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This is the conclusion to Swim and Sip’s Bareboat Charter series. Part 1: Planning a Bareboat Charter described some tips for choosing a charter company and boat along with provisioning. Part 2: Arriving and Getting Underway discussed the boat briefing, the skipper’s crew briefing, and some tips for the skipper to manage the charter. This final entry presents a checklist of what to pack when heading off for a bareboat yacht charter.

The previous article discussed the importance of the charterer's first encounter with the boat; which must be present, available, and clean, and the systems must be functioning adequately so that the boat is safe and reasonably comfortable for everyone aboard. Most charter boats will not have 100 percent of their systems completely functional, and any boat owner or experienced charterer will be all too familiar with this situation and will recognize that minor problems are probably not really problems. It is beneficial if the skipper thinks ahead of time about the initial acceptance of the boat upon arrival and what mechanical aspects of the boat may result in having to make a go/no go decision. 

This series of articles aims to describe some of the inside hints for chartering a catamaran in a tropical destination such at the Caribbean or the Bahamas. It is directed toward 6-12 person boats and aims to fill in some of the gaps left by the rosy, simple, and optimistic “What to Bring” checklists provided by most of the charter companies. Planning a bareboat adventure requires that the captain and crew make the best of any and all changes to the original plan. Trip plans are organic and ever changing throughout the planning phase to the moment the boat is returned to the charter company. Attempts to over specify the details of the trip will likely be thwarted by airlines, ferries, nature, or physics! Keeping expectations in line with reality can really make the trip.

The Swim and Sip is all about fun on the water, but we can’t always be out there. Sometimes a little escapism can help with the island fever. They say it’s better to be ashore wishing you were at sea than at sea wishing you were ashore! So if you find yourself in that very situation, load a beverage into your Swim and Sip, flip the ballast to land mode, check our favorite blogs and video series highlighting some maritime adventures. 

Our newest Youtube ad- combining content from waterskiing fun, the beloved '61 Chris Craft that was the star of the Kickstarter video, and a visit to St. John in the US Virgin Islands!

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