A sailing vacation! For most of us, it’s an event that might happen only once a year, if that. Once a charter is booked, even though it may be months away, the anticipation begins. Part of the fun is in planning the trip — specifically, where you’ll go and what you’ll see. It’s easy to get so caught up in the excitement that you build expectations that aren’t realistic, which can sometimes lead to disappointment. These proven itinerary-planning tips will help you avoid some common pitfalls.

• The most important strategy for outlining a successful sailing itinerary is this: Don’t over-plan! Bear in mind that an itinerary is the proposed outline of a journey — so don’t cast it in stone. Keep your expectations reasonable. Make a rough list of islands, ports or anchorages you’d like to visit rather than places you think you must. On any sailing charter, wind and weather can trump even the best-laid plans, which is why most sample itineraries from charter companies bear a variation of this disclaimer: “All itineraries subject to wind and weather conditions.” Start by making a wish list, and then, keep it flexible. After you arrive at your vacation destination, Mother Nature may have other plans, so be willing to adjust yours accordingly.

• Researching your destination(s) in advance is part of every sailing vacation, and certainly if you’ll be the skipper, it’s prudent to learn as much as you can about your prospective sailing area. If you’ll be along as crew or guest, by all means, do some reading, but keep in mind that, for you, there also will be lots of leisure time aboard the boat to read about places once you’re actually there. If you want to immerse yourself (or, as captain or first mate, feel you should), start by buying at least a large-scale nautical chart and cruising guides or pilot books to the areas in which you’ll be sailing. Pay particular attention to the area’s prevailing winds, seasonal and local weather patterns (including anomalies), navigational hazards and — very important! — the distances between ports or anchorages. Don’t rely on mainstream travel guides to form ideas about where to go and what to see; most offer glowing descriptions of places that may not be accessible by sailboat, and guidebook maps (and mile scales) are often incomplete or misleading. Always keep in mind the actual distances between ports and islands, not only in terms of nautical miles, but in terms of the time it will take to sail from point A to point B at your boat’s average cruising speed — under sail and power. Also keep in mind the number of full days you have to sail, and when you must be back within easy range of the charter base as the vacation draws to a close.

• In the planning stages, almost everyone in the crew has a bucket list. Whittle yours down — most are overly ambitious. For example, instead of making a wish list of ports and islands in an entire region, focus on one smaller coastal area or island group: the British Virgin Islands or St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean, for example, or the Eastern Cyclades, Western Cyclades or Saronic Islands in Greece. Even with a pared-back list, you likely won’t be able to see everything there is to see on a typical weeklong charter, so once you choose an area and have read a bit about it, tweak that bucket list further. If you want, make two wish-list outlines; base them on prevailing wind and weather patterns. If itinerary A isn’t feasible during the week(s) you’re there, itinerary B might be. You might even find that the weather allows you to do a little bit of both.

• By all means, rely on the expertise of your charter company representatives in helping plan your trip and your proposed itinerary. Most companies issue pre-written “suggested” itineraries in advance of your charter; these are built upon years of solid sailing experience in each area and more local knowledge than you as a visiting skipper and crew could ever hope to have. The charter company knows what’s realistic to plan in any given time frame; it knows the capabilities of its yachts, and it also knows which areas should be avoided due to navigational or other hazards. Pay rapt attention to the full pre-charter briefing about weather forecasts, navigation and suggested routes based on the wind and weather that week. Heed the company’s advice on what to do — and more important, what not to do. Once aboard, the crew should never argue with a destination decision made by the captain, since it’s likely based on safety or other concerns.

• Once you arrive in ­paradise, remember this: You are on vacation; you are not coordinating a work-related team event. Ditch the daily planner. Let the good times roll as they may. Soak up the sun, the sailing and the local sights and sounds. Relax. Don’t become so focused on crossing places off your bucket list — or on where you’ll point your bow tomorrow — that you forget to enjoy where you are right now. Appreciate moments that can never be planned in advance: dolphins leaping in the bow wake, a bird perched on the stern rail, a perfect sunset over a gleaming blue sea or an unexpectedly pristine cove that wind conditions make a perfect place to drop the hook. Above all else, remember: Vacation itineraries shouldn’t be a rush to beat the clock, you’re off it!

– – –

CW contributing editor Lynda Morris Childress and her husband, Kostas Ghiokas, sail as a team on crewed charters aboard their Atlantic 70 cutter, Stressbuster, in the Greek islands. They have worked to design charter itineraries for their clients for the past 14 years.

The post Planning a Charter Itinerary appeared first on Cruising World.

Maybe you’re not quite ready for a bareboat charter. Or perhaps a potential charter in a new, more challenging location has you nervous. Or it could be that you’re just looking for a different kind of sailing vacation. Whatever your reasons, there are plenty of ways to get out on the water, all over the globe, regardless of your experience level. Let’s take a look at what’s available beyond the bareboat charter.

Learn-to-Sail Trip

If you’re new to sailing or want to improve your skills to become a more competent and confident skipper, consider checking out one of the learn-to-sail courses offered through many sailboat charter companies. This lets you earn certifications that could be useful for a future bareboat charter while enjoying a vacation destination.

The American Sailing Association, which offers sailing instruction and certifications, has affiliated schools all over the world, and many of these schools also have a charter fleet. This allows students to make a vacation out of learning to sail.

Barefoot Yacht Charters, located in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, has been doing this for more than 20 years with its Barefoot Offshore Sailing School. “BOSS gives a unique balance of an extraordinary vacation in a gorgeous tropical environment, combined with a good learning curve for sailing skills,” says Marissa Barnard of Barefoot Yacht Charters. “In addition to basic sailing courses, we also offer an offshore course, which includes overnight passagemaking between St. Lucia and St. Maarten.”

Hire a Captain

Perhaps you’re completely new to sailing, or the boat that you would like to charter is beyond your skill set. Consider hiring a captain for all or part of the trip. Most charter companies make it easy to do this at the time of booking. Just a little rusty? The Moorings offers its complimentary Friendly Skipper option on any bareboat charter. With this program, a captain joins your crew for a four-hour refresher course at the beginning of your charter.

Join a Flotilla

Long a popular vacation option in Europe, flotillas are catching on in the North American market — and for good reason! Basically, a flotilla is a small fleet of chartered boats and a lead boat. Aboard the lead boat are guides who are in charge of the event and are familiar with the local waters and sights. You can charter an entire boat, or often just a cabin. Flotillas are a great way to explore a new destination, particularly if it’s challenging or you just would like the reassurance of traveling with someone who has local knowledge.

The ASA has a full calendar of flotillas offered at affiliate schools around the world. These trips are targeted both at new sailors and those who have been sailing for years. Lenny Shabes, who is an experienced sailor and also chairman of the ASA, wanted to do a charter in the San Juan Islands but had heard so many horror stories — underwater obstructions, floating logs — that he was apprehensive about going it alone on a bareboat. “I was looking for camaraderie and the security of knowing where I was going, so a flotilla was the perfect solution,” he says. “Every morning the flotilla leader would brief us on where to go and where not to go, and what time and place to meet up again. It was reassuring to be cruising in this unfamiliar area, always in sight of other boats, and we met some great people who we still keep in touch with.”

For newer sailors, flotillas can provide a bridge between sailing-instruction courses and heading out on your own. By booking just a cabin, you have the opportunity to learn from the captain and the rest of the crew while gaining experience in an exotic or challenging location.

If you’re looking for a different sort of adventure, one of Sunsail’s themed flotillas might be right for you. Some upcoming offerings include Food and Wine Flotillas in Italy and Croatia, as well as a rum tour of the BVI. “The Food and Wine Flotilla introduces our guests to stunning scenery, fine wine and delicious, local Croatian cuisine,” said Nicolle Smirlis, marketing manager for Sunsail. “Due to the popular demand of flotillas in the Mediterranean, earlier this year we launched a new flotilla out of Palma de Mallorca, Spain.”

Once you decide that a flotilla vacation is in your future, Danelle Carnahan, of San Juan Sailing, which offers a full schedule of flotilla options throughout the Pacific Northwest, offers this advice: “Just relax, brush off your sea stories and enjoy getting to know your fellow cruisers.”

By-the-Cabin

A stress-free sailing vacation where you can meet interesting people and travel to some out-of-the way places on a crewed catamaran sounds pretty perfect, right? A by-the-cabin charter is exactly this, and is ideal no matter what your sailing skill level. These charters “remove the barriers for nonsailors and allow them to enjoy island-hopping aboard a luxury yacht at a reasonable price point,” says Dan Lockyer, general manager of Dream Yacht Charter. “But they also appeal to experienced sailors who enjoy being on the water but want to kick back and relax.”

By-the-cabin charters include a captain, and typically a chef as well, and take place on a well-appointed catamaran, or a larger monohull with separate cabins with en suite heads. Worried about whether you’ll like the other guests? Don’t be, says Lockyer. “These trips appeal to people with a similar mindset, which makes for a good group dynamic.”

Motor Up

Let’s say you have plenty of experience on the water, but it just happens to have been at the helm of a powerboat. Or perhaps your crew just isn’t interested in sailing. A charter aboard a trawler or a power catamaran might be just the thing. Powercats have started to appear in more charter fleets around the world. They offer the space and stability of a catamaran, with the ease of a powerboat. “Most poweryacht charterers are people who already own or have owned a poweryacht in the past,” says Barb Hansen, co-owner of Southwest Florida Yachts. “Other power charterers might be people who have been through our power-cruising school and are chartering for the first time. Their ultimate goal might be to own a boat or just to keep chartering for a while.”

Calling All Salts

If your call to the sea consists more of square rigs and sea shanties, consider a sail-training vacation aboard a tall ship. There is a wide variety of tall ships offering programs throughout the United States that ranges from overnight journeys to a semester at sea. Visit Tall Ships America’s website (sailtraining.org) for more details and to find a program that interests you.

From learning sailing skills while cruising the Med to making new friends on a voyage through the islands, there is a way for you to get out on the water — no experience needed.

– – –

Jen Brett is CW’s senior editor.

The post Choosing the Best Charter Option appeared first on Cruising World.

Cruising the Canals of Europe

You could spend a lifetime exploring the ­canals of Europe and the British Isles aboard your own boat and still never see them all. France alone ­offers 90 separate waterways covering more than 5,000 miles. Within each country, all ­canals are governed by an agency that oversees navigation and lockkeeping. The French National Waterway Authority (Voies navigable de France; vnf​.fr) administers all French canals. The tolls for a 40-foot vessel were $55 (50 ­euros) per day or $495 (450 euros) per year; for ­charterers, tolls are included in the booking fee. Each ­canal system is defined by a “gauge” — that is, a set of vessel dimensions based on draft, bridge height, and the volume of lock pounds. The gauge ­inside the ­Canal du ­Midi is ­smaller than those of other ­canals: a draft of 4 feet 5 inches and a height of 9 feet 10 inches. The more typical Freycinet gauge in other canal ­systems ­allows for larger ­commercial craft up to 300 tons.

For our weeklong trip we used a trilingual waterway guide published by Èditions du Breil in France (www.carte-fluviale​.com). Edition 7 of that series covers the ­Canal du Midi and environs. For even deeper knowledge, EuroCanals Publishing (www.eurocanals​.com), based in New Mexico, provides an excellent website and country-specific print cruising guides to all the canals in Europe.

Canal Chartering My family chartered a Vision4 SL from Le Boat (www.leboat.com). Because Le Boat is owned by the same parent company as The Moorings and Sunsail, we were able to make all our ­arrangements in U.S. dollars with a travel agent in Clearwater, Florida.

The weekly rate for this boat, the flagship of the fleet, ranges from $2,800 to $3,800 in the spring and summer of 2017. If you travel with eight people, that comes to $50 to $68 per person per night. Smaller boats cost less. For our party of seven, we rented four bicycles; we used them every day.

The Vision4 SL, in its own way, is a marvel of engineering. Start with the length: 49 feet 1 inch (14.95 meters). By French law, any vessel larger than 15 meters requires a licensed operator; this boat comes to within centimeters of that mark. The boat’s height is ­precisely designed to fit under the Canal du Midi’s 17th-century bridges — provided that all heads are ducked, and all wine bottles removed from the flybridge dinette. Within the envelope of those hull dimensions is a fine hotel: four double cabins, each with its own en suite bathroom, plus an ample main saloon and a sizable kitchen. (Yes, “bathrooms” and “kitchen” are how the brochures describe them.) After a quick learning curve, operating the boat is relatively easy — and made easier by a bow thruster and an articulating pod driven by a joystick in docking mode.

If you go

We traveled to ­Langue­doc in the third week of April. Two days of our week were sweater-­chilly, with ­occasional light showers; the other days were short-sleeved and sunny. Later in the season, it becomes drier and warmer, but crowds thicken between July 15 and August 31. May, June and September seem ideal.

Our canal­ ­itinerary was upstream, beginning in Homps and ­ending in Castelnaudary. Our travel agent from Le Boat made two excellent suggestions: that we set the date of our overnight U.S.-to-Europe flights to land a full day before boarding the boat, and that we spend our first night in Narbonne, just 20 miles from the Le Boat base at Homps.

That said, we were able to improve on her third piece of advice, which was to fly into Barcelona, then take a train to Narbonne. As much as we would have relished a visit to ­Catalonia, our tally of round-trip train tickets for seven people came to roughly $1,000. Instead, we booked flights into Toulouse, landing mid­afternoon, and rented a one-day diesel van from Europcar. (We found that a one-way car­ ­rental across national borders was complicated and costly.) The van easily carried all of us and our bags to Narbonne for our first night, and then on to the boat the next day, all for less than $300. My state-issued driver’s ­license and a credit card were all I needed to rent the car, and the driving time was less than two hours. The return train connection from ­Castelnaudary to Toulouse was an easy 40 minutes and cost us less than $15 per person.

Read the full story of a canal charter through France here.

The post Planning a Canal Charter appeared first on Cruising World.