Bareboat Yacht Chartering in the Whitsundays
Bareboat is a term coined in America where the hiring out of sail-it-yourself yachts was first developed. 'You are the skipper, your friends the crew'. Bareboating commenced in the Whitsundays in the late 1970s, and today the area has the largest bareboat fleet in the South Pacific. Bareboats are usually quite luxuriously appointed, and due to their being licensed as commercial craft, are constructed to more rigorous standards than are many private yachts. Both power boats and sail boats with auxiliary engines are available, ranging in length from about 7 metres (containing 4 berths) up to 15 metres (10 berths). As a rule of thumb, for maximum comfort, the crew should number two fewer than the maximum number of berths on the yacht.
How to go about a bareboat charter
Bareboat charter bookings can be made either directly with the charter company or through a travel agent. A deposit is required at the time of booking, which is held until the completion of the charter. The balance of the charter fee is usually payable 60 days before the charter begins. Travel insurance is recommended in case it is necessary to cancel.
How much experience is necessary?
Charterers need no formal qualifications. It's a good idea to have someone in the crew who has had experience handling a boat. The crew is given a briefing and checkout aboard the yacht before setting off, at which time the skipper will need to demonstrate that he or she can handle the vessel. If the charter company has doubts about the skipper's ability, it may request that a professional skipper go along for a day or two (at the charterers expense) until the crew is capable of handling the yacht themselves. A charter in the Whitsundays on a boat valued at perhaps $300,000 or more is perhaps not the best time to learn for the first time how to drop an anchor, but if someone in the crew has had a little previous experience, there shouldn't be any problem.
What type of boats are available?
Charter vessels come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Monohulls (one hull) and Catamarans (two hulls) are available as either sailboats or motorboats. Sailboats are a fun way to experience the peace and tranquility of the area - though not as fast as motor boats, they can't always cover as much distance in a day. Catamarans offer more space than monohulls, though some people prefer the motion of a monohull in a seaway. Ultimately the choice comes down to personal preference and budget. Most charter companies can provide detailed specifications of their available choices.
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How long to charter?
Charters are measured in nights aboard the vessel. They usually begin at midday, and the first afternoon is largely taken up with briefing and being checked out aboard the yacht. The first night will therefore be spent at, or close to, the port of departure (all yachts must be anchored by 4.00 pm because coral reefs are very difficult to see when the sun is at a low angle). Charters end on the morning of the final day, so the last night out needs to be spent at an anchorage not too far from home base. So, out of a week's charter, this leaves five nights of real freedom of choice of anchorages, making a seven-night charter the practical minimum if one is to have enough time to see something of the area without imitating a road-runner.
Bareboat charter costs
The costs of a bareboat charter include the hire of the yacht, food, and perhaps a few extras, such as mooring fees when visiting an island resort. Charter companies offer a complete provisioning service which takes all the work and worry out of procuring food and planning meals. Several standards of provisioning, from 'basic' to 'gourmet', are available. Alternatively, charterers can do all the shopping and loading the food aboard themselves, which takes time out of the holiday, or they can provide a shopping list in advance and have the company buy to order (for which a service fee is charged). The cost of a bareboat holiday can become relatively inexpensive if the cost of hiring the boat is divided among a number of crew.
Crewed charters
For those who don't want the responsibility of skippering a yacht themselves, crewed charter vessels operate in the Whitsundays. These vessels come with a licensed skipper and assistant, who run the boat and pamper their guests. Sometimes the guests wish to take over the sailing and decision making, in which case the professional skipper and assistant are usually quite willing to simply become part of the crew. For some charterers this situation offers the best of both worlds being able to skipper the boat themselves while being free of some of the restrictions (and responsibilities) under which bareboat charterers operate, such as the limited charter area (which does not include the Barrier Reef), the need to be anchored by 4.00 pm, and so on.
Another variation on the theme is hiring a bareboat and arranging to have a professional skipper as well, in which case the charterer pays the normal costs of the bareboat plus the additional fee for the skipper and his/her food.