5 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Charter Boat
There’s no right or wrong answer to which is the ideal boat for your next charter vacation. Your decision depends on what you want to do with it. However, when choosing a charter boat, you need to consider a few factors before you sign a charter contract. These include a choice between one hull or two, your vacation budget, the size of boat you can manage, the destination, and who will go with you.
Let’s review each element to help you dial in the perfect charter boat for your next trip.
Catamarans vs. Monohulls
The debate about the number of hulls is a long one, and your choice will be dictated by many of the points below. Still, let’s look at some differences between monohulls and multihulls. Catamarans offer more space. A cat of a given length—let’s say 40 feet—has 1.2 times the deck and interior space of the same length monohull. In other words, it feels like a 48-foot monohull.
It’s also usually laid out in a more user-friendly manner whether for cruising, dayboating, or fishing. Catamarans offer separation on deck with the aft cockpit, forward lounge or trampoline, and maybe even a flybridge. Inside, cats offer privacy between cabins and multiple heads for convenience.
On the other hand, monohulls offer better performance, especially if you want real hands-on sailing experience. Production catamarans just don’t go to weather (point as high) like monohulls, and they’re less responsive to slight adjustments of the sails.
More charter outfits now offer both sailing and power cats, so there’s another option when choosing a charter boat. Power cats are fast and you’ll cover more territory if you don’t need to rely on the wind. They’re ideally suited to a day of angling, too, because they can get you to the fish quickly. Of course, power cats will use quite a bit more fuel than sailing cats, and fuel is a variable cost you need to add to your budget.
Your Budget When Choosing a Charter Boat
Get the newest, best-equipped boat you can afford. Is your wallet tight? Get a newer, smaller monohull rather than a cat that’s long in the tooth.
Not surprisingly, cats are more expensive than monohulls. They basically offer maximum redundancy: two hulls, two engines, multiple bilge and freshwater pumps, more cabins, and potentially more fuel and water tankage.
Charter boats work hard, and it shows in just a few seasons, so err on the side of newer when choosing a charter boat. Also, go with a reputable company that keeps their boats shipshape. Read the online reviews and ask around.
Shoulder seasons offer real savings. Skip the high season and its crowds. And avoid the low season when the weather is often sketchy and many establishments are closed or the fish aren’t biting. You may get more boat for your money on the cusp.
Boat Size
Don’t charter too much boat. As I already mentioned, big boats and cats tend to offer more space in the same length, but the key is to get no more boat than you can handle. A 55-foot cat can sound exciting until the wind comes up and the pressure on the sails mounts. Or it’s time to dock in a tight marina.
When choosing a charter boat, assess your skills honestly. Doing so will spare your ego and keep your crew safe. A boat that fills you with confidence will be more fun than a bigger, flashier boat that scares you.
Go with what’s familiar to you and what you can drive. I like operating cats because I have excellent control with twin screws set wide apart. For some operators, though, multihulls are newfangled, and docking something the size of your living room can be intimidating.
The Destination
A boat’s type and size are often driven by the destination itself. Do you want to spend days in tacking duels, sailing upwind in Croatia? If so, you want a sleek monohull. Would you rather relax on acres of deck space in Martinique? A cat may be the better choice.
The three major charter outfits—Moorings, Sunsail, and Dream Yacht—have bases worldwide. They offer boats from the Caribbean to the South Pacific and from the Mediterranean to Mexico. In tropical destinations such as Tahiti and the Caribbean, you will find mostly cats with shallow drafts that are also perfect for the skinny waters of the Bahamas, Florida, and the Chesapeake.
Catamarans are prolific in the Med these days, but more monohulls are offered there for a couple of reasons. First, European sailors see themselves as “purists,” and that means monohulls. Second, ancient marinas and harbors are small and struggle to accommodate the bigger platforms.
The British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean are a popular destination for both beginners and advanced sailors. In the BVIs, you will enjoy easy line-of-sight navigation, steady trade winds, and lots of shoreside entertainment in the form of restaurants and bars. You can find small monohulls there if you’re sailing with a friend, but cats are available in a wide variety, so half the choice will be made for you.
Your Mates
The ultimate success of your charter will depend on who you go with. Will children or older people be part of the crew? Is anyone prone to seasickness or wary of the whole concept? Are you and your partner sailing alone? You may need a boat that’s simpler to use, such as a 35-foot monohull. Or will you be with a large group that will need space and multiple gathering points on deck as well as privacy below for overnight excursions?
Catamarans have two hulls and, therefore, inherent stability. They stay mostly upright whether in a rolly anchorage or while motoring and sailing. This makes them easier to walk on and much calmer for sleeping. If you rent a small cat for fishing with your buddies, you’ll be less fatigued at the end of the day than on a monohull. As such, maybe you can stay out longer to catch more fish.
Cats can also be less scary and they tend to induce less seasickness because they don’t heel in high winds and rough conditions.
Bottom Line for Choosing a Charter Boat
The best charter boat is the one that fits your needs. Do some research, evaluate your skills, talk to your crew, check your bank account, and learn what’s available where and when. Last-minute planning will not serve you well. Depending on the destination and time of year, plan to book six to 10 months in advance. If you are booking for peak-season holidays such as Christmas and New Year’s, or the height of summer in the Med, make that 10 to 12 months.
The bottom line when choosing a charter boat is to go with the best-suited, newest boat from a company that will work with you to make your vacation an unforgettable getaway.
Zuzana Prochazka
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