It’s hard to beat the outright indulgence of a Virgin Islands crewed yacht charter. Every detail is managed by a trained crew. From operating the yacht, to preparing your customized meals, you are covered. From keeping the vessel tidy and shipshape, to reading charts, all is done for you.
WANT TO ESCAPE?
But what about those times you feel the need to escape? To be alone with loved ones? Have a chance to trade polite intrusiveness with no-frills quality family time?
WHY NOT BAREBOAT?
Families who routinely enjoy luxury yacht charter vacations with a full-crew compliment can now opt to go boating in total privacy. They can choose a bareboat yacht charter.
What is bareboating? The concept is simple – just as you would rent a car to drive yourself, with some basic training, you can rent a bareboat and take the helm yourself!
WHAT IS A BAREBOAT YACHT CHARTER?
A“bareboat”is just as the name sounds. It is a boat with just the bare essentials onboard. It comes with no food, no beverages, and most noticeably, no crew. You do your own cooking and cleaning. You operate and sail the yacht, yourself.
WHERE CAN I FIND A BAREBOAT?
Fleets of bareboats can be found in nearly every location you would expect to find a fully-crewed yacht charter vessel. Virgin Islands bareboat vacations are perhaps the most common. There are hundreds of boats available for rent in both St. Thomas, USVI, and Tortola, BVI.
Both sail yachts and motor yachts can be rented. They accommodate 2 to 8 passengers. A few bareboat catamaran yachts can even accommodate up to 10 passengers.
WHO RENTS BAREBOATS?
Companies such as 1-800-BAREBOAT, the Moorings, and Sunsail specialize in arranging self-skippered charters in destinations around the world; for example, Bahamas, Florida Keys, Greece, Corsica, Sardinia, France, Cote d’azur, Tortola, Tortolla, St. Thomas, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Tonga, Miami and South Florida.
GLOBAL FLEETS
Customers can choose from a global network of monohull sailboats with brands like Beneteau, Sun Odyssey, Dufour, or Jeanneau – and multihull catamarans with brands like Fountaine Pajot, Lagoon, and Sunreef.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Basic rental prices tend to be less much expensive than those of luxury crewed yacht charter vessels, but customers need to remember they are responsible to purchase and prepare their own meals. The cost to provision the yacht must be considered when comparing this bare bones charter option to the price of a crewed yacht.
WHAT IS INVOLVED IN BAREBOATING?
Another important factor – the customer’s qualification to operate a boat.
Just as it takes skill and normally a license to operate a motor vehicle, similar rules apply to bareboats. While formal licenses are not usually necessary, a solid level of competency is necessary. The ability to read basic charts, navigate, and to set the anchor are the most important skills required to rent a bareboat.
HOW CAN I GET QUALIFIED TO BAREBOAT?
Luckily, these skills can easily be mastered, either through formal boating courses, or simply by garnering casual boating experience with your own boat or the boat of a friend or neighbor.
Popular ideas for bareboat yacht charter vacations are anniversary celebrations, family reunions (with boats sailing in tandem), couples getaways, and snorkeling adventures.
WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE CREW OR SAIL YOURSELF?
So before you plan your next tropical odyssey, give some thought and compare bareboat vacations to crewed charters – one of them will surely be the right choice for you, your family, and friends!
You are going on aluxury yacht charter vacation in a few months, and you want to bring your iPod. You worry that it may end up in the ocean or that water will damage it, though. NO WORRIES!
Introducing the AquaTunes, America’s favorite waterproof radio pouch for use onboardyacht charters. It works with cd players, mp3 players, iPods, and cassette players. It is designed to be used underwater by snorkelers or by any other watersports enthusiast who enjoys listening to music, radio, or books on tape in the water! (Note: This is a great gift to give to anyone who is headed on a St. Barts yacht charter or a charter boat in Turkey!)
Aqua Tunes
So on your crewed catamaran charter or bareboatsailboat adventure, remember to bring your AquaTunes to enjoy your iPod and iTunes on your private yacht!
Winfrey, on the left, enjoys the famous harbor’s glittering waters on board the bareboat sailboat charter yacht “Eagle Rock.” She joins Russell Crowe, a Sydney local, tailed by a flotilla of some 20 other yachts.
OPRAH WEAR
On the right, Oprah wears a white cap given to her by Crowe and emblazoned with the logo of his South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league team. She beams as she sits at the stern of the bareboat yacht, talking sport with the “Gladiator” star.
“I’m having the time of my life,” Winfrey said.
SYDNEY HARBOR CRUISE
The harbor features heavily on the megastar’s weekend itinerary. For instance, the glittering waterfront reception Saturday night, complete with fireworks, then later, Sunday morning, feature of a climb of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and a visit to Bondi Beach.
OPRAH TOUR ON TV
Finally, Oprah’s whirlwind tour of Australia will be broadcast as a four episode “Ultimate Australian Adventure” in January 2011.
There is nothing more adventurous than sailing in the open water, and many destinations around the world offer the best conditions for sailing and other water activities. Since not many people own a boat or a yacht, there are some certain arrangements you can opt for if you want to go sailing in Solent for example. One of the most popular arrangements is bareboat charters.
TEAM BUILDING
This type of agreement means that the owner will allow the use of the boat without providing any crew or provisions to the person chartering it. There are bareboat charters that can only be for a specific period of time, while there are some charters where the person obtains full control of the vessel and the owner will not provide any administration or technical maintenance. In Solent (a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England), there are many established companies that offer charters for people who want to experience life on the open ocean for less.
CORPORATE SAILING
Sailing is a popular activity that is best enjoyed with a group of people. These days, sailing has become one of the ways to improve team performance and as a form of work incentive. Corporate sailing can be for fun or for experiential learning for employees. This activity is highly participatory and challenging. It encourages everyone to participate and enjoy the activity while breaking down barriers in communication. There is no wonder why many companies enjoy sailing in Solent as a great team building effort. To make the yacht charter activity fun, safe, and engaging however, you must hire a sailing company that can provide all the needed provisions during the charter. Hire a professional that will guide inexperienced members of the group to become familiar with the basics of sailing.
SOLENT
Whether you want to enjoy sailing privately or as a company activity, Solent still has some of the best sailing facilities and providers. Whether you prefer a bareboat charter or a private luxury yacht charter, you will find excellent companies like 1-800 Yacht Charters at https://www.1800yachtcharters.com or Bareboat Depot at http://www.bareboat.com that can cater to everything that you need. You can bring your family aboard and enjoy a few days in the open ocean near Solent. While sailing may not be a cheap hobby, chartering is making this activity more reasonable and accessible for everyone. To provide you with all the resources you need, the internet is complete with details to help you contact a sailing company in Solent, and you will have a choice among many sailing companies depending on the kind of experience you are looking for and your budget.
A recent survey confirms increasing popularity of Thailand. Respondents favor Thailand as an emerging destination for yachting vacations.
THAILAND AS YACHT CHARTER DESTINATION
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has announced a survey. This is by MasterCard Worldwide. It names Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, as the third-most favorite global destination in 2012.
WHICH OTHER CITIES JOIN THE LIST?
According to the survey, Bangkok follows only London and Paris in the rankings and is expected to draw around 12.2 million visitors, who will spend about 19.2 million dollars this year. Thailand was 4th in the rankings of tourist spending in 2011, with the record of 14.4 billion dollars, after first, the UK, second, the USA, and third, France.
COMPANY PRESIDENT COMMENTS
Jana Sheeder, President of 1-800 Yacht Charters, states,
“We have definitely noticed a greater interest in Thailand as a charter destination, especially in our bareboatoperation. A Thailand luxury sailing charter is a superb option for those seeking adventure in an exotic, unique locale.”
There are two types of luxury yacht charter vacations: Fully-Crewed and Bareboat (no crew).
WHAT IS A FULLY-CREWED YACHT CHARTER?
Fully-crewed charters are for travelers who prefer to leave all aspects of the yacht’s operation in the hands of a skipper and a host of able-bodied seamen (and or women).
Crewed catamaran charters, for example, are currently the most popular form of yachting in the Caribbean. Charter guests board 50 to 80 foot sailing catamarans in locations such as St. Thomas (USVI) and Tortola (BVI). They sail with a captain, first mate, and cook. The crew operates the yacht and prepares all of the meals.
WHAT IS A BAREBOAT CHARTER?
Conversely, a bareboat charter means the yacht is rented to the charterer without a skipper or accompanying crew. The charterer and his travel companions navigate the yacht and perform all duties on board.
Bareboat yacht charter
The closest analogy is the rental car market, and the fleet of vehicles operated by companies like Hertz, Enterprise, and Avis.
In some regions of the world, the lead charterer will be required to hold some type of license in order to reserve a bareboat.
Whether a license is required or not, before they can rent a bareboat charter vessel, ALL prospective charterers must submit a boating resume detailing their qualifications and boating experience.
A typical sailing resume, for example, will require the following details:
EXPERIENCE
Please let us know which of the following you have experience of:
Picking up a mooring
QUALIFICATIONS
Which Qualifications do you hold?
Basic Keelboat
Basic Coastal Cruising
Bareboat Chartering
Coastal Navigation
Advanced Coastal Cruising
Celestial Navigation
Offshore Passagemaking
Basic Small Boat Sailing
Cruising Catamaran
Trailerable Multihull Standard
The bottom line to enjoying a self-drive boat vacation: If you have sailed before, even if you have not spent much time as the skipper, you will most likely qualify to charter a bareboat yacht.
While some of the more technical destinations, like a Greek yacht charter will require more experience, an understanding of basic seamanship, boat handling and navigation is all that is required for a Caribbean yacht charter or a bare boat rental in many of our locations.
YOU NEED A YACHT CHARTER BROKER
Regardless of your decision, you need a yacht charter broker. Your broker can arrange your vacation for you and choose the proper yacht and crew (if you choose a crewed yacht) for your group. We (1-800 Yacht Charters and 1-800 BAREBOAT) know which yachts have proper licenses and insurance, and we inspect the yachts and meet the crews.
You have a few island vacation options for this summer:
Cruise vacation to the British Virgin Islands?
Self-drive sail or motor bareboat charter in the Bahamas?
Hotel stay in the Florida Keys?
Hmm. Your choice?
Bareboat Bahama yacht charters, of course!
But what is there to do on a bareboat charter in the tropics?
Sail to Allan’s Cay in the Exumas and feed the friendly iguanas that live there
Visit the famous swimming pigs on Big Major Cay
Relax on the pink sand beach of Harbour Island
Learn to scuba dive in Freeport
Have a romantic, private picnic on Three Sisters Beach
Snorkel among tropical fish on Rainbow Gardens Reef
Go ashore and visit the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park
Gamble at the casino or see a live concert at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island
Haggle with vendors of handmade merchandise in Nassau’s famous Straw Market
Rent a scooter and tour Grand Bahama Island
Swim with dolphins with UNEXSO in Freeport
…or if you’d rather, you can simply remain onboard your bareboat yacht and just enjoy the calm waters and smooth sailing of the beautiful Bahamas!
“My husband and I are thinking about taking the family on a boating vacation. We plan to go to the Florida Keys late Spring/early Summer. I’m assuming it’s more affordable to rent a boat and run it ourselves. Do you agree?”
Pam K, Coral Gables, FL
ANSWER
What a great idea, Pam! Since you live in South Florida, a Florida yacht charter vacation in early summer is a great way to explore your “backyard.” As you know, most tourists have left the area by this time. Fewer crowds equates to quiet anchorages!
As a general rule, it IS more affordable to “DIY” (Do It Yourself) and drive your own bareboat. (A bareboat is a boat that you rent without a hired crew). Affordability, however, is not the only important concern.
THREE FACTORS
Deciding if a Florida Keys #bareboat yacht charter or a crewed Florida yacht charter is your best bet depends upon three primary factors. First, Capability. Second, Responsibility. and Third, Budget.
CAPABILITY
When you rent a car, you are required to have a driver’s license. No license is required to rent a bareboat, however, you ARE required to demonstrate experience and competency. You initially submit a cruising qualifications resume. Finally, you made be deemed incapable of operating a bareboat, yourself. If so, you are required to retain a professional crew to operate your rental boat.
RESPONSIBILITY
You are qualified to rent a boat without crew. Next you must decide if you want the responsibility of operating your own yacht. When you rent a bareboat, you do it all. For instance, safe navigation and reading maps, cooking, and cleaning. Some people love the hands-on experience. Of course, this is not for everybody. Some prefer to sit back, relax, and leave all chores and responsibilities to someone else. If this better describes you and your family, then a crewed yacht is the way to go. On a yacht charter with crew, they are fully-responsible for the operation of the yacht. In addition, cleaning/maintaining the yacht and preparing the meals for the guests are their duties.
BUDGET
Like most vacations, your desired budget will often dictate which option is best for you. IF you are capable and enjoy the responsibility of operating a boat on your own, a bareboat #yachtcharter will give you the best bang for your dollar. If you want and can afford more than a “bare bones” vacation, try this. It is one where you are served and #pampered the entire time. A a private luxury crewed yacht charter is the way to go for you.
PRICING – BAREBOAT VS. CREWED YACHT
A 47 foot bareboat power catamaran in #Miami, suitable for 8 passengers, can be rented in the late spring, early summer for under $10,000 per week. In addition, you need to factor in the local tax (about 7%) and mandatory damage insurance (estimated at $50 per day). Of course, don’t forget to consider the cost of food and beverages for your family for the week (or for however long you charter your bareboat).
A similar-sized crewed yacht, such as a 51 foot power catamaran, will cost approximately $21,000 per week, but this rate includes your meals, beverages, and a professional crew of 2. The only “unknown” expenditure is an optional gratuity for your crew.
Here’s the good news! Whichever type of chartering is right for you – with or without crew — there is surely a boat out there within your budget and in line with your qualifications, capabilities, and desires. Let’s go #boating!!!
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