The last few years have not been easy for anyone and there is no better way to recover from all that has happened than by having a holiday. If you are looking for an escape from the everyday working grind, a summer sailing trip is the way to go.
Something about taking to the sea, whether it is for a cruise or a sailing holiday in a personal charter vessel, makes us think of romantic flight from the pressures of life on land. We are not alone in feeling that way either, as sailing holidays are vacations that are growing in popularity.
The Rising Demand for Sailing Trips
Of course, cruise holidays have always been something that lots of people loved to take. Let’s face it though, the target customers for that type of trip have usually tended to be in the older age range.
It is not really those sorts of heavily structured cruise ship breaks that younger holidaymakers are turning to. No, they are looking to get away from all the worries and burdens of everyday life by renting a boat for a more personalised sailing trip.
The market for this kind of boat hire – particularly for yachts – is on the point of exploding right now. There are a number of reasons for that, including the mobility and freedom that sailing offers, technological advances that are making everything from safety to navigation easier and safer, and the fact that luxury vessel hire prices are now more widely affordable.
Why You Should Try a Sailing Holiday
Okay, so we have established that lots of other people are doing it, but why should you join them? Well for one thing, sailing lets you explore different parts of your chosen holiday destination in a way that is far more relaxing and comfortable than road or rail travel.
Imagine drifting in a quiet and leisurely fashion over a deep blue sea, rather than scrambling to find a seat or slogging your way through five-mile-long traffic jams. The modern catamarans and yachts that you can charter offer you space, luxury, and privacy on board, making them ideal for either a family holiday or a romantic break with your significant other.
Sailing also lets you explore what the sea has to offer as well as the land. Scuba diving in exotic oceans allows you to see wondrous and mysterious marine creatures up close.
There’s no better way to explore the wonders of the sea.
There are a couple of factors that you need to consider before setting sail though
- Catamaran vs. Yacht
The major difference between these is that a catamaran is a twin-hull vessel, while a yacht has just the one hull. In practical terms this means that a catamaran is more balanced on the water, which makes it better if you are not used to sailing, get seasick or are going somewhere where the waters can be trickier.
Catamarans also usually have a bit more room, but yachts are often cheaper to hire and berth.
- Bareboat vs. Crewed
This will come down to how experienced and confident you are as a sailor. If you know what you are doing, a crew will probably be an unnecessary extra cost.
On the other hand, if you are new to sailing – and especially if you charter a yacht – having people on board who know their way around it is a must.
There are services online like borrowaboat.com that offer plenty of bareboat and crewed catamaran and yacht charters for all the major sailing destinations. Every stage of the booking can be done via the website, so it is ultra-simple stuff.
Where You Should Go
So, you are decided on a charter sailing holiday, but where should you escape to?
Croatia
Croatia is one of the European locations driving the boom in sailing holidays. The Adriatic Sea is fine for taking a chartered vessel onto and the coastal region of Dalmatia is the ideal part of the country to cruise around.
This region encompasses both major cities like Dubrovnik and many of the islands dotted off the coast of Croatia. A sailing trip is the only way to really get the most of out all this, from the ancient architecture in Dubrovnik to the nature parks and beaches of the islands.
Greece
Greece is the perfect sailing destination. It has an inviting Mediterranean climate, marvellous beaches along its coast and plenty of islands to take your boat out to.
Each of these islands offers quiet and out-of-the-way places for a swim and gorgeous beaches for basking in the 300-plus sunny days per year. They also boast lovely little villages with picturesque, whitewashed stone buildings to stroll through and delicious cuisine options like baklava and souvlaki to try.
The British Virgin Islands
This far-flung territory of the United Kingdom has four big islands and lots of little ones. That makes for a fantastic set-up for exploration by boat.
Make sure to stop off on Virgin Gorda, where the beach and ocean views are a vision of heaven, before moving on to the National Park in Devil’s Bay. Another sight you will not want to miss is the amazing underwater barge art gallery called the BVI Art Reef.
There are magical places of sunshine and fun to escape to and chartering a boat is the way to see them in style and at a speed to suit you.