All About Sailing Yacht Charters
The Best Sailing Yacht Charters are here! The first thing you have to consider before you take a sailing vacation is what type of boat you want, and how big.
You need to consider a boat that matches your sailing experience and capabilities, and in most cases if you are just a couple, something you can easily handle.
The golden maxim for yacht chartering is budget, budget and budget. The old adage of champagne tastes and beer income applies.
Yes! the large 45 foot yachts look great but they also cost, and if money is no object by all means disregard the previous paragraph.
You can choose between so many destinations. There is of course the United States and places from MIAMI and ANNAPOLIS
Then of course there is the Caribbean that includes BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS and BAHAMAS and many more to come.
In Asia then take a look at a yacht charter in Thailand and beautiful Phuket, or head to Malaysia, there are many choices. Of course you could decide on two of my favorite sailing destinations, the Greek Islands and Croatia.
The fact is size does matter with boats, bigger ones have longer waterlines and tend to go faster. Size, besides being constrained by your vacation budget is also directly related to how many people are coming along with you. You may need to compromise both size and budget and the facilities required to comfortably carry you and your crew. Sailing Yacht Charters are the perfect vacation.
A couple can have a great time on a 34 to 36 foot boats with good sailing. How much space will you need, if it’s a lot of sailing and less shore time maybe you will need more room. Going up several sizes will cost you but small boats are still okay, I lived aboard and sailed a lot of places in my 35 foot yacht.
If you are taking along an extended family group or tribe of near feral teenagers, or near feral adults who love to party, then you will need a bigger boat. Then start looking at 40 foot up to 45 foot. A group of party animals will need space to recover in and some people just like somewhere to chill out with a book and a bottle. A 40 foot boat has a large and spacious saloon, a reasonable galley, a good sized cockpit for alfresco dining and sundowners. Sailing Yacht Charters are the perfect vacation.
Forty foot charter yachts usually can sleep 3 couples. Try not to use the saloon berths as accommodation, its hell for those people with no privacy at all. And one extra thing a larger boat gives is better sailing performance. A common rule is one head, or bathroom for each couple, and each couple has one cabin. Overcrowding will soon wear thin on your vacation guests. Good friends soon become former friends! Sailing Yacht Charters are supposed to make friends!
Another choice is whether to opt for a catamaran over a monohull. A good 34 foot cat will carry a lot more people than an equivalent monohull yacht.
There are big upsides with a cat. More people with a lot more room to chill out and enjoy privacy. They have a shallow draft and will allow you to get into a lot more shallow spots and beaches than a deeper keeled monohull. The saloon is very spacious for eating and entertaining as is the cockpit area. The Best Sailing Yacht Charters can be found here.
Many charter companies will throw in all the creature comforts as part of the deal however some are still trying to milk clients out of every penny for what are or should be standard inclusions. Understand what you are paying for on your Sailing Yacht Charters.
If you have to pay for hot water I would choose another charter company, its indispensable, everyone likes a hot shower. If you do like cold showers please ignore this advice.
A frig is also indispensable, keeping basic supplies cold and increasing your cruising range. A freezer is a luxury but also great, although it means lots of noisy engine run time.
A furling head sail is normally standard and makes sailing a breeze, paying for it as an option is not on.
A spinnaker, well unless you are all good sailors I wouldn’t pay for the option.
An outboard for the tender, useful but depends where you are sailing. Relatively still waters are fine with oars, exposed and open anchorages are hard without an outboard.
Look at many destinations including the Dominican Republic.
There are a number of charter types to suit your specific sailing skills. The basic types of charters are as follows.
What is a Skippered Charter? If you are looking for a boat and yacht charter and yacht-charter without all the worry of managing the boat and navigation, a skippered charter is for you and your group. It is a great way to improve sailing and navigation skills without the pressure. Charter skippers usually have loads of valuable local information,
What is a Crewed Charter? Again if you are looking for a boat and yacht-charter without all the worry of managing the boat and navigation, or doing any of the hard work except watching flying fish and dolphins then the crewed charter is for you and your group. Also again it is a great way to your improve sailing and navigation skills without any pressure at all.
What is a Bare Boat Charter? A bareboat charter is the ultimate escape for experienced sailors. Simply choose your location, choose your boat, and then find some crew to go with you. These days bareboat charter yachts are modern and well equipped
What is a Flotilla Sailing Charter? Flotilla sailing is much like a sailing rally, you head off on a general sailing itinerary, sailing in company with up to 12 other yachts. You can also sail alone and then meet up at the nominated nightly destinations. Flotilla sailing also has many other social occasions laid on, from sailing regattas among the fleet to the beach BBQ and other gatherings with other boat crews. It is a great way to sail with the family and make a lot of friends as well as improve sailing skills. The flotilla is well supported with a lead crew consisting of a skipper, engineer and host or hostess. This gives you all the support you need so minimizes the worry. They do of course have great local knowledge too.
ALL ABOUT CHARTER YACHT SYSTEMS
All you need to know about the systems on any charter sailing yacht. How does the water system work? What about the toilets? What about the engine and batteries? Choose a boat and yacht charter somewhere exotic. Coming soon!
ALL ABOUT CHARTER YACHT FOOD and COOKING
Good food is an essential part of a sailing-trip, and you wont always be ashore in some lovely café or restaurant. This section will give you some valuable tips and advice and even some good recipes for making cooking and food simple fast and easy. The Best Sailing Yacht Charters are here!