| Who hasn't dreamed of escaping to a deserted | | | | boat and still get the experience of seeing the |
| island? A palm tree drenched spit of sand | | | | place they are visiting from the water. The |
| surrounded by gleaming "too blue" to be real | | | | unhurried pace of our floating hotel and restaurant |
| water and absolutely no one else around. I'm sure | | | | made it easy to relax, cook, swim, scuba dive |
| you probably have. But unlike Tom Hanks in | | | | and visit with the locals. I found it was a more |
| "Castaway" you don't have to get shipwrecked or | | | | engaging way to visit a place. We became |
| have your plane crash to find these deserted | | | | travelers rather then mere tourists. We'd pull up |
| islands. You just need a few intrepid friends, a | | | | to their dock or take our dingy to their beach and |
| great sense of adventure and a bareboat charter. | | | | walk in our bare feet to their huts or cafes |
| A bareboat charter is basically the hiring of a | | | | nestled in the palm fronds and find places that |
| boat, in my case a sailboat, where my friends and | | | | you can't reach by roads. A girl could get used to |
| I would provide the crew and captain. Many island | | | | this life. |
| countries of the world have charter companies, | | | | Bareboat chartering offers the ultimate in |
| which provide sailboats to clients who are certified | | | | freedom, independence and a different way of |
| captains and the rest become the crew. The | | | | seeing a place. In the Tongan Islands for the most |
| charter companies stock the galley with a list of | | | | part we enjoyed line of sight cruising with only a |
| provisions of your choosing, including alcohol and | | | | few hidden reefs to worry about. Steady |
| you do all of the cooking. | | | | breezes, ample sunshine and palm-lined islands with |
| It all started when a sailing friend of mine | | | | white sand beaches beckoned us wherever we |
| mentioned she was part a flotilla of 2 sailboats | | | | dropped our anchor. I had finally found my |
| going to the Tongan Islands. I immediately said I | | | | deserted islands and also a bareboat yachting |
| wanted to go along. She said all we had to do | | | | paradise. |
| was to get 6 more people, including one | | | | One morning on our voyage, a silver haired |
| experienced skipper and we could add our boat to | | | | woman with large round sunglasses quietly breast |
| the adventure. Well, as luck would have it, a good | | | | stroked over to the stern of our sailboat where I |
| friend of mine had been a captain for over 20 | | | | was sitting writing in the early morning light. As I |
| years, had owned her own sailboats and had her | | | | looked up to see her she called out to me, "Is this |
| 100-ton license. We were all set, so off we all | | | | the bevy of beauties I've been hearing about?" |
| went to the Tongan Islands. | | | | We were something of a spectacle and we made |
| Tonga is comprised of 170 islands and about 1/3 | | | | a grand entrance into every port we entered, so |
| of them are uninhabited and unless you have a | | | | it seemed our reputation was spreading fast. You |
| boat or know someone who's got one there's not | | | | see were 3 sailboats of 6 women each all with a |
| much chance of getting the experience of being | | | | woman captain at the helm, and our ages ranged |
| on a real deserted island. | | | | from 31 to 73. We were a sight to behold. |
| We booked our charter through a company called | | | | The local Tongans we met were very curious as |
| Moorings, who has bases all around the world | | | | well & the typical question from them was, |
| where you can rent bareboat sailboats. We picked | | | | "Where are your husbands and children?" They |
| a 46-foot Beneteau which was quite roomy with | | | | actually laughed along with us when we answered |
| 3 berths and 3 heads and a large main galley area. | | | | them; " Oh we forgot them at home!" |
| And then with minimal introduction to our new | | | | There is something magical the first time your |
| home away from home we packed up our | | | | sails fill with wind and you find yourself gliding |
| supplies and headed off from the dock to our | | | | through turquoise blue waters. There is nothing |
| first uncharted island. | | | | more peaceful, relaxing or more empowering than |
| Hiring bareboats has become increasingly common | | | | being in charge and at the helm of your very own |
| as part time sailors are finding it easier and | | | | sailboat. |
| cheaper to vacation around the world on a rented | | | | |