Bareboat Cruising: Weather and the Sailing Environment

Before you leave the charter dock, check the weather prediction for the next few days. Local weather stations will carry up-to-date information. Rapid and/or large barometric pressure movements usually indicate major changes in the weather.

East Coast
East Coast weather patterns change constantly as the continental land mass reconfigures passing weather fronts. Cool Canadian highs mix with warm, moist air from the south to create towering cumulus clouds which can become thunderstorms in the warmer months. Cold fronts move unpredictably but are usually followed by puffy and shifty northwesterlies. Early summer fog is common along New England’s shores, particularly in the warm days of May and June.

West Coast
West Coast weather forms over the Pacific Ocean. Winter storms track across the ocean and bring rain. From April through October, a huge, relatively stationary offshore high pressure system, called the Pacific High, provides sunny weather and steady westerly breezes. Coastal areas experience regular sea breezes as the land heats up and the air flows from the sea to the land. Those areas adjacent to warm inland valleys frequently experience very strong afternoon winds and fog during the summer. Strong westerlies sometimes counter tidal currents and create unusually short and choppy waves such as can be found on San Francisco Bay. Winter cold fronts over the desert cause strong easterlies, called Santa Anas, which can extend many miles offshore in Southern California.

Island Weather
In the tropics, where large land masses are scarce, trade winds predominate. Usually lighter in the morning, these winds peak at around 20 knots in the evening. Puffy, flat-bottomed clouds scud across the brilliant blue sky. Close to the equator, the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) features light winds, squalls, and warm, overcast weather. The Caribbean’s easterly Christmas winds may bring some wind velocities up to 30 knots. Spring features lighter breezes and dry weather.

*For the best cruising instruction like this, purchase Bareboat Cruising on the US Sailing Store. US Sailing's network of accredited schools offer seven levels to help you sharpen your skills and gain confidence. Learn more

Dos and Don'ts of Planning a Cruise

An integral part, and part of the fun, of any cruise is planning for it. Preparing for a bareboat charter includes a number of responsibilities to consider.

Here is a list of "Dos and Don'ts" of planning for your cruise.

• Do make travel arrangements well in advance.
• Do leave some extra time in your itinerary and dollars in your budget.
• Do use up-to-date charts and guides when making your plans.
• Do note stopover points where you can refresh supplies, including food and water, or pump out the holding tank.
• Do make back-up plans for adverse wind and weather conditions.
• Do make sure everyone knows beforehand about medical conditions that may exist among the crew and the procedures for handling any situations that may arise.
• Don’t over-plan.

*For the best cruising instruction like this, purchase Bareboat Cruising on the US Sailing Store. US Sailing's network of accredited schools offer seven levels to help you sharpen your skills and gain confidence. Learn more

Bareboat Chartering: A world of possibilities

Each charter destination offers its own special aspects. You may have nursed a life-long fantasy to loll on a snow-white beach in Tahiti or climb the ruins of the Parthenon. Advance research will inform you how to fulfill those dreams or where to go for new adventures. Travel books, boating magazines and charter company brochures are good places to start. Charter brokers with firsthand experience can advise you on appropriate choices that suit your needs and experiences. Other sailors who’ve chartered can also be helpful.

If you’ve never been to your charter destination, there are a few factors to keep in mind as you plan your trip.

Climate. If you want hot, tropical weather, aim for a spot near the equator, which is warm all year. As you head farther north or south, expect cooler weather with seasonal changes. Make sure that your trip coincides with a favorable time of the year at your destination.

Experience. Sailing skill is one factor in choosing your first charter. Will you feel comfortable handling the boat in the waters and winds of your charter area? Are you confident enough in your anchoring skills to sleep through the night? Consider also that you may be in a foreign country with its unfamiliar language and customs.

Affordability. In addition to the boat, your charter costs will include transportation, pre- and post-cruise lodging, food (on board and dining out), extra equipment, additional supplies such as cooking gas, water, fuel, and incidentals. To ensure a good time, leave extra room in the budget for the unexpected.

U.S. East Coast. Good sailing waters can be found on the east coast from the southern tip of the Florida Keys to the northern tip of Maine, including the Chesapeake Bay and inland on the Great Lakes. The more northerly climates feature excellent summer weather, but you’ll want to go further south to areas like the Gulf Coast of Florida in the winter.

U.S. West Coast. The rugged Pacific coastline offers a variety of opportunities near the busy harbors of San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco as well as coastal and island destinations such as the Channel Islands off Santa Barbara, CA. You’ll also find an abundance of protected waterways extending from Seattle’s Puget Sound north to the inland passage of Alaska.

Caribbean. The most popular charter area in the world, the Caribbean possesses many attractive features, including easy access from the United States and Europe, warm and protected waterways, safe anchorages and a color-ful infusion of cultures from both sides of the Atlantic. The Virgin Islands are ideal for first time charterers.

Peak sailing season in the Caribbean runs from December through May, with steady trade winds from the southeast. Substantial discounts may be available during the off season.

Europe. The waters of the Atlantic around northern Europe and the Mediterranean present a wide array of sailing options. Most chartering takes place during the summer months. July and August in the Mediterranean can sometimes bring strong meltemi and mistral winds, but they are followed by excellent sailing weather in the fall.

South Pacific and Asia. Tahiti, Tonga and Fiji support an active charter industry. These islands enjoy a dry season with steady trade winds and occasional tropical squalls fromearly May to late October. Other areas, including New Zealand, Australia and Thailand, enjoy warm weather during North America’s cold winter months.

Other Areas. Good bareboat chartering can be found in many other areas of the world, with reputable charter companies there to serve you.

*For the best cruising instruction like this, purchase Bareboat Cruising on the US Sailing Store. US Sailing's network of accredited schools offer seven levels to help you sharpen your skills and gain confidence. Learn more

Reflections from the President

By Tom Hubbell, President of US Sailing

For years, my sailing activities consisted of 95% racing, usually with my wife, Pat, and our friend, Punch.  But that changed one evening, after a full day of racing. During the social hour I saw that my friend Charlie’s boat was still rigged. I asked and he replied that it was just too nice an evening to put the boat away and he was looking for someone to go for a sail. I accepted and the next hour changed my perspective forever.

Charlie had been the Thistle Class President and National Champion. He was an icon. Time stood still as we sailed his Thistle on our little lake as twilight approached. We missed the regatta dinner but we solved the world’s problems and shared family stories. 

I’m still racing - three regattas and 16 races so far this year. But that day Charlie rekindled my awareness and enjoyment so that I can also make time to just go sailing for an hour, or an evening, or a day. I wish I had learned this when the kids were still small.

I have enjoyed reading the sailing commentary lately promoting the adventure, the recreation, the pure fun, and the idea of not pushing new sailors so much into the competitive side of the sport. Nevin Sayre speaks to the issue enthusiastically in his presentation from our Sailing Leadership Forum in February. 

A number of creative sailing educators and entrepreneurs have long been aware of the reality that most sailors enjoy the sport without racing but as an adventure, an escape, a lifestyle, or simply open sailing.  And they know that many very active racing sailors also relish adventures on the water with no scorekeeping. I’m one of those. Most of us are not just one kind of sailor.

A 2003 McKinsey study about the sport kindled our restructuring and the beginning of our new approach to recreational sailing. Since then, US Sailing has been looking for ways to support the work of instructors and the play of folks whose focus is the enjoyment of going sailing. It’s a fact that pure enjoyment of wind and water is the glue that binds all sailors. Community sailing programs and sailing clubs succeed when they create sailing activities that build collegiality of their sailing community, more so than working to define the hierarchy of competitive prowess. It comes down to helping build a community of sailors.

Through US Sailing, we’re providing forums and seminars for networking and sharing best practices to support local sailing organizations (Sailing Leadership Forum, National and Regional Sailing Symposiums.). A recurring theme at those sessions is that we must share our enthusiasm about boats without prematurely pushing a racing agenda.

We’re providing training programs at multiple levels, offered at many places that bring sailors together to raise their skills, while improving safety and seamanship (Safety at Sea, Bareboat Cruising, Safety, Rescue & Support Boat Handling, etc.).

We have a fabulous means to connect young people to the water. The Reach program is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education pathway for teaching science and math using the maritime experience as a platform. And there is much more that US Sailing offers for individual sailors through local sailing programs.

I believe we are also fostering an inclusive culture that celebrates the incredible variety of ways that sailing can be enjoyed. There is no “one best way.” It’s up to all of us to find ways to support each other’s time on the water. As we do that, we can share the magical experience with youth, young adults, and anyone who enjoys being outside.

It is a challenge for US Sailing to address the needs of this incredibly broad-spectrum of our sport. If you have ideas or comments about supporting or promoting adventure sailing or recreational sailing, please send me a note. The future of sailing in the U.S. depends on our achievements in growing the sport, for the recreational sailor as well as the racing sailor.

See you on the water!

Tom Hubbell
President of US Sailing

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @TomHubbell

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Daily Lift

Parenting youth sailors tip: While elementary school children are discovering their likes and dislikes, exposing them to a wide range of activities is ideal, including singlehanded and doublehanded dinghies, big boats, cruising and racing. - Jessica Moehler