Aye, Aye Captain - A recent post on one of the Internet discussion boards concerned with the BVI talked about “...the impact of sustained winds of greater than 22 knots, daily squalls and following seas of 6 to 12 feet.  We had not prepared for the best way to free the prop from the dinghy painter in a channel with 8 foot seas and had not instructed the crew in how to secure the poly rope of the dinghy to the dinghy mooring at the Baths.........  We did not have an alternative exit strategy for returning the boat to the charter company when the sailing conditions on the last day of our charter were clearly beyond our capabilities.”   The post concluded that “...A boat needs a Captain- sailing by committee doesn't work. The crew needs to understand who the captain is and that their decision stands.”

Sometimes on a charter there is the feeling that since everyone is a decent sailor there need be no captain.  At other times the captain is the one who paid the deposit, regardless of his experience or expertise.  Either way is a shortcut to trouble.

The primary duty of the captain is to ensure the safety and well-being of vessel and crew by making decisions based on conditions.  This all-inclusive responsibility ranges from knowing the location of safety equipment to supervising the tying of docklines and everything in between.  These responsibilities imply that the captain is knowledgeable in all areas of seamanship.  If this is not the case, the captain can delegate—often other crew members have the skills and experience that the captain lacks and so can be put to good use.

A good way to begin a charter is to stay close to the charter base practising anchoring and reefing and other skills that might come in handy.  The captain can discuss the charts with interested crew members and get even the youngest involved in some aspect of the boat's operation.  Exercises like these are not only good for the crew but they can be fun too, and can help establish the captain's authority and so lay the foundation for an exciting adventure.

While the brochures might tout the BVI as an area of gentle breezes and benign conditions, the reality is often dramatically different.  And even when the weather is being kind, other factors are in play.  Trellis Bay during Full Moon celebrations, and Great Harbour on JVD anytime, have become object lessons in what not to do on a boat......folks anchor too close together or anchor on too short a scope or in inappropriate areas.  An anchorage is not a parking lot, you cannot just pull up to a spot and drop some chain and expect the boat to sit as commanded like a loyal dog.  Winds change, other vessels need room to manoeuvre and yes, there is some tidal movement (particularly at full moon).

So if you're the captain, or just play one on charter, remember to take your duties seriously.  The issue might not be about saving a life, but it is about not wasting time sorting out damage claims and waiting for a technician to show up on a service call.  The fun you save might be your own.