Diving and sailing (non-diving spouse)

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leo

Contributor
Messages
102
Reaction score
1
Location
Miami Beach
# of dives
500 - 999
ISO another couple(s) interested in a sailing with diving trip:

I'm an avid diver (live in Miami, have my own boat, travel frequently for diving) but my wife is not a diver (she's OK with snorkeling). I would love a live-aboard trip and have done it before, but she wouldn't enjoy it. We have taken island trips where I do some diving while she enjoys top-side activities and beaches (Cozumel, Hawaii, San Andrés, etc.), now we'd like to do week on a sailboat... but for me I still want some diving and snorkeling mixed in with the incredible remote beaches and sailing (no need for shopping at tourist attractions, thanks).

Something like The Moorings (www.mooringssignature.com) type chartering sounds real nice ... but, there are issues:

- One can't dive alone, and she doesn't dive
- It's too expensive to charter a boat as only one couple (instead of a group), over $10k

The Moorings seems like one of the best chartering companies... and they do have an offering where we as only a couple are assigned a boat with two other couples. But, this doesn't work if the other couples aren't interested in diving or snorkeling, or worse have shopping and restaurants as their main interest :11:

So, given that my wife and I would likely sail with total strangers anyway (The Moorings offers no assistance in assigning boats to people with like interests, no way to meet/talk/email the others in advance), I thought I'd post here and maybe meet some others with interest.

>> Is anyone interested in this, a week long sail trip, where we'd be able to do a good amount of diving and snorkeling?


Of course, this isn't a live aboard with five dives per day... but it's an amazing sailing trip and great for a non-diving spouse. And, with the open itineraries (they allow the vacationers to plan the itinerary) we'd be able to have our diving and snorkeling. Technically, we'd have two options with a company like Moorings (no reason we might not find another company, too), both include the boat (cat or mono-hull) with a captain/chef crew... with two couples we could just sign up for the same boat, and they'd likely fill it with one other couple; or if we are three couples we could do a private charter at about the same cost.

They offer the "cabin among strangers" plan only in BVIs, Bahamas (Abacos), Belize and Tahiti. For full charter option they have at all/numerous locations. I'm thinking sometime July-September.

Anyone interested?
Any discussion, comments or experiences from others, would be of interest.

Thanks
 
You can rent a 38' mono-hull from Moorings for a lot less than $10k!
This would be big enough for two couples; and not too big for 2 people to handle.

Sounds like a great idea, any idea as to when you would like to go?
 
What size boat are you considering? Not familiar with their "signature" series, but come down in size and you'll come down in price and you can bareboat alone or with one other couple. Check out Moorings "regular" site.

http://www.moorings.com/fleet.aspx

And you can dive alone....lots of diver do.
 
Hook and del_mo-

I'm interested in a plan I'd charter the boat WITH crew (captain and chef). I've priced it, with crew it's a little expensive (for one single couple)... but the total cost would be across 2-3 couples (it's not per person).

I wouldn't go without a professional captain, us not knowing the area, and me not knowing the others (especially the one captaining) for a first time.

So, we could do a "signature" rental (by cabin - don't let the signature term confuse you with the 'signature' name used for the newer boats), and then they only offer this on the 46' cat or the 54' mono-hull. Or, we as a group (2-3 couples) charter a whole boat large enough to hold 2-3 couples and the crew couple in private cabins each with private heads.

Thus, in either case, we need the larger boat. In addition, only a larger boat has on-board A/C (to have room for the generator).

I could do this various weeks between July-September, especially early August.
 
leo,
what you are discussing my wife and i have done 3 times in the bvi's.
the first time we chartered a 67 ft schooner.
there were 3 couples including my cousin, her husband and a couple that they were friends of.
the captian was a dive instructor and the boat had all the tanks and gear.


the secound trip was just the 2 of us on a 50 ft motor sailer.
the owners were the captian and cook.
i did what they call rendezvous diving which is when the captian gets on the radio and makes arrangments with a land based dive shop.
the dive boat comes out to where you are, picks up the diver(s), goes out for a 2 tank adventure then takes you back to your boat.


the third trip was my wife, son, nephew and i on a 58 ft ketch.
the owners were the captian and cook.
the captain was also a dive instuctor.
they had tanks and all the gear.

we go thru a broker called regency.
http://www.regencyvacations.com/index.html
they represent over 500 crewed yachts.

please remember that these are all inclusive.
your vessel is your resort, restaurant, dive shop and play ground.
with a captain you are not restricted from any area.
each yacht is different and you can choose one the will meet your special needs.

one thing i've always wanted to do was to get up with enough people where we could charter several yachts and have a flotilla.

you can't imagine the quality of the food and service you recieve.
no, i am not a commercial.
it's just that i have done it several times and i think you get a big bang out of your buck when you consider everything.

please let me know if i can be any more help.
regards,
 
Not gonna try to talk you into something you aren't comfortable with, but you said you own your own boat. Whether it's a sail or power, there isn't a whole lot of difference. You never have to raise the sails if you don't want to.

Sailing the BVI is so easy. Nothing like Florida. You don't have channels (with the exception of entering a couple of bays) to worry about. No sand bars. No hidden obstructions. You can drop anchor in any of a dozen protected sites, or pick up a mooring ball in a few others. You are always in sight of land.

You can go ashore for dinners (lunch, too) or sit back and chill with the Mrs. by yourself. How much nicer is that watching the sun set.

Of course if you like having strangers around, than that settles the deal.

I've chartered two boats, a 30' (bareboat) and a 50' (with Moorings). The 50'-er had a cook, and I will admit she was unobtrusive.

I'm jealous. Either way, you'll love it.
 

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