Saturday 5 August 2017, the Daily Mail published a story about how easy it is to charter a yacht and sail Croatia with your family.
Croatia is fast-becoming the top sailing destination in the world, so it is no surprise that international media is picking up on this and sharing stories from people who have chartered here. On Saturday 5 August 2017, the Daily Mail published an account about a group who chartered a yacht and sailed the Dalmatian coast with their families.
When most people think of sailing or chartering a yacht, a few things come to mind:
- I need experience
- It is going to cost me an arm and a leg
- Children on a boat is not a good idea
The fact is, none of these statements are true. As the Daily Mail pointed out in their article, if you have no experience, you can hire a skipper for the week – which makes more sense if you are not a mad-passionate sailor, because otherwise, it will feel more like work. Whereas, with a skipper, they do all the sailing and maintenance and you get to enjoy; plus, a local skipper will know all of the best spots to take you.
Average yacht costs start around €2,800 - €4,500 and this can be inclusive of fuel, skipper and insurance (read more details about private yacht hire here). Break those costs down between 10 people, and you are looking at a holiday that costs less than a Hotel; not to mention you get to move around at your own leisure, minus hiring a car, queuing for ferries or getting lost in crowds. Your holiday, your way; if you don’t like it, then you can simply lift anchor and move along.
Children on a boat is actually a very good idea. After years working on a charter yacht, being a part of family holidays was one of my personal highlights. There is no greater job satisfaction than witnessing families spending quality time together. I recently wrote an article about ‘Why a Family Holiday will be Your Best Memories’ which explains it all.
The family’s first destination on their itinerary was the gorgeous island of Šolta, a treasure that we are falling more in love with. The Daily Mail says it is the perfect destination for “dropping anchor before a leisurely lunch”, but I have to agree and disagree with them here. It is the perfect destination to anchor and enjoy any number of the postcard beaches or tiny islets, but we would recommend spending more than just an afternoon there.
Šolta is an island that still holds an authentic and genuine charm, being that it is often overlooked by its neighbours – Brač and Hvar. But for anyone in search of a little piece of heaven away from the ‘sea less travelled’; Šolta is what you are looking for, particularly for families. There is a sandy beach near Maslinica Bay which is a nice change from the typical pebble beaches that dominate the Croatian Coast and Šolta itself is a small island, hiding a world of adventure, suitable for families (read more here).
They followed a similar pattern all week, sailing for a few hours a day at an easy pace, anchoring in gorgeous little bays, heading across to the towns in the evening by tender and filling up on the beautiful, fresh cuisine that Croatia has to offer.
According to the family, the highlights were docking in Stari Grad “the prettiest view was when we tied up by the quayside at Stari Grad, a Venetian gem on Hvar” and sailing back from Vis island when they found themselves racing a pod of dolphins – just an ordinary day sailing in Croatia.
From the sounds of the article, they did a typical Central Dalmatian sailing route, taking in the majority of highlights this wonderful region has to offer (you can read an example of a sailing route here).
We are thrilled to see that the world of chartering yachts is opening up to a much wider audience than just sailors or the wealthy in luxury yachts. Sailing is for everyone, and it will be a holiday you will never forget.
Read the original article from the Daily Mail here.
Interested in reading more about sailing, visit Total Croatia Sailing for the latest stories, pics and news from the Adriatic.
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