The South Pacific beckons for mariners who sign up for a Fiji to Cairns extravaganza scheduled for September 23 – some 21 days of battling west in search of northern Queensland on the Tenacious, the largest wooden-hulled ship on the planet. A one-week (room-only) stay for a family of three at the four-star Grotto Bay Beach Resort in Hamilton – flying out of Gatwick on May 20 2018 – costs from £4,610 in total through British Airways Holidays (0344 493 0787; ba.com/holidays). Availability is limited this year, but EDA1218, a nine-night trip leaving Mallaig on June 30 2018, has spaces and costs £1,200 per person. Star Clippers (0845 200 6145; starclippers.co.uk) has carved out a reputation as a specialist in glamorous tall-ship voyages – including on vessels such as the 170-capacity Star Flyer, a vision in white, sails taut in the wind. The laser is small and simple enough for beginners but requires skill to operate. If you or someone you know would like to learn to sail we may be just what you are looking for. The boat is not prone to aggressive heeling and handles confidently in a variety of conditions. The latter can be enjoyed for a basic fee of £3,603 – based on two passengers piloting a two-cabin Sunsail 38, not including flights. Related Links. This “superyacht hotel” (020 3714 8111; sunbornhotels.com) is permanently moored in the Docklands area of the capital. It’s impossible to specify the price of catboats because they vary so much in design and size. The Sunfish is a lightweight fiberglass boat with a simple rig and is a great step-up from a sailing dinghy. There were boats everywhere, and boats of all kinds, from the big black wherry with her gaily painted mast… to the punts of the boatmen going to and fro, and the motor-cruisers filling up with petrol, and the hundreds of big and little sailing yachts, tied to the quays.”. By the end of the course you will have experienced steering a yacht, sail handling, ropework and be aware of safety on board. Information This boat, which has only one mainsail and no headsails, is available in a wide range of designs. For parents who feel that a fortnight on a boat may be too much for their brood, but who don’t wish to ditch the dream of touring by yacht, the Stay and Sail breaks sold by Neilson (0333 014 3351; neilson.co.uk) may be a godsend. Beneteau Oceanis 400 / 411: used boat review, Best Beneteau yachts: Figaro, First, Oceanis and Sense, Float free: cruising on your yacht or powerboat. A catboat can be just as suitable for lake cruising as it is for coastal waters. Other photogenic Croatian locations – Dubrovnik, plus the islands of Hvar, Vis, Korcula and Sipan – will come into focus on an eight-night group odyssey that will involve plenty of unhurried strolling amid lovely scenery. This 19-foot trailer-sailor features a cabin with a vee-berth, a simple rig, and a retractable keel. Spaces are available on three departures this month. A voyage across distant depths does not have to be an attritional battle against salt and spray. The theoretical hull speed of this boat is around 5.4 knots, but it actually has a tendency to plane and achieve higher speeds. We provide all the equipment, but participants are advised to bring along a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, a warm jumper, shoes that can get wet, a water bottle, a change of clothes (minimal wardrobe needed) and a spray jacket. Here, voyages are conducted on Oceanica, a Jeanneau 57 offshore cruiser that sleeps 10. This course is for people who are already competent sailors and want to get into racing. Best Boats We have the perfect boat for you to learn to sail on. It is due to leave the New Brunswick port of St John on August 24 – places on the crew cost £2,925 per person, not including flights. Flights cost extra. With over 400+ locations, the ASA is the largest association of sailing schools in the world. Doubles at this five-star hideaway cost from £314 per night on a room-only basis. This boat has a small cockpit and can be controlled easily by a single person. Overall, the Optimist and its copycats are a remarkable little craft, equally useful as a tender for a larger boat or a standalone beginner sailboat. Flights cost extra. Spaces are still available on the September 15 course, which costs from £695 per person. They hold their value well, and they’re a great choice for beginners.Â. The rig is simple and easy to set up, and the handling characteristics are excellent. The West Wight Potter 19 could potentially be the best cabin sailboat for beginners, and certainly one of the safest—the West Wight Potter 19, according to the manufacturer, is quite literally unsinkable. These tiny, lightweight, popular, and highly affordable little craft is easy to operate and relatively difficult to capsize. Hoisting and securing the rig is easy, and lines are secured to the boat by a cleat. This fast little boat is simple and easy to set up but handles like a racecar.  If you’re a beginner on a laser, you’ll probably capsize at some point—which isn’t always a problem if you’re in a controlled environment, as the boat can be righted easily. Canada might be a less obvious option for a break on water, but British specialist Le Boat (023 9280 1169; leboat.com) offers a series of self-propelled itineraries which forge along the Rideau Canal in Ontario. You can find courses in your area for learning to sail in dinghies (for adults and children), learning to sail a keelboat and courses that are inclusive of people with a disability. It’s a flat-bottomed cruiser, making it easy to beach and transport with its retractable keel and removable rudder. While the boat is designed to be sailed by a single person, two adults can purchase this boat and use it together comfortably. Used Laser prices vary widely. Samba, a Beneteau Oceanis 45 based at Budva in Montenegro, is available for the week starting August 19 for €3,600. Blessed with some 3,626 miles of coast (if its 1,246 scattered islands are taken into consideration), Croatia arguably provides more choice of routes than any other European country. Dinghy rigs vary between builders, but many use the simple Spirit Rig. Sailing is a fun activity for people of all experience levels. The West Wight Potter 19 is a great introduction to large sailboats and carries amenities normally reserved for boats at least 1/3 larger. This course is for someone who already has a knowledge of sailing or who has completed the Level 1 course. Sophisticated sea dogs can board the likes of the Argentous, with its en suite cabins, air conditioning, skipper and private chef. Prices from £3,685 per person; international flights cost extra. The Seychelles are proof of this, an idyllic context for lazy progress around a patch of the Indian Ocean. It’s possible to learn how to sail on this boat, but every sailor who’s spent time on a Sunfish will probably recommend bringing a towel. Beginners can handle larger boats with some training, and some are easier to handle than their smaller counterparts. ‍. So much is clear from the Southern Spain and Portugal by Sea break sold by Artisan Travel (01670 785085; artisantravel.co.uk) – a regular seven-night voyage that meanders from Malaga to Lisbon on the Panorama II motorsailer. Pitched 10 miles north of the pretty Turkish city, this five-star enclave has its own gulet for two-hour cruises into the Aegean sunset. Lifeofsailing.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.  Whichever you end up choosing, make sure you try it out and can sail it comfortably. The sailing route explores the lush Myeik Archipelago, which is remarkably untouched.