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Worldwide sailing trip suggestions?
#237655
10/22/2020 01:11 PM
10/22/2020 01:11 PM
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 590 Lake Norman, NC
EllenS
OP
Traveler
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OP
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 590
Lake Norman, NC
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So I have no guess, and not to hijack the game but all these pictures and all you very traveled and sailed people, has got me thinking. If you were to plan a trip, sailing and would use a captain (so language and unknown waters would not be a problem), what area of the world would I go to first? Continue the Caribbean, Greece, Turkey, Croatia? I am feeling the need to plan and look forward to something.
Last edited by Carol_Hill; 10/22/2020 01:28 PM.
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Re: Worldwide sailing trip
[Re: EllenS]
#237671
10/22/2020 02:55 PM
10/22/2020 02:55 PM
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,006 U.K. and Spain
Jeannius
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,006
U.K. and Spain
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Hi Ellen... I've sailed all the areas you mention, and many more, except Croatia. Planned a trip there this year but had to cancel for non-covid reasons. I've never been on any sailing holiday, to any destination, that I didn't enjoy. Caribbean is definitely best for pretty much guaranteed wind usually at reasonable strength. The Med is often no wind or too much wind but the rest of the experience makes up for the less than perfect sailing.
Right now though I'm not going sailing, or on any vacation, that requires me to go to an airport and get on a plane. Fortunately I don't have to get on a plane to get from the UK to Spain so I'm planning to charter from near my house in mainland Spain and sail to the Balearic Islands (Ibiza, Formentera, Majorca and Menorca, the nearest of which is only around 50 nm) next spring. I have sailed Majorca previously but none of the other islands and am really hoping this can go ahead.
If I was in your location I'd be planning on picking up a boat in Florida and hoping to get to the Bahamas. If the Bahamas won't let you in at the time at least you should be able to sail the Keys.
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Re: Worldwide sailing trip
[Re: EllenS]
#237692
10/22/2020 05:08 PM
10/22/2020 05:08 PM
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 3,454 Virginia wishing STJ
TomB
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 3,454
Virginia wishing STJ
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Mike,
Formentera is one place I have wanted to go. How ironic to visit now. The plaque wiped out the entire population and the island remained uninhabited until the 18th century.
Hopefully COVID stays away
hope you blog!
“Every time I open a bottle of wine, it is an amazing trip somewhere!” José Andrés
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Re: Worldwide sailing trip suggestions?
[Re: EllenS]
#237895
10/24/2020 06:12 PM
10/24/2020 06:12 PM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,215 JAX
jphart
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,215
JAX
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Hi Ellen: I've been sailing since in teen in S. Fla. Got into bareboating via a Moorings owner 13years ago. Chartered as my own captain since 2010. But I don't have a license, and neither do the other experienced couples we cruise with. So when we decided to expand our horizons we chartered with a local skipper. I looked into getting the license with the Collegate school, or ASA programs. But that still wouldn't solve the local knowledge issue.
Local skippers are like having your personal concierge cruising with you! He (we haven't had a she...yet) has the local knowledge and experience that helps take any of the apprehension about anchorages, restaurants, weather, etc. Their most valuable resource is the super-computer in his hand - now known as a smart-phone. (Gone are the days anybody uses a VHF!) They know the local areas like the proverbial back of their hand, but enjoy sharing their knowledge and expertise. They have let us help navigate, sail, helm, anchor, Med moor,and learn how to back into tight village quays and docks. We've found that a skipper will let you do as much as you'd like, Or just kick back, have another adult beverage and let him do the worrying! Personally, I like learning, and tried to do new stuff with the skipper by my side. And with him there, my wife and other crew were much more relaxed the entire trip.
Once tied off, he typically kind of disappeared, took care of the dock paperwork, had a coffee with friends, etc. One skipper appeared to have a girlfriend in every port! He learned what we liked about schedules, our likes and dislikes, and made the restaurant reservations at places that were perfect for us! Some nights he'd dine with us, others he'd get us to the restaurant, and then go off on his own. And many times the restaurants were not the typical closest tourist traps - but ones were he was welcome with open arms. Come morning, he'd be found ashore having coffee & waiting for us to rise and shine, or he'd sleep-in while we made the coffee and breakfast onboard.
We chartered in Greece from Athens a few years ago, and that was us in Hydra with the donkeys on the dock. That harbour was a total ZOO! No, not the dock, but getting in and getting a prime space. Skipper Greg had phoned ahead to a fellow skipper friend and timed our arrival just as the other cat was leaving. It was like finding a prime parking space in front of the football stadium right before kickoff - just as another left it empty. By late afternoon the boats were THREE deep - as there were two boats Med moored ahead of us. NO WAY could have we done that without a local skipper! Somebody fouled our anchor upon departure, but he showed his skill getting us free.
We chartered in Croatia last year, and had the same wonderful experience with a young fellow, recently graduated from a university that specialized in marine education. He was a mult-generational local. He had thought about getting on with giant shipping companies, but starting skippering locally and loved the opportunity working with fellow sailors, and hosting and showing the highlights of his home country.
Does that mean that I won't charter without a skipper? No. In areas where language isn't an issue, where we've been before, or can plan well enough in advance I can do well enough with our crew. But as we're sailing boats that are now getting close to $1,000,000 in value and we're not quite as young as we used to be, sailing with a skipper to new destinations is a great way to sail, learn, travel,and experience new destinations, while getting the the apprehension level way down!
We hope to sail Italy in 2021 - with a skipper! And if the Caribbean governments can get their act together, on our own again - without need of a skipper.
My two bits...fair winds
Last edited by jphart; 10/24/2020 06:17 PM.
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