “Two, have a lot of fun.”

Seemed sensible enough, as captain’s orders go. Our crew—newly retired Robin Groszko; her husband, athletic Mick Groszko; their niece, photographer Marianne G. Lee, on a brief sabbatical from motherhood; and yours truly—didn’t overthink it. We dutifully returned to the business at hand, eagerly downing dinner and drink.

Between mouthfuls, I suddenly wondered, what was the captain’s scheme? How does a newly retired career dynamo like Robin relax? Having met her but a few hours earlier, I sensed that for her, the notion of relaxation might require, well, a little work.

| |The swift Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 509 Windwalker makes a quick tack in front of the quaint skyline of Bayfield Wisconsin. |

Could Captain Steve have meant that this magically happens by taking early morning beach walks and tracing fresh bear tracks? By strolling into whispering hardwood forests to explore the diverse plant communities spawned by the formation of a tombolo? Or how about by hopping on a bike and clocking miles that Robin’s packed work schedule and the dual roles of devoted wife and mother left too little room for over the years?

Maybe the captain meant that relaxation mysteriously comes about by tucking comfortably into a seat in a spacious cockpit aboard a speedy chine-hulled masthead sloop during bracing runs to and from the countless anchorages of the glorious Apostle Islands of mighty Lake Superior.

Or that it seeps in while a two-person crew does all the deck work and waits on you hand and foot, serving up scrumptious fresh food and drink? Or that it comes quietly, while you slumber on a firm mattress in a stateroom that’s spacious and full of storage yet cozy and comfortable?

Only a few days later, in all these ways and more, that very sensible set of captain’s orders from Steve—relax and have fun—had been carried out, and to a T.

“That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout!” he jubilantly cried from one of the dual helm stations while we counted up all the fresh memories of a too-brief trip and let Windwalker strut her stuff one final time, unfurling the UK-Halsey Mylar-laminate sails with taffeta and embarking on a series of tacking romps off Bayfield harbor so Marianne could trail us in a chase boat and add more shots to the scrapbook.

New Beginnings

| |Charter guests Robin and Mick Groszko enjoy late-afternoon drinks on the foredeck of Windwalker.|

The intersection of Robin Groszko’s farewell from her job at a women’s health clinic with the dress rehearsal of Sail Nouveau, a crewed chartering service that Superior Charters of Bayfield (www.superiorcharters.com) officially kicks off in June 2013, seemed foretold in the stars. Or maybe it was divined by Mick. Since retiring as the manager of the Chrysler quality institute in 2007, Robin’s lanky spouse has developed a yen for cycling (clocking 6,000 miles a year), helicopter skiing, and astroimagery, the photography of galaxies and other interstellar objects.

Then again, forget the night sky and all its secrets—maybe Mick is just a master of the obvious. One afternoon, when Robin started to describe her career, saying “I’m a social worker with a master’s degree—,” Mick cut her off.

“You’re a was,” he reminded her as Windwalker slipped along in the breeze and we guests chatted away, oblivious to Captain Steve’s seamless helming. And as a was, deciding whether to come with us for a few days in late September, albeit after having just downsized to a new house, was really a no-brainer. “The only thing I’m missing is the book club,” Robin said, balancing her outstretched arms like scales. “Let’s see: Sailing? Book Club? Sailing?”
Her smile said it all.

The Groszkos each had experience sailing Hobie Cats and other small boats, and Mick’s father had owned a 43-foot powerboat for Great Lakes cruising. Together, they had one crewed charter in the British Virgin Islands on their sailing résumé. “Best vacation—ever,” Robin said. “We’re not newbies, but we don’t do this every week.”
**

The Lap of Luxury**

From Windwalker’s sexy teak deck with flush hatches and aft fold-down swim platform to the clean, spacious styling and rich wood interior below—just a few of

| |Meals like this lunch of marinated pork and field greens, prepared fresh in the galley, are part of the crewed-vacation experience with Superior Charters.|

the touches associated with renowned designer Philippe Briand—to say we were impressed with our temporary home was an understatement.

Robin dubbed the forward stateroom that she and Mick shared the “fantasy suite.” It wasn’t a stretch, given the cabin’s double hanging lockers, overhead storage that ran the length of the hull on each side, and desk/vanity, not to mention the en suite head and separate shower stall. And the Groszkos themselves, who each stand more than six feet tall, pointed out that any boat whose headroom meets their height requirements is a winner.

As we whiled away the hours gawking, mate and cook Alec Kalow kept reminding us, “Your wish is my command.”

But we couldn’t possibly know that we were in want of anything, ever, from the moment we set foot aboard, to our departure.

From a welcome basket bursting with down-home goodies like Wisconsin maple syrup and locally harvested apples to a full menu of meals, hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and wines, and dessert, we stayed overwhelmed, not to mention well fed, from fare whose ingredients were local and sustainably sourced.
**

Off the Beaten Track**

| |Windwalker’s crew mate and chef Alee Kalow (raising the main) and captain Steve Frischmanm (at the helm), ready the boat for sail while Mick Groszko looks ahead.|

What with Lake Superior’s reputation for producing sudden, wicked, and deadly storms, particularly in the spring and the fall, we felt fortunate to be in the relative protection of the Apostles, which are situated to the west in the lake, close to Bayfield on the mainland.

And we felt lucky to miss peak bug-biting season by sailing in September. Of the archipelago’s 22 islands, which cover more than 720 square miles, 21 are within the boundaries of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and offer many outdoor recreational options, from hiking and paddling to cruising and camping. Madeline Island, the only populated island, has about 220 year-round residents and as many as 2,500 in summer.

Madeline’s population doesn’t detract from its beauty; for that matter, you’d be hard pressed to complain at all about the scenery anywhere here, from the forests of pine and birch rimmed by red sandstone cliffs and shores to clear waters that appear emerald from a distance. As for the black bears, indeed, there are plenty, and I came as close to them as I cared to, often on beach walks encountering their fresh tracks and scat in the sand.

Our three-night sojourn, alas, came during a week when frequent storms were forecast. With Steve’s help, we studied the charts and came up with a loose sailing itinerary that allowed us to visit Madeline, Stockton, and Michigan islands, truly a stone’s throw from each other, and be well tucked in at anchor or dockside overnight.

So I can’t say the guest crew of Windwalker sailed far, but we sailed well and explored often. We wandered the beaches and trails of Stockton Island, marveling at the diversity of its coniferous-hardwood forest and the pine savannah of the tombolo, a geologic feature that occurs when a bridge of sand connects two pieces of land. Upon our return to the dock, we met up with the crew of a Midship 25, Jim and Mike. Having been “beat up by the cold,” as Jim said, they were headed back to the mainland, to Saxon Harbor. For the record, they didn’t catch any fish, and that, combined with the weather, determined for the pair that enough was enough. We bid our farewells as they cast off their lines, and while we waited for Steve to pick us up in the dinghy, we considered the plush accommodations and, more to the point, the hot showers and heat that awaited us back aboard.
**

A Pair of Lighthouses**

| |The tale of how Michigan Island came to have to lighthouses is well documented.|

From Stockton, we motored to nearby Michigan Island. After anchoring, Steve took Marianne and me ashore in the dinghy; we triumphed over the swells that slammed into the dock, scrambling up one of its sides. The next challenge, ascending a large staircase and tramway that lead to a pair of lighthouses, was easy by comparison.

An incredible story accompanies the lights, a 19th-century tale that can make any 21st-century taxpayer wince about how Uncle Sam spends our money. The short form is that the first light was supposed to be built for a different Apostle Island, a government official changed plans at the last minute, and so the first light was erected on Michigan. The second, taller light came years later but wasn’t erected until it sat on the island’s beach, awaiting assembly, for a decade. For more juicy details, read the complete story at the lakeshore website.

Reluctantly, we heeded storm warnings and agreed with Steve and Alec’s suggestion to hightail it from Michigan and park Windwalker in a marina at Madeline. This was more fun than we first thought it’d be, for the island and main town of La Pointe offer plenty for tourists. We marveled over chainsaw art at Island Carvers and paid admission for a complete tour of the Madeline Island Museum. Skies were still blue and the sun shone brightly, so we figured that renting bikes from Motion to Go would be good exercise and fun.

That great ride, including another beach stroll, hinted that fall was upon us. Red, green, and gold leaves rustled in the wind; the air felt crisp. And it let Lake Superior remind us that Mother Nature remains firmly in charge. We saw sun but heard thunderheads, and we barely made it back to the shop before suddenly black-purple skies let loose hefty sheets of slanted rain. Taking pity on us, a kind islander offered us rides in two shifts to the marina, barely a few hundred feet away.

“Do you know who that was?” Marianne asked once we were all below and dry aboard Windwalker.

“No,” I answered. “Who was he?”

“Dick Coleman,” she said. “He’s another skipper for Superior Charters, and he lives on Madeline.”

How cool is that? Everywhere you go, there’s crew on your boat, and crew on land, ready and waiting to assist you. Now that’s a level of superior service.

Great Lakes chartering companies include Superior Charters. For other chartering options, consult the CW 2012 Charter Address Book.

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| |Dream Yacht Charter offers book by cabin charters aboard a Prout 50 like this one in the Bahamas starting in June 2013. Photo courtesy of Dream Yacht Charter.|

Dream Yacht Charter has expanded its By the Cabin Vacations to include the North Atlantic destination of the Bahamas and the South Pacific destination of the Marquesas.

The Bahamas Dream aboard a Prout 50, launching June 1, 2013, offers three double cabins, and includes all meals. Also included are watersports amenities such as standup paddleboards, fishing equipment, snorkel gear, and sea kayaks. Introductory pricing is available for the first 26 couples who book. The Sail with Dream on a By the Cabin Vacation in the Marqueses, with similar amenities, is offered starting December 9, 2013. For details contact Dream Yacht Charter.

San Francisco with Wine By Sail

| |Explore San Francisco Bay and wine country on a crewed charter aboard a Laurent Giles-designed ketch, whose features include a partially enclosed wheelhouse. Photo couresy of Clark Beek.|

Wine By Sail in San Francisco features a gourmet food and wine experience with Captain Clark Beek aboard the 40-foot Condesa, a Laurent Giles-designed ketch. Local chefs and sommeliers pair wines from Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino with seasonal fruits, local cheeses, artisan breads, and prepared dishes for day sails and term charters in the bay and beyond.

Beek spent ten years circumnavigating Condesa via the Cape of Good Hope, the Horn, and Antarctica. Her bluewater seakindliness and semi-enclosed wheelhouse make her ideal for San Francisco’s windy and foggy summers. The boat is available during summer and fall, including events such as the Louis Vuitton Cup, the America’s Cup, and others. For details visit the Wine By Sail website.

Women’s Classes in Lake Superior
The folks at Superior Charters in Bayfield, Wisconsin, say the time is right to give the best Mother’s Day gift ever. The company offers classes for women only in June, July, August, and September in the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior. The classes are for 3 to 4 women at a time and taught on a late-model, three cabin keelboat. Contact Superior Charters for details.

Unforgettable Maine
The schooner Bonnie Lynn now offers the option of strict kosher meals prepared by co captain and chef Bonnie MacKenzie, whose galley is fully equipped to meet all necessary dietary requirements. For details contact Nicholson Yachts Worldwide. Fiona Rois, a 45-foot Cape Dory ketch, offers summer charters throughout coastal Maine with Captain Michael Ryan and first mate and chef Joy Ryan. For details contact Charter Sailing Unlimited.

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Bocas del Toro, Panama

I’d never have thought of Bocas del Toro, an archipelago on the Caribbean side of Panama near Costa Rica (think: skip the San Blas, and head northwest), as a prime chartering ground.

Certainly, salty cruising sailors and nautical locals like Ray Jason, who’s well installed aboard Aventura, his 30-foot sloop here, would be perfectly happy if I’d give this beautiful tropical gem a miss.

There are a few hundred boats and a few thousand people on nine islands and countless mangrove cays spread across two good-sized bays, Almirante and Chiriqui, and that’s about that. Dare I forget to mention the frogs, butterflies, tiny tree crabs, and three-toed sloths. Under water, there are hundreds of varieties of sponges, coral, starfish and reef fish.

Ray Jason introduced me to Eko Smith, the assistant port captain.

But given that I’m here now, aboard a sailboat, I can’t help writing about it. When friends asked us to join them on a Trade Winds Cruise Club crewed charter aboard the Trade Winds Explorer, a Royal Cape catamaran (70 feet in length, 30 foot beam) in this lush, relatively untrammeled cruising ground (well, certainly untrammeled compared to the Virgins in the Eastern Caribbean) how could I resist?

Trade Winds has certainly gotten ahead of the pack of charter companies here; the company also offers transits of the Panama Canal and trips in Las Perlas, Panama, on the Pacific Ocean side. What could be more perfect? We’re basking in warm winds, anticipating snorkeling, diving, and kayaking, quickly and easily forgetting the frigid temps up north.

Click here to see more photos from the trip!

One of our young crew, Elizabeth, nabbed a sea urchin.

While a lovely dinner of shrimp and pasta, salad, and key lime pie, beautifully prepared by chef Sarah Yarwood, is digesting, I’m mulling over the anticipated adventures of the coming week: snorkeling and diving off Starfish Beach, kayaking through narrow mangrove channels, spying a dolphin or two, visiting a cacao plantation and sampling its attendant organic chocolate products.

You won’t starve for fresh fruits and veggies in Bocas. The mango is wonderful!

The Trade Winds concept offers shared charters all over the world, from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean and French Polynesia. It’s a member based charter company, with fractional ownership options. You can book by cabin, which means you may not start out knowing your crew mates, but you certainly won’t end the trip without making their acquaintance. You can also reserve the entire boat, too.

Our crew on this TW charter are Paul, captain, Sarah, chef, and Taylor, engineer and deckhand.

On this trip, we got off the dock right away, but before we set out for more secluded spots, I nabbed a good-natured Mr. Jason for breakfast at Lily’s and a tour of Bocas Town, on Isla Colon, the starting location of the charter.

Bocas Town is the confluence of laid-back, surfer-backpack-expat activity. “We have a great camaraderie between sailors and land dwellers,” Ray said. “Unlike a place like St. Thomas, with its seasonal homes, people live here full time. It gives you a whole different vibe.”

Indeed, after a stroll down one of the town’s two main streets, I caught on.

Click here to read Part 2 of Elaine’s trip in Panama.

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Sailing Apostle Islands

Harvest season is in the air in Wisconsin, so it was a fitting welcome to find a fresh baked pie made with apples from a nearby orchard topped off with ice cream from a local dairy aboard Windwalker, the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 509 we’re about to take out with Superior Charters this week.

On our trip over the next few days, cruising the islands and anchorages of western Lake Superior with captain and mate, we’ll introduce the Sail Nouveau crewed yacht charter experience the company’s owners will talk up at winter boat shows and formally kick off in Bayfield, Wisconsin, in June 2013.

Our crew, photographer Marianne Lee and her uncle and aunt, Mick and Robin Groszko, are looking forward to relaxing while the captain and mate sail the boat, cook the meals, and clean up. Yours truly, who’s done plenty of time as galley slave and swab, is pretty pleased, too, for a little change of pace aboard.

Six of the company’s 50-boat strong fleet will be available with captain and cook for the sailing season 2013 for trips of at least three nights. Sail Nouveau will also include concierge service, add-on trip bookings to golf courses, inns, campsites, and other custom itineraries, as well as a clubhouse with full kitchen and bathhouse facilities. Two of the boats, a new Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 509 and a new Jeanneau 57, are a part of the crewed fleet. For details contact the company (www.superiorcharters.com, www.sailnouveau.com).

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Catamaran Adventure Charter

A postcard-perfect morning of blue skies, glittering emerald waters, and steady easterly trades embraced Shrek, a Lagoon 420 anchored at Cooper Island, in the British Virgin Islands, as its crewmates prepared to raise the main and head up Sir Francis Drake Channel to North Sound, at Virgin Gorda.
“You wanna sail?” asks skipper Ken Rollins. “We’re headed right into the wind, and we got 15 knots.”

It seemed the natural thing to do. With that, another installment in the long-running series of CW’s successful Sail-a-Cat Adventure Charters really got its game on. Sail-a-Cat is but one of an array of trips offered through the magazine’s Adventure Charter program, which for more than 25 years has guided sailors through organized flotillas to destinations all over the globe.

This particular flotilla, hosted in December 2010 by yours truly and my partner, Captain Rick Martell, was billed as a chance for participants to try out multihulls while hearing tales from our years spent sailing and living in the Caribbean; in fact, the stories from my fellow sailors, heard while we gunkholed our way through the popular archipelago, are what made the experience so appealing to us.

The Rollinses’ sailing story hooked me in, pronto. These folks, who sail Sea Karma IV, a Catalina 35, from the Gulf Coast of Alabama, aren’t only vets of Sail-a-Cat; they’re vets of Shrek, as well. Change has come to both boat and crew over time, and the family—Ken; his wife, Trudy; their son, Chad; and his wife, Chris—possessed ample doses of good humor about how time makes an impression on humans and hulls.

So did other crewmates aboard the eight-pack cat, who found their patience tested by the boat’s systems and hardware. “But all the water’s on the outside,” says crew William “Denny” Clinton. “So that’s a good thing.”

Once under way, the Lagoon ingratiated itself by making short work of the hop northeast to Virgin Gorda. “We’re gonna tack!” Ken calls out to the ladies sunning themselves on the foredeck. “You’ll have a sheet come across your head.”

So we rolled over a bit—there’s so much room on the foredeck of a cat that shifting from starboard to port involved no serious climbing, as it can aboard a monohull. Ours was more a move away from the heat of the sun. “When they tack, we tack,” says Chris.

As we slid past Spanishtown, on Virgin Gorda, Chris told me that she was enjoying the post-exam break from her position on the faculty of the St. Louis University School of Law. The trip, she explained, was a birthday present for Chad. “We decided that this is where we’d be,” she says.

Chad’s mom, Trudy, who’s sailed since 1983, prefers line-of-sight sailing to ocean crossings. While Ken, Denny, my Rick, and Shrek crewmate Rick Flack sailed the boat, she relaxed and reminisced about their first Sail-a-Cat, which circumnavigator and CW contributor Tania Aebi hosted. “We talked a lot about the responsibility of sailing,” Trudy says. “And I always remember her saying, ‘Why do something if you don’t have to?’ This is great sailing.”

As we closed in on our destination, stomachs rumbling, Trudy offered up a snack. “Here, have a Frito. It’s a Rollins family tradition. Whenever we take the kids out, we have Fritos. Chad broke them open last night.”

Devoted Daughters and Fast Friends
Once Shrek was moored off Virgin Gorda’s Bitter End Yacht Club, Rick and I bid farewell to the crew and went ashore for a cool drink. While we wiggled our toes in the sand, we spied our longtime pals Joanne Yacko and Judy Moloughney, crewmates on the Lagoon 440 Castellina II. Like Chad Rollins, Joanne celebrated a birthday on this trip, but the story didn’t end there.

“We’re summer friends,” Joanne says, gesturing toward Judy and explaining that they met more than 35 years ago when their families spent summers in their beach houses in New Suffolk, on New York’s Long Island. Joanne and Judy remained friends through the years, and now they both live year-round in New Suffolk with their mothers. They live three blocks apart, and their mothers have become close friends.

“We commiserated that life’s too short and that we wanted to go off and do something that we’d love to do,” says Joanne. “To take a breather from our responsibilities and have an adventure. It’s a recharger for us, and I think we’ll go back with a positive attitude.”

Judy, whose husband died two years ago, said she improved her sailing skills before this trip by going out on day jaunts with fellow Castellina II crewmate Joe Farrell aboard his Hunter 31.

“When you’re single, so many times you feel like a third wheel,” Judy says. “But here you feel like you can be part of a team instead of being passive, like on a cruise.”

Adds Joanne: “We wanted this on our bucket list.”

No sooner does she utter those words than a man relaxing on a lounge chair next to us exclaims, “You’re too young for a bucket list!” Such endearments, especially from a complete stranger, were met with great approval from the pair.

Castellina II crewmates Wayne Lange and Diane Kelley agreed that the trip was a sorely needed break from the cares of the real world.
“I was down about a business deal that collapsed,” Wayne says. “Then I saw the ad, and I made a phone call.”

There were other good reasons to do the trip, too: For one thing, the couple wanted to gain experience handling a multihull. “I just want to get comfortable so I can put friends who aren’t sailors on a boat with me and it’ll be OK,” Wayne adds. “Cats give you more room.”

And Diane was eager to meet other sailors as well and to learn the ropes. “We knew there were things we didn’t know, and we were hoping to learn more of the technical aspects of sailing a cat,” she says. “What I’m learning is that it’s not too difficult with 44 feet. I love cats.”

Winning Trio
Can you imagine putting three strangers, two Canadians and one from the U.S. Midwest, on the same boat for the first time? That’s exactly what happened with the crew combination aboard Tony, a Gemini 34.

When Rick and I came aboard for the motorsail from Anegada to Jost Van Dyke, skipper Steve Craiggs of Calgary was nonchalantly brushing his teeth off the stern. Given Tony’s compact accommodations, I wasn’t so surprised by this, and it hinted that Steve might be pretty familiar with the liveaboard bareboat routine.
Indeed, he is. Not only was this the businessman’s eighth trip to the B.V.I.; he’d also taken CW Adventure Charters to Greece and Croatia. By the end of Sail-a-Cat, he was already inquiring about another charter that the magazine is putting on with partners and vacation brokers Peter and Carol King in 2011.
“OK, you can cast off, guys,” he calls out to mates Lawrence Elliott and Jim Ziss as we slipped off the mooring and exited the narrow channel of the Anegada anchorage. Ultimately, our voyage transitioned from a downwind run with the jib poled out by means of the boat hook to a complete motorsail. But it dampened no one’s spirits, and it gave us a chance to get to know the crew while Steve remained at the helm.

Lawrence, a public-health physician and professor from Winnipeg, and Jim, a retired mechanical engineer from Sandusky, Ohio, each possessed some nautical know-how, yet both seemed content enough to let Steve take the reins while they took orders. They praised the inclusive nature of the flotilla. “The nice thing about these trips is that they’re single friendly,” Lawrence says, “which is great if you can’t get a group together or if your plans fall through.

“Before this trip,” Lawrence says with a laugh, the three of them had “sailed together only by phone.”

Steve gave the best signal of all about onboard morale on the last night, at a lively farewell dinner party we hosted aboard our charter boat, Jack Sparrow, a Lagoon 500, while moored at The Bight, at Norman Island.

“We’re the three Tonys from Tony,” he declares. “This is my brother Tony, and this is my brother Tony.” The crowd ate it up, and so ended another memorable sailing flotilla in paradise.

Elaine Lembo, CW’s deputy editor, also writes about chartering. For details about CW Adventure Charters click here.

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The post CW Adventure Charter in the Grenadines appeared first on Cruising World.

Billy Black

Cruising World‘s Adventure Charter to the Caribbean islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in winter 2011 presented flotilla members an added dimension. Renowned husband-and-wife photography pros Billy Black and Joyce Black came along and showed the group how to step techniques up a few notches. Here’s a daily log by trip leader and longtime CW Adventure Charter partner Carol King:

Our small flotilla—Pelican, Havikah III, Tir Na Nog, and Ragazza II—sailed from the TMM base in St. Vincent. After completing all the formalities, we headed for the island of Bequia, and anchored in Admiralty Bay (N13°00 W61°14). Billy Black, our star marine photographer, and his wife, Joyce Black, the business’s manager and Adobe Photoshop guru, are aboard as coaches for our adventurer charterers, who have a particular interest in improving their photography techniques.

Billy is up early every morning to catch the best light. He’s a pro at getting into these little villages, meeting and engaging the fascinating, friendly islanders. He learned that there’s a turtle sanctuary on Bequia run by an ex-turtle fisherman who decided it was time to “give back.” There’s not much turtle fishing now, but some still get caught in nets and traps.

At our briefing the next morning, fleet skipper Brook Robertson suggests our southerly course to the Grenadines island of Mustique. From West Cay, we turn sharply to port and make for Middle Cay and Semplers Cay, off Petit Nevis. Pelican passes Ragazza and Havikah anchored for lunch in Friendship Bay, Bequia. On we go with a reefed main in 19 knots. With so much breeze, we ate our fresh, sun-filled tomato salad, green salad, and tuna salad out of over-sized serving bowls. Brook has a fishing pole out on both sides; the big white, yellow, and red 6-inch reel gleams gold in the sun. Let’s hope we catch something! (I’m thawing steaks just in case.)

The next day, our destination is Mayreau. Instead of crowded Salt Whistle Bay, we anchor in Saline Bay (N12°38.1 W61° 23.8). The hillside gleams with houses of yellow, turquoise, lavender, and lime green, with roofs of green, orange, blue and red. A kite boarder skims along a perfect beach. This is the ideal location for our traditional CW Adventure Charter Rum Punch Party.

Bottles of rum and tins of fruit juices crowd the galley. Peter, Karen Elliott, and Carol King concoct the potion, tasting each batch. Our big, empty water jugs make perfect decanters, which we chill in the freezer before the party. Tir Na Nog brought a nice healthy fruit plate for an hors d’oeuvre. Everyone else brought deviled eggs, which were all devoured, by the way. Amidst all the great conversations, learning about the other sailors on the trip, our attention is diverted when a local fisherman in a wildly-colored boat powers by, holding up a huge Caribbean lobster with its longs feelers squirming about madly. “Has anyone lost a lobster?” he calls out.

The next day, after breakfast of fruit and cereal, we dinghied ashore on Mayreau and climbed the steep hill, past the restaurant Dennis’s Hideaway, and stopped at the little grocery to replenish a few supplies. Important treasures we found were a metal scrubbie and salt/pepper shakers. Yeah! Now we can decant from the one-pound box of salt and the measly plastic bag of pepper. It’s the little things that make life on a boat easier.

We take on more climbing, past Roberts bar/restaurant, so colorful and festooned with everything under the sun, nautical and non-nautical. A woman is asleep on a cement porch. Baby goats are all around. A man and his wife are building a little shop near the school to be a “tuck shop” where kids can buy their candy. Just opposite, the local volunteers are digging up the earth to create a new road to the health clinic. Next door at the Catholic church is the best view in town across to the Tobago Cays and beyond. Inside, charming local artwork fills every nook and cranny. Enameled and framed Stations of the Cross grace the walls, and near the altar a lighted conch shell glows in the dusky light.

We’ve never seen so many boats in the Tobago Cays! Plenty of boat boys help with mooring balls or anchoring, off Baradel Island (N12°37.9 W61°21.3). Romeo, OJ, and Jason were selling lobster barbecue on the beach for EC$120, with a pick-up and delivery back to our boat as part of the bargain. Next to arrive was Mr. Quality, selling T-shirts, croissants, plain and chocolate, baguettes, bananas, bread, beer, ice. This was a winning combination, with something for everybody. We made our breakfast order for delivery the next morning.

At 5:30 p.m., our boat arrives and OJ ferries us to the beach barbecue. All the BBQ sellers have their picnic tables under the trees; ours was the purple/white tablecloth. We carry two sacks with our dishes, cutlery, glasses, and four bottles of wine. There’s plenty of time to wander around and inspect the set up. They’ve clearly been doing this a long time and have it all worked out; they provision from nearby Union island. There’s a man at the water’s edge whacking the lobsters in half. Romeo is at the BBQ, turning lobbies, basting with garlic butter. The table behind us is French, other side is Dutch, and there’s a Belgian couple to our right. All in all, there were at least 80 people, all thrilled that they didn’t need to cook on board.

What a feast! Side dishes arrive—rice with sautéed veggies, mixed veg, half-baked potato garnish, fried plantain, and the lobster centerpiece. After dinner, they even took our empty wine bottles—good service for sailors.

We visited Union Island next, spending the night at Chatham Bay. We depart at 5:30 a.m. the next morning for Grenada. Watching the local work boats race during the Port Louis Grenada Sailing Festival is the photographic raison’d’etre for this Adventure Charter.

The scene: pale blue sky, puffy clouds, 15-16 knots. Here they come, around the yellow turning mark, these tender work boats careening around, some out of control with make-up crews: Just imagine the colors, the action!

Billy is right there in the water just inside the yellow turning mark maneuvering his heavy camera in its waterproof armor into just the right position to catch the action of colorful boats and intense crews.

• Lady Abless (black bottom with yellow top)
• Mr. Surfrider (red & white in big angular blocks of color)
• Mill Reef (blue bottom with white top)
• Planass (white bottom with red top)
Oh, dear, one goes over! Endeavor (blue boat, red & white sails) is not quite around, she tacks and turns to make the mark.

• Riot Act (white)
• Mystery with a bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label Scotch!!
• Voop (green with open shark mouth)
• Classic (lime, white, lime)
• D Rage (!)
• Solo 1 (yellow and black)

On Grand Anse Beach, butterfly sails line the beach waiting for their next start. More than 30 red and yellow beach umbrellas line the beach on the left flank, where intrigued onlookers take in the scene, beers in hand.

• Mr. Surrender (red with white flash)
• Reborn (white with RA on sail)
• Swift (a black swift on a snowy sail)

Mill Reef and Planass race to the mark, D Rage is close behind. Action!

Oh, dear. Swift goes over! There is a small rescue boat nearby for help. At a quiet moment, Billy swims up to him and is offered a tot of rum from the nearly empty bottle. It’s been quite an afternoon!

Click here for more information about CW Adventure Charters in 2011 and beyond .

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