So you’re fed up with the crowds that flock to the Mediterranean (sailors and nonsailors alike) and you’re looking for something new to conquer. How about the AZORES? The Azores offer steady winds either side of July and August, with July and August providing comfortable calmer winds perfect for families. Looking for a challenge? Charter in March and April where the winds are strong and steady.
Why?
Are you into your nature, geography, and sailing? Would you like to see whales, dolphins, lagoons, extinct volcanos, fajas, and unique anchorages? Then this cluster of islands located in the Atlantic could be for you. Located roughly 1,400 miles west of mainland Portugal, the Azores boasts 9 exquisite, prehistoric islands ready for you to explore. The archipelago is comprised of 9 islands each with its own individual character.
São Miguel Island – Lagoa das Sete Cidades
Itinerary
Start from Horta and explore Sao Miguel, Pico and Terceira Island all within one week. If you are planning on doing a two-week charter (which would be advised as there is just SO much to see) then you can go further afield and explore the islands such as Graciosa Island and Sao Jorge island.
Azores landscape with waterfalls and cliffs in Flores island. Portugal.
Getting there
Direct flights are available from most major airports (within flying distance!) From the US you have the luxury of choosing between Azores Airlines and Delta Airlines. You can fly directly via Boston, Oakland, and New York City. Flight time from Boston is roughly around the 4.5-hour mark with the UK being the same. Tap Air Portugal and Ryanair fly most frequently to the Azores.
Panoramic view over the Sete Cidades lake on Sao Miguel Azores
Want to find out more? Contact us today to find out how you could sail in the Jurrasic world of the Azores!
Do you have a plan A and a Plan B? Possibly a C? If not, you should probably think about jotting down at least a plan B. Things happen at sea that is sometimes out of your control, the job of a skipper is to take control of the things you can!! It’s worth, if not just for peace of mind, to have a plan B when it comes to route planning. The winds can change, the anchorage could be full, your children might be fighting or you are running low on gin whatever the reason plan for eventualities.
Are your winch handles in the winch pocket and not left in the winches?
Are your hatches shut? Especially your deck hatches?
Have you checked your engine? (WOBBLE: Water, Oil, Bulge, Belts, Look (does it look okay?) Electrics)
Are the beers in the fridge cooling for when you are back in port?!
Crew
Are your crew happy?
Does someone onboard what to do if you go overboard?
Do you know where the life jackets are?
Does anyone in your crew know how to make a MAYDAY call?
Do they feel sick?
Have they been fed?!
**TOP TIP: You sail to the ability of the least able crew** Sailing with children should not be seen as a daunting task, in fact, it is an incredible thing to do with your children. An idea, especially when chartering with young teens is to give them a responsibility each day. Child A is in charge of making sure all the lines are nice/throw to shore. Child B is in charge of hatches etc. Be creative. Don’t shout at them!
Challenging winds – mooring and sailing.
Check out our weather page to see when the challenging weather hits your desired sailing area.
Mooring
Mooring can undoubtedly be a stressful part of sailing. People standing on their bows waiting for you to overturn, your crew not throwing a line that hits the shore, people standing on the harbour wall screaming instructions that you cant hear. It can all get a bit much without the added stress of a crosswind. Mooring shouldn’t be stressful when everyone knows what they are doing.
**TIPS for mooring in CROSSWINDS**
Prep the yacht ahead of schedule. Fenders, lines and crew all appointed and aware of what they need to do.
Get the strongest (with the best aim) to throw the windward line. This is the most important line to get to shore first.
Have enough speed to combat the wind, but not so much that you can see the fear in the eyes of the person catching your lines!
When going astern, motor as close to the wind as possible into your spot. This gives you some drifting room if you have a gust.
Start going astern as far away as possible…it might look funny but this gives you so much way you have complete manoeuvrability of the yacht!
Sailing
Sailing in gusty areas or certain times of the year can be daunting to a new skipper. Particularly in Croatia where you have the Bora wind, or in Greece when you have the Katabatics running off the hills. You can experience some gusty sailing almost everywhere in the world. Read our weather page to find the best time of year to sail in your desired destination.
**Tips for GUSTY sailing**
Mainsheet on the winch – always. Get into the habit of having the mainsheet locked off on the winch, with the jammer (breaks) open. This allows you if need be, to dump the main which will de-power the boat thus not scaring the life out of your crew. Its a win win.
If you’re thinking of reefing, its time to reef. Reef before you NEED to reef. Is it the kids day to be captains? Chuck in reef! If the wind doesn’t pick up as much as you thought, great! Chuck the sails back up! Nothing worse than trying to reef in heavy winds. It scares the crew and it’ll shake you up (trust me – we’ve all been there).
Check the weather. It’s normal that charter companies will not allow you to sail in a predicted force 6.
If it’s not “reefable” weather, but the gusts are strong, appoint one of your well-fed, warm happy crew to sit with the mainsheet so they can either ease or dump.
For further information on how we support you on your first charter please email us here!
Before or after your yacht charter in Croatia, a visit to Split should most definitely be on your to-do list. Most of the surrounding ports in Split are only a 10-15 minute taxi from the beautiful city of Split.
Sailing into Split, catching sunsets and watching dolphins.
Restaurants and Bars
Hidden in underground chambers or on beautiful Venetian streets, there is a wide variety of restaurants for everyone in Split. Traditional Croatian food and contemporary fine dining is both available throughout the city. Be sure to visit the palace for some live music, Croatian wine and historical underground tours. Anthony Bourdain once stated that ‘Croatia is the next great thing. If you have not been there, you are… an idiot! I am an idiot’.
Bokeria
Grilled Octopus, traditional lamb shank, truffle pasta, and cuttlefish are some of the best options from this fabulous restaurant. This restaurant is most definitely worth a visit pre or post charter.
The History behind Europe’s Venetian Capital
The story behind Split is one of the most diverse in Europe. The story resonates from Greek settlement in the 3rd century followed by a Roman invasion and taken by Venetian rule in the late 14th century. Venetian architecture can still be seen all over the city. The infamous Venetian Palace was constructed and the city grew around the palace walls.
After the world war, Croatia was transformed into Yugoslavia and this city experienced industrial growth alongside a large shipbuilding industry and a very dynamic port. Despite the destruction caused to Croatia during the Yugoslavian war in the 1990’s however, soon lost its industrial hold during the years following the liberation. The main industry now in Split is tourism. The city is full of hidden gems, beautiful hikes, beach clubs and some of Europe’s most fascinating architecture.
Get in contact with one of the Boatbookings Broker’s to find out more about your net yacht charter in Split.
In October, the Boatbookings London team visited Croatia to evaluate the Bali 4.5 and to discover and test out new itineraries and anchorages.
If you are anything like the Boatbookings brokerage team and love your food – here are some food ideas for you! Follow our provisioning list so you won’t be disappointed with your lunches!
Part of the team after the 40 minutes of shopping!
TIPS
Due to having the flu, I was to look after the bags and water while the rest of the team picked up the food.
– Be prepared and write a list! Don’t go in blind. Plan what you will need. There’s nothing worse than preparing lunch and forgetting that you didn’t buy salt….like we did! – Delegate someone to sit with the bags while others go off to get the food…leave all the water with the bags so that you don’t exhaust yourself! – Vegetarian lunches are great while cruising. Have your locally sourced protein for dinner. – Find out exactly what will be on the yacht prior to writing your list!
Provisioning list
Whether provisioning for the Amalfi Coast, or exploring the cays in the Exumas, provisioning for a week’s charter may seem daunting, but do not to threat! This can be a fun exercise when you know what you are going in to get!
Be organized, planned and get excited for all the fantastic cooking you will be doing!
Dried foods: – Bag of Almonds – Bag of pistachios – 2 x Tortellini – 2 x Gnocci
Dairy: – 2 x mozzarella balls – 1 ricotta pot – Feta bar – Milk – 2 x Camembert – Natural Yoghart – Butter
Misc: – Balsamic vinegar – Salt and Pepper – Olive Oil – Ketchup – Coco-Cola – Bitter lemon – Tonic water – 2 bags of crisps – 2 x Hommous – Nutella – Pesto – Coffee – Tea
Breakfast:
6 Guest Frittata
Olive oil
3 shallots
1 diced red pepper
1 diced yellow pepper
1 diced courgette
Salt and pepper
Crumbled feta
Crack of black pepper
8 eggs and a knob of butter
Breakfast
Simple breakfast
Butter
12 eggs
Hot chilies
Fresh bread
A Spoon of ricotta with the eggs
Mango
Raspberries
Lunch
6 guest bruschetta and salad
Olive Oil
2 shallots
4 balsamic glazed tomatoes
1 diced yellow pepper
4 tablespoons of ricotta
Salt and pepper
Rocket
Pesto for drizzling
A crack of black pepper
Lunch
Carbs, with a side of carbs and salad – PERFECT! Pesto Gnocchi, Caramalised onion bruschetta with a fresh greek salad.
Olive Oil – everything
Half a loaf of toasted bread – bruschetta
4 balsamic glazed shallots – bruschetta
Mozerella – bruchetta
3 tomatoes – salad
1 diced green pepper – salad
Half a cucumber – salad
crumbled feta – Gnocchi
Salt and pepper – everything
Rocket – Salad and Gnocchi
Pesto for the Gnocchi
Eating fresh food on the back of a yacht in a pretty anchorage for lunch is possibiliy one of the best things you can do in life. Food always brings family and friends together, its a great time to talk about the morning’s sail and discuss the options over the next following days. The best way to view a country is from its coastline, speak to one of our team members today about chartering.
2 top Crewed Catamarans in the Exumas/Nassau/area in the Bahamas that have not been affected by Dorian.
We all witnessed with grief the unimaginable destruction brought upon Great Abaco and Grand Bahama Islands by hurricane Dorian and we pray for the fast and smooth recovery of the stricken areas.
Regardless, the Bahamas remains one of our most popular year-long yachting destinations: Dorian only affected the above-mentioned islands but the rest of the islands is as beautiful as always.
In any case, the majority of charter vessels have always been based in the Nassau cruising area. The Exumas combine a protected sailing area with magic sandy beaches, turquoise waters and high temperatures all year long. Some of the most popular charter vessels in Nassau and the Exumas are crewed catamarans
AMURA II
AMURA II is a lovely Lagoon 560, with a professional crew of 2 (captain and hostess/chef). Based all year long in Nassau, AMURA II will also consider one-way charters starting Nassau and finishing in the Exumas; this will allow you more time in order to explore the islands!
SEA SENOR
Available out of Nassau for both day charters as well as for longer period cruises is SEA SENOR! Excellent catamaran with a very experienced crew, ideal for short escapes out of Nassau! Feel free to contact now our expert broker team and start planning your next crewed catamaran charter in the Bahamas.
