Yacht Charter

Chartering a boat is an excellent way to sail without the expense of owning your boat. If you can't spend more than a few weeks a year sailing and few people can, the option of chartering is worth serious consideration. It also allows one to sail different boats in varied and far-off locations. Choose between sail and power. Get the correct ship in size, dependent on the number of people chartering and the depth of your pocket. Apart from the type of boat, size, and cost, there are various charter packages available, and this article takes a closer look at what is on offer.

Flotilla Sailing - A great way to get started for those with an independent streak. And the social scene can be something else. The flotilla usually comprises 8/10 boats, one of which, referred to as the lead boat, carries a skipper, hostess, and an engineer. The skipper will ensure that the guests on the other ships in the flotilla have the navigational skills and boat handling/seamanship skills required providing help and advice where needed. The hostess will organize the social events - meals out in the evening, lunchtime barbecues, and the famous last night party. The engineer is there to repair the boats, while the holidaymakers will do their best to break things as they learn to sail.

My initial impression of this type of charter was that the whole thing would be a bit disciplined, with all the boats in the flotilla following the lead boat like ducklings do a duck. This is far from what happens in practice. The day begins with the skipper of the lead boat carrying out a briefing giving the destination you will be expected to make for during the day and any navigational considerations along the way. Then you're pretty much on your own. The next time you see the lead boat will be at that evening's destination, where the crew will be waiting to assist you with berthing. A great way to sail in company with the reassurance that experienced help is never more than a VHF call away.

Skippered Charter - Perhaps you're a bit short of experience or don't want the responsibility of managing the boat or the navigation. As the name suggests, you charter the yacht, and the skipper comes with it. You're expected to make up the numbers of the crew, but all the responsibility is with the skipper. In practice, the level of involvement of the charterers is down to them. Most skippers are flexible enough to allow the customers as much involvement as they wish.

Crewed Charter - You get the boat, the skipper and crew, and a good cook. This tends to be an expensive way to charter; you have to pay the crew's wages, and because you carry more people, the boat is more extensive and costs more to charter. But this is for you if your idea of sailing is sitting in the sun drinking a gin and tonic and watching others do the work. Most skippers won't stop you from getting involved with the sailing of the boat if you want to, but if you want a more hands-on experience, consider an alternative form of charter.

Bareboat Charter - The ultimate freedom. All you get is the boat and a briefing when you collect the boat at the start of the charter. This briefing should include safety on board, a look at how the various systems work on the ship, and local knowledge of the proposed cruising area. Then it's down to you. Before taking a bareboat charter, you should have some basics of navigation and seamanship, the level of this knowledge in some parts is determined by the proposed cruising area. You will, for example, need more experience for a two-week charter in the Channel Islands, just off the coast of France in the English Channel, with its 5-meter tides and numerous rocks and shoals lying just beneath the surface than is required for an Ionian charter in Greece. No waves, minimal to bump into in terms of hidden gems, and most of the sailing between islands is by a line of site.

More information about yacht charter can be found at the <a href="http://www.sail-the-net.com" target="blank">Yacht Charter Directory</a>