How can I find people to share a boat charter?

February 8, 2013 2:09 PM

For years I've been promising myself I'll spend New Year's Eve on Jost Van Dyke, in the British Virgin Islands. This is that year. I can fly out and book a hotel, but what I'd love to do is share a sailboat (or even a motorboat) with a few other people. How can I go about finding other interested people to share a bareback or captained charter? Me: comfortable assisting on boats (when told what to do), great cook, happy scuba diver. Is there some sort of matching service for wannabe sailors or cruisers? I'm not interested in a big boat, and I can't afford to charter the whole thing alone and then just hope that I can get other people to share. Thanks for your suggestions!
posted by 2soxy4mypuppet to travel & transportation (7 answers total)

Umm... ask your friends? Family? That's where I'd start, anyway.
posted by valkyryn at 2:16 PM on February 8

Yeah sorry, I should have put in that obviously, friends and family are unable/uninterested.
posted by 2soxy4mypuppet at 2:17 PM on February 8

Maybe meetup.com has a group of people who may be interested?
posted by czytm at 2:27 PM on February 8

Here's a charter share thread from BVI Pirate; the larger forum may be helpful, too.
posted by stellaluna at 2:43 PM on February 8

I'd be surprised if none of the charter companies offer this service. Have you emailed any of the charters to see if they're organizing a group?
posted by barnone at 3:56 PM on February 8

You could get in contact with your local ASA chapter, or call Sunsail BVI. (They're affiliated closely with the ASA, so might have broader reach than a small, BVI-local company.)

Also, try Craigslist or Airbnb. I've heard of postings in Florida and Puerto Rico. Also, a cursory click-through on the latter found me this. Perhaps you could email that charming lady and see if she has any ideas on sharing it?


Or you could take me with you. :)
posted by functionequalsform at 4:54 PM on February 8

latesail.com is a yacht charter aggregator that has a "cabin charter" option, where you rent just one cabin on a crewed charter – I don't think they offer it in the Caribbean but it's worth talking to them. I've bareboated with them out of St. Martin and they were very available and helpful on their on-line chat.

Also, many sailing schools organize flotilla trips where graduates charter and share multiple boats, and the BVI is a popular destination – there's ample time before New Year's to take some classes, and knowing more about sailing would only make the trip even more fun!
posted by nicwolff at 4:55 PM on February 8