Choosing a Charter Company
First decide where in the
world you want to charter. The Caribbean and the
Mediterranean have obvious attractions but if don't want
to travel abroad, there are many locations around the
UK. Our base is in the Solent which has a few advantages
- plenty of places to visit, a variety of scenery,
relatively easy navigation, sheltered waters etc etc. Of
course there are a lot of other people that recognise
the benefits which means it can get crowded in the
height of summer, but even then its always possible to
find somewhere to be alone, and anyway, socialising is
half the fun.The
choice of charter company varies from huge companies
with many bases to one man companies operating a single
boat. Each has its own benefits. A larger company will
have a large fleet yachts to choose from and prices can
be very competitive. They will also have the resources
to come and fix technical problems as they arise.
Smaller companies on the other hand often offer more
flexible dates and yachts equipped with lots of extras.
Solent Sail is somewhere in the middle. Big enough to
provide choice and competative prices, but small enough
to be flexible and provide quality yachts.
As far as equipment is
concerned all charter companies offer all
the basic items as standard. These are mainly safety related,
and required in order to meet
the code of practice for yachts in charter. But extras
vary considerably and its a good idea to check what you
get. Some
examples are electronic navigation equipment and colour
plotters, outboard motors for the dingy, fishing equipment, a TV/DVD, a CD player, on board
heating etc. Similarly it is a good idea to check the
policy on fresh water, fuel and gas.
Other things to bear in mind are whether you can sleep
aboard for the first night, what their payment and
cancellation policies, what happens if the weather is
bad and also if you think they will still be in business
when you come to take your holiday. Bearing all this in
mind, here is Solent Sail's policy:-
| |
|
| Choice
of boat |
Many from about 35' to
54' |
| Prices |
Each year we monitor
the prices quoted by other large companies and
match ours to theirs. If you find a comparable
yacht from another at a cheaper price, please let
us know - we may be able to match it. |
|
Technical |
All our yachts are
maintained to the highest standards. When things
break, as long as we know, we will get them fixed. |
|
Breakdowns |
If your yacht breaks
down whilst on charter we use Sea Start to help
you out. They are like the AA at sea and will come
to you in a powerful black & yellow rib to get you
going again fast. |
| Extras |
All yachts have
inflatable tenders and if you think you might need
it, we can supply an outboard motor.
Most yachts have flat-screen TV and DVD plus
Freeview
We also provide colour plotters very often on deck
with radar. So you always know where you are.
Electric anchor windlass and on-board central
heating are pretty much standard across the fleet. |
| Water |
We ensure that yachts
are pre-filled with fresh water before handover |
| Fuel |
The yacht comes full
of fuel and we ask that you return it the same
way. If not we will refill it and charge it back
at cost. |
| Gas |
In most circumstances
there is no charge, but week long charters incur
a small charge for gas use. |
| Prior
night |
We arrange handovers
in the evening before your charter begins so you
are then welcome to stay on board before setting
off first thing in the morning, or you can even
leave that evening if you want. |
|
Payment policy |
A 25% deposit secures
a booking, although if you book more than 6 months
in advance, we only need 10%. In all cases we
offer a 14 day credit period. Payment by cheque,
transfer or credit card is acceptable. |
|
Cancellation |
If you cancel or
change your booking we will aim to re charter the
boat and you would then only pay a small admin
charge. |
| Bad
weather |
If storms are forecast
for more than 50% of your booked time, we would not
put pressure on you to go to sea and you would be
able to cancel the entire booking for no charge.
Similarly if you get caught out away from base when an
unexpected gale
arises, we would not put pressure on you to return
the boat in any unsafe conditions. |
|
