Sports & Recreation

Want to spice up your vacation? You might want to try sightseeing aboard a charter yacht. There is nothing more relaxing than the sight of clear blue sea while breathing in the gentle breeze as it fills the sails.

The word “yacht” was originally used to refer to the sailing vessels that were used by the Dutch navy to apprehend pirates thousands of years of ago. Today, its definition has evolved to refer to a wide range of privately operated sailing vessels used either for racing or cruising and are powered by sail, power, or a combination of both.

Early versions of these vessels are made out of wood but this is so no longer the case. While many yachts still have wood hulls, they are mostly made out of materials like fiberglass, aluminum, steel, and carbon fiber.

For people who are planning to go yachting, it is a good idea to be familiar with the kinds of sailing yachts. These vessels can be classified in five general categories: day sailing yachts, weekender yachts, cruising yachts, racing yachts and luxury sailing yachts. What sets day sailing yachts apart from the others is that they do not have cabins since they are basically designed for hourly or short-time sailing.

Also called dinghies, they have smaller dimensions and each of them has a retractable keel, center board and dagger board. Weekender yachts are slightly bigger than day sailing yachts. They typically have lifting keels that allow them to sail in shallow waters. They are designed for trips that last for two to three days. Weekenders have small cabins that can accommodate a maximum of three people. They may also have limited storage space for consumables like water and food.

Cruising yachts, on the other hand, are considered the most commonly used yacht type for vacations. They typically have rooms below the deck that can accommodate families. Moreover, they are designed to travel thousands of miles at a cruising speed of around 5 knots.

Standard racing yachts are not as large as cruising yachts. They are designed this way in order to function at a faster speed. Lastly, luxury sailing yachts are boating vessels that have sophisticated and luxurious amenities such as global positioning systems, air conditioning, television, and other navigation equipment such as radar and autopilot features. These vessels also commonly have power-generation capabilities.

When planning for sailing expeditions, it is important to decide what type of sailing vessel would be most suitable. Crewed charter yachts can be rented by those who do not know how to operate them while those who have acquired basic yacht sailing skills can opt for a bareboat charter.