EDITOR'S NOTE: Today, we offer Part Seven of a seven-day series on boat-related vacations that leave the steering, cooking and maintenance to somebody else. For more about this series and why we did it, please see the Room 13 blog.

I was approaching the Golden Gate Bridge, heading out of San Francisco Bay and into the ocean when the first gigantic roller approached. The wave had to be 10 feet high and I angled my chartered 39-foot trawler to take it head on. Up, up, up we went–it seemed like forever–and then down, down, down.

I lost some steerage on the backside of the wave, but all was fine and I continued under the bridge, gaining confidence as the ride continued. But I soon realized my predicament: I would have to turn the boat around amid these giants, and then head back to the Bay in a mammoth following sea, which wasn't exactly my trawler's forte.

Still, I couldn't complain too loudly–this was exactly why I came.

Most of us see tropical images when we think about chartering a boat: white sand, clear water, neon fish and sunsets. And that's all out there, available from dozens of charter companies in hundreds of different locales. Yet chartering a boat can provide much more.

An intrepid captain who is willing to do a little research can use a charter to perform an extended sea trial on a vessel, try new gear, add new skills and literally test the waters someplace he or she has always wanted to cruise. My San Francisco adventure, more rental than charter, was hardly exotic, but it did fulfill several of these goals.

I grew up sailing on the Bay with my father, but I had not been back in many years and I could not recollect ever having been on the water there without him. Because I am 38, married, have two children and a boat of my own, I decided it was time to cross the Gate unsupervised.

I had other goals too. While I am no thrill seeker, I am always looking for opportunities to steer in heavy weather. I also like to stretch my navigation muscles. The chance to practice these skills can be in short supply on weekends, when my wife and I go out with our two young sons. But I knew a day on the Bay would provide.

To add one last benefit to the trip–at a cost of about $750, I had to maximize the experience–I decided I would try to charter a replica of our boat, a Mainship 40 Trawler, in order to see how she performed under heavier conditions than we usually see at home on the Chesapeake Bay.

On all of these fronts, I was not disappointed.

THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT

There are many ways to get on the water for a vacation without pulling your boat from the slip. One simple strategy is to charter or rent someone else's boat, enjoy yourself and then leave the maintenance and upkeep to them.

There are a bevy of options when it comes to choosing a charter based on the vessel and location you want, your level of experience and how much you want to spend. One could write a tome about how to go about finding the right experience and several people have, meaning there is plenty of material to look to for help.

In my case, I spent a few hours on the Internet, made a few phone calls and found that I could not locate exactly what I wanted. There was no Mainship 40 to be had for a single day, which was all the time I had for our small adventure. Instead, I found a Mainship 39 located in a marina just under the Gate. It was not the same boat, but close enough for my purposes. I faxed in the paperwork, which called for a summary of my boating experience, and was flattered when they accepted my request.

I have chartered perhaps a dozen boats of different sizes–power and sail–in waters from the Caribbean to the Pacific coast and Hawaii. I make no claim to be an expert, but I have picked up some experience along the way. Like all things on the water, a little preparation goes a long way.

The marine gear you take might vary a bit according to the destination and the boat–you can skip the snorkel and fins in Alaska, for example–but I have a short list of items I consider essential, all of which I took with me to San Francisco.

I brought a half dozen paper charts in a waterproof tube; a chart book; some pencils; a portable GPS, loaded with a chip for the Bay; a hand-held VHF and its charger; a set of binoculars; and a hand-held weather indicator. I brought backup batteries for everything.

In terms of tools, I had a Gerber multi-tool; a set of small hex wrenches; an adjustable wrench; two medium-sized screwdrivers; one large flat-head screwdriver, a deck fill key and two standard flashlights. I had a role of rescue tape, good for patching leaky pipes or lines, and a handful of wire ties, good for everything else. I also tossed roles of duct and masking tape into my bag, along with a large felt marker, with the intent of labeling things during the shakedown if needed.

CLOTHES AND SAFETY

I brought a rain jacket, but I passed on full foul weather gear. If it was that nasty–or might get that nasty–we would either stay close to port or skip the trip altogether. I did bring my four best Mustang PFDs, which are designed to inflate when they hit water and have emergency strobes and whistles attached. I bring my own–one for every person on the boat–because I know that they fit us and that the cartridges are sound.

I also brought four laser flares, which are designed to attract attention at night. I had no plans to cruise after dark, but wanted to be prepared just in case. I have never tried it, but traveling with traditional flares might be difficult because they are considered hazardous materials. Laser flares have no such problem. I still expect the charter company to follow the law and have flares on the boat, but I don't want to take any chances.

Boating with small children requires a special set of gear.Because we cruise with young children, I also carry some special gear because charter boats won't be childproofed like our trawler at home. This includes child-sized PFDs, each with a crotch strap and a harness ring; a small-sized Graco Pack "˜N Play, the ubiquitous portable crib-playpen combination; and several coils of line in various sizes, which I use to make safety ties. If we had planned to be aboard overnight, I would have had more items, such as safety plugs for electrical sockets.

The usual personal stuff–spare clothes, sunscreen, glasses and such–also came along, as did the usual toys, toiletries and clothes for the kiddies. I'll spare you the list, because everyone's personal items are different, but you should spend some time thinking about how to dress and what you want on hand. Nothing kills a trip like being too hot, too cold or too wet.

Of course, you can't bring it all. The best strategy is to make sure you charter a boat that has the essential gear you want, things you cannot bring or rent. For example, I wanted a powerboat with a full electronic suite–plotter, radar, depth and autopilot–and a dinghy or life raft. If the boat had not had proper electronics or safety equipment, I would not have rented it. Once you have the right boat with the right gear, you can talk to the company about smaller items and correct for any deficiencies.

NAVIGATION AND LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

Of course, preparation extends beyond gear. I wanted to map a course out in advance and learn a bit more about how weather in the Bay behaved. I started by ordering paper charts and a chart card for my hand-held, and reading what I could. I then went to someone with local knowledge to discuss the trip. It was equal parts charming and maddening that this expert was my dad.

We laid the charts on the table and he started rattling off information, much of which would be difficult or impossible to find in charts, weather maps or guidebooks. He suggested we leave early, because the winds blow up in the afternoon, and pointed out a few places where we could expect strong gusts. Watch the sailboats to see who is reefed, he said. He also pointed out some rocks that, though charted, were not always visible on the water. And he warned me off a few harbors with tricky entrance channels, which he said were not worth the effort. He also gave me a few words–these I had heard before–about having some real respect for fog and to take it seriously in shipping lanes and everywhere else.

As expected, the fog came late, covering the hills and the Golden Gate (left). But we were already headed home.

Not only was I listening, I took notes. High school would have gone much more smoothly had this been our routine.

Armed with some good information, I also recruited a crew. Had it just been the two of us out for a day sail, this might have been unnecessary. But with children, more hands help a great deal. Thankfully, finding a crew was easy, because my brother-in-law and his girlfriend live in the Bay area and they love to get on the water.

But I will say this: choose the people you go to sea with very carefully. Boats are small and you will be spending a lot of time together. Make sure that their idea of fun–and seamanship–at least somewhat resemble your own. I was once stuck in the Virgin Islands for a week with a family who relentlessly played Trivial Pursuit. The first game was fun, but as the games continued, I started to twitch. On that same trip, one of the guys decided he would go for a swim just as we began the anchor drill and jumped over the side without telling anyone his intentions. I jolted up, ready to do my man overboard routine before realizing what had happened.

One good way to test potential crewmates is to take them on your boat for a casual outing or two. If you find you are compatible, the odd are that your charter will go smoothly.

THE SHAKEDOWN

The most important preparation is generally something you cannot do in advance: the shakedown that takes place when you board the boat. The company we used was very accommodating as I went over safety gear and electronics, engine and panels. I fired everything up, shut it down and then brought it back up again. I learned the location of the batteries and thru-hulls, made sure the water tanks were full and the waste tank was empty and made sure I knew where the gear was stored. I also tested the bow thruster.

It is tempting to arrange to be alone on the boat for the shakedown, because it can be difficult to go over everything with a boat full of people. But it is imperative that the crew know everything too, and so we plowed through it, filling out the company's checklist to ensure the boat had the proper gear aboard.

Soon enough we were underway, and not long after that I was heading into those large rollers. I went past the Gate for a bit, and safely turned around. As I expected, the boat began to yaw with the waves behind her, and I throttled and steered until I found a groove that worked. It wasn't long before we were back through the Golden Gate and into the waters of the Bay which, at that moment, were far calmer. Ahead of us was Alcatraz, and a day that included a stop on Angel Island before heading in to beat the wind, darkness and fog.

I reached for the cell phone and called my dad.

Glen Justice is the Editor of Mad Mariner.