Chartering a Boat

By Jack Lagan

Caribbean Compass, December 2002:

“Caswell, a former senior editor of Yachting magazine, explores the fact and fiction of the world of yacht chartering and gives an inside look at what both novice and more experienced charterers need to know – from sailing skills to selecting a suitable boat to dealing with common problems encountered on charters. His advice ranges from the practical (‘Check the screw clamps on the outboard for tightness each time you use the dinghy, since they can vibrate loose’) to the good neighborly (‘Tie your halyards away from the mast as part of the post-anchoring clean-up drill’) to the sagacious (‘When packing your duffle bag for a charter cruise, leave your expectations at home.’) While this book is a must for potential charterers, it would be very useful for new cruisers as well.”

Latitudes & Attitudes, January/February 2002:

“Here’s a book written by a man who has hundreds of hours of experience on charter boats, and he gives an insight into what you need to know. It is an honest and straight look at the charter boat and tells a prospective charterer just what to look for and to watch out for.”

Excerpted from Soundings, October 2001:

“Chris Caswell believes anybody can charter on an average vacation budget, and can quote some solid price comparisons to prove it. And if that’s not enough to convince the reader that chartering is affordable, Caswell has included a whole chapter of money saving tips in Chartering a Boat: Sail and Power

“The book begins with what Caswell labels the basics: choosing the right location, type of charter (bareboat, crewed or flotilla chartering) and charter company, as well as picking your crew and what to take. He also covers some necessary seamanship skills, but emphasizes that this book is not meant to replace any of the standard books on seamanship and boat handling.

“The third section of Chartering a Boat gives brief summaries of charter areas in the Caribbean, the Bahamas and North America, Europe, the South Pacific and Asia. He gives a short description of the area, weather and chartering conditions for each place, and where possible, lessons he has learned first-hand while chartering there.”

Excerpted from Midwest Book Review, September 2001:

“An ideal introduction for the novice traveler, and an invaluable reference for the seasoned charterer, Chris Caswell's Chartering a Boat: Sail and Power provides a comprehensive explanation of everything necessary for the successful selection and chartering of a boat whether for business or for pleasure, a day cruise or a round-the-world excursion… [It] is a completely ‘user friendly” compendium of advice on everything from selecting the right cruising area to dealing with problems common to chartering, to choosing good company, to paying the right price for services received. If you are anticipating chartering any kind of vessel, your first step is to read Chris Caswell's Chartering a Boat”

Excerpted from Sailing, August 2001:

“The first opening paragraph of this book had me hooked.

“For many, the only way to enjoy the pleasures of sailing in the Caribbean or Mediterranean or elsewhere else, would be to charter a boat; and no doubt, just as many would have discarded the idea of chartering, stillborn, on the grounds of uncertainty and of costs. I have never had to go the charter route, but the word picture above rekindled wonderful memories, and the cost bit certainly grabbed my attention.

“From that point on the author takes one through every aspect of chartering, its pitfalls and pleasures. You’ll learn about bare-boating, and what is required to do that, crewed charters, flotilla charters, school and special interest charters. You’ll learn how to choose an area, choose a boat, choose a crew, and how to take care of the paperwork, and what to take. There are hints and tips on how to save money, and on good seamanship when you do eventually make it onboard. Descriptions of the sailing grounds completes a very readable, very useful and informative book that should dispel most of the doubts of those a little wary about taking the plunge.”

SAIL, August 2001:

“Chartering sailboats, especially bareboat chartering, is one of those things that can offer the best and the worst of all possible worlds. On the one hand, there are few experiences half so satisfying as going cruising in one of the world's premier cruising spots on a well-found and beautifully maintained boat. On the other, the charter business and the sailing community are replete with stories of charters gone wrong: of deposits stolen, boats that didn't work, uncomfortable sailing, even the loss of boats to reefs and storms.

“It was with situations like these in mind that Sailing's own Chris Caswell wrote his new book Chartering a Boat: Sail and Power, a comprehensive guide to the business of having fun on someone else's boat with plenty of do's and don'ts so you can get the most out of the positive side of the charter equation while avoiding the negatives.

“The book, published by Sheridan House Inc., of Dobbs Ferry, New York, will, of course, be most valuable to those who are new to chartering, and it includes both warnings that the charterer should be fully qualified before setting sail as well as tips on becoming qualified for those who are new to sailing. But it is also intended for sailors who already know their way around a boat, or who have already been on a charter or two, but could still use a few tips on how to make sure they get the most out of a trip when they head off to points relatively unknown.

“There's advice on reading between the lines of your charter brochure to be certain that your luxurious 'three-stateroom cruiser' will, in fact, have room for your charter party, as well as tips on making sure your boat was built with ventilation in mind, especially if you are chartering in the tropics. There are insights on gauging water tankage and reefer capacity as well as how to deal with emergencies ranging from severe sunburn to engine failure to running aground.

“Perhaps most important, Caswell offers a number of techniques for ensuring that the charter company select will be reputable and provide you with the kind of boat you were promised. The vast majority of charter companies are both honest and conscientious. And the vast majority of charterers blithely go through their sailing lives without ever getting a lemon. Still, doesn't it make sense to follow a few elementary procedures to make sure you aren't that fellow back at the yacht club or marina bar with the colorful stories about the 'charter gone bad?'

“Throughout the book, Caswell treats his subject with the same freshness and candor that makes his regular On the Wind column such a joy to read, and only comes with years of experience in a wide variety of situations. His descriptions of different charter destinations around the world make you want to visit them all. And his history of the evolution of the charter industry, while brief, offers an excellent insight as to how these people got these great jobs in some of the most beautiful spots on the planet.

“'When packing your duffel bag for a charter cruise, leave your expectations at home,' Caswell writes. 'Open your mind and your spirit, enjoy what you can, and take home memories of incredible sunsets, pristine beaches, and afternoon sails on sparkling waters.'

“If that doesn't make you want to go for a cruise, I don't know what will. Where do I sign up?”

Latitudes & Attitudes:

“Believe it or not, not everyone owns a boat and a lot of boaters like to charter a boat in areas that they cannot manage to get to due to time constraints. This book gives you good guidelines on what to look for, and what to take with you when you go.”