Sailing is a great way to discover the beauties of several locations such as the Caribbean islands, Hawaiian Islands, Bahamas, Florida, Greece and many other archipelagos. People can go individually by hiring a bareboat. A bareboat is just a boat without any crew or cook. People on the boat have to do all the cooking, rowing and navigating. People opting for a bareboat may hire a captain, known as a skipper. The skipper would be of great help in navigation and providing information on local details. However, many companies provide entire vacation packages for people who wish to go sailing. The most important component of this package is the transport vehicle. The transport vehicle may be a bareboat with a skipper. Alternatively, it may be a yacht of a size that will depend on the number of people onboard. For a large number of people, catamarans can be hired. Catamarans are motorized launches that can accommodate a big group. There are also the trimarans, which are more advanced and more spacious versions of the catamarans. There are also local transport like the schooners in Maine and the gulets and caiques in Greece. Vacation packages also include all the facilities that may be provided onboard. Food and drink is provided. If it is a big enough catamaran, it will have its own kitchen as in a cruise. There is also scuba and snorkeling gear on board if people wish to pursue these activities when the boat is anchored. Binoculars are a must and are generally provided by the organizers. There are also other things like photography, live music, etc. which some organizers provide in order to make their offers more attractive. Children are provided with water toys. Most sailing vacation packages have tie-ups with hotel resorts on the islands. During nights, people stay in these hotels and sail in the daytime. This is called as a stay-sail vacation package. The hotels may be three-star, four-star or five-star, depending on the budget of the vacation. Prices of sailing vacation packages depend on the number of days of the sailing and the facilities that will be taken. It also depends on the kind of hotel and its service in a stay-sail vacation package. The destination itself is an important factor when a price is quoted. |
