I often find it difficult to decide what to do for the summer, even when it comes to deciding where to go on holiday. For me holidays have to be relaxing, somewhere preferably warm, but with the option of being active. One thing I have not yet tried is approaching a yacht charter specialist. The idea of travelling around on a sailing boat seems more fun and exciting than staying static on an island - though there is nothing more appealing than lying on a beach with a cool beverage in one hand.

The option for a yacht charter holiday can be expensive. They often range between 1000 pounds - 25000, pounds so opting for this kind of holiday will require a lot of scrimping and saving but is worth the extra expenditure in the end. Those that do decide on a sailing holiday will have the option of going for a skippered or bareboat yacht charter. They are available for those interested in travelling around the coast of the Greek Islands or exploring the Indian coast. Unless you are very sensitive and suffer from motion sickness, then there are a few things to have in mind before going for this kind of holiday.

Skippered or bareboat?

When I began researching various holiday destinations and yacht charter, I came across two very unfamiliar terms - skipper and bareboat. What is a skippered and bareboat yacht charter? Quite simply a skippered yacht contains a skipper or captain who controls the crew and the yacht, or just the yacht if you choose not to have the extra crew. This word originates from the Dutch for schipper or schip meaning ship. The English use this word more than the word Captain for specific types of boats and yachts. The charterer in this case does not have possession of the boat, even though they have the option to choose where to sail.

Bareboat is quite literally hiring a boat bare - no crews or a skipper in sight! The owners give up possession of the boat for a length of time, leaving the charterer responsible for their own provisions and crew. Therefore, this option is more for the yachting experts who are confident in skippering their own boats. This is not an option for a newbie like me, but bareboat yacht charter is popular with those who are more experienced and/or holding a Coastal Skipper Qualification at hand.

Experience is necessary

Yacht chartering businesses do require their customers to have some degree of yachting experience. Although some yacht charter businesses offer skippers and crews, those interested in bareboat yachts will need to know something about anchoring and mooring. Often a skipper is hired for the day, for those who are in need of a little more help in this technique, but if you choose to sail independently, you are most likely going to have to provide evidence of any suitable experience you have had.

Experience of sailing come at different levels, usually those wanting to sail around the Mediterranean coast can have a basic knowledge of yachting. The further people want to travel to, such as Australia or Vietnam, the more experience, knowledge or qualifications they will need in order to hire a boat.

One thing is for certain, if you do fancy stopping by at a beach for a bit of rest and relaxation, and maybe even a top up on your tan then those travelling independently on a yacht can do this at any point in time. The beauty of sailing is that you do not have to worry about checking in at a hotel and you are not restricted to any curfews. This may not be the case for larger luxury yachts with hired crewmembers, but you are guaranteed the experience of travelling to more than one destination on the island.