Sailboat charter

Why is sailing good?

Sailing is a perfect activity for adventure-seekers. In old times, it was the only way of sea travel. Today, sailing has more meaning, it’s a way of relaxation and a lifestyle as well. Nowadays a great number of yachts are found in the boat rental market. Sailboats are driven by the wind; thus, they are cheaper than engine-powered yachts since they have a lower fuel cost. At the same time, they call for more experience and skill. Sailboats take you to places, only accessible from the sea, so you can discover the wonders of untouched nature. The freedom of sailing is a wonderful feeling, that may forever captivate those who experience it.This phenomenon is also a result of the ancient bond between humankind and the sea. Thanks to the technical equipment of modern sailboats, you can gain a luxurious experience. Cabins are comfortable, and in many cases, a kitchen and bathroom are also available.

What do you need to know about sailboats?

The sailboat or sailing boat is a kind of boat that’s partly or fully driven with mast using the power of wind, so it has no engine or electric drive. Types and kinds of sailing boats may be different in every region and sea culture. If you’re not an expert of yachts, you can recognize a sailboat by a pile standing on its deck, the mast. It’s also important, how many masts you see. This makes it easy to identify the five main types of sailboats called: sloops, cutters, ketches, yawls, and schooners.

Types of sailboats

Though sailing terminology was diverse throughout history, many terms have special meaning in the context of modern sailing. You can distinguish types of sailboats by their size, body, type or function of the keel, or the number of the mast. Usually, we group sailboats in two big categories: small-sized yachts without a keel and keel-boats. The size of small sailboats is 2 to 6 m. They can carry a maximum of a few people.

Cut:

The catboat (cut, cat) sailboat has only one sail on one mast, therefore they also call it a one-masted sailing boat. It has no headsail. The most modern designs only have one sail, the mainsail.

Sloop:

The most common modern sailboat is the sloop, which has one mast and two sails. This simple configuration is very effective for sailing into the wind. The sloop sail can also be called Bermuda sail. The sail on the mast unit is attached at a point below the top of the mast. This enables the improvement of performance by stretching the upper part of the pole.

Cutter:

The so-called Cutter sailboat has two or three sails and one mast. Nowadays, cruise yachts are diverse and resistant. Thus, this type of boat is massive in stronger wind.

Ketches:

Ketch sailboats are like a sloop, but with a second, shorter mast in front of the rudder post. The second mast is the mizzen mast, the sail is called mizzen sail.

Yawl:

The yawl sailboat is similar to the ketch with a shorter mizzen mast and a more balanced rudder. The origin of these sailboats goes back to the sailed fishing boats of old times, which had similar short mizzen sails. This kept the yacht stable, while fishers lifted the fishnet out of water.

How to choose a sailboat?

Don’t let the price be the only parameter when choosing a sailboat. You should consider several criteria. The year of the building suggests the level of safety and luxury equipment. The younger the boat is, the more reliable it gets. In case of older sailboats, you should find out about their past renewals. Size matters if you’d like to rent a boat for a longer time. In this case, the bigger the better. Naturally, your expectations and preferences also matter. You can rent a sailboat with cabins, one that has a toilet, kitchen, or even cabins for the crew. You can decide the color and pattern of the mast as well.Read more types of sailboats, Which are the best places to sail in October, or November, December, a title=”Which are the best places to sail in January” href=”https://boattheglobe.com/sailing-in/sailing-in-january” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>January ?

Mediterranean sailing itineraries

Day 1. Pula – Medulin 32.41 km (20.14 nm), Day 2. Medulin – Unije 33.34 km (20.72 nm), Day 3. Unije- Vele Srakane 11.65 km (7.24 nm), Day 4. Vele Srakane – Martinscica 27.22 km (16.91 nm), Day 5. Martinscica – Cres 27.05 km (16.81 nm), Day 6. Cres – Rabac 24, 28 km (15, 09 nm), Day 7. Rabac – Trget – Pula 90.16 km (56.02 nm)

More sailing routes Croatia, or read about Croatia sailing holidays

Day 1. Mykonos – Tinos (Tinos island) 17, 58 km (10, 92 nm), Day 2. Tinos – Gavrio 54, 30 km (33, 74 nm), Day 3. Gavrio – Vourkari (Kea island) 46, 33 km (28, 79 nm), Day 4. Vourkari – Merihas (Kithnos Island) 37, 98 km (23, 60 nm), Day 5. Merihas – Livadi (Serifos island) 46, 54 km (28, 92 nm), Day 6. Livadi – Kamares (Sifnos Island) 23, 25 km (14, 45 nm), Day 7. Kamares – Ermúpoli – Mykonos 98, 13 km (60, 97 nm)

More sailing routes Greece, or read about Greece sailing tours

Day 1. Olbia – Tavolara Island (Spalmatore di Terra) 16.22 km (10.08 nm), Day 2. Tavolara Island (Spalmatore di Terra) – Caprera (Pontile di Porto Palma) 44.81 km (27.84 nm), Day 3. Caprera (Pontile di Porto Palma) – Spargi (Cala Corsara) 12.39 km (7.70 nm), Day 4. Spargi (Cala Corsara) – Bonifacio 26.80 km (16.66 nm), Day 5. Bonifacio – Santa Teresa Gallura 16.45 km (10.22 nm), Day 6. Santa Teresa Gallura – Palau 21.16 km (13.15 nm), Day 7. Palau – Porto Cervo – Olbia 54.94 (34.14 nm)

Caribbean sailing itineraries

Day 1. Marsh Harbour – Little Harbour 24, 55 km (15, 25 nm), Day 2. Little Harbour – Abaco National Park – Sandy Point 97, 10 km (60, 34 nm), Day 3. Sandy Point – Wood Cay – Great Abaco 47, 96 km (29, 80 nm), Day 4. Great Abaco – Big Joe Downer Cay -Little Joe Downer Cay – South Riding Point 96, 70 km (60, 09 nm), Day 5. South Riding Point – Nunjack Cay – Green Turtle Cay 103, 35 km (64, 22 nm), Day 6. Green Turtle Cay – Treasure Cay – Man-O-War Cay / Guana Cay 28, 44 km (17, 67 nm), Day 7. Guana Cay – Pelican Cay Land & Sea Park – Elbow Cay – Marsh Harbour 53, 60 km (33, 30 nm).

Bahamas sailing routes

Day 1. English Harbour – Nonsuch Bay 18, 24 km (11, 33 nm), Day 2. Nonsuch Bay – Low Bay (Barbuda) 55, 26 km (34, 34 nm), Day 3. Low Bay – Coco Point (Barbuda)18, 41 km (11, 44 nm), Day 4. Coco Point – Dickenson Bay 52, 91 km (32, 88 nm), Day 5. Dickenson Bay – St.John’s 6, 34 km (3, 94 nm), Day 6. St.John’s – Jolly Harbour 13, 56 km (8, 42 nm), Day 7. Jolly Harbour – Carlisle Bay – English Harbour 20, 13 km (12, 51 nm).Antigua sailing holidaysDay 1. Road Town – Parham Town 9, 38 km (5, 83 nm), Day 2. Parham Town – Spanish Town (Virgine Gorda Island) 14, 02 km (8, 71 nm), Day 3. Spanish Town – Anegada 31, 11 km (19, 33 nm), Day 4. Anegada – Scrub Island 32, 34 km (20, 10 nm), Day 5. Scrub Island – Jost Van Dyke 25, 61 km (15, 91 nm), Day 6. Jost Van Dyke – Cruz Bay 13, 75 km (8, 54 nm), Day 7. Cruz Bay – Nanny Cay – Road Town 25, 25 km (15, 69 nm).