Amalfi coast yacht charter, plus some newbie questions
Discussion
First off, does anyone have any recommendations of firms to use?? I'm looking at next August.
Anyone been in peak season? How horrifically busy is it likely to be? I know mooring fees are very high, but will I need to book?
It'll my first yacht charter, I have a bit of crew experience and a day skipper ticket but I'm near Poole so will get some more experience before then. My wife will need some crew experience too! How daft a plan is it for a pair of newbies? Our plan is to kayak a fair bit, using the yacht as a base and maybe visit the Pontine Islands.
Anyone been in peak season? How horrifically busy is it likely to be? I know mooring fees are very high, but will I need to book?
It'll my first yacht charter, I have a bit of crew experience and a day skipper ticket but I'm near Poole so will get some more experience before then. My wife will need some crew experience too! How daft a plan is it for a pair of newbies? Our plan is to kayak a fair bit, using the yacht as a base and maybe visit the Pontine Islands.
I can’t answer most of your post however I do charter yachts so can give you my thoughts.
I’ve had my day skipper years, also have yacht master theory but just never got round to doing coastal and above. I do a fair bit of yacht racing so know my way around a yacht. I never felt confident enough to charter and then I was asked to join some friends on a Croatia charter.
The skipper was a yacht master, I was day skipper and we had a comp crew and it was a great week of sailing. So much so the next year I booked to take the family, I realised that I could do it and understood how to do med mooring and all of that. For that holiday I was the skipper with only a comp crew (with limited sailing time) on board and everyone else novices, I was very nervous going into it but it was great fun, whilst as skipper I tried to avoid being at the helm whilst docking so I can take lines and moor it up my boat handling was much better so I resorted to doing it. Likewise this year same group but on a catamaran I took over docking for the week.
I think the biggest thing from all of that is confidence in your skills, and knowing when to spend a day in port if the forecast isn’t favourable. It’s easy to want to push on to the next port and then everyone is sea sick and that’s all they remember of the holiday.
I’ve had my day skipper years, also have yacht master theory but just never got round to doing coastal and above. I do a fair bit of yacht racing so know my way around a yacht. I never felt confident enough to charter and then I was asked to join some friends on a Croatia charter.
The skipper was a yacht master, I was day skipper and we had a comp crew and it was a great week of sailing. So much so the next year I booked to take the family, I realised that I could do it and understood how to do med mooring and all of that. For that holiday I was the skipper with only a comp crew (with limited sailing time) on board and everyone else novices, I was very nervous going into it but it was great fun, whilst as skipper I tried to avoid being at the helm whilst docking so I can take lines and moor it up my boat handling was much better so I resorted to doing it. Likewise this year same group but on a catamaran I took over docking for the week.
I think the biggest thing from all of that is confidence in your skills, and knowing when to spend a day in port if the forecast isn’t favourable. It’s easy to want to push on to the next port and then everyone is sea sick and that’s all they remember of the holiday.
One option is to hire a skipper, but it's an extra expense and means sharing the boat with a random. OTOH ballsing it up in front of a thousand baying Italians doesn't appeal!Not done the Amalfi coast but done the aeonian a few times, and TBH it's a doddle compared with anywhere on the UK south coast.
I did my day skipper out of Southampton, then went on my first charter with just my wife, and it was all fine and dandy and a lot easier than dealing with the Southampton tides.
Until the forestay failed and brought the mast down! but that wasn't my lack of experience it was lack of maintenance by the charter company.
Go for it, you're easily qualified, although they're getting more strict on needing your ICC certificate these days, but your day skipper ticket gets you that
I did my day skipper out of Southampton, then went on my first charter with just my wife, and it was all fine and dandy and a lot easier than dealing with the Southampton tides.
Until the forestay failed and brought the mast down! but that wasn't my lack of experience it was lack of maintenance by the charter company.
Go for it, you're easily qualified, although they're getting more strict on needing your ICC certificate these days, but your day skipper ticket gets you that
Plenty of UK based training centres will give you a day or two days Marina Skills courses and will focus on med mooring if you ask them. As this is Italy just assume standard Italian road rules, whoever is going fastest in the largest vehicle wins.
We sailing Amalfi this May, just before it got busy. Its very pretty but expensive for mooring. We paid between 70 and 100 Euros per night for a 35' mono in a fully serviced berth, I would suggest allow more than that as that wasn't peak season.
Have you started working out your itinerary? Personally I like to buy the printed pilot book for the area and use that to work out where I want to go, rough costs and so on, but it is possible to do it online. Obviously you will need some flexibility in your plans in case the weather gets in the way, this can make it risky to book berths too far ahead.
Amalfi itself is really pretty but it was expensive and touristy. Capri there was a regatta on so we avoided the main port as it was over fun and went round the back of the island stopping for lunch at one of the restaurants that uses water taxis. We particularly liked Sorrento, Ischia and Procida. Plenty of nice bays to stop for lunch and a swim. Try the hot springs if you get time.
We sailing Amalfi this May, just before it got busy. Its very pretty but expensive for mooring. We paid between 70 and 100 Euros per night for a 35' mono in a fully serviced berth, I would suggest allow more than that as that wasn't peak season.
Have you started working out your itinerary? Personally I like to buy the printed pilot book for the area and use that to work out where I want to go, rough costs and so on, but it is possible to do it online. Obviously you will need some flexibility in your plans in case the weather gets in the way, this can make it risky to book berths too far ahead.
Amalfi itself is really pretty but it was expensive and touristy. Capri there was a regatta on so we avoided the main port as it was over fun and went round the back of the island stopping for lunch at one of the restaurants that uses water taxis. We particularly liked Sorrento, Ischia and Procida. Plenty of nice bays to stop for lunch and a swim. Try the hot springs if you get time.
I've skipperd 40 foot charter yachts with complete beginners as crews.
Just take your time, be very wind aware as you come in to the marina and break every task like fenders and lines down into simple pieces and get them done early and remember there's no shame in coming off the berth for another approach if it starts to go tits up on you - and occasionally it will no matter how experienced you are. Have a play on the helm with the engine whilst you're at sea to get the feel of the boat in tight turns and going astern.
Remind crew of simple saftey stuff like trapped fingers and limbs between boats as you come in and if you've got enough people on board then have somebody mid ships to help the bowman and helm communicate.
In Croatian marinas there's almost always a staff member waiting to point you to a berth and take your sternlines but if there's not then somebody from another yacht will nearly always come and give you a hand and they'll fend off too as you come in because they don't want their boat broken either. Timing your arrival on the first few goes to avoid the late afternoon rush when everybody piles in helps too.
It looks a bit daunting at first especially if you've never done Mediterranean lazy line mooring before but really it's no big deal at all.
Just take your time, be very wind aware as you come in to the marina and break every task like fenders and lines down into simple pieces and get them done early and remember there's no shame in coming off the berth for another approach if it starts to go tits up on you - and occasionally it will no matter how experienced you are. Have a play on the helm with the engine whilst you're at sea to get the feel of the boat in tight turns and going astern.
Remind crew of simple saftey stuff like trapped fingers and limbs between boats as you come in and if you've got enough people on board then have somebody mid ships to help the bowman and helm communicate.
In Croatian marinas there's almost always a staff member waiting to point you to a berth and take your sternlines but if there's not then somebody from another yacht will nearly always come and give you a hand and they'll fend off too as you come in because they don't want their boat broken either. Timing your arrival on the first few goes to avoid the late afternoon rush when everybody piles in helps too.
It looks a bit daunting at first especially if you've never done Mediterranean lazy line mooring before but really it's no big deal at all.
Thanks everyone, very useful. How much evidence of experience do charter firms generally want?
The kids are all on scout camp that week so it's also a chance to see how we go without the additional hassle.
tankplanker said:
Plenty of UK based training centres will give you a day or two days Marina Skills courses and will focus on med mooring if you ask them. As this is Italy just assume standard Italian road rules, whoever is going fastest in the largest vehicle wins.
We sailing Amalfi this May, just before it got busy. Its very pretty but expensive for mooring. We paid between 70 and 100 Euros per night for a 35' mono in a fully serviced berth, I would suggest allow more than that as that wasn't peak season.
Have you started working out your itinerary? Personally I like to buy the printed pilot book for the area and use that to work out where I want to go, rough costs and so on, but it is possible to do it online. Obviously you will need some flexibility in your plans in case the weather gets in the way, this can make it risky to book berths too far ahead.
Amalfi itself is really pretty but it was expensive and touristy. Capri there was a regatta on so we avoided the main port as it was over fun and went round the back of the island stopping for lunch at one of the restaurants that uses water taxis. We particularly liked Sorrento, Ischia and Procida. Plenty of nice bays to stop for lunch and a swim. Try the hot springs if you get time.
Brilliant, thanks. No firm plans yet. The original plan was just to kayak, but once I started to look at logistics getting a yacht made more sense.We sailing Amalfi this May, just before it got busy. Its very pretty but expensive for mooring. We paid between 70 and 100 Euros per night for a 35' mono in a fully serviced berth, I would suggest allow more than that as that wasn't peak season.
Have you started working out your itinerary? Personally I like to buy the printed pilot book for the area and use that to work out where I want to go, rough costs and so on, but it is possible to do it online. Obviously you will need some flexibility in your plans in case the weather gets in the way, this can make it risky to book berths too far ahead.
Amalfi itself is really pretty but it was expensive and touristy. Capri there was a regatta on so we avoided the main port as it was over fun and went round the back of the island stopping for lunch at one of the restaurants that uses water taxis. We particularly liked Sorrento, Ischia and Procida. Plenty of nice bays to stop for lunch and a swim. Try the hot springs if you get time.
The kids are all on scout camp that week so it's also a chance to see how we go without the additional hassle.
Bill said:
Thanks everyone, very useful. How much evidence of experience do charter firms generally want?
Brilliant, thanks. No firm plans yet. The original plan was just to kayak, but once I started to look at logistics getting a yacht made more sense.
The kids are all on scout camp that week so it's also a chance to see how we go without the additional hassle.
Most will want to see your Day Skipper ticket and be happy with that, I've never had anybody ask me anything about where I've sailed or what I've sailed once they know I have a ticket. Brilliant, thanks. No firm plans yet. The original plan was just to kayak, but once I started to look at logistics getting a yacht made more sense.
The kids are all on scout camp that week so it's also a chance to see how we go without the additional hassle.
I would get your ICC as you can get stopped by the Coast Guard or Habour Master and they would want to see the ICC over the Day Skipper (along with all the charter documents). The ICC free if you join the RYA. VHF is the only other one they can sometimes ask for before letting you out on the boat, so worth taking that even if it isn't a legal requirement where you are going.
You might want to take the nautical equivalent of CDW insurance out too as the damage excesses on the standard insurance you get with the yacht have gone up through the roof in recent years.
It'll cost you an arm and a leg if you - or somebody else - takes a chunk out of the gel coat or if you touch the bottom for example and don't think you'll get away with it as all the charter companies I've used go over the boat with a fine tooth comb and send a diver down to check the hull when you take it back.
Schumacker.de offer a pretty comprehension CDW policy for about E170
It'll cost you an arm and a leg if you - or somebody else - takes a chunk out of the gel coat or if you touch the bottom for example and don't think you'll get away with it as all the charter companies I've used go over the boat with a fine tooth comb and send a diver down to check the hull when you take it back.
Schumacker.de offer a pretty comprehension CDW policy for about E170
If you have a spare person, have them on the rail with a free unattached fender, if a parking bump is inevitable they shove the fender in place rather than the newbie reaction of trying to fend off. Going in backwards in an unfamiliar boat in v tight spaces in high season it can save alot of scrapes
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