Four reasons to go overboard for a sailing holiday

Imagine the scene. You have been looking forward to your two week holiday in the sun all year and there you are in your luxury hotel surrounded by noisy families at the pool or having to jostle with other tourists every time you go out. Not exactly what you were hoping for….

It does not have to be this way. For the same price, or even less, you could be luxuriating on your own yacht with a G&T listening to the gentle sound of waves lapping against the bow and with just your friends or family for company.

Bliss!

In our opinion, sailing beats a hotel, villa or even a cruise holiday hands down. Basically, it offers the best of all worlds and does not have to be super-expensive either. Not entirely convinced? Well, here are four good reasons we reckon will change your mind!

When so much of our time is governed by schedules, deadlines and commitments, a week or two sailing provides the perfect escape. You can be master of your own destiny and plan your time exactly as you want.

You will not just be sailing either. Many of our clients like to sail for a few hours in the morning and then just drop anchor and chill in the afternoon and enjoy swimming, snorkelling or spending an idle afternoon sunbathing on board.

As long as you know where you are going to dock at night, you can be as spontaneous as you wish.

Here are some examples of sample itineraries for sailing holidays in Corfu and Sardinia. As you will see, you will not be rushed off your feet!

We have all seen those massive ads in the Sunday papers offering ten days cruising down the Danube, around the Mediterranean or island hopping in the Caribbean. These holidays are very popular and certainly offer a very comfortable way to travel the world. But in reality you will only get to scratch the surface of the destinations you stop at. Cruise ships are massive and can only dock at major ports, plus there is always limited time to explore so you end up just getting to see the main tourist attractions.

However, if you are on your own yacht you can slip easily into small harbours or secluded coves away from the hordes and discover your own piece of paradise. Also, there are many places on coastlines which are only accessible by boat, so you will get access to places you just couldn’t go to if you were staying onshore. You will find your own favourite special places on any of our holidays, but here are some examples from our guides to Greece and the Caribbean to whet your appetite.

Holidays should be about being with the people you love, whether family or friends, and making memorable experiences together. A sailing holiday creates the perfect setting for creating these moments, whether it is a family get-together to celebrate a special birthday or taking time out with your mates.

If you choose to book a skippered yacht, you may be sharing your boat with crew but half the time you won’t know they’re there. They understand you will want privacy and will leave you to enjoy yourselves while they get on with the business of getting you to where you want to go.

Check out this blog about a family week long trip around Croatia on a chartered yacht to give you an idea.

There was a time when yachting seemed a closed world which belonged to crusty old sailors at one end of the scale or wealthy millionaires at the other. Well, times have changed!

Sailing is a really affordable holiday option and you don’t need any sailing experience either. Prices can range from £300-400 per person – depending on your group size and choice of boat and we work with highly experienced skippers and crews, so you do not need to worry about knowing your yardarm from your bulkhead!

Sailing is also environmentally friendly. You will be mainly using the wind to propel you along rather than fuel, and of course it's essential to respect your environment and dispose of any rubbish responsibly when you reach a port and never throw anything aboard.

Read our advice on provisioning for a sailing holiday for more advice.