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| Caribbean Sailing Articles |
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Charter Sailing - What To Do On Your Trip
Small islands and cays abound in the Caribbean and Bahamas, most of them unpopulated. Island-hopping makes a very pleasant way to see new places and enjoy the water. Anchor your boat and enjoy exploring deserted beaches or simply relax in the sun. Traveling between small islands only takes a short time. Visiting two or three places a day becomes feasible when sailing. More remote islands remain mostly uninhabited, but friendly beachside bars gladly welcome boating vacationers. The distance you can travel may vary, depending on your contract. Usually, contracts exclude places that can be hard to navigate (such as Anegada in the British Virgin Islands, because of the reefs), for safety and insurance reasons. Many sailors enjoy scuba diving off of their boats. Many dive clubs exist around the Caribbean and the Bahamas for beginner diving lessons and equipment rentals. Plentiful coral reefs lie miles offshore, offering a colorful underwater sight. If you love diving, plot your course to visit all the best spots, including clusters of giant coral heads, shipwrecks, and unique underwater rock formations. Fishing remains especially popular around the Bahamas archipelago. Some agencies specialize in fishing charters, with captains experienced in the sport who direct vacationers to the best spots. Catch your own fish off the side of your boat and cook it onboard. On some islands, restaurants will even cook up your catch for you when you visit. Mooring at the dock gets pretty expensive after awhile, especially if you visit many places. Though mooring allows you to simply step off your boat and onshore, fees do add up. To cut costs, many boat owners use dinghies to get to shore after they drop anchor. Some carry small rigid dinghies onboard, or even tow dinghies behind their boats as they travel. On a chartered vessel however, you will most likely be equipped with an inflatable or collapsible one. With these, you row to shore with your possessions either in the dinghy or towed behind in waterproof packages. Of course, on some of the more laid-back and small islands, some people prefer just to drop anchor, jump in the water, and swim to shore. |
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