| Select Your Island: |
|
|
 |
|
|
| Caribbean Sailing Articles |
|
Charter Sailing - Sleeping Accommodations
Most sailors sleep onboard, with the boat at an anchorage of their choice. Within the limited distance of your contract, you can anchor at whatever suitable place you find. Moor at a marina, pick up a mooring ball, or anchor at a bay, depending on your location. Staying at a marina consists of fixing your vessel to a solid object on shore with thick ropes known as mooring lines. Mooring means: at the pier or dock, one end of a line would be attached to a post (called bollards) or ring while the other end remains attached to the deck. Typically, sailors use six lines, three at the bow and three at the stern to minimize movement and to keep the boat close to the pier. People on the pier help those on the vessel to attach these mooring lines. To make sure the dock has space for your vessel, you should radio ahead before you get there. Mooring your boat at a marina keeps your boat from swinging and causes less damage to the sea floor than if you drop an anchor. Many resorts contain marinas to specially cater to yachters and sailors, with nightclubs, restaurants, and other forms of entertainment. You can stay at a hotel for the night, though you might also need to provide onshore accommodations for your crew. At marinas, you get the opportunity to restock on provisions and water if you run low and properly dispose of sewage and garbage. However, if you plan on an extended trip, constantly staying at marinas could be expensive, as the fees do add up. Picking up a mooring ball costs less, but definitely requires more skill. In popular sailing areas many of these public mooring balls have been set out specifically for people who take sailing vacations. A harbor or anchorage charges you a fee to use a public mooring ball, a ball or can-shaped buoy attached by lines to a permanent underwater anchor. Successful mooring consists of approaching the buoy, grabbing the wand (a rod attached to the anchor that floats alongside the ball), drawing up the heavy lines from beneath the water, and fixing them to your boat correctly. This job usually requires a few people to complete and relies on the correct speed and direction of the boat. Once you have successfully moored your boat, you can spend your night onboard. Dropping anchor makes another good way to secure your boat. Choose a spot at least 100 feet away from other boats in a bay or harbor of your choosing and stop your boat. Make sure the rope or chain supporting the anchor runs freely and the other end is securely attached to the boat. Slowly lower your anchor down to the seabed. You might want to test the security of the anchor by sailing the boat forwards or backwards to see if it holds. The disadvantage to dropping anchor for the night is that the boat swings quite a bit with the wind and current, and the anchor might become caught under a boulder or other obstacle. In the case of a storm, you should check to see if the anchor is secure and if any other boats around have broken loose and moving towards you. If you charter a boat with a captain, he or she can help you plan your itinerary around anchoring or mooring spots. |
