THE TRUTH ABOUT BOATING HOLIDAYS…

Dispelling common boating holiday myths with Caroline Barbour, head of marketing for Sunsail and The Moorings.

Yachting holidays are too expensive.

Caroline: The cost of having your own private yacht charter with a skipper may not be as expensive as you first imagine. One week with a skipper can cost about the same as a week in a four to five star hotel for a family of four!

It is always cheaper to book a last minute holiday.

Caroline: Booking last minute does not always guarantee better prices. It can be a good idea if you want to be more spontaneous, but you cannot be too picky! Booking last minute will mean that your travel plans will need to be pretty flexible, as your choice of yacht, destination, flight dates, boarding type and plane seats will be limited. You can often find great deals by booking your holiday far in advance, with more availability to choose from.

I need to have sailing qualifications to take a sailing holiday.

Caroline: If you cannot sail or do not have the required qualifications, then you can either hire a skipper, take a sailing school course at home or abroad to earn an accredited Royal Yachting Association qualification or combine the best of both worlds with a specialist flotilla starter course with Sunsail.

Children are not welcome on a chartered yacht and would not enjoy it anyway.

Caroline: Children will always have something to do, see or explore on yacht charter. Flotillas are ideal for families and specialist routes even have dedicated activity coordinators, who plans games and activities, from treasure hunts to water activities, for the smallest of sailors. Charter companies take care of the sailing holiday essentials and cover everything from child safety nets to lifejackets, as well as ensuring you have the right yacht.

Charting a yacht abroad involves lots of paperwork

Caroline: Before you start planning your holiday, if you are not booking a skipper, it is best to doublecheck the experience level and qualifications needed before your holiday, as it varies in each country. When you book with a charter company like Sunsail and The Moorings there is minimal paperwork to complete, and is about the same as if a customer were to book a hotel or villa. We have implemented a simple online booking portal for our charter companies, and the link can be shared with all crew so they can enter their details, making it even easier for the lead crew member.

We will not have any independence if we take a flotilla holiday.

Caroline: It is a common myth that all the boats sail together like a row of ducklings, but the reality is a flotilla gives each yacht the freedom to be as independent or as sociable as they like. You will be guided by a lead crew including a skipper, host and technician who are on hand to make sure you have a fantastic holiday, from daily briefings and organising social events to ironing out any niggles along the way.

There are too many ‘extra’ costs like moorings, food and so on… www.sunsail.co.uk www.moorings.co.uk

Caroline: We would aways recommend double checking any extras so that you are clear about what is included in your charter and have no surprises whilst you are away. Fuel, food and mooring costs are not usually included as standard as these rates can fluctuate so greatly. There are options to go all-inclusive too, such as a crewed charter with The Moorings, which includes an expert captain and personal gourmet chef, inclusive of all meals and beverages, fuel and much more.

I can only charter a boat in the spring and summer.

Caroline: You can charter a boat throughout the year. At Sunsail and The Moorings there are more than 20 stunning destinations to choose from. So, whether you want to escape the winter blues and travel to the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, Australia, Indian Ocean or South Pacific, or you fancy spending the spring and summer in the Med, you can get afloat and see the world any time of year!