Mykonos is one of the trendiest hotspots on the Mediterranean due to its super chic clubs, excellent restaurants, great sandy beaches and a vibrant nightlife – it has deservedly become a real playground for jet-setters.
Category Archives: Yacht Types
The ‘Escape Reality’ series continues…
The ‘escape reality’ series is back with another bespoke itinerary for you! Read through our Bahamas Itinerary and escape to the turquoise waters! Written by us, imagined by you!
Has your summer vacation been put on hold, and now you’re longing for a Christmas escape? Look no further because this could be the itinerary for you. Did I mention, these itineraries are also great for kids?!
This week we explore one of the most captivating itineraries we have ever sailed – the Bahamas, Exumas. Imagine turquoise crystal clear waters, white-sand beaches and baron islands. Could this be for you?
Day 1 – Highborne Cay
Begin your charter in a beach village on the eastern shores of Nassau and spend a few days relaxing around a pool before embarking upon your charter! Although the Bahamas is home to over 300 islands, but the Boatbookings brokers asure you that the different islands that you can visit from your yacht charter in the Bahamas are the best islands in the Bahamas! Sailing around the Exumas allows for some of the best wildlife on the globe, swimming pigs, wild iguanas, crystal blue waters for swimming, Thunderball Grotto (as seen in James Bond) and amazing restaurants for every island you visit in the Exuma island collection.
Day 2 – Allen Cay
The first day of sailing will be long, but it will be worth it! The first leg is just over 40 nautical miles, and would take you roughly 7 hours to get there. So wake up, have a hearty breakfast and shake those sails out! Your first day will give you the chance to get a lot of sailing in, surrounded by the bluest water on the globe! When you reach the Exuma islands, it is worth the long sail due to the sheer beauty of each individal island, called a Cay in true Bahamian fashion. The first island to visit on your charter is Highborne Cay, known as the gateway to the Exumas – a great location for the first overnight stay.
Day 3 – Hawksbill Cay
Visit the uninhabited beaches of Hawksbill Cay and have a relaxing evening. This cay is a key part of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea National park and has no other facilities than mooring balls in this beautiful location. Anchoring is not permitted however there are plenty of mooring balls for this idyllic spot.
See our Bahamas bareboats here!
Day 4 – Waderick Wells Cay
One of the most sheltered cays in the Exumas, this National Park offers the best conditions for kayaking, snorkelling or taking a hike around the island. There is a large selection of boats anchored within the bay here as it is sheltered from any wind. Our top recommendation is the dead whale construction and a stroll along one of the 30 deserted beaches here!
Day 5 – Staniel Cay and Pig Beach
Take a slightly longer sail from Waderick Wells cay to Staniel Cay and Anchor in the sheltered yachting paradise of Staniel Cay amongst many other catamarans. Visit Staniel Cay yacht club for a lunch and visit the beautiful island. Take your dinghy to shores and tie up amongst nurse sharks in the bluest waters in the world. Be sure to take the dinghy to visit the pigs at Pig Beach the swimming pigs at Big Majors Cay will swim out to you to visit you on your dinghy! Bring some food to feed them! Visiting the swimming pigs is an absolute must in the Bahamas and does not disappoint. Be sure to charter a yacht to get this ticked off the bucket list this winter!
Day 6 – Norman’s Cay
Before sailing off to Normans Cay be sure to go snorkelling before you leave Staniel Cay and visit Thunderball Grotto at low tide, see where James Bond was filmed and swim with tropical fish. Sail north to Norman’s Cay have dinner at Mcduffs at Normans Cay- go snorkelling with the nurse sharks and spend time on your own private island to have lunch.
Day 7 – Nassau
Set off early for your sail back to Nassau – factoring in Rose Island if you have time before getting back to Palm cay marina for 6 PM to disembark the following morning. Spend another few nights in your own private beach villa at the marina and relax after a fun-filled yacht charter.
Enquire today with one of our expert brokers who can personalise an itinerary that suits you and your guests! The Boatbookings brokers have personally sailed and reviewed the best sailing grounds, activities, restaurants and boats in the Bahamas. Be in touch to get the most from your yacht charter this winter!
A Very British (Virgin Islands) Christmas!
Specializing in Caribbean charters, here are our top 5 reasons to charter a yacht and why the British Virgin Islands is officially one of the best places in the world to charter for your 2020 holiday season!
Escape the bleak mid-winter and spend Christmas 2020 island hopping between the white sand beaches of the British Virgin Islands. The world’s best sailing conditions, island hopping, world-class scuba diving grounds, and a Christmas day conch meal. All of this plus an unforgettable New Year’s Eve makes the British Virgin Islands the only place to charter a yacht this Christmas!!
Christmas day on the yacht
Whether you’re a seasoned yachtie or sailing around the best sailing grounds of the Caribbean is something you’ve always dreamt of, a yacht charter in the BVI is guaranteed to make 2020 your best Christmas yet.
Although you’ll be on a yacht in the Caribbean, don’t worry there’s still plenty of decorations to make you feel just at home. Expect to see masts with fairy lights going to the top, red and white bikinis and palm Christmas trees!
Spend this Christmas walking around the white sand-beaches of Anegada and join in the local celebrations! Chose from having your own personal crew onboard to sailing solo around the many BVI white-sand beached islands.
New years eve at Foxy’s
Be sure to head to the island of Jost Van Dyke to bring in the New Year. Foxy’s on the island is renowned as being one of the top 5 parties in the world on New Year’s Eve.
Instead of celebrating the ‘New Year’, this bar celebrates the ‘Old Year’s Night’, making this iconic location different from every other New Year Party on the globe.
Hop off your boat and enjoy being in one of the best places in the world this New Year. Be sure to catch the theme before deciding on your outfits!
December diving
Switch the traditional family board games on Christmas day for a scuba diving lesson! Scuba dives are an extremely popular Christmas day activity and really make it a Christmas day to remember.
The BVI waters surrounding the islands of Norman Island are renowned for being extremely clear during the months of December and January. The Caribbean waters are full of different corals, turtles, shipwrecks and thousands of different species of fish.
Surprise your loved ones with a diving course and give the gift of the ocean this Christmas!
A Caribbean Christmas lunch
Eat like a local and celebrate the festivities with a freshly grilled lobster or conch! Head over to the Bitter End Yacht Club in Virgin Gorda for your Christmas lunch, be sure to book early this year as most restaurants serving local Caribbean Christmas delicacies tend to get booked up very quickly.
Unrivalled weather conditions
The trade winds blowing across the islands of the BVI offer a consistent breeze, ideal for sailing and for keeping slightly cool during this period. Christmas is without a doubt one of the best times of year to visit the BVI due to long, sunny days with ocean breezes coming through in the afternoon and slightly cooler evenings.
The BVI is known for ‘line of sight’ sailing and protected bays for anchorages and sailing. Unlike other locations in the Caribbean, the waters in the BVI are usually a lot calmer than many other locations.
Despite the saddening damage, caused by hurricane IRMA in 2017, the BVI’s are being cared for and maintained. The process of rebuilding infrastructure has been a work in progress since the hurricane struck, however, the BVI is back on track and the boat standards and sailing grounds are as popular as ever.
Don’t let the damage caused in 2017 put you off from a yacht charter in the BVI this Christmas – the BVI is up and running. For current information, we please see our “what is open in the BVI after Irma” page, which is updated regularly.
Give Santa a change from the chimney and let him slide down your mast this Christmas! Get in touch today!
Inside the Sunseeker 161 Superyacht
The prestigious British shipyard Sunseeker continues to push the boundaries of yacht design. In collaboration with the Dutch shipyard Icon Yachts, the Sunseeker 161 will be the largest yacht in the manufacturer’s history. It will also be the first that they have ever built in metal. Sunseeker has already sold one hull and we look forward to many more models entering the Mediterranean charter market in the near future.
So what can you expect from the largest Sunseeker ever built?
The Sunseeker 161 will offer unrivalled deck spaces for alfresco dining, socialising with friends and holding cocktail events. Moreover, you will enjoy a plethora of sunbathing spaces and a contemporary beach club. Imagine anchoring in the cerulean waters of the Bahamas each winter before crossing to Croatia and the Greek Islands. Heaven!
Sunseekers are established and sought-after charter yachts. Their designs and features like zero-speed stabilisers make them extremely comfortable for the first time charter guest, as well as an experienced yachtsman. While you wait for the next models to be released, there is already a fantastic selection for you to try in 2020. AQUA LIBRA in Greece is one of our top recommendations which is already booking for summer 2021!
The Broker Team know the best Sunseeker yacht for your next charter. Whether it is a day charter on the French Riviera onboard the Predator 68 REHAB, or a week on the 28m Sunseeker PLAY THE GAME in Ibiza, you’re in expert hands. We look forward to making 2020 the best year of holidays yet!
Top 3 sailing destinations for newly qualified skippers.
So, you’ve just passed your skipper qualification and you’re looking for somewhere to test out your new skills. The only things is; where?! Seeing as 71% of the world is covered in water you have a lot of choices, but it’s making the right choice that will better your first experience as a skipper.
Number 1. The Ionian, Greece. (July and August).
The Ionian is the perfect place to shake out the sails on your own! With protected anchorages and steady calm winds during the high season, it’s the perfect alternative to the Cyclades.
- Most of the sailing is done by line of sight, so don’t worry too much if your chart reading isn’t slick yet.
- Various anchorages offering great holding and even better protection from prevailing winds.
- There are many town quays which means free moorings! If you cant get onto that, then you can always moor up to a restaurant for a free night. (You will have to eat in the restaurant).
- Winds are very consistant F1/2 in the morning F2/3 in the afternoon and 90% of the time they will be north westerlies.
- The Ionian is less saturated with yachts compared to the Cyclades meaning maneuvering/mooring is less stressful.
Number 2. French Riviera, France. (June and September).
The French Riviera is not just for the rich and famous, its also for bareboaters too! You have the stunning Lerins islands or the picturesque Île de Porquerolles, located southwest of St Tropez.
- Coastal sailing, always line of sight.
- Protected anchorages between the Porquerolles islands. The water around there is similar to the Caribbean!
- June and September is less crowded and less competition with the big superyachts
- Enjoy beautiful french cuisine along the Cote d’Azur.
Number 3. Split, Croatia. (June and September).
Croatia is becoming one of the fastest-growing yachting areas in the world and it’s not hard to understand why. The island-hopping, line of sight sailing and picturesque anchorages creates a perfect place for you to test out your new skills.
- Steady winds throughout the morning and afternoons
- Warm weather, and ever warmer seas!
- Easy anchoring, with mooring buoys at almost every anchorage.
- Island hopping sailing, so you are able to do short stints and no exhaust your new crew.
If you are a newly qualified skipper, and need some advice on sailing locations do not hesitate to get in contact with us. We are all sailors, and travel experts, this means we are better to advise on your perfect charter holiday!