Taking charge of your charter boat
It’s always worth checking that everything operates as it should before you leave the marina.
Charter handover
Chartering can make a huge amount of sense. It
allows you the freedom to cruise when and where you want and whilst the
initial charges may seem high, they are nothing compared to owning and
running a boat.
I use charter boats a lot, either when
teaching in a different country or running a course in the UK but time
and experience has told me to look the boat over very carefully during
the handover.
Whilst the boat is often sparkly and
clean, it is always worth a quick look to check that everything operates
as it should before you leave the marina.
Charter
operators operating under the UK flag, by law have to give you a charter
handover which should include familiarisation and documentation:
1. Familiarisation
The
method of use of all lifesaving and fire fighting appliances, location
and operation of sea cocks and bilge pumps, how mechanical and
electrical/electronic equipment works, any routine maintenance that is
required, what engine checks should be carried out and the method of
setting and reefing of sails.
2. Documentation
There
should be a file onboard with the boats registration papers, insurance
policy, necessary certificates, details of permitted operating area,
instruction manuals, inventory of the vessel’s equipment, stowage plan
and list of emergency contacts should a problem occur.
Be nosey
Whilst a charter company has a duty to pass on basic safety critical
information, the boat may have just returned from another charter and
often issues with the boat are not reported back to the charter company.
Charter companies will do their own basic checks to
ensure the boat is up to spec, but this realistically can only go so
far, therefore it is worth you having a good look around before you
leave with the boat.
Ondeck checks
Laying out the boats inventory and stowage plan will help save valuable time searching through lockers.
My
routine is to start on deck at the bow, then work back checking the
anchor shackles, rigging pins, seizing’s on the jackstays, guardrail
fastenings and tightness of shackles. I’ll also check out the reefing
system and look up the mast groove for major mast misalignment.
Then
I move on to the deck electrics, by switching on the lower navigation
lights and electronic instrumentation to check that they work.
The
lifesaving appliances should have already been pointed out but this is
my chance to check whether the MOB lights work and how quickly the
equipment can be deployed.
The deck check often throws up a variety of
small issues such as loose shackles, MOB or navigation lights not
working, empty gas bottles and faulty instrumentation.
‘Down below’ checks
Moving down below, as well as the usual
familiarisation of instruments, look at the charts and publications to
check when they were last updated.
I open up the
lifejackets to see how the lights operate and how the jacket inflates so
that I know the ‘auto’ lifejackets are auto and not ‘manual’.
The
engine requires a visual check. Items such as oil and water should have
been checked by the company. However it doesn’t take long to check the
engine mountings, bolts on the shaft couplings and to check that piping
and ancillary items within the compartment are secure. I have found
problems with loose bolts on a shaft coupling at least once in a year
together with piping vibrating and abrading to a point where they either
were, or would have, started to leak during the charter.
These are
just some the items that can be checked and I’m sure you will have or
come up with your own checklist. It takes less than 30 minutes or so to
complete a good check of your charter boat and I have found that they
have saved me a lot of problems.
Simon Jinks - RYA Instructor and
Examiner at SeaRegs Training. www.searegs.co.uk