A Sailing Vacation Gift Certificate is a great surprise for your crew – read more about giving the gift of sailing….
Sure, we operate our charter fleet and sailing school out of northern Michigan, but when it’s time to head south…
Bareboat Charters
- Monohulls and Catamarans, Sail and Power Yachts, ferry schedules, provisioning and more.
- We will only recommend companies that have well maintained, clean yachts. We have a strong relationship with our warm-water partners so you can charter down south with the same comfort of chartering with us in Northern Michigan.
Crewed Charters
- Monohulls, Catamarans and Powerboats available
- Let a professional captain and crew take the helm. You can participate in the sailing as much (or as little) as you like.
- Meals and drinks are often included or can be added ala carte.
Learning Vacations
- From basic to advanced sailing courses, bareboat certifications, hotel sail-n-stay packages, even power-yacht courses.
- We work with companies in the Florida Keys and in the Virgin Islands so you can choose from two outstanding cruising grounds.
- If you’d prefer to sail with one of our Bay Breeze Instructors, we regularly send our instructors south to teach ASA courses in the Caribbean and Bob & Ann offer courses on their boat in the Florida Keys. Give us a call and we’ll set up your next warm-water learn-to-sail vacation!
Frequently Asked Questions
Chartering a sail or powerboat to take on your own. You are the captain and your friends and family are crew. The boat may come with linens, safety gear, an operations manual, a full tank of diesel and water but that’s where the frills stop. All the extras such as kayaks, food, beverage or even a captain are ala carte. Why, you ask, would a charter company let a stranger take a large, expensive cruising yacht for the week? All applicants are screened by submitting boating resumes and checked out dockside by the fleet manager to ensure the charterer isn’t a danger to the yacht or to himself! If this isn’t quite what you were looking for in a vacation, “Crewed Charters” may be just what you’re looking for!
The best way to start shopping out boats is to look at your past experience and what size and type of boat you’re comfortable with. If your skills are a bit rusty, we can arrange for captains or sailing guides that can spend anywhere from a few hours to the entire week with you.
There are about a dozen or so bareboat companies in the Virgin Islands. Some are based on the US Island of St. Thomas; the others are based on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Choosing a company may depend on what you’re looking for in a bareboat. Some companies have the newest, latest production boats and charge accordingly, others have older model boats at a discounted rate. The Bay Breeze Yacht Charters Staff have personally seen the boats, met the staff and can recommend from first hand experience what company would be best for you.
There are a few companies that are based closer to the “Spanish Virgin Islands” (Vieques & Culebra) which are more off the beaten path. If going to these islands is on your itinerary, we’ll recommend the best charter companies to base out of.
Most companies adopt the same policies regarding damage deposits required, qualifications to skipper a bareboat, reservations and cancellations. But companies differ when it comes to check outs and returns (briefings and debriefs) and with the boats they offer. What island you fly into may depend on where your yacht is based (although there are a number of inter-island ferries). Without proper planning, you could spend the first day of charter trying to get to your yacht!
Some fleets have older model boats (in some Caribbean charter fleets, older models may be mid 7-12 years old) which may not have inverters, air conditioning or other amenities found on newer boats. These are still great sailing boats that may not look showroom new but that comes with a greatly reduced price. Most fleets have a combination of the newest and the not-so-new boats.
Call us and we’ll steer you towards the company that will give you exactly what you’re looking for in a bareboat.
The three biggest factors in choosing a boat are:
- What are you qualified to captain?
- How many people do you have in your group?
- What is your budget?
All bareboat companies offer captains that can skipper the boat for just a day or for the entire week. This is a good option if:
- You’re looking for real local knowledge on where to cruise
- You’re a bit rusty and need a refresher
- You’ve never sailed before!
- You’re moving up to a larger yacht
- You just want to sit back and relax. Let someone else worry about the anchor!
Charter companies screen their captains not only in regards to qualifications but to personality as well. A Captain is normally good natured, knows the lesser known areas, pilots the boat and tends to the sailing. They are not cooks or stewardesses, although some may have a favorite local recipe they would be happy to make for the group. The captain should have his or her own stateroom on board or at least the converting settee (if the captain agrees to it and the boat has one). The charterers need to include the captain in with meal planning which includes eating ashore. Even if the captain is staying with the boat while the group dines ashore, there should be a food aboard for the captain.Captain fees can vary but are roughly $175/day. ASA Sailing School Captains are around $200/day if you’re looking for more of an instructional cruise. A gratuity is expected at the end of the week as well.
Provisioning is a service that will deliver your food and beverages to your boat when you arrive so you can simply get on and go. Provisioning is becoming increasingly popular considering all the time and money you’ll save. It’s all done online and it’s far easier than getting a rental car or taxi and doing it yourself. If you don’t want to hire out provisioning, we can direct you to the grocery closest to the marina.
Most yachts aren’t designed with ample storage space so packing light is better. Some formal resort restaurants require a sport coat but we don’t really know anybody that has gone to one… In most restaurants, guys need to wear a shirt and women should wear a wrap to cover up their swimsuits. But that’s about it. Pack shorts and t-shirts and a swimsuit and maybe a light, long sleeved shirt in the event you should sunburn. A sun hat is also a good idea. Sunscreen is a must. Avoid tanning oils as they can stain teak decks and cushions. Everybody over-packs. If you’re really going “island style” you’ll find you end up wearing your swimsuit dusk to dawn and it’s pretty much the norm.
Soft luggage is the only way to go. Not only to compact down for storage but it’s easier on the interior of the yacht. But please be careful, the wheels and hard plastic corners on even soft luggage can damage woodwork, cabin floors and decks
Bringing your own snorkel gear is only necessary if you have a fondness for your own set but usually the charter companies have snorkel gear. At the most you might want to bring your mask but the fins take up a lot of luggage space so may as well get those from the charter base.
Dive equipment can be brought aboard but please notify the charter company. They may have to arrange lines or baskets to secure the equipment. Also, some companies charge an extra security deposit when tanks are brought aboard to protect against the damage weights and tanks can do to decks.
Kayaks, extra dinghys, windsurfers, even RIB’s that can pull a skier; it can all be arranged with enough notice. The rental companies typically bring the equipment to your boat on the first day of charter and pick them up when you return.
US citizens flying into St. Thomas do not have to clear customs until they enter the British Virgin Islands. Customs and Immigrations offices are conveniently located in popular harbors in the BVI. Every person on board is required to have either a passport.
US citizens flying into Tortola will clear customs and immigration at the airport. It is then only necessary to clear again if going to the US Islands.
The US and British Islands are very close to each other and without looking at a chart, it can be confusing as to which is which. It is required that whenever crossing borders (visiting an island in another countries territory) that you check in with customs and immigration.
For more information, go to www.travel.state.gov on the internet and click on “international”
