Yacht charters for holidays tricks and tips today

Yacht sailing tips and tricks in 2022? Beyond the obvious natural scenery, Greece has an incredible history and culture. A sailing holiday here could involve visits to ancient ruins and world-famous landmarks. The country is also known for its delicious food and excellent produce – something that makes docking at a port a whole lot more enjoyable. Greece covers a massive 6000 islands! For anyone planning an extensive sailing holiday – this offers an enormous number of places to visit and cruise between. Whatever kind of destination you may be after, there should be an island in Greece that will suit you. As Greece covers a fairly extensive area to cruise, here are two top parts of the country for a yacht holiday. As one of the countries with the longest Mediterranean coastlines and countless sailing spots and hidden gems, Italy is one of the top sailing destinations in the Mediterranean. This beautiful European country is home to some of the most popular Mediterranean destinations such as Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, Capri, and Sardinia.

Thanks to tranquil seas, stunning scenery and a long summer season, Turkey is a yachting favourite. Clear, warm waters and predictably calm wind conditions combined with fully equipped modern marinas add to the appeal. A wide range of wild coves and anchorages are nestled along the shoreline, easily accessed by sailing yachts with shallow draft. May and October are quite possibly the best months for sailing due to the lack of visitors, however September is also wonderful with warm seas and less daytime heat. The compact sailing area around Göcek and Fethiye is lined with pretty coves and inlets and dotted with restaurants, ideal for visiting on a sailing yacht charter. Another popular route is the coastline from Bodrum to Antalya, where mountains of coniferous forest provide natural relief from the heat. With generally light winds, predictable sea conditions and temperature plus short distances to marinas, there are many beautiful beaches and secluded bays to enjoy.

You’d be forgiven for mistaking Sardinia’s sugar sand and pellucid blue sea for a slice of Caribbean paradise. Set adrift from the Italian mainland, this island has it all; come for the luxury retail, stay for the swimming, snorkelling and beachside bliss. Visiting superyachts make a beeline for Hotel Cala di Volpe, a celebrity-approved hotel on the waterfront with private moorings available for the ultimate convenience. Enjoy a relaxed lunch on the terrace or an evening meal alfresco; the service is slick, the staff are friendly, and if you choose to spend a night on shore they’ll be more than happy to accommodate you. Down the eastern coast of the island is where you’ll find most of the island’s famed beaches. Consistently voted among the best in Europe, they’re all simple and straightforward to access from your yacht, and promise a relaxing day of swimming and soaking up the sunshine. Among the best is Cala Goloritze.

The base charter fee in essence refers to the hire cost of the yacht itself, with all equipment in working order in addition to the cost of food and wages for the crew during the entirety of the charter. This is essentially all the base charter fee covers with additional expenses often applicable on top. The base charter fee will vary from one yacht to another and this may be down to any number of reasons from size and on board amenities to the charter season. For instance, the base rate of a charter yacht may increase in “high season” and reduce during the “low season”. “High season” and “low season” refers to the busiest and slowest periods for yacht charters though this may appear misleading, as these peak times refer to periods of weeks as opposed to full seasons. In addition, you may find that a yacht is also more expensive during special events such as the Monaco Grand Prix, Cannes Film Festival and America’s Cup. Unless you are keen to charter a yacht for a particular “high season” event, choose your dates carefully as although a “high season” rate will be more expensive than the “low season” the two can sometimes share much of the same weather conditions. Three different 30-metre charter yachts may vary in cost by as much as 75,000 Euros. Ask your broker to explain the differences. One yacht may have a larger and more experienced crew or a big-name chef, another yacht may be a little tired, another may not be in a prime location. It’s important to understand why the prices are higher or lower.

Sailing tip of the day: The plotter’s track function can help you in tight harbors! It’s fun to look back over a summer’s cruising by way of the track my chartplotter has recorded. Where the track really comes into its own, though, is piloting out of a difficult harbor into which you have successfully maneuvered. You know you got in OK, so to be sure of a graceful exit—tide permitting where appropriate—you’ve only to follow the same track out again. Be warned, though, that this works only so long as the plotter is set upright. The screengrab shows two versions of the same in-and-out tracks on my Raymarine unit. The coarse setting shown in purple is useless, while the finer, black version leads me straight back out through the drying banks. It’s all down to setting the instrument to record frequent data. In short, to succeed in close quarters, the plot should be set to record at shorter time or distance intervals than out at sea.

2021 will still have to wait a bit longer to see the island at its best. The re-opening after a year of restrictions will be more paused and controlled so as to secure the stable situation Balearic Islands have reached. But no worries! We are sure there are many ways to discover Ibiza for those first-time visitors, in a more tranquil pace but, at the same time, genuine. Experts will find also their way to best attractions and best hotels and, we are quite sure, to a renewed way to enjoy Mediterranean nights. Consistently rated as one of the world’s most attractive beaches, Ses Salines (also referred to as Las Salinas) is usually the first stop for sun-seekers visiting Ibiza. Part of a natural park bearing the same name, this idyllic stretch of fine sand offers beautiful views of the inland countryside as well as the typically relaxing Ibiza bathing experience (there are no waves here). A scattering of cool beach bars offers all the extras that you need for a perfect day at the beach: good food – including wonderfully fresh fish – cold beers, tasty cocktails and decent tunes. See more details at https://intersailclub.com/. Why the Mediterranean? The Mediterranean Sea separates Europe from Africa, and it is almost entirely surrounded by the land of the Mediterranean Basin. The Mediterranean is known as one of the world’s finest travel destinations, that invites you to set on an unforgettable journey and sail the coastlines of some of the twenty-one Mediterranean countries. The Mediterranean is home to some of the world’s most popular summer destinations and hot spots for sailing due to its pleasant climate, turquoise sea, ancient ruins, famous Mediterranean food, and stunning architecture.

For the most uniquely beautiful coastline in Europe, set sail from Naples and head down the coast towards the Amalfi Coast and the exclusive island of Capri. Expect sunny shores, pretty towns, plenty of food and wine and gorgeous isles from this part of Italy. Make sure you stop at the famous Blue Grotto, the honeymooners favourite the Isle of Capri, the volcanic island of Ischia and the photogenic little coastal community, Positano.