Two charter boats explore France in a week-long cruise along the Canal du Marne au Rhin in Alsace, France. >See full FRANCE CANAL CRUISE SERIES Chesapeake Flotillas, our Chesapeake MD based charter company, planned a week-long cruise along the Canal du Marne au Rhin in Alsace, France. There were two boats of 10 people each, and...
Historic Chesapeake Bay Schooner sets sail in annual Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race Being a licensed Captain is a great source of pride to me. I have enjoyed working with my clients as well as pursuing other commercial opportunities like relief captain jobs on various schooners, water taxi and tow boat jobs, and tour boat and ferry...
How to plan for meals and galley provisions for boat trips, cruises or charters from an experienced charter chef In previous articles, I have discussed trip preparation through the use of checklists – like how to create good checklists and three checklists you should create for your boat. I have also discussed how cruising couples can have...
A professional captain’s point of view on everything you need to consider when hiring a delivery captain to relocate your yacht or boat There are lots of reasons one may wish to have a boat relocated. Perhaps you have purchased your dream boat but it is lies several hundred miles away in a distant and unfamiliar...
From Captain requirements to the Coast Guard application process – how to navigate the process of becoming an official boat Captain Like all other areas of professional endeavor, getting a Captain’s license is an essential and non-trivial process. Despite the years between my earliest thoughts on having one and actually applying…or perhaps because of that...
Boating, yachting, and sailing are a lot of fun. The salubrious benefits of on-water recreation are many. I, probably not unlike many of you, like to go to my boat and just be there… resting, relaxing, or puttering with her systems. And it is always a good time when one invites family and friends aboard...
In my last article on boat checklists, I identified reasons why one might want to use various checklists and how to create and use good checklists for your boat. I also pointed out that creating a checklist can be as helpful as referring to one. A few types of lists were mentioned, but generally better...
As a person of a certain age, I have come to appreciate the value of lists. However, the attraction is not new. When I began my flight training in the early 1980’s, there were checklists for pre-flight activities, pre-departure, entering a Terminal Control Area, landing, securing the aircraft, and on and on and on. When...
I am proud of my boat handling skills. However, what is more meaningful to me is having taught my crew what to do in ALL the roles on board. On a number of occasions when my first mate/galley steward Theresa and I have returned from a charter, people on the dock or adjacent boats comment...
It has been said that if you love what you do, you will never have to work. I do enjoy my engineering work and that makes it easier for me to get up at 5AM five days a week to go to work. But anyone who knows me well knows that the true passion burns...