Wow, some boats I just really wouldn't want to be on!

Bgs - we are doing similar this year, for the past 5 years we've chartered in the BVI as a couple and before that our own yacht in the Caribbean for 10 years with family. This year we're taking another couple who have never been to BVI and never sailed before.

Same as you we've been on holiday with them before and so know 100% that they are absolutely the right people to have a fantastic time with us.

For me as skipper the first and most important thing is that they understand that when it comes to their safety and that of the boat, it is not a democracy. When it comes to decisions about where to eat / drink, what to do etc etc, it IS a democracy!

We have been giving them loads of info on what to expect, but not overwhelming them. Some stuff is more fun to discover for yourself.

We intend, as I think a lot of others do on this forum, to get them as involved as possible with sailing, mooring, dinghy, route planning etc. The more involved, the better their understanding, the more they enjoy, the safer they are in my opinion. Day 1 will have then behind the helm and learning the joy of switching the engine off and letting the sails do the work.

A few hard and fast rules we have - nobody touches a sheet or picks up a mooring line / mooring ball without sailing gloves on. Nobody on deck when mooring / anchoring without shoes on. When anchoring only one person within a meter of the windlass. Killcord worn at all times, without exception when dinghy is in gear. 'One hand for the boat' when moving around when under-way. And never compromise your own safety for that of the boat. Boats can be fixed. This seems most relevant with picking mooring balls, don't strain your back, don't flog yourself trying to save a botched approach. If you miss the ball it's skippers fault...always! And skipper never gets frustrated or annoyed when he has to make a second approach. Skipper never loses his/her cool.

Also, we run a silent boat when it comes to mooring/anchoring etc. My wife and I have hand-signals and discuss our approach, plan A and plan B before beginning the manoeuvre and have never had any issue communicating with 48ft between us in that fashion. It's a bug-bear of mine when you see a boat come into the bay with 5 people on the foredeck and 5 near the helm, all screaming/shouting/hooting/hollering at each other! These tend to be the people who take 6 attempts to hook a ball.

In another life I was a professional skipper and sailing instructor. I will be checking myself constantly to get the balance right between getting them involved, engaged and teaching them things...and recognising that it's a relaxing holiday, not a sailing school! This probably also applies to showing them all the amazing things in the BVI...nobody likes a know-all, so much stuff for them to enjoy discovering at their own pace rather than us being overzealous tour-guides.

Oh and yes...correct approach to showers and toilets is key to a successful charter!

Our monohulls never have generator. We take a high-spec portable battery pack and a hi-spec inverter with us (took a low spec one once and it caught fire...not good). When engine on we charge the battery pack, people can then charge all their devices from this during the rest of the day/night. From fully charged it will re-charge a laptop about 20 times, so never runs out between the 'engine-on' times. This saves any issues with draining the house batteries or fighting over the power outlets. Not an issue if you have a genny!