The first step in planning a sailing trip is determining the cost of such a venture. Calculating a budget and sticking to it as you plan your trip is essential to a well-organized and smooth running vacation.
If you are planning a trip with other charterers, split the cost among the other sailors on board the vessel to make it fair and cut down on the costs for any one individual.
Planning ahead for both basic necessities and other details, even the most trivial, can save a charterer a lot of time, money, and frustration!
Choosing the Right Boat
The choice of boat is largely dependent upon personal tastes, preferences, and budget constraints, but there are plenty of yachts from which to choose.
Some vessels differ greatly while others may vary only slightly or superficially. Once a budget is decided upon, begin searching for charters that fall into your price range. After the range is determined, you can start cutting down your options by the type of boat, amenities available, and other perks or options for a particular vessel.
The best advice is to research sailboats and find which type fits your needs best. If it fits within your budget, extras and add-ons can always be included later, but the first decision should always be the boat itself and you can build from there.
Always find out about a boat’s safety equipment and features, the electronics system, and amenities and basic necessities that are provided. You should not be surprised by what is and is not included on a boat when you set foot on it for the first time.
Air Travel & Hotels
Often overlooked is the cost of airfare, which is not included in the price of boat charter fees. For convenience, many charter companies have travel agents or a recommended agent who will help clients book air travel and hotels as needed, often for discounted or special rates. In addition to travel, the cost is needed for provisioning.
Provisions are another cost that is not included in an initial boat charter price unless it is part of a special package. However, packaged provisions are usually only intended to last the first few days of a sailing trip. These provisions are simply to get sailors out on the water sooner upon arrival.
If you decide to shop for your own provisions, you can expect to spend the first day of your trip stocking up on supplies and not out on the water. Either option should be decided in advance to avoid additional delays.
In turn, always book your flights after you have determined that the boat you are planning to the charter will be available for the time you want it. This is why advanced planning is necessary, or you could be stuck with plane tickets or a boat that will not meet your needs or expectations.
Agreements, How to Protect Both Sides?
Booking a charter boat takes a bit more than a verbal agreement. A deposit is required to hold the vessel you’ve chosen and a contract will need to be signed. The contract is meant to protect the charter company and the charterer should any problems arise.
A contract typically details information about insurance and liability information, policies regarding cancellations, and rules for the expected condition and handling of the sailboat.
Before signing a contract, ask questions regarding the loss of sailing time due to weather or other possible circumstances, refund policies, boat delivery, price breakdowns (including rental fees and additional charges), and policies and procedures for charter boat issues.
Once a contract is agreed upon and signed, you will begin sending incremental payments until the entirety of the cost of the charter has been paid. Once a sailing trip is completed, upon inspection of the boat, the initial security deposit will be returned to the charterer within 10 business days.
The Benefits of a Sailing Trip
The benefits of a sailing trip can be summed up in a single word: options. Chartered sailboat trips give you and your guests many options to help you create the trip you’ve always wanted to take with a budget that meets your needs.
Price ranges and types of sailboats go hand in hand, and you can have your pick among different sizes, accommodations, and luxury add-ons. Destination options are also numerous and varied depending on the location. Charterers can explore the Caribbean, Mediterranean, or any other site that charters boats.
A sailing trip affords sailors freedom, sunshine, and easy access to the water without the hassle and extra cost of hotel rooms. Anything extra you decide to buy of participating in is your choice, but you can stick exclusively to the boat if you choose. Very few vacations have everything you need in one place!
Conclusion
Making plans for a sailing trip can be almost as much fun as the trip itself. The process of researching sailboats and making the final decisions builds anticipation for the real thing.
The more involved and aware you are of the planning that goes into the vacation, the less likely it is for unexpected issues to arise simply because they were not considered beforehand.
Organization can be your best friend when you find yourself onboard your chartered vessel, especially if you are a novice sailor. Planning shouldn’t begrudgingly be done, but wholly embraced and made to be the first part of your sailing adventure!
Have you been on a sailing trip? Please, feel free to share your own experience by leaving a comment below.
Daniella has been passionate about travel, the sea, and nature for many years. As a child, she frequently traveled throughout the Mediterranean and continued with her journeys throughout her adult life.
Her experiences have created the desire within her to share her love for traveling with other passionate and adventurers who want to discover beautiful horizons and new cultures.
Great job! I like the content which is very thorough and informative. The presentation is quite attractive and there is a lot I can explore on your site. I particularly like your images that speaks volumes about your content. I would love to be part of a newsletter subscription. Thanks a bunch!
Hi Andimax,
I am glad you like my content and yes, very soon you’ll be able to subscribe to my newsletters.
Thank you for the comment:)
Whish you a wonderful happy new year 2016!
Wow! ;There arte so many things that we have to consider before going out on a trip!
I haven’t been on a boat trip till now, which means that i haven’t also organized one. Is it that complex to arrange a trip? I mean how many days does it take to finish all the arrangements?
Hi Tyler,
All these details seem overwhelming, but contrary to what you might think, the procedure is quick and easy. Here is an article about how to book a boat . Please take a look, I am sure it will be helpful!
Thank you for the comment and wish you happy new year 2016!
Yacht Sailing Charters
I never thought about chartering a yacht for a vacation, only deep-sea fishing. Perhaps if I had that kind of money it might be an option. I’m sure you have a lot interested people. I like how you covered all bases. You thought about money for contracting the Yacht, to be divided up by all sailors. You mentioned the importance of booking a flight immediately after booking you Yacht. Thank you for allowing me to comment on your post. Excellent job with the content!
Edward Mijarez
Hi Mijareze,
I am happy you found my article informative and helpful, this is the purpose of the post:)
Thank you for the comment!
I wish you a fantastic happy new year 2016!
Hi Christine,
Thank you for visiting my website, I really appreciate.
Yes, you’re right, there is something magical about the sea and sailing is definitely very relaxing:)
Planning a trip is just as exciting as the trip itself. I am sure you’ll find some beautiful spots to plan your next sailing holidays.
If you need more information, don’t hesitate to contact me, I’ll be more than happy to help you:)
Have a wonderful day!
Hi Daniella
This is such a simple and easy to read article on how to go about setting sail, especially for the novice charterers.
It makes it easy to make a simple checklist and just tick off, onceI have done something and then move on to the next thing to get ready.
I think the challenge here is choosing the right boat to match the budget. As you said, consider extras later on, but Intially get the type of boat that suits the pocket.
Do you personally use agents for both the hotel and flights? Can you recommend some agents for guys who are just starting out?
Thanks
Roopesh
Hi Roopesh,
Yes, I always use agencies to plan a sailing trip because it is much easier and safer. The agency takes care of all the paperwork and helps you choose the appropriate boat, plus they don’t charge you for these services. It will save you a lot of time and it’s free:) So, I personally think that everyone should take advantage of agencies services.
The best way to find a reliable yacht broker or agencies is to take a look in forums . I am sure it will help you find a good company.
Thank you for the comment and wish you a wonderful day!
Hi! Thanks for your advice! Me and my boyfriend wanted to plan a sailing trip last summer but we didn’t know much, so we cancelled it. We didn’t search it that much anyway. Your site seems really helpful, so I think we are going to plan it for this or the next summer! Thanks again!
Hi Effie,
Thank you for passing by and for the comment.
If you need any help, please don’t hesitate, I’ll be more than happy to assist you!
Have a wonderful day:)
That is a great information for me. As i love water, and i am really interested in sailing. I only did daily trips so far and a week’s competition ‘Race of the Classics’ from UK to Netherlands. Absolutely loved it!
But now i am starting to think more and more about doing some island hoping with friends for a week or two. So your guide is perfect.
Hi Joana,
I’ve never been to competitions as I have a penchant for cruising, but it sounds great!
I am glad you found the article helpful, thank you and, please, don’t hesitate to contact me if you need more information, I’ll be glad to help:)
Have a wonderful day!
I like how you said that sailboat trips have lots of options to help you have exactly what it is that you want. My husband and I have been talking about going on a trip to the West coast to do some kind of sailboat tour or something like it. Knowing that there are lots of options that we could have is nice because we will be able to play the trip according to what we want out of it.
Hi Kylie,
Thank you for the comment!
I am glad you’ve found the article helpful and I wish you a wonderful sailing tour!
Have a lovely day!