Frequently Asked Questions

Online booking is the easiest; just click the “Book Now” button on the web page, or click here. If you need any help please contact Abby, call/text 207-415-5858 or email abby@broadreachsailing.us, whatever you prefer.

No experience is needed or necessary. Our licensed captains and co-captains are there to help make your boating experience relaxing, comfortable, fun and connect you directly to nature – try it – Come Boating With Us!

Martha’s Vineyard

Pickup Location

Martha’s Vineyard, entrance to the pier, next to Owen Park and the Vineyard Haven Harbor Master building, address:
19 Owen Park Street
Vineyard Haven, MA 02568

Directions

• Arrive at the above location at least 10 minutes before your scheduled departure time.
• This location is about 600’ north of the Ferry Terminal.
  There is some parking available in this location.
• Meeting spot is at the beginning of the pier, where Don or Malu will greet you.
• Any issues about the pickup, please call Don at 340.513.6526.

Get ready for an unforgettable experience!

New Bedford

Pickup Location

Pope’s Island Marina
102 Pope’s Island
New Bedford, Massachusetts

Directions

• Arrive at the marina at least 10 minutes before your scheduled departure time.
• Park in the ample free parking lot located directly in front of the marina’s entry gate.
• Walk to the entry gate where Don or Malu will greet you.
• If they are not there 5 minutes before your scheduled departure time, press the buzzer on the gate and wait for the signal to open the gate.
• After the gate opens, turn to your right, take a seat at one of the picnic tables, and call Don at 340.513.6526. Either Don or Malu will meet you there.

Get ready for an unforgettable experience!

Martha’s Vineyard

• Arrive at the pickup location at least 10 minutes before your scheduled departure time.
• This location is about 600’ north of the Ferry Terminal.
• There is some parking available in this location.
• Meeting spot is at the beginning of the pier, where Don or Malu will greet you.
• Any issues about the pickup, please call Don at 340.513.6526.

New Bedford

• Arrive at the marina at least 10 minutes before your scheduled departure time.
• Park in the ample free parking lot located directly in front of the marina’s entry gate.
• Walk to the entry gate where Don or Malu will greet you.
• If they are not there 5 minutes before your scheduled departure time, press the buzzer on the gate and wait for the signal to open the gate.
• After the gate opens, turn to your right, take a seat at one of the picnic tables, and call Don at 340.513.6526. Either Don or Malu will meet you there.

• Dress in layers – windbreakers or a warmer layer is usually needed on the water, it can be pleasantly cool. After sunset, it can cool quickly, especially early and late in the season. We have lap blankets. Conditions at sea are normally similar to the beach except a bit cooler & windier.
• Sunscreen – sunhat, sunglasses & whatever other sun protection you require is always good.
• Shoes – Soft-soled shoes are best for comfort and ease of walking around on the boat.
• Raincoat – can be useful, though most of the time we will work to avoid rain, and if need be, it is dry under the dodger & in the cabin.

We provide free cold bottle water and when it is cold outside we also provide tea, coffee and hot chocolate.   You can bring any drinks/food you wish including alcohol. We have a refrigerator to keep anything you wish cold.  We also have bottle openers, glasses for your drinks and plates/bowls for your food.

Yes for sure! Children under the age of 18 need to be accompanied by an adult. Children under the age of 12 need to wear lifejackets while aboard, which we can normally provide. Please let us know how many children are in your party and their estimated weights when booking in the note section or contact us separately.

We always see some type of wildlife on the trips, what we see is varied based on the time of the year and the sea conditions. The possibilities are jumping fish which are normally sturgeons; seals, porpoises, herring gulls, grey gulls, bald eagles, hawks, Canada geese, cormorants, loons, great blue herons, great white egrets, schools of fish (such as pogies), bluefish, sunfish and whales.

You will see the hidden secrets of New Bedford Harbor and Buzzards Bay in an intimate setting. See and hear the rich history and stories of the area. Enjoy the New England charm of Buzzards Bay, islands and lighthouses. Often times we see deep-sea fisherman returning with their catch.

On longer trips, enjoy a picnic, swim, or sail to destinations like Martha’s Vineyard. These longer experiences are customized to allow you to enjoy abundant wildlife and up to 9 lighthouses and islands.

Please know this is a common concern.  Also many people don’t know if they are susceptible to motion sickness and that is OK. The chance of motions sickness on our boats over a 5 year period is less than 0.04%, so it is a rare occurrence.  Here is why:

• Our boats are very stable.
• We talk about motion sickness during the briefing for each trip.
• We offer 5 preventative measures on how to be best avoid sea sickness.  One of these is sea bands, which is free to anyone who wants to wear them for the trip, see picture below.
• We will alter course for calmer conditions if anyone is feeling slightly seasick.
• We don’t recommend medications such as Dramamine, Benadryl, etc. due to their side effects.

The boat can take up to 13 people, however, we limit to 6 passengers so the environment is intimate and casual.  Boats are always more comfortable when limited to less than 2/3 of the capacity.

For those that want to drive the sailboats and/or learn to sail we get excited about helping with this! Learning to sail can be fun and connects you deeper to the wind and water. We also offer sailing lessons aboard, if you are interested.

Our sailboat does have a bathroom, it is simple to use with all the conveniences. There are also bathrooms on the dock at Pope’s Island Marina.

Gratuity is customary for good service and is much appreciated by the crew! We say, the winds and waves can tip the boat and only you can tip the crew.

Please ask, we love to be able to extend excursions. We will accommodate this request, if we have no other commitments in the next time period.

We have a wealth of knowledge of the area and would gladly provide our recommendations based on what you like and directions to where you decide you want to go. Please feel free to ask before, during or after you see us!

There is no smoking of any kind allowed on our boats.

In case of operator cancellation due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, you may choose to reschedule, receive a 100% refund or receive a gift certificate for future use. Cancellation due to weather is rare.

If for any reason you need to cancel 7 days prior to your departure you may choose to reschedule, receive a 100% refund, or receive a gift certificate for future use. Contact us by phone to cancel or inquire about a cancellation. Cancellations made less than 7 days, no-shows and those that arrive after departure times will be charged the full price.

If Trip Protection is purchased, customers will receive a 100% refund minus the Trip Protection fee, when calling by phone to cancel with less than 7 days prior to departure and at least 8 hours prior to the departure time.

We watch the weather closely. Cancellation due to weather (rain, wind or big seas) is rare. We may sail in light rain. We will not sail in unsafe conditions. Since weather forecasts are not as reliable as we would like, we most often wait until the morning to decide if any rescheduling or cancellation is needed due to weather. In case of operator cancellation due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, you may choose to reschedule, receive a 100% refund or receive a gift certificate for future use.

We do not give or sell your contact information to others! Your email address will be entered into our Mail Chimp contacts. We are thoughtful in the frequency of how often we contact you.

No. We our happy to assist passengers of all physical abilities get aboard. We can assist getting wheelchairs from the Pier onto the boat for Private Charters when you make special arrangements with us before hand. There are a few steps to get onto the boat. We can’t accommodate getting wheelchairs with people in them on the boat, we can assist with a transfer into a seat on the boat. Folks that use canes and walkers can certainly get on the boat. Please let us know if you need any assistance getting on the boat

If you have any questions please email Abby at abby@broadreachsailing.us, or call/text, 207-415-5858. You can also use the form on this page.