Choosing a Yacht

When looking to charter a yacht you will first need to decide how large a boat you will need.

The two main determining factors are price and how many people will be aboard. You will need to strike a balance by chartering a yacht that has the facilities you need at the price you can afford.

If price is a major consideration, 2 couples can have a fun vacation on a 32 foot yacht. The living space below is adequate, the cockpit a little cramped and the sailing a little more bumpy in larger seas due to a rather short waterline. Similarly, if you would like to get away for a romantic cruise with your partner, then you will be looking at a smaller yacht if you want to keep the price down. Small may mean fewer extras, but not less seaworthy - 25ft yachts have crossed the Atlantic and sailed round the world.

If you are party animals and have lots of friends or if major fun and luxury are at the top of your list, then something in the 40 feet range and over is just what you need. It has a sumptuous salon with lots of walking and sitting room, and ample cockpit seating for those balmy evening sunsets. A 40ft boat can provide eight or ten berths and can be very affordable and will provide exhilarating sailing.

Since you will be living together for at least a week private space is important. Some good rules of thumb when thinking about the size of yacht to charter are:

• "One couple, one head". Larger boats usually have more heads (e.g. 35 footer 1 head, 50 footer 4 heads).
  
• Everyone should have their own bunk or 2 people per cabin.
  
• No one should call the main salon their sleeping area. That poor person will have no privacy and be required to continually move their personal stuff out of sight.
  

One of the main ways to keep the cost down is to charter from a smaller company; they often offer older boats at cheaper prices. In addition you will want to ask yourself what facilities are essential. Examples of such optional items are:

• hot water
  
• fridge
  
• cabin heating
  
• furling headsail
  
• spinnaker
  
• outboard for the tender