Home / Help / Advice for Skippers

Advice for skippers

You have registered an interest in an event as skipper and you have been confirmed in this position by the event organiser and, where a yacht charter is involved, you will also have been accepted by the charter company.

This will not have happened without you having the appropriate experience (sailing CV) and capabilities for the job, most probably backed up by suitable qualifications. This being the case, you know what being a good skipper is all about and no further advice is necessary!

However, for the benefit of those wondering what they should expect for you, it may be as well to continue, if only to set the role of skipper in the context of the Yotlinx event creation process.

The role of the Event Organiser and the Skipper are entirely different, although they may often be embodied in the same individual.

The Event Organiser is the creator of the event and therefore the one who sets out what kind of event it is and describes what sort of experience people might get by joining. A skipper should only apply for an event when they are keen to fall in with the organisers intentions. It is not an invitation for the skipper to high-jack their boat, especially as there may be several boats as part of one event theme, like a Regatta.

That having been said, the skipper is entirely responsible for the boat for the duration of the event and the safety of the crew when not ashore. It therefore goes without saying that the organiser must agree the crew and boat with the skipper well in advance of setting sail.

In the case of a yacht charter, the event organiser will usually have provided all necessary event details on the site event page where there may also be a 'Furtrher Information' link. The organiser will probably also have dealt with charter fees having collected the appropriate share of these costs from the participants. So this leaves you, the skipper, free to organise everything else with your crew ,such as, but not limited to:

Before your trip

• Get your crew together, where possible, before the event to check and share expectations
• Organise transport to and from the point of embarkation/disembarkation (if not sorted by the event organiser)
• Sort out accomodation arrangements layout, number and size of berths, toilets etc.
• Check for special dietary requirements and arrange who shops.
• Find out who likes cooking and in general who likes to do what.
• Make sure crew knows what gear is required what is provided for them on board. Mention particularly safety gear, foul weather clothing, bedding and check that those without their own kit can hire from the charter company or other supplier.
• Check for any medical problems, relevant medication or proneness to seasickness. Let crew know if you have any medical conditions.
• Sort out how expenses will be dealt with and make sure you have a process for settling up at the end of the trip. Request that the crew bring cash or cheque books for this.
• Be very clear about any security deposit, insurance excess liability and how this is dealt with in the event of a claim.

Once on board

• Sort out accommodation
• Brief your crew on the boat
• Complete a safety briefing including the boats safety equipment
• Share out duties and agree who will do what.

Have a great trip!

Your Feedback

Your comments on this page are very welcome and will be read. click here to comment and go to 'start new thread'.