| You'll find out right away that if you want to set up | | | | If you have plenty of time before you plan to go |
| a bareboat charter, you have three basic options: | | | | bareboating but not a lot of experience with boats, |
| sailing with a full crew and captain, sailing with a | | | | consider joining the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. This |
| captain, with you and your party performing as crew, | | | | volunteer organization operates to support local |
| or sailing by yourself. The first two options don't | | | | Coast Guard units, and if you work with them you'll |
| require prior experience or a license. However, if you | | | | be able to get much more training and experience |
| want to do a true bareboat and sail your own ship | | | | with boats for free, in exchange for your time |
| through the British Virgin Islands, you will have to | | | | teaching safety courses, helping with equipment, and |
| have some sort of license. | | | | performing other support services for the Coast |
| There are nearly sixty different licenses offered by | | | | Guard. |
| the U.S. Coast Guard; of these licenses, you'll find | | | | Another wise certification to get is the Red Cross |
| that most BVI bareboat yacht companies will accept | | | | CPR and First Aid certificate; after all, you're going to |
| the lower-level ones when renting you a boat. But | | | | be out on the wide blue sea by yourselves. This |
| you will also find that the higher level your license is, | | | | course requires either a full-day or half-day class, |
| the more money you'll save on insurance. However, | | | | depending on who teaches it, and you can get it for |
| these high-level licenses often require many days | | | | free through the Red Cross. You can also get your |
| worth of service on boats that can document your | | | | Safe Boating course through the Red Cross in some |
| performance, and are not appropriate for pleasure | | | | areas; ask if you think yours might offer this. |
| boaters. | | | | If you don't have your Safe Boater license when you |
| Fortunately, the main license required by most | | | | get to your charter company, they may still allow |
| bareboat charter companies is the Safe Boating | | | | you to bareboat after you've acted as crew for at |
| certification from the U.S. Coast Guard. This is a fairly | | | | least one day with a captain provided by the |
| simple course, and you can take it online without | | | | company. You won't become a sailing expert in one |
| ever getting on a boat. The Coast Guard will | | | | day, but the charter company will at least be able to |
| administer the test; contact them by calling | | | | assess whether you can competently sail their boat |
| 1-866-BOAT-ABC. They can also help you get more | | | | and obey sensible rules. Still, it's better to come |
| information on boating safety and more advanced | | | | prepared with that minimal license. |
| boating licenses. | | | | |