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Sailing holidays for couples & friends

Leave your normal routine at home . . .

Sailing your own yacht provides fun, excitement and challenges to wake up your senses and make you feel alive. Every day is different! And every day there are magic moments – an exhilarating reach at 8 knots under full sail, dolphins swimming next to your yacht, snorkelling over sunlit reefs, finding a stunning deserted anchorage, chilling out with a cold beer in the cockpit while you watch a glorious sunset. Skippering a yacht gives you a sense of achievement and crewing the yacht together is a fun way to build friendships.

Be adventurous and explore . . .

Set sail for a different destination every day- without the clouds and crowds of the Solent! There's always another bay, another harbour, another island to explore. And when you arrive, step ashore for dinner in a waterfront taverna. You'll be supporting the local community and you'll feel like a traveller, not a tourist. There's always time for a swim off your yacht or a walk to a market or cliff-top view. Or just relax - there's no rush and no timetables.

It's excellent value and so convenient . . .

Your yacht provides self-contained accommodation with plenty of cabins for everyone. Every night you'll enjoy being in the best harbourside location or in your own secluded anchorage - a different place to discover every day without any packing and unpacking! All the yachts have a fridge and cooker onboard and self-catering for breakfast, lunch and drinks helps keep the costs down. At night, party animals can hit the local bars or you can treat your crew to dinner in a taverna on the water's edge.

Couples & friends come in all sizes, ages and experience levels. . .

From the gentle breezes of the Ionian to the bluewater sailing in Grenada, there's a sailing holiday to suit everyone. Talk to us and we'll find the perfect sailing holiday for you.


Couples & Friends choices

  • Overview
    shutterstock_TortolaMarina 720x480

    Marina on Tortola, BVI

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    Jost Van Dyke, BVI

    Athens sunset 720x480

    Sunsets in the Saronic Gulf, Greece

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    Anchorage in the Saronic Gulf, Greece

    shutterstock_KrkaWaterfalls 720x480

    Krka waterfalls north of Split, Croatia

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    Restaurant on Hvar, Croatia

    Top 3 choices for sailing with friends:

    1. Saronic Gulf south of Athens - great sailing & interesting places to visit. Plenty of local bars and tavernas ashore.
    2. Dalmatia Islands south of Split - good winds, picturesque islands to visit, great nightlife!
    3. British Virgin Islands - perfect sailing in a relaxed Caribbean paradise.
  • Yacht charter
    Yacht charter

    Yacht charter sailing holidays for couples

    Charter a yacht bareboat for your sailing holiday and set sail on your own voyage of discovery. Spend time with your partner or bring along some friends to share the adventure.

  • Flotilla sailing
    Flotilla sailing

    Flotilla sailing holidays for couples

    Join a flotilla sailing holiday if you want to sail your own yacht with the added support of a lead boat crew or you just enjoy the social side.

  • Learn to Sail
    Learn to Sail

    Learn to sail holidays for families

    No previous sailing experience is necessary. Learn on flotilla in Greece or charter a cabin on an RYA training yacht in Greece, Turkey or Gibraltar and gain your certificates.

Top questions

  • What experience & qualifications do I need?

    To charter a yacht bareboat or on flotilla, you should have an RYA Day Skipper qualification or RYA International Certificate of Competence (ICC) and be assisted by at least one competent crew.

    For charters in Croatia, one member of the crew will also need a VHF licence.

    RYA qualifications can be obtained by RYA sailing schools in the UK such as Hamilton Sailing or Torbay Sea School or alternatively choose from one of our overseas centres in Gibraltar, Greece or Turkey.

    For Caribbean and Tropical charters, formal qualifications are not compulsory, however, you should be Day Skipper standard and be assisted by at least one competent crew. A brief sailing resume should be provided to outline your experience.

    In Greece, Turkey and Croatia you have a choice of bareboat yacht charter or flotilla sailing holidays, providing maximum choice at all experience levels.

    Add a skipper to any of our bareboat yachts if you don’t have the experience to charter bareboat or if you would like a helping hand with a larger yacht or a guide to a new cruising area. The skipper will be a competent local sailor and perfectly capable of sailing the yacht. He will encourage you to get involved as crew, although he is not an instructor. You will have to allocate a cabin for the skipper's use and provide him with food and drink.

  • What back-up is there?

    All our charter yachts are fully equipped for cruising in comfort and have full safety, navigational and domestic equipment.

    On arrival at your charter yacht you will be given a technical briefing on your yacht and cruising area. We do recommend that you check your yacht carefully before you leave the marina as things can so easily be put right at the base.

    Once you have set sail you are given contact numbers for the base, including emergency out-of-hours telephone numbers, so help is just a phone call away at any time. Should any repairs be necessary during your charter, the base manager will usually arrange for these to be done in your nearest harbour.

  • What is the best yacht layout for us?

    We have an excellent selection of quality sailing yachts for bareboat yacht charter ranging from 30' to 52' including all the well-known names, Jeanneau, Beneteau, Dufour and Bavaria. Most are less than 4 years old and many are brand new models.

    If there's 1 or 2 couples onboard look out for 2-cabin yachts which give you more spacious cabins. Two cabin layouts on larger yachts are more common in the Caribbean and in the BVIs, we have a several superb yachts with just 2 master cabins.

    For 3 couples you have plenty of choice of yachts with 3 double cabins but maybe you do need more than 2 heads? Some of the larger 3 cabin yachts have 3 heads so each cabin gets ensuite facilities.

    Larger groups need to work out what cabin layout suits them. Over 45', yachts either have 3 double cabins and a twin with narrow bunk beds or 4 smaller doubles. The 5th cabin is either another twin cabin or a skipper's bunk in the bow.

    3 or 4 couples should also consider a catamaran, most of which have 4 equal sized cabins, usually with ensuite facilities. Even if you haven’t sailed cats before, you’ll be impressed by their easy handling. Cats are very popular in Turkey and the Caribbean where you spend most nights on anchor rather than on a crowded town quay or marina.

"I have recently returned from Trogir after a splendid 2 week sailing trip off the coast of Croatia. I must say we were delighted with the yacht 'Blue Queen' and the standard and level of maintenance was excellent. This year surpassed all our expectations!"

Trogir 2016 - P.D.

Sailing Qualifications

To skipper a bareboat charter or flotilla yacht, you need to hold a practical sailing certificate equivalent to RYA Day Skipper Practical qualification or RYA International Certificate of Competence (ICC). For charters in Greece, you must now have the ICC certificate. You must also be assisted by at least one competent crew member over the age of 18.

The port authorities in Greece are now insisting on one of the following practical certificates: RYA ICC (International Certificate of Competence), RYA Coastal, RYA Yachtmaster, ASA IPC (International Proficiency Certificate) or the IYT (International Yacht Training) Passport. If you hold an RYA Day Skipper or ASA104 it will no longer be accepted and you need to obtain either an ICC or IPC from the corresponding issuing body (RYA or ASA). If your RYA Coastal/Yachtmaster or ASA105/106 certificate is more than 12 years old and does not have a photo ID, then we would also strongly advise applying for an ICC or IPC. If you are a member of the RYA or ASA, you may qualify for a discount or free certificate, otherwise, you will have to pay. The approximate cost is £50. Please use this link - RYA application for the ICC or ASA application for the IPC.

For charters in Croatia, Malta and the Canaries, at least one member of the crew or the skipper will also need a VHF licence.

RYA qualifications can be obtained by RYA sailing schools in the UK or alternatively choose from one of our overseas centres in Gibraltar, Greece or Turkey.

For Seychelles, the local authorities require an ICC for the skipper of a bareboat or flotilla yacht charter.

For Caribbean and Tropical charters, formal qualifications are not compulsory, however, you should be Day Skipper standard and be assisted by at least one competent crew. A brief sailing resume should be provided to outline your experience.

If you don't hold the relevant qualifications then why not add a skipper?

Sailing Levels

Level 1

Winds force 2-3 (4-11 Knots)combined with generally shorter distances. Good for beginner or intermediate sailors. Line-of-sight navigation but basic knowledge of charts and ability to plot your position required.

Level 2

Winds force 3-5 (7-21 Knots) with approximately 15-20nm per day. Intermediate experience required. Predominately line of sight navigation but an understanding of how to sail in open water.

Level 3

Winds force 4-6 (11-27 Knots) with mileage of approximately 20nm+ per day. Ideal for experienced skippers looking to venture out to new destinations. Day skipper standard but with experienced crew would be recommended.