Maybe someone can explain this to me since I have never been able to figure it out.

At what point (length), do you have to hire a captain/crew to operate a boat? 70ft, 80ft, 100ft? I could never understand the point of owning a boat if every time I wanted to use it I had to hire people to drive it, not to mention the lack of privacy.

I know there is no definitive length that forces you to hire someone, but a general consensus is fine.

 

I know people with 90footers for them selfs, but I think thats pretty much the limit. You would need to have a few guys at the harbour/marina to keep it clean though, otherwise it would be your job to.


and in response to your second question, its the same as asking why do people change their own oil? because they like to do things them self. some people dont.

 

After 60 you need a captains license, and after 80+ if you have a boat without bow thrusters you either need a sick captain or tons of exp maneuvering around in tight places. If its a sport fisherman around the 60-70 foot range usually a deck hand, but I'd say 80+ you at least need 1 captain/deckhand. 120+ your talking 4+ crew.
You really DONT need a crew for driving the boat,I was talking to my friends captain while we were on his yacht this past new years, and he was telling me he also captains a 120 footer, and he said those things are so modern its a little stick to maneuver it, and with the autopilot, its even easier. You just help getting out of marina if its a tight spot and docking the boat wherever you end up going.

Whenever we go out, we just hire him for the trip, if we go to Bahamas for a week, we do all the tying up ourselves, plus he cooks up a mean risotto
A Captain thats a cook is the BEST choice.

 

I almost decided not to post this in light of the recent DD thread...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8alNxLjCBJc&feature=related

 

Lol that looks familiar. We made a similar move full pelt ahead in a German harbor a couple of summers back and got so close to this German boat that the guy who was eating on deck freaked out so much that he dropped his plate of pasta in the water while running to the railing to somehow fend us of or something. Our stern missed his side by about 10 inches. According to plan of course.

 

My brothers have both been sailing instructors and thus have learned some interesting docking techniques in the instruction boats.

Ever seen a 18' whaler come off plane within 5 feet of the dock? I have.

 

hahaha Captain Ron, what a great movie.