--- title: "When the Caribbean charter season starts for crews · Dockee" url: "https://dockee.net/blog/when-caribbean-charters-pick-up-after-the-hurricane-months" description: "When the Caribbean charter season starts, why it builds through November, and how crews test the pump, swim platform and slide before guests arrive." language: "en" --- ![When Caribbean Charters Pick Up After the Hurricane Months](https://shelter.hunpera.com/blog/dockee.net/when-caribbean-charters-pick-up-after-the-hurricane-months-hero.jpg) # When Caribbean Charters Pick Up After the Hurricane Months [ Back to the Journal](https://dockee.net/blog)Dockee Editorial4 min read For most crews, the start of the Caribbean charter season comes once the hurricane months are over. Bookings build through November and the busiest weeks fall around the holidays at the end of the year, but there is no single opening day: it depends on the island, on when the yacht arrives and on when the first guests have booked. What does not vary is the job in between. Every crew has a window between arriving and the first full charter, and the toys deserve a proper share of it. ## Why the season starts when it does The Atlantic hurricane season shapes the Caribbean calendar. Many charter yachts spend the stormy months in the Mediterranean and cross once the risk has eased, while others sit out the summer in a yard at the southern end of the island chain, where storms are less frequent. Either way the fleet gathers late in the year, and the season builds from there. Guests follow the same pattern. The early weeks are often quieter, with owners' trips and repositioning legs, while demand gathers towards the holidays and stays strong into the new year. That gap between arrival and the first full charter is when the yacht, and everything in its garage, gets ready. ## What crews do in the first weeks After a crossing, the first jobs belong to the yacht itself: provisioning, servicing, clearing in and a thorough clean after the passage. The toys come next, and they are easy to leave too late because they were packed away in good order in the Mediterranean. A long passage, heat in the garage and months in a bag can all show up as a slow leak or a stiff valve on the first morning with guests. ![Dockee yacht slide](https://shelter.hunpera.com/blog/dockee.net/when-caribbean-charters-pick-up-after-the-hurricane-months-inline-1-6b632143.jpg) *Pictured: a yacht slide by Dockee* The cure is to give the toys a calm day at anchor of their own, with every inflatable out of its bag and in the water. It is quicker than it sounds, and it finds problems while there is still time to fix them. It also helps to decide who looks after the toys for the season. On many yachts a named deckhand takes charge of the inventory, the pump and the repair kit, which means somebody notices when a valve cap goes missing or a strap starts to fray, long before a guest does. ## Toys to test before guests arrive Start with the pump, because everything else depends on it. The [Air Pump 1200W](https://dockee.net/product/air-pump-1200w) is light to carry and runs on a 230 V (EU) supply; check the hose, the nozzle adapters and the outlet you plan to use before the day you need them. If the yacht carries a spare pump, run that one as well. The swim deck comes next, because guests use it most. Inflate the [Premium Teak Platform 4.10 m](https://dockee.net/product/premium-teak-platform-410) to the pressure stated in the product instructions, leave it in the shade for a while and check it again. Walk the whole 410 x 205 cm deck, look closely at the seams and handles, and rinse off the dust of the passage with fresh water. The slide takes the most care. The [Aqua Yachtslides 270-350 cm](https://dockee.net/product/aqua-yachtslides-270-350-cm) has a total height of about 365 cm and a slide length of about 484 cm, and at that size small faults are worth catching early. Inflate it fully, check how it is fixed to the yacht and make sure it hangs straight. Before anyone slides, check the depth of the water below and that nobody is swimming at the bottom, and keep engines and thrusters off while anyone is in the water. Write down anything that needs a repair or a spare part and order it straight away. If something has failed in normal use, our [warranty](https://dockee.net/warranties) runs for 2 years from delivery, so send photographs while the yacht is still between charters. Our buying guide sets out the full [inflation and setup](https://dockee.net/guide#inflation-and-setup) routine, and yachts with a higher deck will find the taller slide sizes on the [yacht slides](https://dockee.net/category/yacht-slides) page. Share[](https://x.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdockee.net%2Fblog%2Fwhen-caribbean-charters-pick-up-after-the-hurricane-months%3Futm_source%3Dx%26utm_medium%3Dsocial_share%26utm_campaign%3Djournal&text=When%20does%20the%20Caribbean%20charter%20season%20really%20start%2C%20and%20what%20should%20crews%20test%20on%20the%20toys%20before%20the%20first%20guests%20arrive%3F "Share on X")[](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdockee.net%2Fblog%2Fwhen-caribbean-charters-pick-up-after-the-hurricane-months%3Futm_source%3Dlinkedin%26utm_medium%3Dsocial_share%26utm_campaign%3Djournal "Share on LinkedIn")[](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdockee.net%2Fblog%2Fwhen-caribbean-charters-pick-up-after-the-hurricane-months%3Futm_source%3Dfacebook%26utm_medium%3Dsocial_share%26utm_campaign%3Djournal "Share on Facebook")[](https://wa.me/?text=When%20does%20the%20Caribbean%20charter%20season%20really%20start%2C%20and%20what%20should%20crews%20test%20on%20the%20toys%20before%20the%20first%20guests%20arrive%3F%20https%3A%2F%2Fdockee.net%2Fblog%2Fwhen-caribbean-charters-pick-up-after-the-hurricane-months%3Futm_source%3Dwhatsapp%26utm_medium%3Dsocial_share%26utm_campaign%3Djournal "Share on WhatsApp")[](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdockee.net%2Fblog%2Fwhen-caribbean-charters-pick-up-after-the-hurricane-months%3Futm_source%3Dpinterest%26utm_medium%3Dsocial_share%26utm_campaign%3Djournal&media=https%3A%2F%2Fshelter.hunpera.com%2Fblog%2Fdockee.net%2Fwhen-caribbean-charters-pick-up-after-the-hurricane-months-og.jpg&description=When%20does%20the%20Caribbean%20charter%20season%20really%20start%2C%20and%20what%20should%20crews%20test%20on%20the%20toys%20before%20the%20first%20guests%20arrive%3F "Share on Pinterest") ## Frequently asked questions - ### Is there an official start date for the Caribbean charter season? No. Each crew sets its own start around the end of the hurricane months, the yacht's arrival and the first bookings. Check with your insurer and charter manager rather than relying on a fixed date. ## Recommended for this article [Sold out · Yacht Slide · From €2,150.00 · 3 sizes](https://dockee.net/product/aqua-yachtslides-270-350-cm)The slide guests ask for first, worth a full inflation and check on a calm day before the opening charter of the season. [Sold out · Premium Teak Platform · From €1,850.00 · 4 sizes](https://dockee.net/product/premium-teak-platform-410)A swim deck that stows small for the crossing and is quick to inflate and inspect before the first guests arrive. ## More from the Journal [Phang Nga Bay at Paddle Height Among Limestone Islands · Read](https://dockee.net/blog/phang-nga-bay-at-paddle-height-among-limestone-islands)[Designing a Tailor-Made Platform Around Your Stern · Read](https://dockee.net/blog/designing-a-tailor-made-platform-around-your-stern)[A Floating Sun Lounger Light Enough to Carry to the Water · Read](https://dockee.net/blog/floating-sun-lounger-light-enough-to-carry-to-the-water)