Bareboat yacht charter

What does bareboat charter mean?

This means the rental of sailing and motorboats, where no staff is provided who could be responsible for the yacht’s management. Thus, there must be a captain with a sailing license on board who can navigate the boat and the captain must make sure they have other staff members too. A bareboat charter is one of the most popular ways to discover the coasts. During boat rental there is no professional staff on board, therefore you sail on your own responsibility. This kind of travel is one of the best ways for you to travel with your family or friends on the sea.

This type of boat rental is becoming more and more popular around the world. In the bareboat charter, you don’t only have to play an active role in navigation, but also in route planning that you can put together based on your own preferences. Of course, it is worth visiting the popular destinations of the region, but you can accept other pieces of advice from the basis manager or from the yacht commander too. If you have enough experience to set out for the sea alone, don’t hesitate to go. An adventure that is a real challenge can make you richer.

How does bareboat charter work?

If you decide to rent a boat this way, you’ll ultimately need an international sailing certificate. The VHF-report is also necessary for security reasons, as it is issued for radio use and operation. You can choose from a wide selection of yachts, let they be sailing or power boats or yachts. But an experienced captain is not always enough for safe sailing. If no other member of the people on board has a sailing certificate, the rental agency will normally provide you with the crew. In most cases, you can moor in smaller ports, but this is mostly determined by the mooring chances of a given city.

The advantages of bareboat charter

You can have a big family or be an independent adventure seeker, the main thing is that you love sunshine, sea, and sailing. But here it is absolutely essential that you can navigate and direct the boat alone with full control. Real freedom will expect you on board a sailing boat or a yacht. No matter if you are looking for busy parties at the beach or just wonderful conversations, while you are watching family members from the board, you can find a perfect balance of individual adventures and social sailing.

Bareboat rental is ideal for anyone who wants to sail in the company of others and yet to steer the yacht. One of the great advantages of renting a boat is that you can manage your time on your own. Stop for a quick lunch and swim on the wonderful beaches. This is one of the most enjoyable holidays for those who want to get something unusual as a holiday. This vacation is a real team-building program, as cooperation as a team dominates during your journey. This is surely a huge experience also for children, you can become small sea explorers, pirates or seamen during the trip.

Who do we recommend it to?

A bareboat holiday is a wonderful choice for individual adventurers, groups, couples, or families. You can have great adventures through sea explorations and you can gain life-long experiences through visiting a tourist attraction. Bareboat sailing is the perfect choice for sea lovers who want a quality holiday while also taking part in the navigation of the yacht. If you are a novice sailor, it is wiser to let a more experienced guest wear the captain’s hat, but you can learn a lot during a journey like this if you just take on a minor crew role first.

Bareboat types

There are various kinds of yachts, motorboats, and sailing boats that you can rent for bareboat sailing. Each yacht is in excellent condition, they are well-equipped and in harmony with the safety regulations of the local area or region. Basically, there are three yacht categories that belong here. Sailing boats and catamarans are generally the most popular.

Monohull sailing boat

A Monohull sailing boat can be 30-50 feet long including the cabins no. 1-5. This yacht is perfect for those who love performance and are looking for the real feeling and experience of sailing.

Catamarans

Catamarans offer great comfort and privacy. Their speed and stability are highly appreciated. Catamarans are recommended for young couples and for family holidays.

Power Boat

If you love speed, then a powerboat is a perfect choice. But you have to note that this is also the most expensive boat type within this category. The powerboats are usually not longer than 40 metres.

By duration

The average bareboat vacation takes about a week. But the real decision depends only on you. If you want to spend more time on the crystal clear sea, you can make a reservation for a longer period. You can leave behind the hustle and bustle of everyday life for up to three weeks and enjoy your sailing holiday.

By region

A good starting point for organizing your holiday is choosing the region, country or city. Each region offers a wide range of boat charter opportunities. No matter, which area you choose, you’ll be guaranteed a life-long experience. The average daily 15-20-mile journey gives you enough time to swim, snorkel, and explore faraway bays or simply spend more time at target destinations at the ports.

How to make a reservation?

Boat chartering is not as complicated as it may sound at first, especially if you have a good travel agent. There are always some basic questions to discuss when you start the process with the help of the service provider. When you have decided to make a bareboat journey, but you have no idea how to get started, the easiest way is to select the region, where you want to travel. As a second step, the selection of the sailing boat type can also help you. All popular regions, e.g. the Caribbean, Greece, Italy, Croatia, etc. offer this type of boat rental. It doesn’t matter, if this is your first charter, or you are an experienced captain, the Sailing Guide will help you choose the route.

You can choose a one or two-week route that is suitable for beginners, for enthusiastic sailors. These itineraries include the most popular places in the region. Don’t forget that you can discover the neighboring smaller islands, bays, cities, or villages on your own.

Travel advice

Don’t forget that you are fully responsible for the safety of the group, so be sure you have all the information you need before chartering a boat. Before sailing out, be sure to look up the local weather information, as this is of key importance. If necessary, change the route! Safety comes first! It is also essential to share the tasks equally among group members. Organise the roles, like mooring, cooking, cleaning, and other duties. The more effective team you build, the easier the captain’s job will be and the more teamwork can achieve. Enjoy the freedom on board a boat! Bareboat rental is an excellent way to enjoy sea experiences, visit wonderful destinations, and explore the wonders of untouched nature on a small, hidden island.

sailing in October

Mediterranean bareboat yacht charter 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. Athens – Selinia Salamis (Salamina island) 9.42 km (5.85 nm), Day 2. Salamina – Aegina 26.25 km (16.31 nm), Day 3. Aegina Lavrion ( Olympic Marine) 68, 02 km (42, 26 nm), Day 4. Lavrion – Merihas (Kythnos Island) 45, 95 km (28, 55 nm), Day 5. Merihas – Livadi (Serifos Island) 47, 76 km (29, 68 nm), Day 6. Livadi – Milos island (Adamantas) 51, 33 km (31, 90 nm), Day 7. Milos – Folgerandos (Karavostasis) 67, 01 km (41, 64 nm), Day 8. Folgerandos – Santorini (Thira) 50, 25 km (31, 22 nm), Day 9. Thira – Vlychada (Santorini) 15, 83 km (9, 83 nm), Day 10. Vlychada – Ios 52, 81 km (32, 81 nm), Day 11. Ios – Sifnos island (Kamares) 67, 61 km (42, 01 nm), Day 12.Kamares – Siros 88, 45 km (54, 96 nm), Day 13. Siros – Kea 69, 63 km (43, 27 nm), Day 14. Kea – Glifada – Athens75, 68 km (47, 02 nm).

More sailing routes Greece, or read about Greece sailing tours

Day 1. Salerno – Cetara 5.12 km (3.18 nm), Day 2. Cetara – Agropoli 43.98 km (27.33 nm), Day 3. Agropoli – Acciaroli 28.46 km (17.69 nm), Day 4. Acciaroli – Marina di Casalvelino 8.77 km (5.45 nm), Day 5. Marina di Casalvelino – Palinuro 21.51 km (13.36 nm), Day 6. Palinuro – Marina di Camerota 12.13 km (7.54 nm), Day 7. Marina di Camerota – San Marco – Salerno 102.38 km (63.62 nm)

More Italy sailing holidays, or read about Italy sailing tours

Caribbean bareboat yacht charter 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. San Juan – Loiza 30, 98 km (19, 25 nm), Day 2. Loiza – Fajardo (Isleta Marina) 53, 34 km (33, 15 nm), Day 3. Fajardo – St.Thomas (Yacht Haven Grande) 76, 68 km (47, 65 nm), Day 4. Yacht Haven Grande – Red Hook (St.Thomas) 15, 84 km (9, 84 nm), Day 5. Red Hook – Hull bay (St.Thomas) 15, 12 km (9, 40 nm), Day 6. Hull bay – Culebra (Dewey Harbor) 41, 04 km (25, 50 nm), Day 7. Culebra – Playa Fortuna – San Juan 94, 80 km (58, 91 nm).

Read more Puerto Rico sailing itineraries

Day 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).

Other BVI sailing itinerary, BVI sailing holiday