If you want to explore many places on a different kind of holiday then trying sailing as a family break is a great idea. Sailing is a very flexible holiday, and there’s a trip, boat, and a destination out there for you. It’s something you can do as a couple or as a family and without any previous experience or if the only sailing you’ve done is on a ferry crossing! Summer in the Mediterranean is a perfect time and place for a sailing holiday, offering warm days and calm seas. Not to mention some beautiful places to anchor. So why a sailing holiday?
Learning to sail as a couple
There’s just something romantic about sailing on a yacht, off into the sunset, cocktail in hand. What do you think? If you want a new kind of experience on your holiday, then learning to sail is an excellent choice. You can learn to sail during a flotilla holiday with a qualified skipper on board. Most sailing areas, including parts of Greece and Croatia require qualifications in order to sail in the waters. The skipper will have local knowledge so they can plan the holiday itinerary exactly to your requirements. You can then get as involved as you want with the actual sailing.
If you are set on sailing yourself, then you can learn and get your qualifications during your holiday if you wish. You can gain your International Certificate of Competence (ICC) or Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Day skipper during your holiday so next time if you are confident you can do it all on your own.
Romantic Yacht Hire
For a special occasion or for an event, you might want to splash out and hire the whole yacht complete with skipper to take you from island to island. This way you won’t have to worry about any other schedule but your own and how romantic is it to have the whole boat to yourself!
This kind of romantic holiday is popular with honeymooners or those celebrating a special anniversary. For a price, you can also have a crew including chefs, waiters and cleaning staff if you want a very luxurious break. You can also join other couples if you can’t quite stretch to hiring the whole yacht, which can be just as romantic as everyone wants to get the same kind of experience. You can have a luxurious break with all of the inclusions sharing with others at a fraction of the price.
Family sailing holidays
If you have young children your first thoughts about a sailing holiday will be safety. Having your children on the water for a long period of time might seem like an unsafe environment but there are special contingencies companies will put in place for family holidays. These include locks, gates, netting and CCTV to ensure that your charter is as safe as possible for your children.
A sailing holiday is an adventure for children, exploring the seas and discovering new lands. Making it a game will help during those moments of boredom or feeling isolated. Child friendly itineraries that include swimming, snorkelling and fun filled stops will keep everyone happy and entertained for your whole break.
For older children, a sailing holiday comes with some seafaring lessons. They’ll want to join in and learn how the boat works, taking great delight in knowing they have helped to navigate to the next stop. On well-equipped family friendly yachts, you’ll find games consoles, toys, books and other electronics to keep children occupied whilst sailing.