Sailing charter yachts or sailboats do not have as many categories as power yachts. There are technical differences depending on masts and sail configuration but we will just mention two categories, the regular yacht and motor sailers. Sailing yachts do heel over when sailing under wind and some people will find this unsettling.

Today’s modern designed cruising and charter yachts are much beamier or wider, than older designs and this greatly increases the internal volume and space available. Racing yachts and ocean sailing yachts will have a narrower design to better cope with deep ocean weather and sea states.

Regular Sailing Yacht.

This covers just about every sailing yacht on the market up to a length of about 75′. Any longer than this and the yacht will most definitely be a crewed yacht. Smaller yachts than this come fully crewed but it is unusual for a bareboat sailing yacht larger than this. All the yachts will be basically the same shape, mostly with one mast, and will have an engine to use for maneuvering in and out of harbors and anchorages. These engines are adequate for the work but the main propulsion is from the sails. Onboard facilities, degree of luxury and comfort will depend on whether it is a bareboat charter or crewed and its length. More will be mentioned on this elsewhere. Read the rest of this entry

Catamarans, both sail and power typically have the same layouts, and these layouts are much different to the more traditional monohull yachts. Catamarans are constructed with two hulls connected by a rectangular deck area. The hulls, or pontoons, are large enough to hold full size cabins and bathrooms. The deck area in between is big enough to house a large master cabin, saloon and galley. The catamaran will be as well built and tastefully finished as any monohull yacht.

A catamaran has many benefits and is a good choice for your first yacht charter. A catamaran has more space available than a similar length monohull, is more stable and steady when at sea and needs less water to sail in. Read the rest of this entry

When considering power yachts and sailing yachts you must realize that there are so many different models and designs of charter yachts. Consequently there will be so many different layouts of the cabins and living quarters on yachts along with the feel and ambiance that different designs generate. It is not possible to cover every option here so it will be better to state the basics that every yacht will have and to familiarize you with the terms that you need to know when booking your vacation to make sure you explain what you want. Read the rest of this entry

Whether you decide to opt for a sailing yacht or a power yacht depending on your taste and experience the categories of charter are the same, what ever your budget, and there are two basic types.

Bareboat charter is for the more experienced person who has been sailing before. In fact the boat owner will insist on some type of qualification from a national authority before agreeing on the charter. This qualification will be something like an Offshore Skipper Certificate, depending where you are from. On a bareboat charter you are your own skipper, mate, mechanic, deckhand, chef and dinghy driver. Whilst on charter it is up to you to arrange all the watch keeping, safety, daily routine etc. Read the rest of this entry