Yacht Charter

Whether you are looking for a bareboat or crewed charter, luxury yacht or a flotilla holiday, check here for information on how to choose a suitable boat along with a beginner’s guide to sailing holidays. With a huge choice of where to go ranging from the tropical islands of the Pacific, the trade winds of the Caribbean to the history filled anchorages of the Mediterranean, we have all the latest cruising destinations and yacht charter companies to take you there.

Which Destination?

Look out for the latest destination stories from our cruising experts, this week’s feature is the beautiful islands of Tonga. Once you have chosen the destination, : Mediterranean - Greece, Turkey, Croatia, France or Spain; Caribbean - the BVIs, St Lucia, the Grenadines; Asia - Thailand and Malaysia; Pacific - Fiji, Tonga and French Polynesia, Australia and New Zealand. Look out for the latest destination stories from our cruising experts, along with seasonal weather guides to help you choose. Make your holiday afloat a success with our guide to choosing a charter yacht and our beginner’s guide to sailing holidays. Read our collection of chartering calamities.

Cruising in Tonga Apart from the whales, wonderful sailing, friendly locals and great weather.. more...

The Society Islands An air of fantasy hovers over the French Society Islands.. more...

The Panama Canal An imposing gateway between the Atlantic and the Pacific. more...

Cruising the Arctic My mind toyed with images of frozen tundra, freezing winds, boat crushing ice.. more...

Yott Guide to Bareboat Yacht Chartering

The success of any sailing holiday depends on the right destination, the most suitable boat and a sensible itinerary. It all sounds so easy but with hundreds of cruising destinations to chose from and nearly as many different designs and sizes of boat, we have asked our cruising experts to put together a Yott guide to yacht chartering.

What size boat to choose

Charter boats are designed to offer the maximum number of berths for each size of boat, which means if you fill the boat it can be cosy, but cost effective. The ideal yacht size will depend, but every crew member must have a berth and the yacht must have sufficient safety gear and liferaft space for the crew.

Couple Sailing

If you are just two on board, it makes no sense to drag around 10 empty berths. Yes, you will undoubtedly be faster with lots of waterline length, but you will also have to bring the beast alongside whilst shorthanded. Probably the ideal size for a couple will be around 32 – 38 foot. This will give you plenty of room for a week or two.

Taking the whole family...good luck!

On the other hand if you are taking the whole family and all their friends then you want as much room as you can get. Start at 32 ft for the first couple and add about 3ft per additional crewmember as a good rule of thumb. However, it is amazing how the boat can shrink when you are living with people. On a hot sticky day, in a rolly anchorage, after a tiring day, with the remains of a slight hangover, even the best of lifetime buddies can irritate…! Although your personal abilities as skipper need to be taken into account, the extra hands should make the task of bringing a larger boat alongside in a breeze much easier, providing that everyone is properly briefed on their responsibilities.

Monohull or catamaran

If you are a diehard sailor who needs to lean over at 45 degrees with the spray whipping off the bow into your face, to feel that you are sailing, then only a monohull will do. However if you like to sail fast with your cold beer/wine/coffee still on the table and pull up close to the beach before inviting lots of new friends on board to your vast cockpit space to share in a sundowner, then the catamaran is for you… The ‘cat’ is becoming ever more popular amongst charter fleets and the long distance cruising fraternity, and for good reason. To some extent they can provide the comfort and space of home with the advantage of ever changing scenery. More space for children to play, and girls to sunbathe. It is important to consider the other people in your party before making the final decision. If any of the crew, particularly children, is not use to sailing or suffer from motion sickness, it makes sense to go with the more stable platform of a cat. Many charter holidays have ended up in hotels for this very reason. Then again that beating to windward with the caprail under water is just so much fun….