Info for beginners

Charter sailors have every reason to lead their ship with a healthy degree of self-confidence. They manage the crew and the course of the voyage with responsibility and self-controlled safety. The owner of a yacht may usually have gained intimate knowledge of his boat through years of handling one and the same ship, but regular charterers make up for this with adaptability, talent for improvisation and a constant willingness to learn.

Owner and charterer both appreciate the fun of freedom on the water, the technical challenges of sport, the closeness to nature and the diversity of situations. Anyone who regularly travels in foreign waters with changing yachts will gather an immense wealth of experience. At the first meetings of the potential crew it is important to work out your common ground. What is the predominant theme? The desire for a relaxing holiday, the challenge of sailing a sporty trip, or discovering the country and its people? Everyone within the group should have the courage to question their relationship to their "fellow sailor" in the interpersonal area. After all, even a generously dimensioned yacht is not a cruise ship, and the undoubtedly existing tolerance of the individual before departure can be strained under bad circumstances - adverse weather for example. As a general rule, the final crew will have been established after the decisions regarding the sailing area, the scheduling and the sailing strategy (sporty or relaxed) of the planned trip have been made.

From the beginning, a well planned trip will always be aligned with the "weakest" trip member. This can be small children as well as sailing beginners, who have to get used to their new "home" and to the procedures on board. A responsible skipper will only apply a rough schedule to the time planning of a charter trip anyway. "Take your time"! is therefore more than just well-intentioned advice. This is the only way to discover and enjoy the freedom of a charter trip.

Have the courage to define "sailing holiday" also as "holiday on the boat". When planning your trip, research the possibility of a combination of shore leave and sailing trip if you have to organise for an inexperienced crew. Beware of turning "your" ship into a "therapy ship". Discussions ashore about basic things are usually not magically resolved after boarding, quarrelling couples do not reconcile on a 1-week trip, and naggers and know-it-alls rarely correct their points of view. Create the conditions for an optimistic spirit in advance, all other relevant questions can be resolved much more easily during the trip that way.