Not everyone on your charter boat crew needs
to be an expert sailor, but at least two should be competent.
Here's a list of ten pieces of bareboat sailing knowledge and skills you
should possess, and be able to demonstrate, by the time you're
ready to go cruising on bare boat sailing charters.
Handling your bareboat
Anchoring is probably the most
demanding part of bareboat charters so close attention
(and practice) during your pre-charter briefing session is a must.
If you haven't done it before it's a good idea to read-up
about how to set an anchor properly. Good anchoring technique
is the key to having a peaceful, worry-free night, particularly
in the Queensland trade winds season from about the end of
March to early September.
When you'll get the brisk south-easterlies, which can cause
sharp wind gusts into the anchorages... around the Whitsunday Islands
these are referred to as 'bullets'. To review all the boat
handling techniques in anchoring, mooring and berthing a boat,
Refer to Boat
Handling and Manoeuvring
Navigation in all of Queensland's bare boat cruising waters
is generally straight forward and line of sight... with many
readily identifiable landmarks and prominent land features
to help you keep your bearings, and this is certainly the case for any Whitsundays yacht charter... As such, only a fundamental
knowledge of chart interpretation is necessary, and the ability
to read a map will be your only necessity. To read more about
navigation, Refer to Common Sense Navigation and Aids
to Navigation.
Who is the skipper on a bareboat charter
The person whose name appears on your Bareboat Charter Agreement as
the charterer is deemed to be the skipper, and he assumes
responsibility for the boat, the crew and guests (if any),
and all equipment and inventory for the period of the charter.
The skipper should be familiar with the "Rules of
the Road" at sea and should not operate the vessel if
unfit. Drugs or any illegal substances are strictly forbidden
on board. Also, remember that the same rules which apply to
drink driving on land also apply to being in charge of a boat.
For more on "Rules of the Road", Refer to Basic
rules of the road
Bareboat ratings
To assist you in making a bare boat
cruising choice a star rating system is used.
All ratings are allocated on the basis of the age and condition
of the boat and its operational equipment at the time the
inspection was undertaken.
If a boat does not feature a rating, it means an inspection
has not been conducted, or the bareboat charter company has chosen
not to have its rating published... Below is a brief description:
| Star Rating Categories |
Well maintained older bareboat, offering average accommodation,
comfort and furnishings, equipped with basic operational
gear. |
Exceptionally well maintained and appointed bareboat with
high quality, comfortable furnishings and good quality
operational equipment. |
Well appointed bareboat in good condition, with a comfortable
standard of furnishings in saloon and cabins, with well
maintained operational equipment that does the job. |
Immaculately presented newer bareboat with superior appointments
and fittings and high quality operational equipment
that is 'state of the art'. |
Every charter bareboat is licensed by the Department of Transport
as a commercial boat to carry a maximum number of crew...
and as a commercial boat, they are built to a higher standard
and have better safety equipment than many privately owned
boats.
The total number of crew on each bareboat charter is determined by the number of
sleeping berths available, and includes folding down bunks
in double bed cabins, convertible saloon berths formed from
using drop down tables, etc... As a general rule, try not
to plan on more people being aboard than two less than the
boat's maximum capacity... This will give you greater comfort
and make for more compatible cruising.
How long to charter a bareboat
The length of bareboat charters is
always measured by the number of nights aboard the vessel.
So if you take a yacht out for a seven night charter, you will
actually have to plan on nine days charter overall.
Bare boat sailing charters can start or finish on any day of the week
except Christmas Day... Generally charters start at midday
on the first day and finish at midday on the last day. Most
fleet operators with prior arrangement will start their pre-charter bareboat
and area briefings from about 9.00 am and try to have you
away by early afternoon in time for you to get to your first
overnight anchorage. The 3 - 4 hour extensive on-board boat
familiarisation, boat handling and area/island briefing are
all part of your charter time.
The first night will therefore be spent at, or close to,
the port of departure - as it is a condition of all bareboat
charters that your boat be anchored by 4.00 pm... and as charters
end on the morning of the final day you need to plan your
holiday so you spend your last night at an anchorage reasonably
close to your home base.
So out of a seven night bareboat yacht charter, you really only have five
nights where you are completely free to choose your anchorage,
and while five nights are commonly taken, most charter companies
regard five nights as the minimum charter period - and will
not hire their boats for less than that time. But seven nights
out is really the minimum time you should allow; you will
just be getting into the swing of life aboard when seven days
is up.
Ten nights is a better idea, if you can afford it. Avoid the
temptation to try to visit too many places (eg. going to a
different anchorage every night).
This can be done, but you will find that it isn't as relaxing
as laying back and staying two nights in some anchorages.
Have you ever planned a world trip at home with a book,
putting yourself in a different city every night?...How exhausting
is that? It's obviously easier on a boat to go to a different
anchorage each night, but you will end up feeling a bit rushed
if you do.
The islands of the Whitsunday Group (Hamilton Island, Hayman Island, Hook Island, Whitsunday Island,
Border & Haslewood Islands) and the Molle Group (South Molle, Mid Molle,
North Molle, Planton and Denman) provide plenty of anchorages
and most first-time charterers don't find time to get beyond
these... many charters will also plan on one or two nights at one of the Whitsunday holiday resorts.
To review the Whitsunday Cruising area in more detail and
better understand how you can pre-plan your bareboat yacht charter
see our web sections A
Whitsundays area brief and Pre-plan
your cruising holiday
Mid-charter turn-around
If you are chartering for a
period exceeding 7 days, you may need to plan into your itinerary
a return to base mid-charter to resupply with water, fuel,
perishable food and linen etc.
Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island are the only places where
you can obtain fuel and water, and Airlie Beach is the only
place you can be sure of a good water supply as Hamilton island
relies on reservoir (cistern) water which often becomes 'stirred-up'
during periods of heavy rain and water run off.
If not ordering through a provisioning company, food supplies
can be obtained either from Airlie Beach or Cannonvale on
the mainland or at Hamilton Island. The shop at Abel Point
Marina also has a small groceries section... Some of the Whitsundays island resorts also stock bread, milk and ice. To review what is
available on the different island's provisioning options,
refer to Resort
Information and Provisioning
in the Whitsundays
Returning your bareboat
All good things come to an end, and on your last day of
charter, depending on the arrangements you make with your
charter operator, you will normally be required to return
the vessel by midday. The debrief will take approximately
half an hour and you'll need to allow time for this in your
schedule, particularly if you have airline flights out from
either Proserpine or Hamilton Island...You will need to complete
a debrief form covering the inventory, tender
and equipment on your bareboat.
Charter company staff will meet you on your return to berth
your boat...Your charter operator will make arrangements with
you to call them on your radio when you are getting close
to the marina so you can be met and your boat brought into
its marina berth.
It is also part of most charterer's agreements of hire
that you return the vessel in a clean condition; otherwise
you could be up for an additional cleaning charge.
Bareboats must be registered
The bareboat you charter has to be registered
with the Queensland Department of Transport. This is a requirement
to ensure the bareboat you hire conforms to compliance standards
in construction and equipment. This means the bareboat you
hire is often better equipped and built to a higher standard
than non-charter boats privately owned.
A registered charter boat will have its Certificate of
Registration on-board and this registration number is required
to be displayed on the stern or side of the boat.
Bareboat documentation
Each bareboat charter operator is required to supply you with reference
manuals on the specific boat you're chartering, and these
will be shown to you and the equipment explained during the
on-board briefing session.
Expect to find:
- Your boat's operations manual - this explains how to
use or operate the main equipment on-board... see Engines
and Operational Equipment
- Safety instructions explaining the operation of all
safety equipment.
- Technical details manual covering all the specifications
of your bareboat.
Know your charter limits
This is the cruising area for chartered
bareboats and home cruisers laid down by the Marine Division
of the Queensland Department of Transport.
Bareboats are defined as 'Class 1F Commercial Hire Ships'
and when operating in Queensland waters (other than the Whitsundays)
are restricted to water described as 'Partially Smooth'.
In the Whitsundays region bareboats are permitted to operate
in two operational areas depending on their length.
- Bareboats 7 to 10 metres can operate only within the
area designated as 'partially smooth waters'.
- Bareboats 10 metres and over can also operate within
the area designated '1F restricted offshore limits'
Whitsunday area.
The following maps show Queensland's water limits for those
sections of the coast where skipper-yourself bareboats and
houseboats are able to be chartered in 'Partially Smooth'
and 'Smooth' waters:
It is, however, up to the discretion of each charter company
operator to decide where their bareboats are permitted to
cruise.
For example in the Whitsundays Region even though the limit
for 'restricted offshore' goes as far south as Mackay,
no bareboat company would permit their boats that far south
because of the problems they would have servicing a breakdown,
etc... The same applies to the northern extremities of the
area which stretch as far as Bowen.
Any bareboat operating outside its limits can void the
vessel's insurance, as most insurance policies are only valid
if a bareboat is operated within its conditions of registration
and its legal operational area - you need to be aware of this,
along with your legal obligation as a bareboat charterer to
be at anchor from one hour before sunset until one hour
after sunrise.
Most charter companies are more conservative than this
and their contracts often require bareboats to be at anchor
by 4.00 pm and not leave that anchorage before 7.00 to 8.00
am the next day.
Control by marine park authority
Each of the 'partially smooth water' limits defined by
the maps, with the exception of the areas for Brisbane
and Maryborough, lie within the management area of
the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA).
The concept of the Marine Park is based on striking a balance
between conservation of the Reef and its prolific animal and
plant life and reasonable use by fishers, collectors, charter
operators, scientists and others.
Marine park zoning
Marine park zoning, balancing human
use with conservation, has been developed for each section of
the Queensland Coast and you will need to be aware of it if
you are going to charter a boat or holiday in any of the following
sections:
Far Northern Section, Whitsunday Islands Central Section, Mackay/Capricorn
Section
A bareboat briefing
Before you take your charter boat out of
its berth in the marina, each charter company will spend a
good part of the morning on the first day of your charter
familiarizing you with the area you'll be cruising as well
as spending plenty of time showing you over your boat, making
sure you understand the use of all its on board equipment,
the operation of the boat and its engines and the safety and
environmental aspects of chartering a bareboat.
As an introduction to this important first part of your
charter holiday, we've described in some detail the areas
that will be covered by your charter operator in their standard
briefing, broken into two briefing segments.
- Area Brief - This briefing
you receive from your charter boat operator is given by
an experienced briefer who would have months of boating
experience in the area you will be sailing or cruising. See
Whitsunday
area brief for an example.
- On-board Boat Brief - Obviously
with approximately 500 bareboats and houseboats operating
from marinas and harbours along Queensland's coast, it is
not possible to be boat specific... but we can and do cover
those aspects of bareboating that are common to all boats
and the charter experience. For a detailed look at all the
safety and operational equipment on a bareboat, refer to
our web section
On-board Boat Brief
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