Why planning ahead is in your best interest

We’re joined by lifetime sailor, Colin Whitehead for some top tips of things you should be planning before even thinking of setting foot on your charter vessel. Colin is a qualified Skipper and has spent his whole life on the water. He has chartered yachts in Seychelles four times, The Whitsundays once, Rio de Janeiro once and The BVI four times. He took part in the Cape 2 Rio Transatlantic race from Cape Town to Rio in 2018 and has coached many young sailors through the years at The Hobie Cat Youth Club in Langebaan.

Colin completed his skipper’s course through Atlantic Yachting in Langebaan.

Building your Itinerary

First things first, once you have chosen your destination, it’s time to research your route. Where do you want to spend each night? what specific places do you want to explore?

“The first thing I’d do is research the islands I want to go to - Make a list and order them according to their distance from your departure point.” Input from your fellow crew members/guests/adventure buddies is key to make sure everyone is on the same page. Now is also a good time to asses your teams’ capabilities on board so you know who will be able to help you out when you set sail.

Once you’ve got an overall idea of distances and destinations you can go ahead and ask everyone if they would rather do a long-haul on day 1 or your last day of sailing. Some people might want to get better acquainted with the boat before heading out into the blue yonder, so stick to shorter crossings in the beginning.

Now you can start to set up your itinerary and decide which places to see on which days. However, Colin says “remember, everything is dependant on weather and your itinerary can change at any moment.”

Anchorages and moorings

During the itinerary planning stage, you should be looking into the weather conditions, tides and wind directions during the time of your charter. this information is paramount when deciding which islands to visit and where you will be anchoring or mooring on the islands.

Colin suggests that you should find at least three anchorages in each area, the first being the most secure and comfortable. Identifying a perfect anchorage is much easier before you’re sitting on the boat watching the sunset with nowhere to plant your anchor. Colin explains “You want to look for a protected bay with a sandy bottom and deep enough water at low tide.” he adds, “you should always identify your first stop and research the anchorages so you are at least best prepared for your first night.

Weather and tides

Understanding the weather is always important a good tip is to print out a tide chart for the area and to update yourself every morning on the tides and weather forecast for the day. The charter vessel will, in most cases, have some kind of local charts and chart plotter on board and before heading out each day remember to plot the course on here, or Navionics, and brief everyone onboard for the plans.

Windy is a great app to have for accurate weather forecasting.

And so…

As the skipper you will be responsible for a lot onboard your charter, being prepared is key in making sure you don’t find yourself in a sticky situation. Planning ahead will make sure you have all the information you could need in any situation, bring that peace of mind needed to relax and enjoy your tropical paradise.

If you’re looking for more information about where to go sailing when, or where you can get qualified as a skipper email us and we’ll call you back!

Resources

Download or buy the pilot book for your charter area

Online charts are available for most areas

Charts are often supplied on the boat