You can charter a yacht for a sail cruising holiday to almost any destination in the world. The only problem is that it will cost you quite a lot of money paying for the crew, the meals and the fuel for the trip. You can probably save money on a sailing vacation when you own your own boat but only if you know how to skipper and crew it. There are training courses that will prepare you for skippering and crewing your own power or sailing yacht,
The advantage of owning your own boat is that you can go on a sailing holiday at the drop of a hat. You don't have to call a booking agent or make any reservation online since the boat is just sitting at your dock waiting for you to come on board and sail away. The only thing you have to consider is to buy the consumables such as food, water and fuel for your trip.
Your sail cruising yacht can also bring financial benefits because when you are not sailing it, the yacht can be rented out to those who want to go on their own sailing holiday as long as they are able to pay your rate. This of course will mean additional income for you to help you keep the boat in good condition. The best way to arrange the hire of your yacht to others is normally through a booking agent who will charge a commission and take care of all the arrangements for you.
Another financial benefit of owning your own boat is the fact that this is considered to be a second home in some countries. This is as long as the boat has at least one berth, a permanent galley and a functional head which is the minimum requirement of the IRS.
If you can't buy your own yacht, there is something called fractional boat ownership which means for a certain period during the year, you can do whatever you want with the boat. This will allow you to use it to go on a trip with your family. This arrangement is similar to the popular time share method of owning a holiday home for a set period of each year. There are also schemes where you can swop the time on your own boat with someone else which gives you the opportunity to experience sail cruising in various parts of the world, for example you might own a boat in the Mediterranean but fancy a sailing holiday in the Caribbean for a change one year.
The best thing about this is that a group of you share the cost of owning the yacht which already includes its maintenance, insurance, moorage, equipment, fuel and repairs.
This can only happen of course after you have completed a boating safety course and a safety orientation. This will not be a problem for you if you are already certified to sail a boat and know how to use all the equipment like charts, compass and GPS on board.
The other option is to join a boat club. Unlike part time sharing, you don't get to own a boat. But as a member, you are entitled to up to 4 advanced reservations at any given time and access to powerboats or to sailboats that are up to 30 feet in length. The club for its part will shoulder all the other expenses such as maintenance, cleaning, storage and insurance. These fees are normally offset against your annual membership.
There are many options around so you won't have a hard time choosing one. Some cater to one market while others cater to all. They also offer boating training classes for those who want to do this for fun or commit themselves in the sport.
Adventure sail cruising holidays are truly better when you own or part own the yacht as the only thing you have to do is drive on over to the docks, stow your gear on board and then sail off into the sunset.
Author Resource:
Anna is an avid amatuer sailor who has worked as crew on charter yachts for several sail cruising charter companies and loves Caribbean yacht racing and regattas
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