Choosing the Right Boat for Your Next Getaway
Leave Your Preconceived Notions Behind!
A family cruise with young children in the Caribbean is vastly different from a week of regattas in Brittany in April with seasoned sailors, or a trip with retired friends in Greece in September. For each of these cruises, the type of boat will undoubtedly be different, to best suit the needs of the crew, the navigation area, and the vacation program. Your sailing habits and how you experience the sea should be considered when deciding on the most suitable boat to fully enjoy your water escapade! Even for a day rental, it’s recommended to detail your needs beforehand: Do you want to enjoy water skiing, wakeboarding, or towable tubes? Is your rental for diving in a specific area or a fishing trip? Depending on your day’s program and activities, the choice of boat, the power of the engine(s), and its equipment will vary significantly.
Sail or Motor?
Sailing requires good practice and real knowledge. Renting a motorboat requires a license. Be aware that this may also be the case for a sailboat in some countries, so it’s important to check with your rental company beforehand. Sailing allows you to navigate silently and more slowly, without needing any energy other than the wind to move. A motorboat will always be faster between two anchorages, but at the cost of fuel consumption and therefore additional expense.
Monohull or Catamaran?
While the perennial question of hull type is still relevant for purchasing, it’s less of a concern when renting. A catamaran can accommodate more people. In a “simple” 12-meter catamaran, you’ll be comfortable with 8 people, with 4 double cabins and 2 to 4 bathrooms. It’s difficult to compete with that in a monohull of the same size. The spaces on a catamaran allow for privacy when needed, and the intimacy of couples is perfectly respected. However, the pleasure at the helm will generally be on the side of the monohull. Another significant advantage is that monohulls will more easily find a spot in small ports or in the middle of a crowded anchorage.
The Right Boat for the Right Crew
The most determining factor in choosing your rental boat is undoubtedly the composition of the crew. Are you going with 4 couples or 2 couples with 2 children each? Then the pleasures of a catamaran (sail or motor) are for you. Are you 3 friends embarking? A monohull of 8 to 10 meters will offer all the necessary comfort and, in addition, beautiful sails between anchorages. Are you a small group of retirees and “pulling the ropes” is becoming more difficult? A motorboat will be a perfect mount for a week (or more) of vacation. Similarly, renting a sporty keelboat with young children or inexperienced crew members is not a very good idea.
A Boat, a Destination?
But nothing is ever simple when making a choice: while the crew is crucial when booking a boat for your next cruise, the destination should also be considered. A motorboat or a catamaran should be preferred if the area where you plan to navigate is full of anchorages with shallow depths, unless a dinghy is available from the rental company. If you’re not used to maneuvering in small Greek ports, venturing there aboard a wide and heavy catamaran with significant windage will not be easy, especially during the Meltem period. And if you choose to go down to the Grenadines from Martinique or to the BVI from Saint Martin, you’ll be forced into a (beautiful) upwind sail on the way there or back, and some boats handle this point of sail better than others!
What is the Ideal Size for Your Boat Rental?
When signing the rental agreement, don’t overlook a detail that is anything but trivial: the size of the boat. While the size of the chosen unit will necessarily depend on the crew you’ll be taking, it must also be in line with your skills. A large and voluminous boat will require more attention during maneuvers (sails, when arriving at the port or anchorage). If you’re not used to sailing on a boat the size of the one you’re considering renting, your vacation could quickly be affected. The role of skipper is impactful and sometimes stressful. So, don’t choose to rent a 15-meter catamaran in an area where port or anchorage maneuvers are known to be complicated or the weather is often unpredictable. In this case, the solution may be, for a first time on this type of boat, to take the “skipper” option, at least for the first few days.
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