I booked a charter for winter, 2018 with one of the second tier charter companies. I have been bareboating since ~ 1993 and have chartered with this company over ten times. We have chartered many of their sloops/cats up to '53. It is an excellent company. This time we booked one of their new flagships which will be put into charter this winter. Paper work/contract signed and here we go.

After we signed everything and sent in the $8k, 50% down payment (ouch), the charter company informed us the boat owner has now decided all charters must have a first day captain: no exceptions. I rapidly contacted the charter company to further explore this entity. I was informed the captain with be of no charge and we worked out prelim plan for heading to Norman Island the first day where the captain will then find his/her way home prior to nightfall.

The 90 is this: I am 90% (sort of) ok with this. It's nice to have some one actually assist you in the initial raising the sail/sailing a new boat which you have never been on. Maybe the checkout can occur partially during the sail over to Norman Island. This may be the greatest thing ever. There are, definitely, a lot of pluses.

But, somewhere is this is the negative 10%. I have a contract signed/ $8k sent in. Now, the contract (post signatures) has been tweaked. What if they want to tweak this again? What if the owner says, I really don't want my boat taken by anyone to Anegada, etc? I have had issues in the past with another company passing a last minute rule that you had to use/rent one of their expensive cell phones (they agreed this wasn't in the contract).

When it is all said and done, I feel it takes some pressure off of the captain and crew to have a free demo. I just wish this was in the original contract. I don't feel the charterer has any leverage to later "tweaking the contract" in his own direction.