Renting a catamaran with no experience.

Posted by wollyjameson3107@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 20 comments

Hi, I like to rent a catamaran for a couple day overnight trip with no captain. I want to sail the boat myself. However, I currently have little to no experience. Of course I will not do this right away. I need to gain experience and licensure. Can someone recommend a series of steps that I should take - in order to get to the point where I can comfortably rent a large catamaran internationally (sleeping maybe six people) and sail a few days? Do I need a captain license, etc. thanks!

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20 Comments

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the-montser@reddit

The ASA has courses specifically for this.

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wollyjameson3107@reddit (OP)

Thank you so much. Where can I find it?

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PvtJoker_@reddit

First time using the internet?

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the-montser@reddit

The ASA website.

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wollyjameson3107@reddit (OP)

Thanks!

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wollyjameson3107@reddit (OP)

Thanks. Do I need to go up to a certain level you recommend?

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Effective_Store_9083@reddit

Dumb stupid idea, just asking for it Go rent a hobie 16 for a day and get a handle on how cats actually sail. If you can't handle a hobie 16, you ain't gonna handle a big cat. Don't put your dreams and ideas in front of others enjoyment and pleasure That idea sounds very selfish Extremely reckless My personal experience? 17 years as a yacht/ marine diesel mechanic plus youth/highschool/college skiff racer I cut my teeth on lido 14s, V15, FJ14, cal 20, Santana 20, San Juan 21/24, hobie 33, Catalina 42, almost every J boat model under 40 foot.... 10 years as an Alaskan commercial fisherman, currently owning a 50 foot Ed monk steel schooner rigged as a commercial salmon troller Cats are no joke and not entry level Do your fam a favor and ease into it instead of just going for it Just cuz they can be stable and lazy don't mean they can't get spicy and you always want it prepare for worst case. PPPPPP Proper Prudence Prevents Piss Poor Performance Not saying don't rent a cat one day, not saying don't learn to sail. Just get squared away sailor. *currently transiting Juneau Alaska to Seattle*

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imagine30@reddit

Most places in the Caribbean do not require any formal license, but they generally want you to have experience on a similarly sized boat. In the Mediterranean, a license is required. If you get ASA 101, 103, and 104 you qualify for the required license. I was able to do all 3 of these classes at once while living on a boat in St. Thomas for a week. There are several schools that do something like this; I used Blue Water Sailing school, and really enjoyed the experience. I also learned a lot. You could also look into local yacht/sailing clubs, they sometimes have boats that you can learn on if you join. Best of luck.

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wollyjameson3107@reddit (OP)

Thank you so much!

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foxhollow@reddit

ASA 114 is a catamaran specific course. The most important thing to know is that a catamaran will capsize if overpowered in strong wind. You need to know the reefing guidelines for your boat or you’re gonna have a bad day.

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Silly_Swan_Swallower@reddit

Find a local sailing club, take ASA101, 103, 104, and I think there is one for cats too. Welcome to the world of sailing!! Your goal is similar to mine, I have a 10 year timeline for getting comfortable enough to charter a big boat and sail the BVIs.

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gg562ggud485@reddit

You comfortable enough to sail? Or your wife comfortable enough to sail with you? 😀

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Silly_Swan_Swallower@reddit

Haha, mostly so that I can do it without being too worried

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lanierg71@reddit

I have a ton of sailing experience (40+ yrs) and Asa certified thru 104. BVI company is still making me hire a checkout captain because I have no cat experience only monohull.

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Hot_Carrot_6507@reddit

If you’re mechanically inclined sailing isn’t hard. Learn everything you can as far as rules of the road are concerned and then do the asa classes as previously mentioned. I bought my first boat of 47 ft and sailed offshore for 11 days straight single handed. It can certainly be done. Having two engines on a cat also make docking easier. You’ll definitely want to spend time practicing manouvers and understand how the boat performs prior to getting close to other boat. Remember that you only go as fast as you’re willing to hit something when docking 😊

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wychimp@reddit

Sailing gets real, real quick. Be safe my friend

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whyrumalwaysgone@reddit

If you are in the US, try ASA sailing or US sailing. I teach the ASA classes so I'm more familiar with their program - you start with a basic 101 class and learn to sail. Then you take more classes depending on what you want to do. To rent a catamaran without a captain, you will need up to the Bareboat class, and also there's a special Catamaran class. The cost of classes will add up, and you will likely also want to rent (bareboat) some boats for day trips or weekends while you learn to keep the experience rolling in. If you are on the US West Coast I highly recommend Harbor Sailboats (not Harbor Sailing) in San Diego, or second best is Marina Sailing which has locations all over. Outside of that area use the ASA website to locate a school nearby, costs are pretty similar for most schools so you are really shopping for instructors and good well-maintained boats.

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wollyjameson3107@reddit (OP)

Thank you!

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DarkVoid42@reddit

just... no. you need 6 months of experience to be good and at least 1 month of experience to be better than useless.

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Internet_Exploder_6@reddit

Charter companies in the BVI are pretty lenient but you'll need to provide a sailing resume for them to approve. The more time you can spend on boats the better, can't say specifically what you'll need but that was how I got more experience before buying my own.