What are your Sailing Vacation Options?
Today there are several options for those who want to enjoy a sailing vacation. The “sea lion” or the absolute beginner can find here a vacation that is tailored to his needs. Singles, couples or a group of people can enjoy the joys of a boat vacation thanks to the multitude of options it offers. The price can also vary significantly to suit all budgets and desired levels of luxury.
I will try to analyse all the options available to you and let you decide which of the sailing holidays suits you best.
BAREBOATS
What is a bareboat? Charter company/owner. You can captain the boat yourself (you need to have the skills to do so), appoint a member of your crew to be the skipper, or even hire a professional skipper. You should always leave a refundable deposit with your company/owner to cover any damage to the yacht. Provisions, breakfasts, etc., are never included in the price. The boat is “naked.”
Most naked boats are 30 to 50 feet in length, and you can rent a yacht, catamaran or conventional monohull (monohull) motorboat. Sailing yachts are much more popular and more widespread than motorboats. The bareboat boats are equipped with everything necessary for their operation, from kitchen utensils to towels, sheets and bedding. Almost all bareboat companies will provide you with a dinghy if the outboard can be charged for free or as an “additional” charge.
Pros: In a word, freedom. Browse where you want, at any time (of course, within your navigation zone and the duration of your rental). Another benefit is your privacy, the luxury of being alone with your family or close friends.
Cons: The bareboat nature of the boat requires yachts to be as simple as possible to ensure “ease of use” and minimise the possibility of a problem occurring. So forget about fancy electronics, a VHF, echo sounder, and GPS are the basic instruments you’ll find on all bareboat boats. I don’t mention speed logs as they don’t normally work. Also, the probability of something going “wrong” is quite high, so a good and effective owner/agent is a must.
Costs: The price of a charter/week may vary due to the different sizes of yachts, but per person, the price is around 50 euros per day (44 feet to 3,000 euros per week for 8 people it costs (per person) what same as 32 feet at 1,500 euros a week for 4 people). You can cut costs by opting for a cheap boat, a one-way trip, or out of peak season.
Other categories of bareboat boat
The boat without skipper with skipper: Like the simple bareboat boat, but a skipper is hired. You “lose” your privacy but gain “luxury” as there is someone to worry about at night when the anchor holds. Note that the deposit is required because hiring a captain for a bareboat boat is similar to hiring a driver for your rental car. You are still responsible for the operation of the yacht, and the captain is treated as your employee. Boats without skipper with skipper are also more expensive, as are the skipper’s fees (around 130 euros per day); you usually have to have a private cabin. This means you need a larger yacht than you would otherwise need.
Flotilla Sailing: Although seen by many as a different kind of yacht vacation, flotilla sailing is bareboat with a lead boat and crew. He still rents the entire boat and is fully responsible for the condition of his boat. You will also need to leave a refundable security deposit.
Typically, the ships in the flotilla are between 27 and 36 feet long and sail in a group of 6 to 12 yachts. You enjoy privacy but lose (to some extent) freedom because you have to follow a preset schedule. You also get the comfort of a leading team to guide and assist you when needed. This help and a large number of people in a flotilla group have made this type of boat vacation popular with families. As expected, it is more expensive (about 20%) than a simple boat without a crew…
SAILING CRUISES (Cabin rental)
What it is: A sailing cruise (you can use the term as cabin rental, berth rental, or shared skipper boat) is the type of sailing vacation where you get a berth (or cabin if you are a couple) on top of a yacht on a planned trip. It is very similar to an ordinary cruise ship, except instead of a large cruise ship, you sail on a yacht. Since there are always crew members on board, they are not responsible for the condition of the ship and do not have to leave a deposit.
The boats of the sailing cruises are usually yachts of 45 to 55 feet, although in some countries you can find other types of boats (in Turkey you can find the “gulets” that are motor sailboats of 60 to 90 feet when in Holland They are traditional 30-meter boats). Sometimes breakfast is included, sometimes not. Keep in mind that while this vacation is similar to a cruise, in no way should you expect the luxury and comfort that a large cruise ship can offer. It is always an “adventure vacation”.
Advantages: You can reserve one or as many berths as you like, and you don’t need any sailing experience on your part. You can choose to be as active or passive as you like. Since these yachts are continuously operated by a professional crew, the probability of major breakdowns is less than with the bareboat.
Cons: You have no choice about where to sail and which places to visit because trips are planned. However, since the groups on board are small, it is common practice to extend the stay in a pleasant place or change the itinerary. You will not enjoy privacy either, as you will probably have to share your cabin with someone you just met.
Costs: The average cost is around 100 euros per day, and although this may seem much more expensive than the bareboat boat, it is not since this price includes expenses that are “extras” without crew in addition to the base price of the yacht. Skipper fees, diesel, port fees during the trip are just some of them.
Booking a “berth” in a fleet: Lately, it has been the custom for fleet operators to receive “passengers” for a fee, of course on their main yachts, to “cut” their expenses and generate additional income. There is nothing wrong with that, but you have the right to know (and they should make sure they let you know) when you make your reservation what exactly this means to you. For example, if a sudden storm occurs and all the yachts are seeking shelter, your boat may have to go out to sea to help one of the other boats in the flotilla that is having trouble, or on a perfect morning when everyone else yachts are out of port, You are likely staying there because one of the yachts in the flotilla had engine problems and the lead boat cannot leave port until a mechanic comes in and the problem is fixed. In my opinion, when booking your sailing trip on a flotilla leading ship, you should pay a “heavily” discounted rental rate.
LUXURY BOATS (crewed charter)
What it is: You can rent a “Gin Palace” motorboat, a motorcyclist or a sailboat. As with a bareboat boat, you can book the entire boat (including the crew) for as many days as you like. Since the ship is crewed (typically 3-10 people), you are not responsible for the “well-being” of your ship, so you do not need to leave a deposit. Unlike bareboat boats, where charters are often based on Charteringa weekly delivery time, these yachts are so expensive that you can book them for as many days as you like, even just one day. The price list usually includes breakfast, sometimes half board and diesel for certain driving hours per day (usually 2-4 hours). There are several additional costs associated with chartering a crewed boat (from diesel to tips for the crew). A good rule of thumb is to estimate 25% off the daily price on the price list.
While it may look like a crewed charter on a boat the same size as a bareboat with a skipper, it is not. Your boat is fully equipped and offers facilities such as satellite communication or plasma TV. For some people, the prestige of being on a ship like this “counts.” The luxury offered can exceed your dreams. A helicopter, jacuzzi, speedboats, jet skis, etc. these are just some of the facilities and facilities that you will find on these boats.
Cons: You do not enjoy the privacy of the unmanned boat as there will always be a crew on board, but the truth is that in most cases, these crews are fully trained professionals and only feel their presence where it is needed.
Cost: Chartering a luxury crewed boat is the most expensive way to enjoy a sailing holiday. The cost per person/day starts at 300 EUR (for a 60ft sailing yacht that can carry 6 people) to infinity (some megayachts exceed 300,000 USD per day). If you are looking for something more expensive and prestigious, consider booking a trip to the stratosphere with NASA:)
