Another second and another first. This was our second bareboat charter.  The BVIs were the first. Based on this recent experience, we cannot let as much time pass between these kinds of trips. This was our first bareboat catamaran. A Bali 4.1, which seems to be set up primarily for the charter market. A fine boat that fit the needs of our crew of five.  Four berths, four heads, with room for everyone to find their own space, as well as good hang-out spaces for everyone together.

Even though it was our first cat bareboat and my first experience sole-skippering one, it was all very familiar. (Although it did have a number of improvements over the Ship Song, our 1985 Ericson 35+ monohull, which does not have the benefits of decades of sailing technology improvements – but we still love her).  I was well-prepared by the hours…and hours…that I spent on-line taking NauticEd’s RYA (Royal Yachting Association) classes, learning in 3rd Coast Cruising immersion courses, and by our experiences sailing the Ship Song on the volatile sea that is Lake Michigan. The learning never stops, nor should it.

The Crew. There are a few absolutely critical elements that ensure a fun and safe bareboat vacation; enough knowledge to not get into too much trouble, a good boat, good-enough weather, a great destination and a great bunch of people, a.k.a. the crew. Gather a crew of any size beyond just the two of us and things could easily go sour.  Enter our crew.  The most willing, wonderful and easy-going people with whom one would want to spend nine nights on a boat. With little to no sailing experience, they were up for the adventure and game to learn, incredibly helpful and flexible as challenges arose and plans changed on the fly. Thank you Anthony, Kathy, and Liz.

Planning, planning.  Scrap those plans. Plan again. Debbie is a planning force to be reckoned with. She researched the trip — where to go, what to bring (don’t forget the trandserm!), what to see and do and eat, what not to miss.  This for each hypothetical location.

We are spread across the country: Kathy hailing from LA, Anthony from NY, and Liz,  Debbie and I from chilly Chicago. Where to go? Debbie and I first considered the Sea of Cortez, drawn to the rich wildlife and rustic location.  But we needed a destination that would have a wide enough variety of things to do, both in the water and onshore, for our first-time bareboating friends. After consulting the team at NauticEd, Grant and Lauren suggested a one-way charter from St.Vincent and The Grenadines to Grenada — warm water,  not too touristy, a range of interesting islands, each with their own personality and welcoming, kind, and generous people.  And snorkeling.  We had never considered one-way as a possibility, but given the amount to see, the distance we would be able to cover, and the trade winds in our favor for a consistent broad or beam reach all the way, it became the perfect choice. 

The best and the worst, which was also the best.  Alone on the ocean sailing for hours, few other boats in sight.  Our own schedule, our own time. A million stars.

Turtles.

 

Lobster. Lot’s of lobster.

 

Afro-Carribean people, food and charm.

 

Boats that brought offers of t-shirts, fresh fish, and banana bread.

But the best part?  Ten whole days with the best of friends.

 

It was windier and wavier than anticipated.

 

There was the broken, smelly refrigerator, and the dinghy that was missing its bottom plug.

 

It’s funny.  Often the things that go wrong (and there are always things that go wrong) are part of the best memories.  As I said, we had an incredibly easy-going, well-humored crew.  Five days with no refrigerator or cooler?  Who cares?  

Cheeze crackers to the rescue! (Honestly, this crew would have eaten them anyway.)

 

The sailing was spectacular.  We experienced huge, rolling waves — 15 or 20 feet high.  There was not a single moment that any of us felt fear.  (Debbie here, interjecting that no one was afraid because we had the most excellent captain, a strong and calm sailor, a great teacher, and the best person to have around when you need a MacGuyver-like fix for anything. Actually, IMO – the best person to have around, period.)

It was an awesome trip.  We are busy planning the next one.  With the same crew, we hope.