If you are a party of several couples or a family with inexperienced sailors in your crew we would normally recommend a catamaran. Note that catamarans are generally more expensive per person than a monohull sailing yacht because the yacht is larger. But you get the payback in extra space for everyone.

A successful

bareboat charter

begins long before you arrive at the dock. The entire team should have a very clear idea of what they are getting into.

We highly recommend that you do the following before you book your bareboat charter:

• Clearly communicate to all involved what will be expected of them
• Plan an itinerary that is not overly aggressive unless everyone is experienced sailor (remember, many in the party probably want to return refreshed and relaxed from their holiday, not stressed from oversailing).
• Have a group meeting and walk them through the itinerary, what they can expect to be doing each day, and how much sailing/motoring will be involved.
• Get agreement from everyone that they approve the itinerary and that they will not be upset if they cannot sit on the beach reading a book every day, all day.
• If time permits, ask the inexperienced sailors to take a short sailing course (or even better since you are an experinced sailor you can teach them a few things) as they will enjoy the trip much more if they know the difference between a sheet and a halyard!
• If your group is keen to sail and has basic experience but are a bit apprehensive, it is generally possible to arrange for a skipper for a day or two while everyone gets used to the boat and each other.