From time to time I've skippered with a previously unknown group on a chartered holiday yacht, and it's very different from delivery skippering where the task is to get the yacht from A to B in the safest, fastest and most secure way.
On holiday, everyone wants to enjoy themselves, and there's usually less pressure on time. Each person usually has an idea of what they want from the holiday, and most people have their own set of skills - which may or may not be related directly to yachting!
I've found that one of the keys to a happy week's charter is to sit down with the crew on the first evening, open a good bottle of wine, and ask people (a) what they want from the holiday, and (b) what particular skills they might bring.
In this kind of situation, most people will also have their own private fears or concerns, as well as their unspoken hopes. I always listen carefully to the questions the crew asks, because they often reveal their concerns. Nowhere is this more important than on the first day of a charter. Unaddressed concerns can spoil an otherwise excellent holiday.
Very often the first question is: “Where will I sleep?”' I have heard some skippers say: “Choose your own bunk” to a group of strangers just arrived on a yacht. This can raise stress levels over one of the most fundamental of human needs at a time when the pecking order is completely unknown.
I usually allocate bunks in advance, saying: “You can negotiate if you want to change.” It also helps establish a sense of order, which is comforting for the nervous sailor.
Most novice sailors will be concerned about how far the yacht can 'lean over' before it gets dangerous, so that's a standard question to answer whether it's asked or not.
And most people will want to know about the skipper's experience - they are, after all, putting their trust, and possibly their lives, in your hands. So it's worth talking a bit about your own experience as well. But there will be other concerns, and a good charter skipper will try to listen and respond.
Equally, people will have their own hopes for the holiday. It's good to get these into the open, so that they can be incorporated. The beach 'banyan', using the dinghy to go ashore, anchoring off, and so on, can all provide considerable excitement for people who've not done them before.
Sailing at night can be a real experience for people who are new to sailing, but you may not want to come in late and miss the restaurants. So I often suggest one very early start, so that we get at least half a mile offshore before the sky begins to lighten.
Those who don't want to get up can sleep in, and waking up at sea is another great experience for those who are new to it. But seeing the sun rise at sea, and then pulling into a small bay for cooked breakfast on board can be great fun.
When I charter in Mallorca, most people want to visit the nature reserve in the Cabrera Islands but you need a permit to stay overnight that can only be arranged in advance, so it's worth checking with the charter company to see if there are any special places where permits are needed and booking them.
I like to collect (and fly) local courtesy flags, and so a trip to the local chandlers and a chat with some of the local fishermen is often on the agenda.
Sometimes novice sailors can feel very out of place on a yacht, and such insecurity is not conducive to a happy holiday. One way of overcoming this is to give everyone a small job to do.
Looking after fenders or tidying shore lines is a great job for younger folk, and gives you a chance to teach them the bowline and other important basics, while the more experienced members can take on other necessary duties.
I ask people about their background and what skills they bring on that first evening. Volunteer skills have ranged from cooking, navigation, and just relaxing in the sun, to engineering, acting and penny-whistle playing!
If there's an engineer on board, he or she will often be offered the job of ship's engineer - and doing the engine checks and running the fresh and foul water systems are part of that job.
The more experienced sailors can be involved in the navigational planning, which makes them feel that their experienced is valued. And if you have another Yachtmaster or coastal skipper on board, it's good to let them be skipper for a day. For new skippers, managing a yacht in a different setting can be the highlight of the holiday.
Creating a great holiday experience for everyone is part of the job of skippering a charter. At its heart is thinking about other people's needs and concerns. So if you're arranging a charter just so you can sail 24 hours a day to the places you want to go to, then maybe you should think again.
Holiday charters can be great fun, but they need to be arranged for the whole crew, not just the skipper!
Richard Thomas holds a Commercially Endorsed RYA Yachtmaster and Cruising Instructor (Sail) certificate. He runs his own delivery business, www.yachtmovers.co.uk
He is available for deliveries, assisted passages, own-yacht tuition, and yacht management.
