Powercats

Does anyone know what charter companies would have powercats in their fleets. I've googled and have only came up with the marinemax website.

Moorings has numerous powercats.

Moorings has a large fleet of powercats.

Virgin Motor Yacht Charters has a brand new 4 cabin 48ft. cat. I would have booked it if I hadn't already booked with Moorings. How big are you looking for? This will only be my second charter with Moorings but their boats are nice. Seem much nicer than Marine Max but I only saw theirs on nearby mooring balls. My only complaint with Moorings are the rates. Charges for every little thing and the sleep aboard rate is ridiculous. Plus, no water makers. The VMYC cat is the perfect size between the 433pc and the 514pc at Moorings. It also has bow thrusters! Water maker with ice makers and two refrigerators. Those things make a huge difference. No docking to get water/ice but bow thrusters if you need too.

TMM has at least one new motor cat.

We are only looking for a two or three cabin one. Will only be me and my husband. Now I'm looking into what you need to qualify to captain it yourself.

Do you own a boat at home and/or have a lot of boating experience with verified time in a boat length within about 5 feet of the boat size you want to charter? If your sailing resume is weak I highly suggest you talk to Grant Headefin at NauticEd. He has online courses and will help with your resume and even handle the bookings and communication with charter company to get you ready and approved. His courses are accepted by Moorings and he has a good relationship with them. There is no fee for his broker services and the courses aren't very expensive. He even has a BVI chart briefing course that is accepted by most of the charter companies so you can do that at home and skip it on arrival.

Judging from many encounters with power cats over the last few years I would say the following list is a good starter on qualifications:

1. No qualifications other than been on a boat a couple of times and you know the pointy end is in front
2. No idea what the rules of the road are
3. Play your music really really loud in every anchorage. After all - if you enjoy the music then obviously everyone else does too
4. Party most of the night and be really loud (I presume to overcome the load music) and in the process take your clothes off and run around naked.
5. Drive the power cat as fast as possible and as close to other boats as possible. Drive like you've rented it!
6. If there are any rules they don't apply to you. Things like private mooring balls, 90 minutes time limit and no overnight usage of bvi park moorings, etc. do not apply to you. Rules are for the little people!

I have met power cat people that don't have this list of qualifications. But unfortunately not many.

Bingo. Currently anchored off Prickly Pear at 9:33 pm with wind starting to build and gust to 18 kts and there is one other boat here - a Moorings 51 PC over 100 yds downwind of me and their noise is deafening. Obnoxious morons.

You forgot the most important of all - power cats or sail cats never need anyone at the helm - NEVER. They are the most important people of all.

Hilarious thread! I'll be "slumming it" in a marinemax 44 power cat... can we still be friends?

I won't be the one doing any of the aforementioned assholeitries tho as I'm a respectful 30+ year veteran of offshore & coastal boating. Look for the S.C. and US flag and wave as opposed to giving us the finger please ! July 2-14

Yeah hilarious. I will be on a Moorings 433pc and I'm respectful too but I only give respect in return. Since none was given I'm not sure I can make any promises. Having worked at both power and sail marinas in my younger years, six years of college on the Chesapeake Bay in Norfolk spending every weekend at yacht clubs, sailing races, regattas and parties, I can say 1000% the description fits plenty of sail boaters as well. I think of them every time I'm on my way to Home Depot and there's a Prius in the left lane. Oddly enough, if I were fortunate enough to live by the ocean and able to afford my own boat, it would probably be a sail boat.

This is good information thanks. Am going to ask all charters what they require and will certainly check out the info you gave me above. We live in Tampa I have seen where they do have power boat courses actually on the water here so will take one if need be. Owned a cabin cruiser in the past but was a long time ago mostly boated all over the California delta, familiar with anchoring, tieing up, watching for deepness etc. Have been on several boat charters in the BVIs with only a captain, have picked up mooring balls, have been coming to the BVIs on land ventures and boat charters to all BVI islands since 2010 so familiar with islands, that's about it.

No sorry we don't have any of those qualifications. We just got back from 12 days staying on land, stayed at Cooper Island, JVD and Cane Garden Bay. We saw a lot of powercats and that is what got us thinking we have never seen so many since coming to the BVI in the past ten years. All 3 of the places we stayed at we were on the beach 99% of the time and never heard any loud music, did see some that we thought did not have to motor so fast. We used to have a business where we rented Harley Davidsons, so I know the above statement well ha ha. Anyway we hope all we meet out on the water will be respectful no matter what you are "driving".

Sounds like you'll be okay. If you talk to Grant he will give you a good idea of what the charter companies will say and may even have some pull with them if you are borderline. I doubt the charter companies will give you much information. By that I mean they probably won't give you a list of what they require. Most likely each one will tell you send us your resume. Put down all of the skills you mentioned. Description of the boat you owned, what conditions you sailed in, including weather, over nights, were you in charge, docking, coastal areas with any challenges you were able to manage and navigate, etc. There is one company that has older power boats, mind is blank. They are pretty lenient but their boats are pretty big. I think you're choice will be Marine Max or Moorings. I don't see a problem getting their smaller power cat, 2 cabin. Worst case they might make you do the first day with a captain.

thanks!

In my experience this list applies equally to both power boaters and sailors. I own both and find the snarky blowboater and stink potter comments humorous.

Conch Charters has a power cat as well.