Deep discounts on bareboat one way delivery charters are available in Croatia between Split and Dubrovnik

Hot on the heels of these great deals in Greece comes news of similar savings for a Croatia yacht charter vacation.

Here are some offers on Croatia bareboat delivery charters:

FROM Split to Dubrovnik:

21 – 28 May, 2011
Bavaria 49 (2003)
5 cabins / 3 heads
Passengers: 10-12
Regular Price: EUR 3500
DISCOUNT: 15 %
TOTAL: EUR 2975
(EUR 120 cleaning fee + Dubrovnik marina fee extra)

25 June – 2 July, 2011
Salona 40 (2006)
3 cabins / 1 head
Passengers: 6-8
Regular Price: EUR 2400
DISCOUNT: 15%
TOTAL: EUR 2040 EUR
(EUR 120 cleaning fee + Dubrovnik marina fee extra)

25 June – 2 July, 2011
Sun Fast 43 (2004)
4 cabins / 2 heads
Passengers: 8-10
Regular Price: EUR 2950
DISCOUNT:15%
TOTAL: EUR 2507.50
(EUR 120 cleaning fee + Dubrovnik marina fee extra)

Bavaria sailboats are offered at deep discounts to bareboat sailors wanting to sail them one-way between Split and Dubrovnik in Croatia

FROM Dubrovnik to Split:

4 – 11 June, 2011
Bavaria 49 (2003)
5 cabins / 3 heads
Passengers: 10-12
Regular Price: EUR 4500
DISCOUNT: 15 %
TOTAL: EUR 3825
(EUR 100 cleaning fee + Dubrovnik marina fee extra)

25 June – 2 July, 2011
Salona 37 (2007)
3 cabins / 1 head
Passengers: 6-8
Regular Price: EUR 2300
DISCOUNT: 15 %
TOTAL: EUR 1955
(EUR 100 cleaning fee + Dubrovnik marina fee extra)

9 – 16 July, 2011
Bavaria 37 (2007)
3 cabins / 1 head
Passengers: 6-8
Regular Price: EUR 2200
DISCOUNT: 15%
TOTAL: EUR 1870
(EUR 100 cleaning fee + Dubrovnik marina fee extra)

1 – 8 October, 2011
Bavaria 46 (2005)
4 cabins / 2 heads
Passengers: 8-10
Regular Price: EUR 2200
DISCOUNT: 15%
TOTAL: EUR 1870
(EUR 100 cleaning fee + Dubrovnik marina fee extra)

17 – 24 September, 2011
Bavaria 39 (2007)
3 cabins / 2 heads
Passengers: 6-8
Regular Price: EUR 2000
DISCOUNT: 15%
TOTAL: EUR 1700 EUR
(EUR 100 cleaning fee + Dubrovnik marina fee extra)

=======

Interested in a delivery charter in Croatia?  Contact our charter department HERE and mention one of the offers you see listed above.

Compilation of world cruising destinations -- a must read for bareboat charter enthusiasts!

The latest offering by one of the most influential cruising journalists, World Cruising Destinations is a must read for any bareboat charter veteran who dreams of going beyond a Caribbean yacht charter vacation.

Jimmy Cornell has sailed over 200,000 miles on all the oceans of the world, including three circumnavigations and voyages to the Arctic and Antarctic. His successful guide to sailing around the world, World Cruising Routes, has helped many aspiring yacht charter voyagers turn their dreams into reality and follow in his footsteps.

This substantial new handbook, World Cruising Destinations, serves as a whole earth guide, and is intended as a partner to Cornell’s celebrated, World Cruising Routes, a compendium of information about hundreds of countries around the globe, every destination comprehensively detailed with information on cruising attractions, history, culture, local laws, regulations and formalities, facilities available, public holidays, public events, emergency telephone numbers, and much more.

There is also detailed information on climate and weather, including average monthly temperatures, rainfall and tropical storm seasons.

Lavishly illustrated throughout, it is not only a must-have onboard reference work for long distance sailors, but it will undoubtedly inspire the adventurous to sail to where they have never ventured.

Available from Amazon.com for $32.97

GET YOUR **FREE** COPY OF JIMMY CORNELL’S NEW HANDBOOK! Book your next bareboat yacht charter online at www.bareboat.com and simply mention “PROMO CODE – WCD2011″

If you want to sail a yacht without hired crew members, you want to charter what is known as a, “bareboat.”

If you don’t have enough experience to sail it on your own, another way to sail is through skipper-only charters and flotillas.

On skippered charters, you rent the boat and you hire a skipper (provided by your bareboat yacht charter company, bareboat.com) to sail the chartered yacht for you.  A main consideration in renting the boat will be the number of bedrooms (also known as cabins or staterooms) you will require to accommodate your guest count. 

With a flotilla, a number of boats with hired captains sails together. 

With a bareboat charter, you receive all the standard equipment to be comfortable and safe to sail the boat. Considered a self-catered floating villa, your yacht will have cabins, a lounge, a kitchen (galley), and an outdoor area.

Bareboat vacations are an adventure to last a lifetime.

Bareboat charters can be found in the United States US, Bahamas, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Spain, Turkey, and just about anywhere water is found!  Whether you are on a honeymoon or looking for an adventure with family or friends, a bareboat charter, whether skippered or bareboat (self-sailed), is an adventure of a lifetime.

To arrange your next vacation on a chartered bareboat sail or motoryacht,
contact your charter specialists at www.bareboat.com through our website at
http://bareboat.com/contact_us.html
by email via info@bareboat.com 
by phone via 1-800-BAREBOAT (227-3262) or 305-720-7245
or via twitter http://www.twitter.com/bareboatdotcom  (Please follow us!)

You can do this on bareboat yacht charters!

Bareboats range from thirty to fifty feet in length. You can charter a catamaran (two hulls, very stable in the water and very roomy), monohull (one hull), or powerboat (boat powered by engines, not sails). These yachts come with everything you need to operate them, as well as kitchen utensils, bedding, and towels. Some charters provide you with a dinghy with motor at no charge.

Are you interested in a sailboat or a powerboat for your bareboat charter vacation?

A bareboat is a yacht that you sail yourself, or you can hire a captain (referred to as a captain only or skippered charter), if you wish. 

While you are not required in the Caribbean or the United States to provide a certificate or license to charter a boat, you will have to demonstrate experience and skill (called a “check out sail”) to be allowed to operate the yacht by yourself – otherwise you will require (and will have to pay to hire) a captain to assist you. 

Your bareboat yacht charter company will ask you critical basic questions in order to select the perfect boats from which to choose for your vacation. Those questions include whether you want a sailboat or a powerboat, the destination in which you want to charter, the number of guests in your charter party, amenities required (like air-conditioning), and budget.

To arrange your next vacation on a chartered bareboat sail or motoryacht,
contact your charter specialists at www.bareboat.com through our website at
http://bareboat.com/contact_us.html
by email via info@bareboat.com 
by phone via 1-800-BAREBOAT (227-3262) or 305-720-7245
or via twitter http://www.twitter.com/bareboatdotcom  (Please follow us!)

Croatia and the Adriatic Coast is a unique bareboat yacht charter destination and activity which includes National Parks, wine tastings, and scuba diving.

Which itinerary to choose?  The Croatian islands route is a seven day cruise that will take you to Brac, Hvar, Split, Solta, and Vis. The Adriatic Coast and National Parks route is also seven days, and you will go to Kornat, Split, Skradin, Primosten, Telascica and Trogir.  The Dubrovnik sailing itinerary is seven days, and you will sail to Dubrovnik, Hvar, Korcula, Milna, Promena, Sipan and Split. 

What to do in Croatia?  As you sail your bareboat yacht charter, you can anchor and scuba dive, skin dive snorkel, fish, or just swim and enjoy the beautiful water and scenery.  You can stop at a National Park and tour the green and tranquil area.  You can visit Korcula Island (on the Dubrovnik itinerary). There is a lot to do there. It is considered one of the most interesting islands in Croatia that was a favorite Greek holiday spot over 2000 years ago. You can go into Korcula Old Town for Moreska sword dancing!  

Don’t forget — if you plan to rent a bareboat yacht to charter in Croatia, you are required to provide the documentation that proves that you can sail. This documentation includes a B-category skipper’s license and a VHF radio operator’s certificate.

Bareboat sailing in Croatia provides historical significance in visiting islands as old as 3000 years.

Whether you choose a crewed yacht charter or a bareboat (where you crew your own yacht), chartering a bareboat in Croatia provides an active, relaxing vacation. Enjoy your bareboat.com vacation!

To arrange your next vacation on a chartered bareboat sail or motoryacht,
contact your charter specialists at www.bareboat.com through our website at
http://bareboat.com/contact_us.html
by email via info@bareboat.com 
by phone via 1-800-BAREBOAT (227-3262) or 305-720-7245
or via twitter http://www.twitter.com/bareboatdotcom  (Please follow us!)

New Social Network Hopes to Become the Facebook of the High Seas

A new social networking site has unfurled its sails, and hopes to attract bareboat charter lovers, as well as all recreational boaters and marine industry professionals.
 
TheOpenSea.com hopes to become the new Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter for the boating world.
 
Designed to connect boaters and marine businesses, the creators of the site believe bareboat yacht charter enthusiasts will feel just as comfortable using this site as industry professionals.  “It doesn’t matter if they’re on a kayak or superyacht, our URL will be open to everyone,” says Todd Russell, who co-founded TheOpenSea.com with industry veteran Gary Druckenmiller. “There are a lot of websites for boating, but we felt like there was a major disconnect with no social or professional marine networks. We believe that a social network is a great way to improve the industry.”
 
According to Russell, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter rely on users to generate generic content, while traditional websites tend to “push out” content to users, whether they want it or not. “We see ourselves as a combination of Facebook and LinkedIn for the marine industry,” says Russell. “But we thought Facebook was too broad, so decided to create a foundation for boating.”
 
Like all social networking sites, TheOpenSea.com wants to attract as many diverse groups as possible, from crew members on megayachts looking for jobs, to yacht charter customers, to groups focused on industry issues. “The Genmar bankruptcy is a great example,” says Russell. “All of the Genmar dealers, for instance, could create a group and start communicating with the manufacturer and then the boaters. We don’t see anything else out there that would allow them to do that.” Russell says that the same Genmar dealers could also promote their boat lines with photos, videos, forums and logs (the nautical URL term for blogs). “Our URL can be used in so many ways,” he adds.
 
Hundreds of large and small boat companies have signed up, including West Marine, Westerbeke, Garmin, and Triumph Boats. The National Boat Owners Association has already formed their own user groups for the social network.
 
The site founders hope to attract 100,000-200,000 users, as word about the social networking site spreads. The network has been designed to host and support over a million users.
 
Westerbeke, one of the initial sponsors, is a strong believer in the use of Internet-driven social networks. Tom Sutherland, director of sales and marketing, initially turned to sites like Twitter and Facebook to market engines and generators. “But I like the idea that the Open Sea is strictly focused on marine,” says Sutherland. “You can go in and set up different groups, talk to very specific types of people, and you’re not just limited to 52 characters. It’s a great tool to get in there and reach out to customers.”
 
Sutherland also likes the capability of responding instantly to consumers. “We can really see what people want and need, and it can allow us to talk about issues and products that are of interest to consumers,” he says. “People want instant information, and this gives us that capacity. It’s also a great tool for building our brand.”
 
Westerbeke plans to create logs for owner groups and master distributors, as well as promote instructional videos and release new product announcements. “You can do just about anything on this site,” says Sutherland. “They have really brought together the best of what’s out there in the social media space. Another thing I really like is that, besides the time, there is really no expense involved.”

Follow @bareboatdotcom sailboat and motorboat yacht charters on Twitter

…and follow our luxury sailing vessel and mega motoryacht yacht charter company, 1-800-SAILAWAY, updates at http://www.twitter.com/yacht_charters

Be cautious when dealing with limited visibility when boating

While most of our bareboat charter business takes place in warm-water locations (Bahamas, Caribbean, etc.) we know many of our New England clients like to “sneak in”  a little summer sailing closer to
home. Fog make not be much of an issue for us in the Caribbean, but taking safety precautions during a sail bareboat yacht charter in Newport, for example, makes a good deal of sense!

The biggest danger of operating a sailing yacht or a motoryacht in fog probably comes from commercial vessels, including fishermen. The skippers of these vessels are seasoned veterans and are comfortable (dare we say “complacent”) operating in the soup.   Sadly, some of these gents are downright negligent, as evidenced by the Block Island ferry which hit the USCG buoy tender last year.

Commercial fishermen are particularly problematical.  Often short-handed, it seems these skippers feel that they know the local waters.  Many have a “attitude” when it comes to watching out recreational boaters and bareboat charter vessels.

The bottom line – you need to look out for yourself!

It is highly suggested that you have a strong radar monitor onboard, and you keep a sharp eye on it.  Going slow, and sounding your horn, is the safest way to cruise in the soup, but here’s an extra precaution you can take:

When traveling in a busy area, send a sécurité broadcast. Note your location, speed, direction, and broadcast your message on Channel 16.  Something like this should work: “Sécurité, sécurité, sécurité, this is the yacht “your boat name here” leaving Camden Harbor at 5 knots on course 120 degrees leaving buoy R2 headed towards Gilkey Harbor, all vessels take note.”  Skippers on nearby vessels will certainly appreciate the heads-up!

The choice of an area for your first bareboat charter trip can be a little tricky because there are three primary factors: your sailing experience, your climatic preferences, and your budget. There is no simple way to do this, because your decision will have to combine all 3 factors.

Picture yourself on your first bareboat yacht charter vacation

Before you can analyze the 3 factors, you must sort out the, “time of the year” issue.  After all, this is the one item you probably have the least control, in terms of the kid’s school holidays, vacation time from work, etc. Nevertheless, this is a good place to begin because, depending on the area, the timing will influence your budget.

If you have tight financial constraints, you can find excellent deals and discounts in some areas at low season. For example, the British Virgin Islands in July offer a great sailing experience, and you’ll find rates
reduced as much as 40% compared to high season (February and March).    If you are contemplating a Mediterranean yacht charter, May or September can be delightful and are much cheaper (and much less crowded) than July or August.

Your weather preferences are integral to your decision. Do you like very hot weather, or a more temperate climate? If you like the latter, for example, a Bahamas yacht charter vacation in February is much cooler (and cheaper) than in May.

Regardless of your skills, if this is your very first charter outing in open waters, we strongly suggest you choose an easy sailing area.  ASA sailing certification is good, but nothing takes the place on experience at the helm.  Here are two suggestions (assuming you are interested in a Caribbean yacht charter) guaranteed to provide you with a memorable first charter experience:

The British Virgin Islands (BVI) are easy to get to from the States – only about 2.5 hrs by plane. Here, you’ll find magnificent scenery, plenty of beaches and not-too-bad snorkeling. Mooring balls are everywhere and you can go a whole week without dropping an anchor.  More importantly, you’ll enjoy a phenomenal sailing ground. Island hopping is done in line-of-sight, and the islands layout is such that most little “crossings” are short (1-2 hour sail on average).  Just as important, the anchorages are well protected.  Winds
always seem to be ideal in the BVI, sustained E/SE at 10-12 knots. This idyllic description does not mean you cannot get in trouble, as storm conditions can arise and challenge your  skills. If you apply good
seamanship rules, and listen to the weather forecasts, you’ll do just fine.

The Abaco Islands of the Bahamas are another great destination for first-time yacht charter sailors. The Abaco chain sits as the northern-most islands of the Bahamas. The Sea of Abaco is the shallow water between the islands of Little Abaco and Great Abaco. The Sea of Abaco has many of the same ideal attributes you find in the BVI:  Calm waters, easy line-of-sight navigation, and a relatively free of hazards area with easy anchorages.

Moving beyond the sailing elements of your self-drive charter yacht vacation, don’t forget to give some though to the recreational pursuits that differ from destination to destination.   Are you looking for active night life? Do you want to go shopping?  Do you like to fish?   These are important considerations that can be analyzed once you address the big three: experience, climate preferences, and your budget.

Statistics released this week by the Caribbean Tourism Organization show Anguilla taking the worst hit with a decline of 18.8 percent. Visits are down in all 12 reporting nations and territories except Jamaica, Cuba and Mexico’s Cancun region. Tourist traffic fell 14.3 percent in Antigua, 13.7 percent in St. Lucia, 11.6 percent in Montserrat and 11.3 percent in the Cayman Islands. The U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico cited drops of 6.1 and 4.7 percent. The reporting periods vary, but all measure tourism in early 2009 compared to the same months in 2008.

While land-based hotel-oriented tourism has dropped, inquires for bareboat yacht charter vacations is steady and on  track to March 2008 levels.  Deep discounts and incentives such as “10 days for 7 paid” are driving strong levels of both inquiries and reservations.

Special sailing events such as the recently completed Virgin Island Race Week drew record attendance as bareboat charter enthusiasts and seasoned sailboat racing teams from around the world took advantage of the warm weather and stiff breezes.

Trunk Bay Virgin Islands - one of many bays you will experience on your Caribbean bareboat yacht charter

Not to be outdone, the 28th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta also reported solid attendance figures, as sailboat racers on 47 boats in 7 classes, including an amateur bareboat category took advantage of the one of the windiest and wildest courses in recent memory.

The British Virgin Islands continue to be the most popular destination for a Caribbean yacht charter, due to their constant trade winds and close proximity to the United States, about a 2.5 hour flight.  Major bases further down island in St. Martin as well as Antigua, and Canouan in the Grenadines gives yacht charter enthusiasts a number of unique island destinations to explore.

Earlier unrest reported in the French Caribbean at the beginning of the year has subsided and all major bareboat bases of operation in the Caribbean are open and ready for business.

Large inventories of bareboat yachts, especially new model bareboats such as the Beneteau 51.5, the Robertson and Caine 4600 catamaran, and the Beneteau 43.3 make this a buyer’s market in the Caribbean, in terms of selection and favorable pricing.