Sailing or Yachting

Motor Yacht

2008-08-06T00:18:00.000+01:00

Motor Yacht

History of Motor yacht (Reproduction)

by MonishMohan
Formerly yacht was defined as “a light, fast sailing vessel used to move only chief people”. Today, the yacht charter has come to cover a wider variety of vessels, either run by sail, power, or even both. A yacht that is not motorized with sails and wind is generally known to as a motor yacht. A motor yacht normally has a good comfy feel to it. The archetypal motor yacht provides two staterooms estranged by the total length of the motor yacht, along with a spacious living area in between. Motor yacht usually has cabins akin to hotel suites.

Most of the boating fans agree that a motor yacht’s is appeal decisive by the dimensions of its sundeck, fly bridge, and covered aft deck. A motor yacht that comprises of these features is planned for space and especially for comfort. On a sizable motor yacht, the open bridge could place up eight and the sheltered aft deck and fore deck are generally open.

The emblematic cruising speed for a motor yacht is about the 20 knot range with average weight conditions and ocean state. Top speeds might be between 25 and 30 knots, it actually depends up on the model of the motor yacht. Higher cruise and peak end speeds are as well accessible on some models, particularly those premeditated for racing. The majority of motor yachts are mainly fuel competent when roaming at speeds of 8-10 knots that is in fact the average speed of trolling. The higher the speed toured with the motor yacht, the more petroleum would burns. For more detailed petroleum ranges, one should check with the manufacturer.

When you want to purchase a motor yacht, it is commonly most excellent to purchase a smaller one first. A larger motor yacht could cost to the extent that several million US dollars. There are other cost factors as well to be considered, such as trip rental fees, where the motor yacht would be stored, and year on year maintenance. This preservation comprises of having the boat cleaned and worn out once or twice a year. The present high price of gasoline as well contributes to a bigger motor yacht being more expensive.

Mr.Monish is a Copywriter of yacht charter. He written many articles in various topics. For more information visit: Florida yacht charter.contact her at yachtloop.marine@gmail.com.
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Sail Boats

2008-08-05T07:55:00.000+01:00

Sail Boats

Purchasing A Sailboat For Heavy Air Conditions

by Dave Bello
This article describes the proper process to buy a sailboat. Unlike most boat purchase advice, written by manufacturers and designed to persuade the reader to purchase one brand or another, the suggestions in this article are written from the perspective of a sailboat buyer and are drawn from the collective wisdom of the author's dozen or so sailboat purchases as well as conversations with many, many other sailboat buyers.

This article will focus on applying the buying process to purchasing an appropriate vessel for heavy air sailing.

The Buying Process
We believe a multi-step process to purchase a sailing vessel is ideal. Our initial emphasis is on assuring that purchases are based on a detailed description of how and where the vessel will be used and then identifying the best set of vessel characteristics for the specific type of sailing to be completed. Critical vessel characteristics include: sail plan, rig design, keel shape, keel depth and displacement. In this article, we apply those characteristics to heavy air sailing areas.

Let's start by describing heavy air sailing areas. Heavy air areas are sailing areas that average 15 knots of wind or more. Moreover, wind speeds exceeding 20-25 knots are not uncommon. What areas would be considered heavy air areas?

Typically consistent winds in these speed ranges are driven by global weather and geological phenomenon. Some of the best known areas qualifying as heavy air areas would include the thermal winds of San Francisco Bay, the Caribbean trade winds from December through March and most latitudes below 40 degrees South.

Vessel Characteristics For Heavy Air
To begin, we assume you have already identified your usage in detail as we recommended in Part One. Next, its time to find a vessel that best fits the usage in heavy air areas. In heavy air areas we will not be concerned with powering up to the boat like we would be in light areas. Most of the time, we will easily reach hull speed and our primary concern will be assuring stability and steerage. To accomplish this, we want a flexible sail plan that assures the vessel can be controlled and safely sailed on all points of sail in the expected strong wind conditions.

The first vessel characteristic to consider is keel design. While cruising in heavy air, we look for stability and stiffness (resistance to heel) more than maneuverability and weight reduction. In these conditions, the full keels shine. The improved steering, resistance to turning and full keel length are all desirable characteristics provided by a full keel. In addition, full length keel allow for shallower drafts than fin keels (while maintaining similar resistance to heal), permitting access to more ports of call while still maximizing stability.

This is not to say that fin keel boats can not perform in heavy air, they can. Only to say that in heavy air the full keel boat can provide ease of steering and good stability without excessive draft.

The next two factors to consider are sail area and sail plan. The key to safely sailing in heavy air is to reduce the sail area to match the increasing wind speed while maintaining a balanced sail plan. In order to accomplish this, we want a very flexible sail plan with many configuration options. Now is the time for cutter rigs and multi-mast rigs such as ketches and yawls. The increased number of sails on these rigs allows for far more flexibility in sail area and sail placement and gives the sailor many more options to keep the sail plan balanced with less and less sail area.

A sloop rig simply can't provide all the configuration option available with these other rigs. Also, the largest drawback to these rigs is eliminated in heavy air. While cutters and multi-mast rigs have increased drag, this is not a concern in heavy air since we have more than enough wind to reach hull speed anyway. For consistent sailing in heavy air, cutter rigs and multi-mast rigs are the way to go.

Finally, we consider displacement (i.e. weight). Sailing vessels get stiffness, resistance to heel, from reducing sail area, hull design and many other factors. One factor is displacement. More displacement helps increase resistance to heel (for a given hull design), so it is desirable in heavy air where large wind forces will increase heeling forces dramatically over light air conditions. In addition, big winds, particularly on open water, create larger waves with more potential to slow or stop a vessel when going to weather. To keep moving, we want increased displacement so that there is more momentum to keep going through bigger waves.

Summary
With the right vessel, heavy air sailing can be safely and enjoyably accomplished. When sailing in heavy air, a primary consideration is assuring we have a vessel that remains stable and maneuverable as the wind force increases. This means matching (reducing) the sail area, while continuing to balance the boat, to the increased wind force. The best boats for these conditions are the ones that provide the most flexible sail plans. Multi mast rigs and cutter rigs are superior to sloop rigs for this purpose. A keel design that helps keep the boat steering straight through large wind forces and waves is also a help, so full length keels are preferred over fin keels. Finally, stiffness, the resistance to heel, and momentum to move through larger waves are critical, so more displacement is favored over light air conditions.

Capt Dave Bello is President of Fair Wind Sailing School, an ASA affiliate sailing school offering monohull and catamaran sailing charters and sailing lessons, in the Virgin Islands Chesapeake Bay and on Lake Erie.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Sailing

2008-08-04T04:54:00.000+01:00

Sailing

Sailing - the Physics Simplified

by Simon White
If wind was the only factor involved in sailing a boat, then a boat would only be able to sail as fast as the wind blows, and would only be able to drift directly downwind. There are actually two main forces involved; the wind on the sails and the resistance of water on the hull and keel.

The physics of sailing is a little more complicated than the wind simply pushing the boat along. Sailing boats move forward because of the flow of wind over the sails and the action of water resistance on the hull. Quite often sailing boats will actually travel faster than the wind.

The movement of the wind and the motion of the boat combine to create an air flow known as the ‘apparent wind’. The curved surface of a filled sail causes this air flow to move faster over the leading surface of the sail than the other side creating lift much like an aeroplane wing. The resistance of the water on the hull and keel prevents the boat being pushed sideways and so the boat moves forwards.

Depending on the efficiency of the rig, it is possible for a sailboat to sail directly over 290 degrees of the compass. In other words the boat can sail in any direction apart from 35 degrees either side of the direction of the wind (often called the ‘no go zone’). Other boats with less efficient rigs will have a larger no go zone perhaps of about 45 - 55 degrees either side of the upwind direction.

Points of Sail
Some common terms for a sailing boat’s motion relative to the wind:

Tacking – Turning the bow (or front) of the boat through the wind so that the wind comes over the opposite side of the boat. A starboard tack is when the wind is coming over the right hand side of the boat. The boat is said to be on a 'port tack' when the wind comes over the left side of the boat.

Boats cannot sail directly upwind, however, they can make headway in the upwind direction by sailing as close to the wind as possible on one tack, before taking to the opposite tack and repeating the process. When a boat is sailing as close as possible to the wind direction, it is termed ‘beating’ or sailing ‘close hauled’.

Running – Sailing a boat within about 30 degrees either side of the downwind direction. Turning the stern (or rear end) of the boat through the wind is called gybing. The wind can rapidly flip the boom of the main sail from one side of the boat to the other causing danger to the crew. It is best to gybe in a controlled manner by pulling in the main sail (also known as ‘sheeting in’), turning the stern of the boat through the wind and finally letting out the mainsail on the other side.

Reaching – This is when a boat is sailing approximately perpendicular to the direction of the wind. If the angle is exactly 90 degrees, we call it a 'beam reach’ as the wind is coming over the beam (or side) of the boat. Sailing in a direction about halfway between a beam reach and close hauled is called a ‘close reach’, whilst sailing a little downwind from a beam reach is called a broad reach.

For most modern sailing boats, reaching is the fastest way to travel as the direction of the wind generates the most lift in the forward direction on the sails. However, often this can take the course of the boat parallel to the waves causing excessive rolling. This can be countered by turning the boat upwind slightly.

TheYachtMarket.com has guides on how to buy and sell a boat and lists thousands of new and used boats for sale.
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Sailing or Yachting

2008-08-03T08:34:00.000+01:00

Sailing or Yachting

Go For Routine Boat Maintenance, Sail with Safety and Style

by Henery Archie
Go sailing your boat and enjoy your hobby but repair your favorite boat at the first sign of danger. See to it that your water body companion remains in perfect shape. It is one of your priced possession after all. Any shortcoming, once inside the water, might prove to be dodgy. As they say, prevention is better than cure. With a range of boat maintenance and repair material available online, you can now float and flaunt your boat in style.

Your boat may not be a regular used one but before placing it in water check it for reliability. All you need to do is a regular run through check of your boat and procure maintenance material accordingly. Look for the problem areas like damaged surface, infected wood patch, corrosive area, leakage etc. Routine checks of your boat brings out many risky issues, take a note of them. Now, start dabbling in online shopping stores to find out adequate material for boat maintenance. A quality mending stuff purchased will refurbish your boat towards a new look. The materials, which you may need generally, are sealants, epoxy, cleaners, polishers, tapes, paints, furnish, fillers, battens, glues, lubricants, resins, solvents, clothes, gloves, mixing containers, paints, pigments, brushes and other refinishing substance.

Treat each of the contagions affecting your boat's performance. You can also shop for sail repair kits for regular touch ups on your boat. Remember that a restoration done in time will avoid you from falling into a menace. Those, very passionate about their boat, may keep on adding new colors to it, which is also part of boat maintenance. Just arrange all the add-ons and convert your dinghy into a piece of appreciation. Keeping your sail boat faultless comes easy with an attitude of care about it. After all, your sail boat or dinghy gives you a pleasurable sailing time and safety must not be compromised.

About the author:- Henery Archie loves sailing boat covers, boat maintenance, boat equipment, boat care, waterproof boots and his favourite hobby is fishing. He takes special interest in boat care and the tools and equipments required for it. Through this article, He wants to share his knowledge with all who deal with boats or love sailing.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Celestial Navigation

2008-08-02T04:04:00.000+01:00

Celestial Navigation

Second Star To The Right - Finding your way with celestial navigation

by Jules Smith
You're a long way from home, adrift on an unfamiliar sea where few have ventured before. In every direction you see nothing but sky and ocean. You haven't spied land for weeks. While you've managed to capture some rainwater to drink, food is another matter. Chewing on leather is less than satisfying and the rats trapped aboard ship with you - themselves shockingly thin - are starting to look appetizing. It's imperative that you determine your position, now, before the rats make the first move.

This was the dilemma facing Ferdinand Magellan in 1519. He needed to establish his position before his food ran out and before his crew mutinied. But how? GPS satellites wouldn't be launched into orbit for more than four-hundred years. Even the sextant was still a long way off, not to appear until about 1757.

For Magellan, the answer was likely the astrolabe, a simple device that allowed a mariner to ascertain his position by measuring the sun's altitude above the horizon. It was crude -- inaccurate, useless in foul weather, and only able to provide one's latitude -- but sufficient to allow one of Magellan's captains to successfully complete the first circumnavigation of the globe.

Today, any explorer undertaking the same voyage would likely turn to a GPS unit, able to pinpoint a location within a few meters, any time of day, in any weather. But not necessarily.

Many die-hard traditionalists would rather look to the heavens, plotting their position as Magellan did five hundred years ago, by measuring the altitude of the sun or moon above the horizon and comparing it with the date and time.

Of course, when Magellan set out to find a westward route to the Spice Islands, he had no choice but to use the tools available to him. If he had had the option of using a GPS unit tied to artificial satellites, he almost certainly would have done so.

So why do voyageurs today, who have the freedom of using fast, accurate, and easy GPS, opt instead for the laborious, time consuming and error-prone methods of celestial navigation? What is celestial navigation, how does it work, and how can you learn it?

What is Celestial?

Celestial navigation, usually just called Celestial by those experienced with its use, is an ancient blend of art and science, based on a simple concept. Take your position on the earth's surface, the current date and time, and the apparent altitude above the horizon of a celestial body; the sun, moon, planets, or stars. If you know any two, you can calculate the third.

We do this all the time with barely a thought.

It's mid-summer. The sun has just peaked over the horizon. You know it's early morning, unless you're very far north or south, in which case it's closer to noon.

With experience, astronomers know intuitively where to look to find specific constellations at any time of night and in any season.

Determining our location this way may be less intuitive for most of us because we do it so infrequently, but the principle is the same.

The Challenge Is Accuracy

How do you measure the precise altitude of the sun when it's too bright to safely view? How do you account for the refraction of light through the earth's atmosphere at different angles, your own height above the horizon, and the inherent inaccuracy of your instruments? A star or planet may appear as a single point of light, but the sun and moon appear much larger. Do you measure their height from the top or bottom, or guess as to the middle? Modern digital timepieces have eliminated one problem that plagued early explorers; we always know what time it is. But do we use our local time or some other standard?

Once you've taken your sightings and determined the time, how do you combine those data to produce values for latitude and longitude? The math isn't difficult, but it can be confusing since you're working with seconds, minutes, and degrees, not a straightforward base-10 system. Cindy took a few lessons in celestial several years ago. She admits, "the hardest thing I remember was the math. You don't add and subtract in groups of 10, but rather 6's since the math is based on 60 seconds to a minute. I made a mistake that could have cost me many many miles! Fortunately it was only a lesson quiz."

You also have to consult sight reduction tables, either on a computer or, for the purist, in an annual publication like the Nautical Almanac, based on data compiled by the U.S. Naval Observatory. These tables allow you to correlate all the values you've measured from two or more sightings and reduce them -- thus the name -- into a triangle containing your likely latitude and longitude.

If you're sighting during the day you'll use the sun. At night you may use the moon, or a star or a planet. Obviously it will help to be able to identify a few constellations, so a basic stellar atlas is also a good idea. A perfect sighting and flawless calculations will just get you lost if you've misidentified the star you're following.

It sounds like a lengthy, convoluted process, and it is when you're just starting out. But as with any skill, the more you practice it, the easier it becomes.

Learning The Ropes

Assuming the complexity of celestial hasn't scared you away -- perhaps it's even whet your appetite for more -- the next step is to actually learn the process.

Teaching you how to actually take a sighting and how to compute your location is beyond the scope of an article like this, but there are several options available.

You can ask a friend already experienced to show you how it's done. You can go to the library and borrow a few good books on the subject. Or you can take a course.

Most sailing schools teach courses in celestial navigation. The courses generally last a week and cost a few hundred dollars. Some schools will provide a sextant and site reduction tables; others will require you to bring your own.

At some point, if you decide to pursue celestial, you'll need to obtain your own sextant. Prices range from less than $200 CDN for basic models in plastic, to $3000 CDN or higher for brass sextants with multiple filters, micrometers, and telescopes. As is often the case, you get what you pay for; a higher quality sextant is likely to cost more, but it will also allow you to take more precise sightings and therefore to plot your position more accurately.

With a good sextant, a little experience, and a lot of patience, you may be able to pinpoint your location within two or three nautical miles. Mikael Pettersson, a lieutenant in the Swedish Navy (reserve), found this to be true when he sailed from Sweden to Japan via Panama and New Zealand in 1987, before GPS was commercially available. His main means of navigation was celestial, using an antique sextant manufactured in 1870.

While there's no denying that GPS is easier and more accurate, there are good reasons you may choose celestial.

Why Bother?

Keith Gore is an experienced celestial user. But he still recommends GPS. "When you most need a fix it's likely to be stormy and overcast with nothing visible to shoot. Celestial is a neat trick to learn, but for practicality I'd suggest simply buying a backup GPS or two. Cheap, drop dead accurate, and virtually idiot proof."

However, opinions vary, and with good reason.

The satellites that provide the GPS service are, for the most part, owned by the United States military. How that sits with your political views is one matter. Another is that, in the event of a security disruption, the Pentagon could decide to switch the system to a less accurate mode known as "selective availability," or disable it for civilian use altogether.

Even if that doesn't happen, there's still the issue of reliability. Badru Hyatt, who's made transatlantic crossings using only celestial, explains, "GPS's break all the time. Nautical electronics is notoriously unreliable, what with all the salt water that gets everywhere. Also, it's not uncommon for a boat to get hit by lightning and have all its on-board electronics fried. If that happens on an offshore passage and you don't know how to navigate celestially then you will be in a real predicament."

Mikael, mentioned earlier, agrees. "I would definitely have a sextant with me for any longer voyages. I would never fully depend on electricity on-board. It has nothing to do with romance, just common sense."

Although celestial navigation takes a certain degree of skill - or perhaps because of this - it tends to provide a greater sense of satisfaction. Badru comments, "I definitely do it for the ... I guess you could call it romance, but I'd prefer just to call it pure satisfaction. I find great satisfaction in being able to accurately determine my position anywhere on the earth using only 'old fashioned' methods."

While Magellan's voyage may have ended in disaster, that was due more to his failing as a diplomat than from the 'old fashioned' navigational tools he used. Certainly there was no failing on the part of the stars. With a little practice you can use those same stars to guide your way today.

Jules Smith is the principal of LightningStrike Studios, a professional business and technical writing firm offering a full range of services. LightningStrike provides magazine articles, newsletters, brochures, press releases, technical documentation, online help, ghost writing of books and articles, letters, and web site content. Visit www.lightningstrikestudios.com

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Yacht Charter Caribbean

2008-08-01T14:40:00.000+01:00

Yacht Charter Caribbean

Yacht Charter in Antigua and Barbuda

by ken jones
Christopher Columbus landed on Antigua in 1493 and named the island Santa Maria de la. Early Spanish settlement was replaced by English rule from 1632, with a French interlude in 1666. The islands were granted independence from British rule on the 1st November 1981. They remain members of the British. Commonwealth.

Reliable trade winds throughout the season, which runs from December to May, make Antigua and Barbuda a great yacht charter destination. Coral reefs and abundant marine life make for great snorkelling and scuba diving.

Antigua offers all the types of yacht charter; bareboat charter, skippered and crewed yachts, catamaran, sail and motor and super yacht charter.

Antigua has an international airport, with daily flights from many cities throughout the world. The East Caribbean dollar is the official currency but both US Dollars and Euros are used and major credit cards may be accepted in hotels, restaurants and some shops.

Creole cusine predominates on the islands. The national dish of Antigua is fungie and pepper pot. Fungie is a dish almost entirely made from cornmeal and very similar to the Italian polenta. Other local dishes include ducana, seasoned rice, saltfish and lobster from Barbuda. There are also local confectionaries which include: fudge, peanut brittle, raspberry and tamarind stew and sugarcake. Good international cusine is also widely available.

Antigua is home to the famous English Harbour that lies on the island’s southern coast. Nearby Shirley Heights is famous for "Jump Up", BBQs and punch parties with live music and dancing.

To the east of English Harbour is Falmouth Harbour, major yachting centre in its own right. Home to Nelson's Dockyard, the only working Georgian dockyard in the world. There is a museum dedicated to Admiral Lord Nelson who used English Harbour as his Caribbean base in the late 18th century. Nelsons Dockyard is an active yachting centre and the bay now has three large marinas and the Antigua Yacht Club.

Green Island, at the mouth of Nonsuch Bay on Antigua's east shore, offers an unspoilt anchorage.

St. John's is the capital of Antigua and lies on the islands west coast. Here you will find good provisioning. Five Island Harbour, just south of St. John's, offers a choice anchorages in which good shelter can be found whatever the winds direction.

Jolly Harbour, on the south coast is a large complex of boatyards, marinas, restaurants, and shops.

Redonda, Antigua's out-island, lies 30 miles to the southeast. It is completely uninhabited

Barbuda lies 20 miles to the north of Antigua and offers good sailing and a number of lovely anchorages on its west and south sides. Codrington Lagoon is on the west side and is seven miles long with pink sandy beaches. Codrington, Barbuda's largest town is worth a vist while here. Many other pleasant beaches can be found on the island often covered with shells.

Every April sees the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, hosted by the Antigua Yacht Club. And in May there is the Rolex Antigua Sailing Week. This local sailing week has grown into an international event attracting competitors from the world over and combines top quality yacht racing and an unforgettable social scene.

Ken Jones runs a Crewed Yacht Charter Guide.
Follow this link for more info on Yacht Charter Antigua.
See our marine directory for Yacht Surveyors

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Florida Yacht Charters

2008-07-31T06:56:00.000+01:00

Florida Yacht Charters

Florida Yacht Charter; Top Five Marinas to Dock Your Yacht

by eYachtCharter.com
Today’s upscale marinas are offering more than just dockage, they are now providing a full range of amenities that enhance the yachting experience. With new acquisitions, multi-million dollar renovations and some of the finest amenities, most upscale marinas are making the Florida Yacht Charter into a grand experience.

Since Labor Day has passed, the majority of luxury vessels will be migrating south to the Florida Region. For those booking a Florida Yacht Charter, some of the ports of call are just as important as the boat itself. Listed below are the top five marinas in the state that cater to the most elite ships on the water.

Rybovich Marina, Palm Beach FL

The Rybovich name has been a cornerstone in the South Florida luxury sport fishing industry since the 1940’s. The name has been synonymous with some of the sport’s most innovative vessel construction and design. The facility located in Palm Beach has been a pillar in the Palm Beach & Riviera Beach community for decades.

The facility has recently completed a $100 million dollar renovation that built a state-of-the-art mega-yacht service facility and marina. The marina will boast a 600 Ton Marine Travelift making it the only one of its kind on this side of the hemisphere. The lift has the capability of hauling vessels up to 240’ feet in length. It is largest transient dock in Florida with high-speed fuel. The marina also has a waterfront restaurant, retail shops and available commercial office space for lease.

The marina features floating concrete docks up to 230’ feet with dockage for vessels up to 250’ feet. The facility is open 7 days a week and is secured by a staff 24 hours a day. There are concierge, laundry, restroom and shower facilities on site as well as trade shops, which feature the latest technology. This marina is the ideal location for travelers, captains and crewmembers to relax.

Sunrise Harbor, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Westrec is one of the largest owner operators of marinas in the U.S. It has an impeccable proven track record when it comes to efficient marina management, and Sunrise Harbor in Fort Lauderdale is no exception. Sunrise Harbor offers the mega yacht community a state-of-the-art marina with amenities, services and leisure activities for the entire family. This upscale marina includes several areas for families to kick back and relax poolside. The health center includes top of the line fitness equipment with sauna and therapeutic massage facilities.

Once you dock at this marina you are within steps of Fort Lauderdale beach, first class resorts, luxury shopping on Las Olas or the Galleria Mall and fine dinning at five star restaurants such as Seasons 52, Capital Grille and the Blue Martini. This marina has everything you’ll need on land or sea to enjoy your Florida Yacht Charter vacation.

The Galleon Resort & Marina, Key West, FL

The Galleon Marina is one of the finest places in the keys to dock. The resort and marina offer exclusive amenities for their guests including a pool, private beach, sauna and exercise room. This marina is also located in one of the most highly protected harbors in the Keys. The Galleon Marina is breakwater shielded and provides specially engineered docks for maximum protection.

This facility is proud to host some prestigious races such as the World Championship Power Boat Races, the Clearwater to Key West Yacht Race, and Audi/Yachting Race Week. For those who want to be in attendance for the action may charter and book to dock during one of the race weeks or any other festivities that Key West has to offer.

Old Port Cove Marina & Yacht Club, Palm Beach, FL

Old Port Cove Marina is one of the major marinas in Palm Beach, Florida. The Marina recently went under major renovations to its facility that allow it to accommodate vessels from as small as 30-feet to mega-yachts up to 190 feet in length. The marina is reopening this Fall for dockage. The renovation plans for the marina include the replacement of all current docks, piers and pilings with beautiful new state-of-the-art hard wood decked floating docks. The marina features new power pedestals with electric, cable, phone, WIFI, and the convenience of in slip pump-out. It is located just off Coast Guard Channel north of the Palm Beach Inlet, the marina is minutes from some of the finest fishing and cruising grounds in Florida and is an excellent "jumping-off" spot to the Bahamas.

In addition to the phenomenal dockage facilities the Old Port Cove Yacht Club is ideal for guests to dine and be entertained. This five star establishment has first class service that hosts formal evenings on a regular basis.

The Harborage Yacht Club & Marina, Stuart, FL

This marina is located in one of Florida’s most serene locations. There are over 150 yacht slips available. Complimentary valet service is provided for guests from their slip to the yacht club or spa. This stunning facility combines beauty and elegance with necessity and security. Located in Florida’s Sailfish Capital, the Harborage provides a complete suite of luxury amenities that cater to the most discerning yachtsmen.

Noted as one of the gems along the Treasure Coast, this marina attributes to the ultimate Luxury Yacht Charter experience. For those looking to couple luxury with the adventure of Florida’s lively waters. The Harborage is an optimum retreat from life on the water.

eYachtCharter.com is a full service Luxury Yacht Charter firm with travel and yachting news, resources and a comprehensive directory of sail and motor yachts located in exotic destinations worldwide.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Caribbean Yacht Charter

2008-07-30T13:40:00.000+01:00

Caribbean Yacht Charter

Tips for a Cayman Islands Yacht Charter in the Caribbean

by eYachtCharter.com
The thriving economy and exotic diving destinations in the Cayman Islands have made this a viable luxury yacht charter location. These islands offer luxury, fun and adventure to international travelers. The information listed below provides you with tips to help your Cayman Islands Yacht Charter run smoothly.

Yacht Entry & Clearance
For passengers planning to charter a yacht to the Cayman Islands, have your charter broker or directly contact an on shore agent and provide them with all of your group’s personal information at least one week before the vessel’s arrival. The onshore agent will make sure that all of the paperwork will be ready when the yacht arrives at port. Quick processing with advanced notice will allow the group to have more time enjoying their vacation.

Currency
For travelers from Europe and the US, the Caymans are affordable but there is an exchange difference in currency. Both the Cayman Island Dollar and the US Dollar are accepted in all locations although the exchange rate is fixed.
.82 = $1.00 USD

Inter- Island Travel
If your vacation is going to be based out of Grand Cayman, consider chartering a plane or helicopter to visit the other Cayman Islands in record time. Have your agent or broker get into contact with Grand Cayman Island Air or Caymanhellis. Depending on your vessel, it may be feasible to have the helicopter pick you up directly from a launch pad on the yacht.

Private Helicopters
Helicopters may be approved by the Cayman Island Civil Aviation Authority to clear in and prepare for guest arrivals and departures.

Provisioning and Supplies
One of the major benefits of traveling aboard a Cayman Islands Yacht Charter is that while you are tucked away in an island oasis, the proximity to the United States allows provisioning requests for food and supplies to be fulfilled within less than 24 hours.

Tides
The maximum tidal range in the Cayman Islands during the year is about 18 inches. The seas are notably flat calm for 95% of the year. The serene waters make this Caribbean escape the optimum located for cruising, fishing or skiing from a tender that launches from the luxury yacht. Optimum conditions contribute to an enjoyable yacht charter vacation with less seasickness and the ability to do more activities than in rough waters.

Resources
The Cayman Islands offer numerous benefits to Caribbean yacht charter adventurers. If you are looking to book a charter to these islands for the first time, two great resources to utilize for information are the Cayman Islands Tourism Authority Guide as well as Boats Wain’s Beach.

Most yacht charter firms will provide their clients with all of the travel information they need and take care of the details such as provisioning and yacht entry. It is still to the vacationer’s benefit to know more about their destination in order to get the most from their yacht charter experience.

eYachtCharter.com is a comprehensive directory of luxury sail and motor yachts for charter to exotic destinations worldwide.

In addition to yacht charter marketing services, EYC is the leading resource provider of luxury travel destination and yachting news from around the world.
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Langkawi Sailing

2008-07-29T07:58:00.000+01:00

Langkawi Sailing: "Langkawi Sailing"

Yacht Charter in Thailand

By Ken Jones
The choice of yacht charter in Thailand is wide and includes; bareboat yacht charter, luxury crewed yacht charter, skippered yacht charter, monohull and catamaran charter and both sail and motor yacht charter.

Many of beautiful islands of Thailand are only accessible by sea and a yacht charter is a great way to explore this area. The main yacht charter area is amongst the islands of the Andaman Sea.

Different indigenous cultures have existed in Thailand since the time of the Baan Chiang culture. Due to its geographical location, Thai culture has always been greatly influenced by India and China as well as the neighbouring cultures of south east Asia. The first Thai state is traditionally considered to be the Buddhist kingdom of Sukhothai founded in 1238. A century later, the larger Siamese kingdom of Ayutthaya overshadowed Sukhothai's power. Ayuthaya fell in 1767 to Burmese forces. The current era of Thai history began in 1782 following the establishment of Bangkok as capital of the Chakri dynasty under King Rama I the Great.

European powers began travelling to Thailand in the 16th century. Despite European pressure, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been colonized by a European power. Despite this, Western influence led to many reforms in the 19th century and major concessions to British trading interests. This included the loss of the three southern provinces, which later became Malaysia's three northern states.

In 1932, a bloodless revolution resulted in a new constitutional monarchy. During the war, Thailand was allied with Japan. Yet after the war, it became an ally of the United States. Thailand then went through a series of coups d'état, but eventually progressed towards democracy in the 1980s

Thailand, Phuket and the Andaman Sea have gained a reputation for being a top yacht charter destination. There is an abundance of islands to visit, some developed but most not. Several national parks and reefs offer great opportunities for diving and fishing. Most of these picturesque islands of the Andaman Sea are accessible by boat alone and a yacht charter is one of the few ways to see them.

Yacht charter in Thailand is relatively easy and relaxing with well charted waters, small tidal ranges, an absence of strong currents, and an abundance of sheltered yacht anchorages with excellent holding ground. Sailing conditions are close to perfect all year round. Basic necessities like fuel, water, fresh produce and provisions are readily available and may be found on many of the islands. The waters are teeming with fish which you can catch yourself or which you can buy or barter for with fishermen. Most of the islands will also have inexpensive restaurants where you can enjoy Thailand's great cuisine.

Thai cuisine blends five fundamental tastes: sweet, spicy, sour, bitter and salty. Some common ingredients used in Thai cuisine include garlic, chillies, lime juice, lemon grass, and fish sauce. The staple food in Thailand is rice, particularly the jasmine variety rice, also known as Hom Mali rice, which is included in almost every meal.

Phuket has emerged as a leader in Thailand's thriving tourism industry. As the hub of the Andaman Sea and Thailand's largest island, Phuket is the perfect base for a yacht charter. There are beautiful remote islands and beaches, crystal clear waters, fascinating geography in addition to restaurants, nightlife and great shopping. From Phuket there is immediate access to sailing in stunning scenery and literally hundreds of isolated yacht anchorages from which to choose.

The Thai people are legendary for their welcome: Thailand is often called the " Land of Smiles". The cuisine of Thailand is probably one of the best in the world and eating out is so cheap that there is no temptation to cook on the yacht. Thailand is a romantic and alluring destination for any yacht charter holiday.

The international airport on Phuket offers direct connections to many international destinations in addition to connecting flights from Bangkok. Thai is the official language and but English is spoken widely. The currency is the Thai. US Dollars are used extensively. Major credit cards may be accepted in hotels, restaurants and some shops.

Thailand has two distinct seasons. From November to April the weather is consistently sunny and dry with temperatures at around 30°C degrees. The predominantly light to moderate northeast winds are ideal for sailing. From May to October the southwest winds pick up and are sometimes quite strong with occasional squalls. Weather conditions during this period are generally good. Although you can expect rain showers but they tend to be short lived. Winds blow from 5-20 knots over the two seasons.

Phang Nga Bay is a typical Thai yacht anchorage with the stunning sea-mountains that rise vertically out of turquoise waters. Numerous safe anchorages are available in the sheltered bay. Use a tender or dinghy to explore the small coves, intriguing caves and inland lakes.

The waters around the islands off Krabi are crystal clear. Although Krabi can be crowded, its beaches are stunning. Phra Nang beach is particularly dramatic with its mountainous rock pillars that tower over creating one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

The Koh Dam Group is suitable for an overnight stop. Koh Dam Khwan has a beautiful sandy split beach that is only revealed at mid tide. This is a lovely spot to anchor off and enjoy a few secluded hours with nothing else around.

The Phi Phi Islands are among the most spectacular of Thailand with their magnificent scenery, secluded bays and white sandy beaches. Enjoy the restaurants and live entertainment offered on the island.

Langkawi with its 99 surrounding islands is a paradise that longs to be discovered. Tourism has is on the increase. Only 4 of these islands are inhabited. If you are looking for an idyllic isolated experience these are the perfect cruising grounds for you. A one way yacht charter from Phuket requires 10 days and crew.

Diving in Thailand is great. The waters of the Andaman Sea are filled with a wonderful diversity of marine life, including coral and some of old shipwrecks for diving enthusiasts to discover. Lots of boats equipped with scuba diving equipment and many diving centres around the Islands.

There are several well known sailing regattas in Thailand; Visit in December and join in the celebrations surrounding the annual Phuket King's Cup Regatta that attracts some of the best world's yachtsmen. With a range of yacht classes from racing yachts, sport boats, cruisers and classics. QBE Phang bay Regatta, held annually over Chinese New Year, is Phuket's newest Regatta. It is fast gaining a reputation as one of the most fun Regattas in Asia.

Ken Jones runs a [http://www.sail-the-net.com/yacht-charter/yacht-charter-intro.html target=blank]Crewed Yacht Charters Guide.

Follow this link for more info on [http://www.sail-the-net.com/yacht-charter/destinations/indian-ocean/thailand.html target=blank]Thailand Yacht Charters.

See our Cruising Guide for [http://www.sail-the-net.com/marinas/marinas_intro.html target=blank]Thailand Marinas.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Jones http://EzineArticles.com/?Yacht-Charter-in-Thailand&id=1096913

Boat Shoes

2008-07-28T11:04:00.000+01:00

Boat Shoes

Boat Shoes - What Are They?

By Jack Moe
The term "boat shoe" describes a wide variety of casual footwear. Sometimes referred to as "deck shoes," the boat shoe was originally designed to be a tough, sturdy shoe with particularly good traction to keep sailors on their feet in wet weather and on slippery decks. The modern boat shoe most likely evolved from the Native American moccasin and still bears a resemblance to this ancient shoe.

Over time, with so many nautical enthusiasts wearing these types of shoes around, the boat shoe became a status symbol as much as a functional piece of sailing gear. The style became popular with people from all walks of life, even if they had never stepped foot on the deck of a boat. As a result, the boat shoe is now a style of shoe as much as anything, and wide gap exists in the quality of a boat shoe designed for sailing and one that is simply styled on the technically superior shoe.

A good pair of boat shoes should fit snug, but comfortably. Your foot should not slide side to side or forward and back, yet your toes should not be cramped in the toe box. The most important feature of a boat or deck shoe is the sole. Boat shoe soles should have a lot of grip and really keep your feet where you plant them. The whole purpose of deck shoes is to help keep you upright on a slippery deck. Sometimes with laces, but more often without, boat shoes are also designed to be easy to sip on and off.

Most quality boat shoes will be made of leather, and you can treat them with various kinds of leather conditioners and waterproofers. Products specifically made for extremely wet conditions are available for the best protection possible. If your deck shoes have a removable liner, regularly take them out and spray them to keep them fresh and clean.

From a fashion standpoint, boat shoes would likely be categorized and sport-casual. These types of footwear are likely not going to be seen running around the office; penny loafers or dress shoes are the norm there. You may more likely find a pair of boat shoes under the table on an outdoor patio on someone sipping ice tea at the tennis club. Perhaps by a young fellow in pastel shorts strolling along a sunny beach someplace.

When buying any shoe, always try on both feet and walk around the store a little bit. For a deck shoe, see if you can get off the carpet and stand on a hard surfaced floor. Plant your feet and test the grip. See how the traction feels under your feet. Make sure the shoes are comfortable and stable without being too tight.

When purchasing boat shoes online, always find a reputable website like [http://www.housershoes.com/]www.housershoes.com to buy from. One of the benefits of shopping through a website from Houser Shoes is you are likely to find an amazing deal as well as a top quality product. The only danger is that with such an amazing inventory of quality discount footwear is that you might find yourself suddenly taking up tennis or running as well!

Jack Moe has over one million words in print in online journals, web magazines and traditional magazine and newspaper publications. He has a Masters in Journalism.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Moe http://EzineArticles.com/?Boat-Shoes---What-Are-They?&id=1197283

Luxury Yachts

2008-07-28T07:12:00.000+01:00

Luxury Yachts

Monaco - Luxury Yacht Show Fights Global Warming

by Roger Munns
The world's leading luxury yacht show in Monaco is to pay for 55 wind turbines in New Zealand - enough to generate power for 45,000 homes - making the event 'carbon neutral'.

Under the watchful eye of Prince Albert, the yacht show is part of Monaco's new stance on global warming, and comes shortly after Prince Albert himself travelled to the North Pole in April to highlight the damage he believes global warming is having on the environment.

'Since Prince Albert came to the throne last year' comments Henri Boulanger of Monte Carlo travel guide YourMonaco, 'Monaco has changed her policy from one of the few countries not to sign the Kyoto Protocol to not only signing it but taking a lead in the battle against global warming. Prince Albert has personally taken steps to show how concerned he is, and by setting the example of going to the North Pole has shown the leadership necessary to encourage Monaco companies to become environmentally friendly, and the Monaco Yacht Show is an example of this'.

The Monaco Yacht Show has bult a reputation over the years as the place for the wealthy to view potential purchases, and this year there will be nearly a hundred yachts on display to those able to afford it.

In total 22,000 visitors are expected to attend with over 500 exhibitors from the yachting world exhibiting.

The mix of wealth and Monte Carlo also means that real estate agents in Monaco will be on full alert. In previous years the Monaco Yacht Show has often proved more beneficial for the realtors than the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Monaco Grand Prix attracts tens of thousands of Formula 1 fans annually to the principality at the end of May, but with some Monte Carlo streets closed, showing property in Monaco can be more problematic than during the Yacht Show.

Monte Carlo real estate specialists Tribune Properties say that the more relaxed atmosphere of the Yacht Show allows potential property buyers to view properties.

'If someone is visiting Monaco for the Yacht Show and has several million Euros available, it's a pretty safe assumption that those buyers will have a few million for a property too, and a luxury yacht and Monaco Real Estate appeal to the same type of buyer', claims Roger Munns, Tribune's Managing Director.

Typical of Monaco Real Estate prices is a two bedroom two bathroom apartment in Seaside Plaza, close to where the Yacht Show is located, at 3,700,000 Euros.

Monaco Hotels

The emergence of the Yacht Show has helped the Monaco economy by drawing the world's wealthy to the principality for four days in September.

Until recently the Monaco Grand Prix in May and the Monte Carlo Masters tennis the month before have been the two main events of the year which boost the occupancy levels of the hotels in Monaco.

With the Yacht Show in September filling the hotels at premium rates, it has proved to be a welcome addition to the calendar of events for both residents and businesses alike, and the Hotel de Paris Monte Carlo will be the scene of many deals being signed over the four days.

This year also saw the first Monaco Flower Show, which it is hoped will also be a tourist magnet in future years.

'In the past Monaco has had the highlights of the Monaco Grand Prix and the tennis, with consistent numbers of visitors the rest of the year, but Monaco is becoming much more diverse in what it offers throughout the calendar year. The Yacht Show has been a success, and given a little time the Monaco Flower Show will appeal to a different type of tourist, and might be as popular as the Hampton Court and Chelsea Flower Shows are in the UK. Diversity is the key to sustained tourism, and Monaco is doing it very well.

Despite being the second smallest country in the world, Monaco has attracted many of the world's top business and entertainment people to live there due to her income tax free status, and with Prince Albert at the helm it seems that the principality is beginning to punch above her weight in world politics as he takes the lead on environmental issues', conclude YourMonaco.

For hotels in Monaco visit http://www.yourmonaco.com
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com

Yachts

2008-07-24T00:05:00.000+01:00

Yachts

Learn How to Strip Your Winches, Re-Grease and Re-Assemble - Winches are a Cinch

By Vincent Bossley
Just returned from a few days sailing on the yacht of a good friend of mine. First day out we noticed that one of the main winches was a tad stiff and revolving none too smoothly.

We decided to strip it down, clean it, re-grease and re-assemble it. This sounds a daunting task if you have never done it before, but in fact it is really quite simple and any sailor can do it easily with the few simple tools required and a little patience and care. It is a good exercise and one that should be included in your general maintenance programme from time to time.

Take a look at the illustration and you can see what you need. Some winch manufacturers supply a key for unlocking the top inner ring, but in the absence of that, Allen keys, a hammer(hard rubber preferred), brush, tube of winch grease, rags and a bucket with a goodly depth of diesel fuel in it. I prefer to use diesel as it is readily available(from your tank if you are in a far away place), but kerosene is ok too.

Insert the key in one of the holes in the top plate and tap it anti clockwise until it revolves. Once freed it should undo four to six revolutions quite freely. Always be super careful as you lift it off so that if it slips or falls, it drops inboard not outboard.

Gently prise off the main cover - usually done by standing astride the winch, one foot in the cockpit and the other on the deck and working it upward until it comes free. If it hasn't been off for sometime and dry inside, it could take some effort to move it and then come suddenly. Once again ensure that you have some ready hands outboard in case a loose part pops out unexpectedly. Remove the self tailing piece as you go and place in the bucket.

Take a Allen key the right size and undo the three or four screws at the base of the gears unit. From here you take each piece(cogs and spindles) and place them into the bucket as you go, noting carefully the order in which they come apart. Be careful not to dislodge the pawls and springs as they tend to fly away in directions you would rather they didn't!

Wash all parts thoroughly in the diesel with your brush and then wipe clean with the rag. Lay them out in order on your cockpit seat as shown.

Wipe a thin coating of the grease on spindles, inner surfaces and flat surface of the base. Grease the bearing races well and ensure they run well. Dob liberally into and onto gears and cogs. It is good to have them well coated but don't overdo it - too much grease and the surplus tends to dry out and go hard over time.

Re-assemble taking care that every part goes in in the correct order and fits properly. Check that you have not left any stray bits in the bottom of the bucket.

Refit the top ring, polish with your rag and you will have a shiny new winch again.

Spin it a couple of times and you will hear the satisfying way it revolves freely with the muted clicking of a newly greased winch - you will be most pleased with yourself.

Allow yourself a couple of hours for the first winch - after that it will be cinch.

We carried out this operation and the winch sounded so good that we stripped down all the others on the boat the following day - great fun!

You can see the images relating to this article on my blog at http://wwwsailboat2adventurecom.blogspot.com

And you can read more about daily maintenance when you are passagemaking in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship 'Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Vincent Bossley is a publisher and sailor and lives on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia. He has is own website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com for cruising sailors, sailors planning their lifetime adventure, armchair sailors, virtual sailors and in fact anyone who has ever dreamed of sailing the oceans of this beautiful planet of ours.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vincent_Bossley http://EzineArticles.com/?Learn-How-to-Strip-Your-Winches,-Re-Grease-and-Re-Assemble---Winches-are-a-Cinch&id=1156726

Sailing or Yachting

2008-07-23T09:49:00.000+01:00

Sailing or Yachting

Why Choose Fractional Sailing?

by David Yuri
Sailing can offer one of the most liberating experiences in the world. However, there are not many people that know how to sail properly and this is why the Internet can be so useful. For them, there are specialized companies providing yachts for rent and training programs, all at low-cost prices.

Fractional Sailing Program has offered interested customers the possibility to cruise with a luxurious yacht, paying only a part of the possession. Many clients have proved out to be interested, considering such programs as innovative and attractive. It represents a great alternative to owning a boat, especially as a lot of people still dream of owning one.

Sailing with a beautiful yacht can transform from a dream into a true reality with the help of the fractional sailing program. They have really convenient offers, providing intensive training sessions for beginners and showing their commitment throughout the entire sailing season. They have a flexible program, allowing the client 7 uses per month and additional uses if there are any boats available, at no extra cost.

There are many benefits to fractional sailing and the price is not the biggest advantage. They have Catalina sailboats just waiting to take you sailing in the local waterways, equipped with all the things needed, meaning safety items, cookware and high-tech electronics. A permanent, wireless Internet connection maintains a permanent communication with the shore, making sure that everything is working out just fine.

Their check-in and check-out system is wisely devised, so as the company and also the client are satisfied. They have the ability to constantly monitor the boat and alert the proper authorities in case something goes wrong. Also, the staff is warned about fuel, pumping or maintenance requirements.

The member program for fractional sailing includes training lessons for those who want to learn how to sail. The complete training program is designed to make an introduction to navigation and develop all the necessary skills, allowing clients in the future to sail out on their own. The program has flexible payment options and a big plus is represented by the fact that training is for free.

If one were to weigh the possibility of owning a boat and the one regarding the fractional sailing program, the final results were surely in favor of the second. There are no additional charges, no maintenance worries and no insurance policy to pay. However, clients are responsible for any damages and they also have to do the cleaning after the rental period expires.

For those who want to learn how to sail, there are a few things that should be known. First of all, the type of training depends very much upon the location. There are intensive courses which last up to three days but it will take a lot more to learn the true art of sailing. The basic stuff taught includes sailing orientation, yacht terminology and vital information about safety equipment. Life vests, flotation items and navigation elements should be present at all times and clients should learn how to use them properly.

There is also the owner member program, very interesting when you come to think about it. You buy a boat, you introduce it in the program and enjoy a great period of sailing without thinking about any other details. After the agreement expires, you have several options to choose from. You can, of course, keep the boat, sell it or exchange it with a new one. Whatever you pick out, you can be sure that you are dealing only with professionals, trained to serve and assist you.

There can be said a lot of things about sailing. The most important and certain thing is that it is just as popular today as it was centuries ago. The reasons for why we sail may have changed, but there are still some common elements. More and more people opt for fractional sailing, being attracted by the member programs and fair prices, welcoming also the possibility to be trained into the art of sailing.

You may have heard of fractional sailing. Now it’s the time to try it. Come and pay us a visit and we will be most glad to present our special offers. Join our community and learn how to sail with our training programs. Ready to sail, mate?
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com

Sailing Vacations

2008-07-21T23:29:00.000+01:00

Sailing Vacations

Sailing in St. Thomas By: Edmundo Nurthen

When selecting a vacation destination, many individuals and families select a destination that offers them excitement and relaxation, all at once. If this is what you are looking for out of your vacation, then a St. Thomas vacation may be just for you.

St. Thomas is located in the Caribbean. As one of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas is known as one of the hottest, vacation destinations in the world. If you have never had the pleasure of vacationing in St. Thomas before, you may be wondering what awaits you there. In St. Thomas, there are an unlimited number of services and activities that you may find exciting. One of those activities is sailing.

The ocean waters surrounding St. Thomas are ideal for sailing. Beginners and even the most experienced sailors can enjoy sailing in the St. Thomas area. Since most individuals vacationing in St. Thomas fly into the area, you will have to find boat rentals. When renting a sail boat, it is likely that you will have a number of different options. Sail boats come in all different shapes, sizes, styles, and designs.

Before planning an independent sail off the coast of St. Thomas, you may need to take a number of important factors into consideration. One of these factors is your level of sailing experience. Many of the individuals and companies that provide boat rentals require that you have the appropriate level of sailing experience. You may be required to take sail boat for a test drive or you may need to show documents that show you are licensed to operate a sail boat. Many individuals and companies do this to protect their investments.

To make arrangement to rent a sail boat, it is advised that you make your reservations ahead of time. Sailing is a popular vacation pastime in St. Thomas. To guarantee that you are able to have access to an available boat, you will want to make your boat rental reservations well in advance. You can easily learn of boat rentals that can be found in or around the St. Thomas area by requesting a St. Thomas vacation packet. Your local travel agent may also be able to offer you assistance.

While sailing is an activity that is enjoyed by many, most individuals are unable to operate a sail boat. Just because you do not know how to operate a sail boat, does not mean that you cannot vacation on the waters surrounding St. Thomas. Throughout the area, you should be able to find multiple companies that offer guided sail boat rentals. In addition to paying for the boat rental, you will be provided with an experienced sailor who can take you on voyage that you will forever remember.

Sailing on the water surrounding St. Thomas is an exciting experience all on its own, but that is not the only thing you can do while on the water. While sailing on the water, you may be surprised with what you will find and see. A sail boat is a great way to vacation on the water, but sightsee as well. Scuba diving and snorkeling are also fun activities that can be combined with sailing. If you are with an experienced sailor who also is a trained scuba diver, you may be able to enjoy these two amazing activities all at once.

When you are searching for sail boat rentals, you may want to consider what the resort you plan on staying at has to offer. If you are vacationing at an all-inclusive St. Thomas resort, you may find that you are able to receive free sail boat tours. These free rides are not offered in all vacation packages, but may be able to save a large amount of money if they are.

Whether you plan on sailing yourself or you are using the services of an experienced sailor, you will be sure to enjoy your time on the water. Activities found on the St. Thomas Island are not limited. You can easily find an number of activities, many of which will be what your heart desires.

Deon Melchior is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit ArticleClick.com. Article Click is a free content article directory. You may reprint this article, as long as the article is unedited and this author box is included with it's live hyperlinks.

Luxury Yachts

2008-07-20T23:51:00.000+01:00

Luxury Yachts

Yachting – Luxury Boating at its Best

By John Gibb
When people see a yacht cruising by in the ocean, on a lake, or down a river, the usual reaction is a series of “oohs” and “aahs”. There is nothing that quite says “the good life” like a yacht. A yacht is something that most people only dream of owning; most are happy to simply be able to ride on one at least once in their lives.

Some yachts are so large and so luxurious that you can barely tell them apart from cruise liners. There really is no “average price” when it comes to yachts; their sizes, designs, and amenities vary so widely that their price ranges are vast. A top-of-the-line yacht can sell for as high as $60 million or more, and the least expensive yachts will still run in the hundreds of thousands. The bigger and more expensive yachts are often owned by companies for throwing parties, entertaining clients, or rewarding successful executives with luxury trips.

What exactly is it about a yacht, other than its size, that so enraptures people? For one thing, yachts are like floating mansions, or at the very least, very nice floating homes. For example, an upper-end yacht can have a living room, family room, several bedrooms, a den, office, library, bar, party room, and even a theater room. When riding on one of these, only the view from the windows, going out on deck, or the occasional rocking would betray the fact that you were actually on a boat.

Though it is true that most people, even those who are fairly successful, cannot afford a yacht, that doesn’t mean that that they can never have a chance to ride on one or maybe even pilot one. Fortunately, for those who are not blessed with enough disposable income to purchase their own yachts, these luxury cruisers can be rented by the hour, by the day, by the week, or for even longer. Many people will rent a yacht for cruising in the ocean or on a lake for a few days and consider it a complete vacation. If you rent the right kind of yacht, there may never be a reason to disembark from it while you’re using it, even if you’ll be on it for several days. Though experienced boaters can often pilot their own medium-sized or smaller rented yachts, when renting one of the larger models it is usually best, and often required, to have an experienced boat captain pilot it for you. When renting one of the much larger, upper-end luxury yachts, the rental usually includes a boat captain. Though renting one of the upper-end luxury yachts may still be out of many people’s price ranges, most people can still enjoy all the amenities and enjoyment that a smaller rented yacht offers. After all, if you are cruising on a yacht, no matter what the size, you are still going to get those admiring glances!

John Gibb is the owner of boating sources. For more information on boating check out http://www.boating-guidesforu.info

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Gibb http://EzineArticles.com/?Yachting---Luxury-Boating-at-its-Best&id=282180

Luxury Yachts

2008-07-20T11:13:00.000+01:00

Sailing Vacation

2008-06-16T08:29:00.000+01:00

Sailing Vacation

What is Inclusive in a Sailing Vacation?

By Carlos Montenegro
Instead of flying off to a distant land for a much needed vacation, why don't you spend almost the same amount on a sea sailing vacation. There are lots of destinations and before you select one, it is good to know what is inclusive in the package.

Despite its price tag, a lot of vacationers have said that an all inclusive sailing vacation saves you money because you don't' have to shell out any more money for food when you have already paid for this when you book the trip. All you have to do is check out the cuisines being offered and then dig in.

Naturally, you will already get a room throughout your stay so you can rest that as some say is similar to what a five star luxury hotel can offer.

So guests don't get bored while they are onboard, you also get to watch live entertainment, engage in activities planned by the ship's crew and the use of their facilities like the gym or pool with no extra charge.

But there are a few things that are not included in the package. These include the tips, the spa services, equipment rentals and the cost of shore excursions. All in all, you will probably spend $1,000 to $1,500 which does not yet include the cash you will spend buying souvenirs and eating when your ship is docked in port.

We mentioned earlier that food for the entire trip was free. Surprisingly, this does not cover the drinks that you will be consuming. So, passengers are advised to bring in a few refreshments of their own. Keep in mind though that there is usually a corkage fee for those who have hard liquor while in some sailing companies, this is not allowed.

The other option is to buy a prepaid card that allows you to order as much as you want at a flat fee. It is usually $30 for kids and $45 for adults.

Another thing that comes with some sailing vacation packages are airport transfers and airfare. With that, you won't have to worry anymore about how to get to the port especially when you have never been to this place before.

One question that a lot of people forget to ask before booking on a trip is if there is a cancellation policy inclusive in the sailing vacation in the event that the trip does not push through. The weather could postpone it indefinitely so you should know if you are able to get a full refund, given a voucher for another vacation or compensated in some other way.

A lot of sailing vacation companies posts what is inclusive in their packages by posting this in their website or in their brochure. If you don't have the time to look through them, call your travel agent so he or she can do the research and present to you the options that fall within your budget.

Once you know what is inclusive in a sailing vacation, it will already be easy for you to decide where you want to go. You just have to pack your bags and make it to the airport or the port of departure hours before they leave so you won't feel you are in a rush when you are supposed to take it easy and just relax.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carlos_Montenegro http://EzineArticles.com/?What-is-Inclusive-in-a-Sailing-Vacation?&id=1172295

Yachts

2008-06-13T13:51:00.000+01:00

Yachts

Learn How to Strip Your Winches, Re-Grease and Re-Assemble - Winches are a Cinch
By Vincent Bossley
Just returned from a few days sailing on the yacht of a good friend of mine. First day out we noticed that one of the main winches was a tad stiff and revolving none too smoothly.

We decided to strip it down, clean it, re-grease and re-assemble it. This sounds a daunting task if you have never done it before, but in fact it is really quite simple and any sailor can do it easily with the few simple tools required and a little patience and care. It is a good exercise and one that should be included in your general maintenance program from time to time.

Take a look at the illustration and you can see what you need. Some winch manufacturers supply a key for unlocking the top inner ring, but in the absence of that, Allen keys, a hammer (hard rubber preferred), brush, tube of winch grease, rags and a bucket with a goodly depth of diesel fuel in it. I prefer to use diesel as it is readily available (from your tank if you are in a far away place), but kerosene is ok too.

Insert the key in one of the holes in the top plate and tap it anti clockwise until it revolves. Once freed it should undo four to six revolutions quite freely. Always be super careful as you lift it off so that if it slips or falls, it drops inboard not outboard.

Gently prise off the main cover - usually done by standing astride the winch, one foot in the cockpit and the other on the deck and working it upward until it comes free. If it hasn't been off for sometime and dry inside, it could take some effort to move it and then come suddenly. Once again ensure that you have some ready hands outboard in case a loose part pops out unexpectedly. Remove the self tailing piece as you go and place in the bucket.

Take a Allen key the right size and undo the three or four screws at the base of the gears unit. From here you take each piece (cogs and spindles) and place them into the bucket as you go, noting carefully the order in which they come apart. Be careful not to dislodge the pawls and springs as they tend to fly away in directions you would rather they didn't!

Wash all parts thoroughly in the diesel with your brush and then wipe clean with the rag. Lay them out in order on your cockpit seat as shown.

Wipe a thin coating of the grease on spindles, inner surfaces and flat surface of the base. Grease the bearing races well and ensure they run well. Dob liberally into and onto gears and cogs. It is good to have them well coated but don't overdo it - too much grease and the surplus tends to dry out and go hard over time.

Re-assemble taking care that every part goes in the correct order and fits properly. Check that you have not left any stray bits in the bottom of the bucket.

Refit the top ring, polish with your rag and you will have a shiny new winch again.

Spin it a couple of times and you will hear the satisfying way it revolves freely with the muted clicking of a newly greased winch - you will be most pleased with yourself.

Allow yourself a couple of hours for the first winch - after that it will be cinch.

We carried out this operation and the winch sounded so good that we stripped down all the others on the boat the following day - great fun!

You can see the images relating to this article on my blog at http://wwwsailboat2adventurecom.blogspot.com

And you can read more about daily maintenance when you are passage making in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship 'Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Vincent Bossley is a publisher and sailor and lives on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia. He has is own website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com for cruising sailors, sailors planning their lifetime adventure, armchair sailors, virtual sailors and in fact anyone who has ever dreamed of sailing the oceans of this beautiful planet of ours.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vincent_Bossley http://EzineArticles.com/?Learn-How-to-Strip-Your-Winches,-Re-Grease-and-Re-Assemble---Winches-are-a-Cinch&id=1156726

Sailing Vacation

2008-05-15T13:06:00.000+01:00

Sailing Vacation

Mallorca - For Your Next Sailing Vacation

By D. Browall
A yacht charter in Mallorca and Menorca are packed with the
most exciting ride of your life. The two places have thousands
to offer to its visitors - from its beaches, ancient buildings,
annual festivals and fiestas, caves, and architectural
treasures. For instance, Mallorca (also known locally as
"Majorca"), has a lot of beach resorts, stalagmite caves, and
ancient monasteries. Moreover, the island is also famous for its
bird watching activities especially in Puerto Pollensa.
Meanwhile, Menorca has some of Europe's most protected and
stunning coastlines. In fact, the UNESCO proclaimed the island
as a Biosphere Reserve in 1993. Furthermore, it also has
beautiful gorges where different kinds of rare and exotic
flowers bloom.

Sailing in Mallorca and Menorca and bird watching are an
interesting combination. There are thousand of birds that either
nests or migrate in Mallorca. These include the Marmora's
Warbler, Scoop Owls, Moustached Warbler, Audouin's Gull,
Eleonora's Falcon, and the Black Vulture. These birds are
considered to be rare and can only be found in the country.
Roughly around 200 species of birds called the island their
home. The best place to watch birds is in Puerto Pollensa. This
is because its area is close to to Albufuera marsh.

On the other hand, the island of Minorca has also a lot of
wildlife. Evidences of this include its densely forested areas,
flush vegetation, and affluent fauna. About 15 percent of the
whole island is covered with trees and plants. In fact, there
are more than hundreds of plant species that can be found in
Minorca. These include the capers, chamomile, prickly pears,
wild fig, canes, rushes, and myrtle. Of the many trees in the
area, the most numbers belong to the wild olive tree. When it
comes to animals, the island has a lot of wild birds such as the
Egyptian vultures, booted eagles, hawks, and red kites. In this
place, hundreds of migrant birds occupy the sky with its bright
and attractive feathers. The best time to watch birds is during
the spring season - from the month of April to May.

Mallorca has many sheltered coves and nice harbors which are
well worth a visit, such as Andraitx, Pollensa and Alcudia.

The coast of the 'calas' ('coves') is to be found on the
south-east coast of Mallorca. This includes Porto Colom which is
the best natural harbor and anchorage in Mallorca and possibly
in the whole of the Balearic Islands.

You can also visit the nature reserve of Cabrera Island (you
need a special permission for this) then continue up the east
coast of Mallorca and sail across to Menorca where you can visit
the nice harbor of Mahon.

Ibiza and Formentera are only a days sailing away. Ibiza town
offering culture and great night life, contrasting with its
neighbouring island of Formentera, with its relaxed attitude and
beautiful beaches.

Meanwhile, the island of Menorca can offer its gently sloping
hills and fertile forests. yacht charter in Mallorca and Menorca
can be best enjoyed as you along with your trip visit this
island. The place, especially on the northern region, has been
well known because of its thick and lush vegetations. On the
other hand, the island's southern section is filled with sandy
beaches.

About the Author: For more info on yacht charter Mallorca
http://www.sboats.com/Yacht-Charter/Spain/ visit D. Browall's
website http://www.sboats.com - The Ultimate Guide to a Sailing
Holiday.

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=176847

Yachts

2008-05-05T01:55:00.000+01:00

Yachts

Tricks and Tips to Successfully Painting your Yacht, Part 1 - The Hull

By Phil Salthouse
When the time has come to paint your boat there are plenty of do's and don'ts to take into account. I have been a boat builder for 25 years and here is some advice on steps you can take to make this expensive procedure turn out for the best, without too much stress and strain.

Firstly, wash the boat from top to bottom to remove any salt residue, remove the mast and rigging and store these away. You may want to consider painting the mast at this time if required. Then lift the boat and place into the paint shed and set up the scaffolding at an easy height to work from.

Go over the boat and decide if there is any gear that you don't want to put back on after the repaint, or any changes that you want to make. Do these before any paint is applied so that they can be faired in and made to look like they were always meant to be there.

Cover the top of the boat from toe-rail to toe-rail with draping film so that you cover the entire deck area, this will stop all the dust from getting on the deck and into the interior of the boat. The clean up at the end will be a big enough job as it is. It is now time to mask up all the remaining fittings that you are not removing. It is hard to get tape to stick, once you get a layer of dust over things, without doing a major clean. The tape also gives some protection when you sand up close to the fitting.

Now it is time for the first sand, if you have access to orbital sanders you can do this part, make sure you use a good respirator as the dust from this is not good for the lungs. It will need a good, hard sand with about 80 grit paper. If this grit seems to take a long time to sand with, or clogs up very quickly, try a coarser grade, say 60, or you may need to solvent wash the area to remove any wax or polish that may still be there. You need to sand the entire surface until it is a matt finish with no shine showing, take particular care to get right into all the corners and up to any fittings etc. If you don't, then this is where the new paint won't stick well enough. Be sure to get the painter to check it before applying the undercoat.

The boat should be dusted down and washed with a de-greasing agent or wax remover just prior to painting to make sure that any contamination from other chemicals or oils etc. is removed. You can go around the boat and spot fill any areas that need repairing at this point, or get the first undercoat on, and while it is still fresh, go around and fill all the holes and imperfections you can see. I prefer to do the filling after the undercoat as it is easier to see all the areas requiring attention.

Now ask the painter to spray or wipe on a "guide coat". This is thinners, or solvent, with a dark tint in it. Once this is done your boat will look like the local gang has just attacked it with graffiti, but that's okay because you get to sand it all off! We need to move to a finer grade of paper at this point, I suggest around the 180 grade, and make sure it is "dri-lube" sheet paper. On the hull sides we use paddle boards that take a whole sheet of dri-lube. Paddle boards are roughly 300mmx200mm, made out of plywood, with a thin sponge foam on the face and a handle on the back, to which you staple a whole sheet of dri-lube paper. Once you have sanded the guide coat off, so that all you can see is undercoat, then it is time to dust and clean ready for the next undercoat. Again, get the painter to check your sanding before he puts the next undercoat on. All going well this will be the final undercoat.

Once this next undercoat is on, again, check to see if any filling is required and do it if it is. Then another guide coat is needed and away you go with the sanding, this time with around the 280 to 320 grade dri-lube. Once you have finished and the painter is happy, it's time for the top coat to be applied.

Once the top coat is applied, the next step is to mark out any boot top and stripes, for best results get someone to do this with a laser level. Apply the sign-writing, if it is within any of the stripes. Then back mask the boot top and stripes (back mask means mask all the newly painted topsides leaving only the stripe/boot top to be painted exposed) and sand with 280 to 320 grade paper, removing all the shine, then have the painter spray on the chosen colour. Warning: Don't mask over fresh paint with plastic or draping film as it holds the solvents in, softens the paint, and sticks the film to the new paint. Use plain brown paper.

When all this is hard you can now proceed to unmask the boat. When pulling the final tapes off, pull them back on themselves so as not to be pulling the new paint off the job. Uncover all the deck as well then stand back and admire the new look!

About the Author: Phil Salthouse comes from one of New Zealand's most prominent boating families. He has completed an apprenticeship in boat building; project managed many new builds and refits along with general maintenance work on all types of vessels. He was Managing Director of a successful New Zealand boat yard for many years and now runs his own project management and consultancy business, http://www.aquamagic.co.nz along with a question and answer website, http://www.goasktheboatbuilder.com where people can send Phil their boating questions and receive prompt friendly, honest, and independent advice for their boating issue.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phil_Salthouse http://EzineArticles.com/?Tricks-and-Tips-to-Successfully-Painting-your-Yacht,-Part-1---The-Hull&id=1052535

Sailing Basics

2008-05-02T05:02:00.000+01:00

Sailing Basics

Sailing Is Not A Complicated Sport

By Michael Sanford
It seems obvious how a sailboat sails downwind: It is pushed
along by the wind in its sails. Less obvious is how it can sail
upwind or how some sailboats can sail faster than the wind.

Sir Isaac Newton formulated three basic laws that pertain to
the motions and accelerations of all objects.

Let us have a look at the third law:

For any force exerted on an object, an equal but opposite force
must be exerted by that object onto whatever exerted the force.

A direct consequence of this law is the conservation of
momentum (Momentum equals mass times velocity). The conservation
of momentum tells us that if the velocity of one thing is
somehow changed (in either magnitude or direction) that the
velocity of something else must also change accordingly.

Moreover, a large change in velocity of a light object can be
balanced by a small change in velocity of a massive object. This
is, of course, how a sailboat sails. Because of its large sail
area, a sailboat can change the velocity of a huge amount of air
in a small amount of direction or speed.

The change of velocity that the sailboat imparts to the air
hitting her sails is mainly a change in the direction in which
the air is moving. So a sailboat can experience a large driving
force even when she is sailing against the wind.

In the real world, there are two forces. One is the wind
pushing on the sail when it is changing direction. The air
traveling over the leeward surface of the cambered sail creates
the second force. It has to travel a longer way to reach the end
of the sail (the leech), and as a consequence goes faster. This
is causing a pressure differential in accordance with
Bernoulli’s principle. (More speed gives less pressure and less
speed gives more pressure).

So a sailboat can sail upwind with the addition of these two
forces. But remember that the force created by the depression is
four times bigger that the one created by pushing the air
sideways.

A fluid flow exerts a force upon an object in a direction
perpendicular to the uninterrupted flow of that fluid. As a
result, a lift is generated. But there is also creation of a
drag that is a force acting in the direction of the
fluid.Because lift and drag are defined as being perpendicular
to one another, any force acting on a sail can, using
trigonometry, be divided into a lift component and a drag
component. By separating the force into these two components, we
can study the relationships between lift, drag, the shape of the
sail, and the angle between the sail and the airflow( AOA or
Angle Of Attack with the Greek letter).

Sailing is not a complicated sport. Anyone can do it and enjoy
it.

Spend time on the water

You just need to take a little time on the water. Trying and
collecting experience is one of the best way to learn. I am sure
you will have a great time on the water.

You can start just by yourself.

Plenty of sailors started buying, renting, borrowing or
otherwise obtaining a boat for their first sail without any
knowledge.

Let me say that you have to take care because it could be
hazardous to your health.

Get the Right Boat

For a child, learning to sail in a dinghy seems natural. For an
adult, it is not so simple. You react less by instinct and fear
to go on this unstable machine could surface. For this reason,
many people opt for a larger, seemingly more forgiving big boat
to learn on.

It is another way, but they miss out on a pure form of sailing
not experienced in larger boats. Is it Dangerous?

Which danger could threaten you on a small sailing boat? You
could tip over. It is called “Capsize”. Capsizing and learning
to right your boat again are all part of the learning process
and could be fun.

With the fear of capsize behind you, you will be able to
concentrate wholly on sailing maneuvers instead of constantly
worrying about getting wet.

Don't wait and Jump

Remember, you told everyone that you would like to become a
sailor and go across oceans…

Well, it's time to make good on that.

At first, gauge how you feel about the water.

During your last summer vacation, did you jump right in the
water or did you cautiously wade in? Okay, I agree it could
depend of the weather and the temperature of the water.

But if you're a jumper, you can stop reading here. Just take a
day off from the office, buy or rent a boat, or ask an old
friend sailor to come with you, and get out of here!

If you're still with me, then you're a wader. Don’t worry. I am
not a jumper too, and I sailed during the last 40 years having
fun. It is difficult for me to take the decision to go, but if I
fall, by accident,in the (cold) water, it is not such a big
problem for me. The more I think about, the less I go…

Have no fear. Nobody is going to splash you. Let's start with
dipping our toes into the water. The way to do that with sailing
is to go out and buy a few books about the sport. Stay away from
anything boring, technical, or overly historical. You need an
easy book, with a lot of drawings, and nice to read.

Lobbying, Lobbying

Now let's go to a more serious work. Figure out a way to catch
an invitation onto a sailboat. The important thing is to get
sailing. You can pay to go on a sailing boat with skipper, or
twist a friend’s arm to be invited aboard his next sail. I don’t
care the method. You need to go on the water. As a good info, it
is very rare to be sick on small boats. You are outside, in the
wind, all thing concurring to have you feeling well.

Just take care not to do a race with a crazy guy who will cure
you of sailing. You have to start with a mellow sailing day.

Take a Course

It's time to move on to the second step. Find an adult sailing
course and sign up for it. Personally, I would recommend taking
your first lessons in a small sailing boat, a dinghy. For
sailing courses they are designed for beginners. They will give
you an immediate response to any shifts in the variables that
affect sailing (weight, wind, waves, and weather).

If your wife (or your husband, boyfriend or girlfriend) wants
to learn sailing too, take separate classes. It's difficult
enough to learn a new sport without having your partner watching
over your shoulder at every step of the way.

It will be time later to sail (and should the occasion arise,
to fight) all together, as an old couple, on the same boat.

About the Author: For more information on sailing please visit
the sailing resource center at
http://www.sailing-advice-guide.info

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=16333&ca=Recreation

Sailing Away

2008-05-01T02:24:00.000+01:00

Sailing Away

Sailing Away On A Honeymoon Is Romantic

By Ray J. Walberg
The distance that a cruise can put you from your life and most
reality is what makes the cruises so special. You will find that
it can be very romantic for you and your loved one to experience
a cruise. Can you see yourself sailing at full speed with the
wind in your hair and the stars above while in the arms of your
lover? It’s a beautiful moment and you’ll find that it’s a
perfect vacation for you to be able to find the romance once
again. If you want to have a vacation filled with romance, you
may want to think about a cruise. A cruise is your best option
when it comes to reviving the romance.

There are others who would like to go on a romantic cruise.
These other couples may end up making the atmosphere even
better. You may want to ask some of your friends to go with you
so that you can have the best time of your life. You can have
romantic times with your lover and then you can do some friend
things with your best bud. You will find that asking another
couple to go with you, you’ll have a great time and you’ll feel
a lot more comfortable.

However, most of the time the couples that take a cruise are on
their honeymoon. For the honeymoon you will want to shop around
for a cruise line. Many of the cruise lines have discounts for
newlyweds and you’ll find a lot of attractive rates and
privileges. Some of the privileges that you may have is going to
a certain location or having a dinner at a restaurant. You will
find some kind of special treatment and it’s good idea to see
what they will offer you by shopping around. You will also want
to contact the cruise line if you would like to make some
special arrangements. You will notice that no favor goes
unnoticed and there is a price for everything, including flower
in the room.

You should know that many newlyweds will go with the Carnival
cruise line. Well most couples end up on Carnival. It is a
cruise that will create a fairy tale background and get the
romance in full bloom. You will fall in love all over again when
you take a carnival cruise line. You can have things like
balloons and flags in your room. You may need to pay for such
décor, but you will get a free wedding care at the first dinner
on aboard. You will want to purchase a honeymoon package. This
package includes champagne, T-shirt, cameras, and other things
that the cruise thing thinks that honeymooners will enjoy.

If you don’t want to go with Carnival, you can always look up
the Princess Cruises that are offered. Cabin decorations are
free to honeymooners and they will also give you a wedding cake.
This line offers two packages; the Honeymoon Experience and
Princess Honeymoon packages. With the less expensive package,
you will be given champagne, engraved glasses, chocolate dipped
strawberries, and long stemmed roses (all totaling less than
$150. The other package (the Princess package) will give you
all of that and more. You will get massages, robes, breakfast in
bed, room service, and more. You will diffinately feel pampered
with either package.

About the Author: Ray Walberg wrote largely for
http://www.alicante-spain.com , a website covering information
on Alicante and Benidorm. Writing for reports (e.g.
http://www.alicante-spain.com/calpe.html on Calpe ) he showed
his capability in the field.

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=152641&ca=Travel

Mediterranean Yacht Charter

2008-04-25T21:05:00.000+01:00

Mediterranean Yacht Charter

Mallorca Yacht Charter

By Ken Jones
The islands have been inhabited since prehistoric times, around 5000 BC, and there are many Cyclopean remains. These show the communities constructed dwellings of stone. There is evidence of primitive agriculture including the keeping of domesticated animals. Jewellery, pottery and tools appear to have been manufactured. Later Phoenician traders frequently visited them. In 654 BC the Carthaginians founded what is today Ibiza city. Roman occupation followed and the Visigoths in turn evicted them. The Moors invaded the islands during the 8th century and there is still evidence of their 300 year occupation to be found in the islands architecture and the customs of the islanders themselves. Christians reconquered the islands during the 13th century. Mallorca falling first in 1229, followed by Ibiza six years later.

Minorca was the last to fall in 1287. Initially the islands flourished as Catalan colonies but famines and raids by pirates encouraged by isolation from the mainland saw the Balearic Islands decline. The Bourbons following the conclusion of the Spanish War of Succession in 1715 occupied Mallorca and Ibiza. Minorca however was ceded to the British under the treaty of Utrecht along with Gibraltar on the Spanish mainland. British rule over Minorca continued until 1802. In the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39, Mallorca and Ibiza were soon under the control of Franco's forces enabling the Italian fleet to use Mallorca as it's base and offer support to the insurgents. Minorca remained Loyalist until 1939. The 1950's saw the first charter flights land in the islands bringing the tourists that have in turn bought prosperity to the islands and their peoples involved in this lucrative trade. After tourism agriculture and fishing make significant contributions to the economy of the islands. Fruit, olive oil, wine, majolica ware and silver filigree are exported in quantity.

This is a popular yacht charter destination and most people will find what they are looking for, be it motor or sail, monohull or catamaran, bareboat charter, skippered or crewed yachts.

The Balearic Islands yacht charter season generally runs from April to the end of October. July and August are the hottest and tends to have lighter winds; it is also the most expensive time to charter a yacht. April-May and September-October have a lot of plus points, the temperatures are more comfortable, those sailing are likely to getter better winds, it is not as expensive and while ashore you will avoid crowds of July and August.

Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands and covers over 3,500 sq. km. Prior to 1276 Mallorca's history was the same as the other islands. But then the kingdom of Mallorca was formed and included the island along with some areas of both mainland Spain and France. Perpignan, in Roussillon, France was the capital of the kingdom. It was returned to the crown of Aragon in 1343 and flourished until the discovery of the Americas and the subsequent change in major trade routes. The island is known for its stalagmite caves and architectural treasures and prehistoric monuments. A further landmark is the abandoned old monastery where both Chopin and George Sand lived. Es Pla, a large fertile plain, where cereals, flax, grapes, and olives are grown, dominates the interior. Pigs and sheep are raised. There is also limited mining of copper and lead and quarrying of marble.

In addition to numerous anchorages Mallorca has a lot of marinas, including; Puerto de Palma de Mallorca, Puerto de Cala Nova, Puerto Portals Marina, Puerto Sol de Mallorca, El Toro Marina, Marina de Santa Ponsa, Marina Andraitx, Marina San Telmo, Puerto de Soller, Pollensa Marina, Bonaire Marina, Alcudia Marina, C'an Picafort Marina, Serra Nova Marina, Puerto Cala Ratjada, Puerto de Cala Bona, Porto Cristo Marina, Cala d'Or Marina, Porto Petro Marina, Campos Marina, Rapita Marina, Puerto de s'Estanyol, Arenal Marina, San Antonio de la Playa Marina, Puerto de Cala Gamba, Puerto de Cala Portixol. More detailed information on these marinas can be found in the Balearic Islands section of our cruising guide.

Palma de Mallorca, on the south coast and renowned for it's spectacular sunsets, is the capital city. La Seu is the city's enormous cathedral. Built on the site of a former mosque, construction commenced in 1230. It was completed some 370 years later in 1600. Anybody, today, who has tried to hurry a Spanish builder will be undismayed at what to others must look like an eternity in time. The city also has museums, Renaissance mansions a plenty in the old town and many attractive churches.

Puerto de Palma de Mallorca is an enormous marina set in the capital. In addition to the marina facilities commercial shipping, fishing boats, ferries and the military, uses the port. All this commercial traffic has right of way. Entry and shelter are excellent in all conditions. The marina gets very crowded in the summer months and berths are extremely difficult to obtain. There is a useful anchorage in a bay to the east of the port.

Puerto de Cala Nova is medium sized purpose built marina. The marina is somewhat overshadowed by the surrounding high rise buildings but on the whole is pleasant. Entrance is easy and shelter good in all but strong E-SE winds when some swell may be experienced. There are several small beaches nearby but these get very crowded in the summer months. Palma de Mallorca is only a short distance away.

The Serra de Tramuntana Mountains, rising to nearly 1500m, dominate the northwest of the island. The combination of a rugged, rocky coastline, pine forests, olive groves and small, charming villages, Deia in particular, perched high above the Mediterranean, make this part of the island quite beautiful.

Two bays dominate the north east coast, the Bahia de Pollenca and the Bahia d'Alcudia. An almost continuous string of sandy bays and beaches make up the eastern coast and unsurprisingly this area has seen intense development.

Pollensa Marina is set at the head of a beautiful wide bay. The water is on the shallow side and attention must be paid to the depth when approaching and entering the marina. Winds from the NE - SE can make entry difficult and sometimes dangerous. The old town of Pollensa is worth a visit. The area is good walking country with a 1 mile stroll N to Cala Vincente worthwhile.

Alcudia Marina is situated in a larger harbour, which is used by commercial and fishing craft. The marina is easy to approach and enter but shelter is limited with E - SE winds. There is considerable tourist development and the whole area is very crowded during the summer. There is a Roman theatre, St Martin's cave and a castle and museum, which may be of interest.

The southern coast, by contrast, is in the main rocky cliffs plunging into the Mediterranean. Port d'Andratx, on the south west coast, is a small attractive town built on low hills all around a narrow bay. Majorca has a magnificent coastline consisting of rocky outcrops intermingled with many small coves that offer excellent sandy beaches.

Andraitx harbour serves both as marina and is home to the local fishing fleet. The surroundings are most attractive as is the local village. Although the housing developments have taken away some of its original charm. Entrance is easy and protection good. Yachts can though expect some gusts from the high surrounding hills and strong winds from the S - SW can produce swell.

The semi-arid island of Sa Dragonera is part of a chain of islands off the southern coast of Mallorca, known for its abundance of wildlife and high, stunning cliffs. The wildlife includes peregrine falcons, migratory birds, and seabirds. Indigenous lizards and bats are also found on the island and timid mular dolphins can sometimes be seen around the coast. Head for the eastern shore and the natural harbour of Cala Lled. There is an excellent visitor's centre here and some great walking trails that take in historical sights as well as some superb views and wildlife spotting.

Cabrera, an important bird sanctuary, also lies of the south coast of Mallorca. Yachts wishing to visit need to apply for a permit by sending copies of their sailing license and passport(s) to the base three weeks before arrival. Puerto de Cabrera, on the northwest coast, has 50 laid moorings and yachts must use these overnight. It is possible to anchor in S'Illa des Fonoll bay on the east coast during the day. These restrictions are to protect the algae plant, which makes a major contribution to the food chain of this island.

Ibiza, covering 572 sq. km, is the third largest of the islands. The capital is Ibiza city, renowned for it's extravagant nightlife. This attracts large numbers of tourists; over one million now visit every year. Some of Spain's most famous discos are to be found hear along with plethora of bars, cafes and restaurants. The Dalt Vila, a souk-like walled city, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are plenty of beaches but in the summer months these get very crowded. Cala Mastella on the east coat and Beniras on the west are two of the best. Santa Eulalia is an attractive village and has three great beaches; Playas de Santa Eulalia, Cala Blanca, and Es Canar. San Juan also boasts good beaches such as Cala de Sant Vincent, Cala Portinaitx, and Cala Xarraca and the remains of a Carthaginian temple in the cave of Cueva des Cuieram. The locals of San Jos not only have a host of beaches but also one of the most beautiful churches on the island. The north of the island is popular with cyclists and hikers. Inland the landscape is rocky and pine trees grow in abundance. Fishing and salt works contribute to the economy with some subsistence farming, aided by irrigation. Little rain falls and the predominant crops are almonds, figs and olives.

In addition to some lovely anchorages there are several marinas on Ibiza; Marina Botafoch, Puerto Ibiza la Nueva, Puerto San Antonio-Abad, Puerto Santa Eulalia. More information on these marinas can be found in the Balearic Islands section of our cruising guide.

Formentera is the smallest of the Balearic Islands (just 12 miles top to tip) located just off the south coast of Ibiza. Compared to the other islands Formentera is relatively underdeveloped with good beaches with powder white sand and clear blue waters. There are plenty of opportunities for hiking and walking.

Puerto de Sabina, the island's harbour, gets very crowded in the summer and charges are very high. More information on this harbour can be found in the Balearic Islands section of our cruising guide. There are good beaches to the NE of the marina. San Fransisco Javier is worth a visit.

Covering 702 km, the island of Minorca is the second largest of the Balearic Islands. In 1708 during War of the Spanish Succession the British occupied it. France seized it during the Seven Years War but in 1763 the Treaty of Paris returned it to British rule. In 1782, during the American Revolution, the French allied with Spain seized the island but sixteen years later the British returned once again. The final chapter came in 1802 when the Peace of Amiens awarded Minorca to Spain. But even today there is still strong evidence of British occupation. Architecture has a distinctive Georgian feel even down to the sash windows. Today Port Mahon, lying at on the east coast, is the capital and the island's major port. The harbour is both deep and sheltered and overlooked by the town built on the cliffs at the southern end.

British influence can be seen at both Fort Marlborough and Collingwood House, named after the Admiral who served alongside Nelson. If any further evidence of the British past is required a visit to the Xoriguer Gin Distillery should provide it. In contrast to the other two main islands Minorca remains seemingly tranquil. There is little intensive development and it is still possible, even in the middle of summer, to find beaches almost deserted. Ciutadella, on the western side of the island, is a charming little town boasting fine mansions. There is much evidence of Minorca’s prehistoric past and a great number of megalithic monuments exist. There are many sites and they fall into three different time periods. The Pre-Talayotic Period or Cave Era from 2000 - 1300BC, the Talayotic Period or Bronze age, 1300 - 800BC and the Post Talayotic Period or Iron Age, 800 - 100BC. The centre is hilly but the island as a whole in mainly lowland. Despite the fact Minorca's rainfall is greater than the other islands irrigation is still required. Cereals, flax, wine and olive oil are the main agricultural products. There is a little light industry. Lobster fishing also contributes to the economy.

Minorca has some lovely anchorages and there are marinas at Puerto de Mahon, Puerto de Ciudadela, Puerto de Fornells, Puerto de Cala de Addaya. More information on these marinas can be found in the Balearic Islands section of our cruising guide.

Ken Jones runs a [http://www.sail-the-net.com/yacht-charter/yacht-charter-intro.html target=blank]Crewed Yacht Charter Guide.
Go here for info on [http://www.sail-the-net.com/yacht-charter/destinations/mediterranean/spain/balearic-islands-yacht-charter.html target=blank]Mallorca Yacht Charter.
And this link for info on [http://www.sail-the-net.com/yacht-charter/destinations/mediterranean/mediterranean.html target=blank]Mediterranean Yacht Charter.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Jones http://EzineArticles.com/?Mallorca-Yacht-Charter&id=783133

New Zealand Sailing

2008-04-23T05:43:00.000+01:00

New Zealand Sailing

New Zealand - Great For A Sailing Charter

By D. Browall
Why did Peter Jackson of the famed Lord of the Rings decided to produce his film in New Zealand? There is only one perfect reason for that. New Zealand-despite its charm, remoteness, and rawness-offers the kind of environment the movie entails. It seeks to capture the early days of the world, when trees are teeming all over, waters and brooks provide habitats to schools of fish, and the open sea becomes perfect for some sailing in New Zealand.

The Bay of Islands in New Zealand is about 3 hours' drive from Auckland. There are around 150 islands that make up this charming region. It has the best kind of climate the country has to offer and is considered to be an ultimate playground because of the several outdoor activities that you can do. For example, a trip in the Hole in the Rock offers tourists the opportunity to watch and observe the abundant marine life of the bay. You can enjoy a thrilling ride on a forward trampoline as well as the high-tech catamaran. A cruise on a chartered boat can also take you to idyllic islands during lunchtime where you can dine and feast on kiwi barbecues.

Outside of Auckland is the the Hauraki Gulf. Here you will find one of the largest cruising areas in the world with 100 islands to explore and more than 190 sheltered anchorages and miles of beautiful coast. The geography of Auckland, with is narrow strip of land, makes the waters of the Gulf an fascinating place to sail. The steady sea breezes compete with southwesterly winds, and in mid-afternoon, there is the heat off the land to handle.

Auckland, New Zealand, meanwhile, gives you the energy that you need to handle the stresses of everyday city life. It pampers you without having to avail the services of masseurs. The scenic landscape itself will calm your nerves and the numerous sea activities will pump up your adrenalin. For one, if you happen to be sailing in New Zealand, especially in Auckland, you can visit the Goat Island Marine Reserve which are definitely ideal for famelies. You can enjoy some kayaking, boating, or even diving and take pleasure in being surrounding by many types of fish. If you are new into the experience, numerous chartered vessels have professional diving instructors who will be very happy to show you basic diving techniques.

Speak of New Zealand waters and you can instantly associate it with the wonderful beaches of Able Tasman. Here you can experience golden beaches, lush virgin mangroves and forests, as well as worth-exploring coves. You can spread and achieve sun-kissed skin as you board any luxurious sailing catamaran. The white sands are perfect for anyone who dares to be about upon this wonderful gift of nature. Visit the Anchorage Beach too and treat yourself to a very delectable fine lunch.

There are but only a handful places that can tickle your fantasies and make you wish that you can eventually stop time. New Zealand is one of them. The people are warm, happy, and with great hospitality. The mountains are glazed with snow, making them truly fantastic for skiing. The waters, meanwhile, are simply there to give you the best sailing in your New Zealand experience.

D. Browall writes for http://www.sboats.com Visit his website if you want to find companies offering yacht charter in New Zealand as well as many other popular sailing areas such as [http://www.sboats.com/Yacht-Charter/Caribbean/]Caribbean sailing

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=D._Browall http://EzineArticles.com/?New-Zealand---Great-For-A-Sailing-Charter&id=1043235

Boat Shoes

2008-04-20T08:10:00.000+01:00

Boat Shoes

Why You Need Specific Shoes For Going Boating and Why Boat Shoes Are Popular With Non Boaters

By Gregg Hall
I am sure that you have heard of boat shoes, it is a broad term used to describe a huge segment of the footwear industry. Most of us are familiar with those made by the Sperry Company that have made the word “topsiders” a household name. Native Americans can probably be credited with the original design that shoe makers have adopted and made into the boat shoes of today. Boat shoes today have may similar characteristics of the moccasins that they wore when on the water.

As time went on the boat shoe evolved to become to become a very popular and stylish shoe for the wealthy and affluent that would be seen wearing them on the decks of their yachts. In the fashion world they are classified in between casual and formal. Boat shoes today of course are worn by people who don’t even own a boat or may not even go boating just because they are so stylish. With that said many people wonder what the proper environment or situation is for wearing boat shoes. Boat shoes are not really designed for business casual, loafers really should be the shoe of choice for this. Boat shoes are more for a casual sporty look.

Boat shoes are by their very nature, tough and durable due to their original intended use being for wearing on wet ship decks. Still, you need to maintain them properly to keep them in shape and make them last long. The best thing to do is to put oil on them that is especially made for leather and will help to guard against the moisture just as they were designed to. You also should remove the insoles regularly and keep them sprayed with a shoe cleaner that guards against fungus.

The first thing you will want to look for in a boat shoe is a solid sole that will be very durable and guard against slipping, this is good not only for the deck of a boat but for just everyday wear as well. You want to be sure that they fit your foot well and are comfortable so be sure to try on different styles and brands to see what type fits your foot best, even if you intend to make your final purchase online.

Boat shoes of high quality can be expensive so bear that in mind as you shop. If you go for some value priced pair of boat shoes you will probably be disappointed and the quality will be sorely lacking. A good pair will set you back a hundred bucks or so but they will last virtually forever.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about boat shoes as well as men's shoes at http://www.shoesforeveryoccasion.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregg_Hall http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-You-Need-Specific-Shoes-For-Going-Boating-and-Why-Boat-Shoes-Are-Popular-With-Non-Boaters&id=658006

Learn To Sail

2008-04-13T11:23:00.000+01:00

Learn To Sail

Introduction To Boating And Sailing

By Michelle Bery
Boating and sailing is not only one of the most popular
pastimes today, they have been a popular means of
transportation, recreation, and occupation, for nearly all of
recorded history. Throughout history, boating and sailing has
been a means for many of mankind’s greatest discoveries,
important battles, expansions and migrations, and a source of
food and livelihood. While boating and sailing still maintain
many of those roles today, for most of us boating and sailing
are a source of recreation, fun, competition, and relaxation.

Today, boating and sailing provide a source of fun and
recreation for millions of people worldwide. But there is more
to recreational boating and sailing than simply buying a boat
and launching it into the water. In order take the fullest
advantage of all that boating and sailing have to offer, it is
best to arm oneself with as much information as possible.

For those with an interest in boating and sailing the most
obvious area of interest is the type of watercraft that will
best suit their needs. Fishing, water sports, racing, or simply
strolling across the water; all of these are activities are best
enjoyed in the proper kind of boat. But the kind of boat you own
also impacts the kind of storage needs you will have.

Smaller sailing and motor boats may not require permanent
storage space such as a marina. They can often be stored at home
and brought to the water on a car-towed trailer. Larger boats
need to be moored at marinas where they are protected from the
elements during the season, and in areas where the season is not
year-round, marinas can remove boats from the water in order to
protect them from damaging ice.

Those with an interest in boating and sailing must remember to
protect more than just their boats. Protection of one’s self is
perhaps the highest priority when traveling on the open waters
where conditions can change rapidly. Life vests, throwable
flotation devices, navigation lights, and fire extinguishers are
but a few of the safety oriented items that must be considered
when engaging in boating and sailing. Those items, when combined
with proper instruction in the rules and laws of the sea, will
make boating and sailing a hobby that is both fun and safe for
you, your family, and friends.

About the Author: For easy to understand, in depth information
about boating and sailing visit our ezGuide 2
http://boating.ezguide2.com
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=138181&ca=Sports

Mediterranean Yacht Charter

2008-04-09T01:09:00.000+01:00

Mediterranean Yacht Charter

Sailing In The Mediterranean

By John Hartley
I doubt there is one, but if you're the sort of yachtie who likes to use his engine to get out of the marina, immediately set his sails, and only use the engine to get into a harbour, then you'll be disappointed. There's a lot of motoring in the Med.

The wind tends to blow along the Spanish coast, either east or west along the Costa del Sol, and then just when you think you'll get the wind on the beam as you turn the corner, you get it on the nose again. Actually, that's not quite correct, because for 10-20 miles north of the south-east corner, the wind continues to blow east-west. Even when the wind blows, it doesn't usually start before 12 noon, and sometimes not till later.

So the thing to do is hurry up across to the Balearics, because we found that the winds around the islands are good sailing winds. You often get good winds round Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza, and there are plenty of good anchorages and marinas to stay in. It is a great cruising ground, particularly the north-east of Majorca, and most of Menorca.

Most people think of the Med as being either calm, or with just a breeze, but it can blow as strongly down there as around Devon and Cornwall. The difference is that the wind can come from nowhere and get up to a force 7-8 in half an hour. And neither the sky nor the barometer give you much clue.

Caught Out in an inland sea
We've been fairly lucky in this respect, but once we were caught out badly. We had cunningly anchored off the less popular side of an island in the inland sea of La Manga. All was well the first night, and the next day, and then the wind was supposed to turn around and come from the east, I think it was, but not until the next day. At about 8 pm the wind from the west dropped, and we expected nothing to happen – the nights are often calm. Within 30 minutes, the wind had not just gone around to the north, but was blowing at a force six –pushing us onto the island!

We couldn't go around the other side because the water was not deep enough, so we had to go into the marina in the canal that leads out of the inland sea. That would have been easy enough except that the lights marking the entrance to the canal were not working, and by the time we got there it was pitch dark.

That was not all; owing to silting, they had had to mark out a channel to the canal, and this was a dog-leg marked by ropes connecting a few buoys – red and white would you believe. Worse than that, there was only one white light, and a couple of red
ones at the beginning of the funnel, as it were, to the canal. So of course, we could not see them and just had to inch our way toward the wall until I suddenly saw a stick silhouetted in the sky.

At that moment, we got so close to the rope marking the channel that it caught around the skeg, but fortunately slipped off easily enough. Even when we got into the marina we had a job mooring as the wind was blowing us so hard off the jetty – the only space left being the fuelling jetty, which did not amuse the man in charge of it when he arrived the next morning.

We've since learned that the Spaniards in particular are not good at placing and lighting buoys, and that they often don't bother to replace ones that are damaged. Night sailing is best reserved for long passages in the open sea.

So, like anywhere else, unexpected things can happen when you sail in the Med, but you visit some great places, meet some lovely people, and can have some great sailing so long as you know where to go - that does not include the south Spanish
mainland!

We've now spent six seasons cruising in the Med, gradually going east from Estepona, and many people ask:
"Is the Mediterranean the ideal place to sail?"

By John Hartley
About the Author: John Hartley, who runs http://www.sailboatsyachts.com started sailing sailing dinghies,
but after a day in a keelboat decided that was his type of sailing boat. He has been sailing cruising sailboats for 16 years,
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=146530&ca=Recreation

Sailing Vacations

2008-04-07T00:08:00.000+01:00

Sailing Vacations

Holidays Afloat: Your Guide To The Best Yachting Vacations

By John Thompson
Yachting vacations used to be the sole preserve of the rich or
famous; the price being unachievable for most people. Prices
have now dropped considerably with the introduction of
chartering and many yacht owners now offer other potential
seafarers the opportunity to ‘rent’ their boat for their dream
vacation.

Yachting means you aren’t confined to any one area, or even any
one island; giving you the opportunity to visit various beaches,
coves and beautiful coastlines on your travels. Alternatively,
you can remain on your boat and watch the sun rises and the sun
set over the clear horizon of the sea. Whether you are looking
for an action packed vacation in the destinations of your dreams
or a tranquil, even romantic getaway for you, your family and
loved ones. The possibilities are endless.

Where you can go on your yachting vacation?

Whether you choose to go bareboat, take a captain, or even an
entire crew there is bound to be a destination to suit you. Many
destinations offer the complete package for your vacation. Spend
a couple of days in a secluded cove, exploring the beaches and
seeing the beautiful plants and wildlife and then the rest of
your vacation in the exotic harbour on the next island.
Everything is possible on a yachting vacation.

Greece

Greece offers a number of popular destinations for mooring your
yacht. Each island offering you a new surf washed beach combined
with traditional Greek villages and exquisite countryside and
mountains. The local restaurants and taverns are friendly and
welcoming offering some fantastic Greek cuisine and drink.

A short distance away from the harbours you will be able to
find a busy and popular nightlife, if required and historical
excavations, museums and hospitable people always more than
willing to idle away the time with you. For those not proficient
in the local language there is no need to worry, a vast majority
of the locals speak very fluent English and are usually only too
happy to put it into practise.

Turkey

The mainland of Turkey offers a combination of quaint and quiet
villages with the occasional large town for stocking up on
provisions and some fantastic sight seeing. The whole country is
awash with ancient ruins from the numerous cultures that have
resided there, giving ruins and buildings to visit suiting
everyone’s needs.

The larger towns have regular bazaars that bring Turkish crafts
both ancient and modern and a sea of many different colours. The
smells, sights and sounds are an experience you will never
forget.

The Turkish people are friendly and outgoing and, while English
is not the predominantly spoken language, the hospitality of the
people means between you there will always be a way around the
language barrier. Again, the local cuisine is exquisite and the
fresh fish is a delicacy that everyone should try at least once
in a lifetime. There are numerous small or large harbours and
even deserted coves where you can moor your yacht.

The Caribbean.

The Caribbean is a very popular destination for many sailors,
and is perfect for a romantic break or a honeymoon. The bright
blue seas and the clear skies make the Caribbean a picture
perfect destination for a tranquil vacation. However, if you are
after something a little more exciting the open seas offer an
abundance of opportunity for scuba diving, snorkelling and water
skiing. There are plenty of beach bars and places to try the
local fish dishes and other cuisine and the weather is almost
always perfect.

Numerous islands offering many beaches and coves means you will
never get bored if you take your next yachting vacation in the
Caribbean.

Why a yacht?

Imagine opening your eyes in the morning, pouring yourself a
coffee and stepping out onto the deck of your yacht; the sun
rising and not a sound to be heard apart from the occasional
drift of the waves and the noise of the wildlife. Yachting
provides one of the most tranquil vacations you can imagine. You
don’t have loud neighbours and there is no danger of getting the
room next to the toilets. Stock your yacht with enough
provisions for the week and you don’t need to see a single
person for your entire vacation.

Even the novices get a chance too; you can charter not only the
vessel but also the crew or just the captain to go with you.
There’s no need to worry about the invasion of privacy, as the
crewmembers are usually very experienced in knowing when to make
themselves scarce or when you may need an explanation of some of
the surrounding beauty and sites.

Whatever you want to do on your vacation, however tranquil or
busy you want to make it, yachting has the answer. It’s a unique
holiday at your pace. And one you’ll always remember.

© 2005 John Thompson
About the Author: John Thompson is webmaster for
http://www.holidays-afloat.biz : an online resource for holidays
on the water.
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=5166&ca=Travel

Fishing In The Dark

2008-04-01T10:17:00.000+01:00

Fishing In The Dark

Fishing in the Dark

Fly fishing can be productive at night. Trout can cope with low light conditions well and continue to feed on surprisingly small things after dark. Trout probably do a great deal of feeding after dark.

Both dry fly and wet fly techniques can work at night. You need to be proficient at casting to fly fish at night or you may find it frustrating. You will be fishing by feel rather than sight. Use a short manageable line and avoid any long casts. Trout come close in the dark so there is no need for long casts.

Using moonlight is an advantage. Facing the last light of sunset in the evening sky on a clear night can prolong fishing for hours and it helps locate rising fish. Some anglers believe fishing under a full moon is a waste of time; this is far from the truth.

Inflows, outflows and prominent points are good places for night fishing on lakes. River night fishing is practical on slower pools and broadwaters. A place where water flows into or out of a pool is a good spot at night.

Strong contrasting colours in large wet flies like mixtures of black, white and silver work best at night. Cast them out simply and retrieve slowly. Find a spot before it gets dark and get a feel for the territory. When fishing at night you are best to stay put and let the fish come to you.

Sailing Vacations

2008-04-01T10:10:00.000+01:00

Sailing Vacations

Charter Yacht Vacations

By Graeme Ramsey
With many companies offering a wide range of prices for their
charter yacht holiday packages, more and more people are taking
to the seas for an adventure that they couldn’t experience in
the past.

With crewed yacht charters, all the hard work is taken out of
the yachting adventure, so you can enjoy the lifestyle yachting
presents without the need to feel like you want another holiday
after the charter to recover.

Charter yachts are available to suit many budgets from the most
basic yacht to the luxury yachts that most people can only dream
about. These luxury yachts come with a full crew including chefs
and food fit for a king.

With so many beautiful places throughout the world to explore,
charter yachts offer the advantage of seeing places that the
average tourist will never go.

Imagine stopping off at a different island in the Caribbean
everyday and then sailing off into the sunset for a new
destination each evening as you sip champagne and eat the finest
of foods.

When you compare the price of a yacht charter with a resort
offering equal levels of service you might be in for a pleasant
surprize at how cost effective yacht charters have become in
recent years.

There is a wide range of yachts available for charter, from
sailboats to motor yachts and the waters that you will be
sailing will have a bearing on the type of yacht that you will
want to charter.

It is wise to use a recommended charter yacht company as they
have the experience to guide you in your decision-making.

If you are unsure it is always a safe bet to get a crewed yacht
where you can safely trust the people who are familiar with the
conditions that you will be sailing in.

Before your next holiday consider the costs and the advantages
of a charter yacht vacation.

About the Author: Graeme Ramsey writes about many different
vacation destinations. http://charter-yacht-information.info
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=62590&ca=Travel

Yacht Furniture

2008-03-31T12:13:00.000+01:00

Yacht Furniture

What To Consider When Buying Teak Deck Furniture For Yachts

By Melissa Aldridge
Are you a yacht owner? If you are, it is likely that you take
great pride in your investment. In fact, you may regularly be on
the lookout for ways to improve the appearance of your yacht. If
that is the case, have you taken the time to examine teak deck
furniture for yachts? If this is something that you have yet to
do, you may want to consider adding teak deck furniture to your
next to do list.

When it comes to buying teak deck furniture for yachts, many
first time furniture buyers or yacht owners are unsure as to how
they should proceed. The good news is that you have a number of
different options. Perhaps, the best way that you can go about
finding the perfect teak furniture pieces for the deck of your
yacht is by first examining what types of teak wood furniture
pieces are available for sale. To do this, you may want to visit
the online websites of teak wood furniture manufacturers or
suppliers.

If you are currently unfamiliar with teak wood furniture
suppliers, you may want to perform a standard internet search.
When performed correctly, a standard internet search should
connect you with online retailers or suppliers who have a wide
range of teak wood furniture pieces available for sale,
including teak deck furniture for yachts. To find these online
retailers and suppliers, you will want to perform a standard
internet search with phrases such as “teak wood furniture,” or
“teak deck furniture for yachts.” As a reminder, your standard
internet search should lead you the online websites of teak wood
furniture manufacturers or suppliers. You are urged to examine
the selection that each supplier you come across has.

Once you are able to examine the selection of teak wood
furniture available for sale, you can better go about planning
your next course of action. Although your first impulse may be
to select the teak furniture pieces that first appeal to you,
you may want to hold off on making any impulse purchases. What
you need to remember is that yachts, as well as teak deck
furniture for yachts, come in a number of different sizes,
shapes, and styles. What does this mean for you? It could mean
that a teak Adirondack chair that you wanted to buy is unable to
comfortably fit on your yacht deck. That is why you should take
a few steps before officially purchasing teak wood furniture for
your yacht.

One of the many steps that you will want to take, before buying
teak deck furniture for yachts, is measuring the size of your
yacht deck. As a reminder, you will want to ensure that you
leave enough room for you and your guests to comfortably walk
around your yacht deck. Once you have an accurate measurement of
available space, you can then start to reexamine teak deck
furniture for yachts. Be sure to compare your measurements to
all furniture measurements. This will prevent you from
purchasing teak wood furniture that you cannot even display on
your yacht.

As previously stated, many consumers decide to buy teak wood
furniture that is beautiful or appealing to the eyes. While this
approach is more than doable, you will also want to take use
into consideration. You will want to make sure that you purchase
teak deck furniture for yachts that you will actually use. Since
you know your yacht and its uses better than anyone, this is
something that you will want to examine yourself. For instance,
if you regularly find yourself lounging or relaxing on your
yacht, you may want to examine teak Adirondack chairs. On the
other hand, teak benches may be ideal if you regularly find
yourself hosting yacht parties.

The above mentioned points are all points that you will want to
take into consideration, when looking to examine and buy teak
deck furniture for yachts. As a reminder, teak deck furniture
for yachts is often best purchased online, as it is easier to
find affordable prices and a larger selection of products.

About the Author: TeakWoodPatioFurniture.com has a large
selection of http://www.teakwoodpatiofurniture.com, including
http://www.teakwoodpatiofurniture.com/teak-chairs.html. Visit
their website to see what they have available for sale today.

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=176739&ca=Recreation

Sailing Vacation

2008-03-26T11:38:00.000Z

Sailing Vacation

Sailing Through On A Wedding Cruise

By Greg K. Hansward
When it comes to preparing for your wedding, there is no doubt
you want to have the perfect day and the perfect event. That is
what every bride dreams of. But there are a lot of things that
need to go right to make it happen, and those are things you may
not want to be burdened with. In addition to having to plan the
wedding from the onset, if you also have to make sure everything
is happening when it needs to happen on the wedding day - that a
minister is in place on time, and that the entertainment will
show up and play the songs you need them to play in the order
you need them to play them - your special day may be more
stressful than blissful.

There is a way to remove much of that stress. Consider letting
someone else do the work and even getting an early start on your
honeymoon at the same time by having your wedding aboard a
cruise ship. While you may have only thought that a cruise ship
can take care of the honeymoon plans after the wedding, they are
also completely skilled in hosting the big event itself. Most
cruise ships have their very own wedding planner and staff that
can take your budget into account as well as what you want in
your wedding experience and make it all happen, while you enjoy
the changing scenery aboard the decks of the ship as you visit
fabulous wedding destinations.

If your concern is how much it will cost, it's not as much as
you would think. The cost for a wedding planner on land is
usually a few thousand dollars. The same services aboard a ship
can cost less than a thousand dollars. But, what about all the
guests you want to invite, do they need to buy a cruise as well?
No. Luckily, cruise lines understand that all the people you
know do not want to go on a wedding and honeymoon voyage with
you, so they will allow guests to come onboard for the wedding
itself, and the reception, then go ashore when it's all wrapped
up, as you take off on your wedding cruise.

Since cruise ships have a major staff at their daily disposal
who are accustomed to being part of a high-quality entertainment
venue, they can often effortlessly pull together a wedding you
will never forget with all the details you had only dreamed off.
Many cruise lines offer affordable wedding packages including
Disney Cruises, Carnival Cruises, and Princess Cruises. If you
select to go with Princess Cruises, they also have a number of
extra special packages chock full of additional flowers, a
stringed quartet and a variety of extravagant extras that will
make you feel like you are royalty on your special day.

About the Author: Concentrating on latest developments in
Alicante, Greg Hansward publishes primarily for
http://www.alicante-spain.com . From his reports (e.g.
http://www.alicante-spain.com/denia.html on Denia ) he affirmed
his capability on the subject.

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=171224&ca=Marriage

Sailing Away

2008-03-24T13:04:00.000Z

Sailing Away

Hawaii Dinner Cruises – Romantic Sunset Sailing

by Brenda Mathews, M
Hawaii dinner cruises are offered on a wide variety of sailing vessels, from state-of-the-art, multi-deck cruisers and large, engine-powered catamarans, to more intimate sailboats and sail-powered catamarans. Some offer a view of the ocean floor, coral reefs, colorful tropical fish and other underwater creatures through glass bottom viewing areas--equally spectacular during the day and when lighted during nighttime hours. Each vessel offers its own unique perspective to cater to every type of sea-going sightseer.
A Hawaii dinner cruise normally ranges from 2 to 4 hours, with check-in at the harbor scheduled slightly before sail time; however, all-day cruises including opportunities to snorkel, swim and explore island beaches, culminating in an evening meal and glorious sunset finale are also a possibility. Flexible timetables and convenient length of tour times allow many dinner cruises to be offered as part of a package, with other activities scheduled before or after departure. Be sure to check out this option with your travel reservationists. Some dinner cruises may have minimum age restrictions, while others are designed with keiki (children) in mind, including special rates per child.
ROMANCE ON THE OCEAN
If a unique wedding experience is on your agenda, a Hawaiian dinner cruise can be the perfect setting for an intimate and romantic wedding at sea and a perfect lead-in for the Hawaiian honeymoon of a lifetime. An on-board ceremony, dinner, sensational sunset and complete maritime experience will be remembered forever by all involved--whether you choose to limit the participants to the bride and groom or include a complete wedding party, family and guests. Be sure to contact your cruise operator for this option--most will make every effort to accommodate you.
Special anniversary celebrations are also encouraged and provide an unparalleled romantic backdrop for sentimental memories of the past and the opportunity to create new ones for the future. Of course, the sunset dinner cruise sets the offers romance to all--no special event required.
WHAT TO WEAR ON A DINNER CRUISE
Most Hawaiian dinner cruises call for informal attire, although if you have booked a cruise on a large liner with fine dining and dancing offered, you will want to dress accordingly. No matter which type of cruise is chosen, remember that evening hours can become quite cool quickly, so a light wrap or jacket is always a good idea. Smaller craft may also be subject to sea spray from waves or mist in the air if weather conditions are right. You may also be required to remove your shoes when boarding, and it is a good idea to wear shoes that have a good grip on the pier and deck when boarding and leaving the area.
EXPECT TO SEE
The spectacular Hawaiian shoreline scenery is always enjoyed as dinner cruises set sail from the harbor and enter the peaceful ocean, away from all land-based hustle and bustle. You are entering another world. Relax with your dinner companion to enjoy a varied offering of menus, depending upon the type of Hawaiian dinner cruise you select. Menus range from a lavish experience with gourmet food and fine wine to a complete Polynesian spread or a very casual Mai Tai Cruise with pupus (appetizers) served buffet style, accompanied by delicious tropical Mai Tai drinks prepared by the crew. Dancing and entertainment may also be offered on board during the cruise, although the ocean, the sky and the coastline scenery are always the prime attractions for any Hawaiian dinner cruise.
Spinner dolphins, flying fish, sea turtles and humpback whales (in season) may be visible in the water as you sail along--silent companions for the complete Hawaiian dinner cruise experience. The sight of a whale breaching out of the water or a mother and calf swimming alongside the boat may add the crowning touch to an unforgettable sunset. The always sociable dolphins are frequent companions to the cruises, performing water acrobatics alongside the boats for all to see and enjoy.
As the afternoon slips away, enjoy the spectacular sunset over the water--nothing can compare with the brilliant colors nature has to offer over the ocean as the sun plays her curtain call over the clouds in the sky. Sunsets over the ocean always have a special glow never seen over land. Then, as daylight fades into darkness, the stars emerge and the glittering lights of shoreline cities and towns sparkle their welcome back into the harbor at the end of another perfect Hawaiian dinner cruise.
HAWAII DINNER CRUISE DEPARTURE LOCATIONS:
MAUI: Many Maui dinner cruises depart from Ka`anapali at Maalea harbor, directly adjacent to the popular resort area many tourists choose for a Maui vacation experience. Access is convenient to many hotels and other Maui tourist attractions, allowing you to make the most of every precious minute on the Valley Isle. Many Maui dinner cruises originating from the Maalaea harbor sail along the south shores,
Many Maui dinner cruises sail from the historic whaling town of Lahaina in West Maui. As Lahaina dinner cruises slip out to sea, voyagers enjoy a view of the West Maui Mountains in the background. The trade winds die down as the afternoon progresses and the ocean is normally calm in the inter-island channel for a totally relaxing sunset experience.
OAHU: Oahu dinner cruises are based out of Honolulu harbor and pass world-famous landmarks including Waikiki Beach, the Kahala Gold Coast, Diamond Head and other lesser-known and beautiful beaches along the Kahala Coast in the background.
BIG ISLAND: Big Island dinner cruises generally set sail from Kailua/Kona and travel along the Kona coastline, with the slopes of 13,679-foot Mauna Loa providing a majestic backdrop on the coastline. Kona means "leeward" in Hawaiian, so the waters here are warm and calm and provide a good base for a relaxing and romantic cruise. The area enjoys nearly 300 days of sunshine a year, so inclement weather is rarely a problem. Count on sunny days on the water and beautiful sunsets when Kona is your launching site.
KAUAI: Many Kauai dinner cruises depart from the harbor at Port Allen. The rugged Na Pili coastline on the west side of Kauai offers a unique tapestry of unexpected vistas and colors as the brilliant red slopes pass by on shore. Na Pili actually means "the cliffs" in the native Hawaiian language, and the view from the ocean is of steep bluffs and a shoreline accessible only from the sea.
Other Kauai dinner cruises set sail from Poipu and travel toward Maha`ulepu and Kipu Kai landmarks. Sit back, relax and take it all in.
Since Kauai is the only Hawaiian island with a river that travels through what is the wettest region in all the islands, you might choose a riverboat cruise in addition to an ocean dinner cruise during your stay here. Both offer a diverse and unique perspective of completely opposite Kaui landscapes--from dry and barren vistas to lush, green tropical rain forest. Few locations are able to offer such contrasts--each beautiful in its own way.??
The ocean is such an integral part of the Hawaiian lifestyle--come prepared to enjoy it on the water as well as on the beach. No matter which Hawaiian ocean dinner cruise you decide to try, you will enjoy the special Hawaiian Island "aloha spirit" that sets Hawaii and her people above and apart from other vacation locations. There is a deeply felt commitment from Hawaiians of all backgrounds to gracious hospitality and sharing--come to Hawaii ready to experience all the islands have to offer. You will not go away disappointed.
Resources:
BIG ISLAND: http://www.hawaiiactive.com/category/bigisland-cat-sunset.html
MYHAWAII.NET: http://www.myhawaii.net/category/maui-romance-sunset.html
Brenda Mathews grew up in a small Midwestern farming community, where she developed a deep love and appreciation for nature and the means to preserve the land and its resources. She spent many years living in rural, central Illinois, raising a family and participating in a family farm. She presently lives in Hawaii, where she continues to enjoy an active, outdoor-oriented lifestyle, while writing and posting to a daily Blog.
Contact the Author
Brenda Mathews, M

More Details about Hawaii Dinner Cruises here.
Keywords: Hawaii, Sunset, Dinner Cruise, Maui, Cocktail, Maui Princess, Alii Nui, Spirit of Lahaina, Trilogy, music, entertainment,Honeymoon, Romance

Yacht Charter

2008-03-20T12:14:00.000Z

Yacht Charter

Bareboat yacht charter and bare boat sailing charters- the ways to an unforgettable holiday by Clint Jhonson
The following article shows the spectacular way in which the bare boat sailing industry has developed in the past few years and the description of the process of hiring a bareboat. There are two important types of charters: the bare boat sailing charters and the crewed charters. A bareboat yacht charter involves the hiring of a boat for a certain period of time to a person, who is also responsible for skippering it.

The bare boat sailing charter industry has become familiar to a larger number of people since the middle of the 1990’s and especially since 2000, during this time the sailing and yachting have become very popular among those looking for sailing holidays. When we talk about bareboat yacht charter or bare boat sailing charters we actually refer to arranging the hiring of a boat, without including the crew and provisions in the agreement, these are meant to be brought by the temporary owner of the boat who also uses it for that period of time.

The most important difference between the bare boat sailing charters and other similar types of boat arrangement is the legal one. The voyage charters, the ones in luxury yachts, are based on the hiring of the crew as well, while a bareboat yacht charter implies only the temporary change of owner, who is obliged to bring its own captain and crew.

The increasing development of this industry has brought with it a large number of bareboat brokers and agent companies. These offer to organise a bareboat yacht charter anywhere in the world at very low cost by giving to a certain client the boat which bests fits his needs, these are of course linked to location and comfort. The cost of a bareboat yacht charter is determined by the size of the yacht, its age, its experience, often called pedigree, the number of crew, if it has one, and of course the destination.

A worldwide range of bareboat charter prices’ have been estimated between $1000 and $25000 per person during a week. Due to these very good prices and large diversity of destinations all the experienced and semi-experienced yachties prefer sailing holidays to the inland ones. Every year this branch of tourism is being enlarged by new sailors.

What is more, for all the beginners, the agent companies offer courses for seamanship and teach people all the basic rules required to bareboat charter. They also help the novices by giving them skippers with the boats, but no crew, just like bare boat sailing charters arrangements should be.

All in all, we can say that this increasingly important bareboat yacht charter industry helps us firstly organise a pleasant holiday anywhere in the world, and it is also a strong promoter of every national branch of tourism, bringing each year a huge amount of money to the local and national economy.

Bare boat sailing charters and also bareboat yacht charter are the main reasons that people interested in sailing holidays should look for.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Sailing Yachts

2008-03-18T11:19:00.000Z

Sailing Yachts

Single? Meet and Greet on a Yacht!

by David Dunlap
If sailing’s your thing, just because you’re single doesn’t mean you have to miss out on some of the world’s greatest excursions! You can book a cruise with an agency or a cruise ship, which organizes all the activities, on-board meals, and other amenities. There are a plethora of packages from which to choose, so there’s a “matchmaking” cruise on a sailboat or yacht for anyone!

Also, the entire yacht will not be comprised of only single people. Some couples like to join in on the fun, too, but one thing’s for sure: you won’t have to contend with any families, or the pitter-patter of children’s noisy feet running around to disrupt the “mood.”

Most cruise yachts catering to singles tours carry from 250 to 400 people, reserving a block of cabins for the groups of singles and the “couple’s groups.” However, some yachts and cruise ships can carry up to 2,000. You’ll have no trouble finding the right number of people for your individual preference.

You’ll have a blast sailing the ocean blue while your hosts schedule the parties, games, lectures, pool parties, and nightly get-togethers that’ll keep you entertained. These tour guides specialize in this kind of cruise, so they’re very experienced and not apt to seat a 24-year-old free-wheelin’ single gal from Pittsburgh next to a 55-year-old male librarian from Santa Fe.

There’s usually a yacht online message board where you can start “chatting” with your sailing mates before actually meeting, if you’d prefer. And, some agencies organize a special “meet and greet” before the cruise so you can get to know your travel partners ahead of time.

And there’s also variety: you’ll never find a “typical” cruise; unless you’re signing on for a very specific type of cruise, i.e., “Vegans Only,” you’ll meet singles from all walks of life, involved in all kinds of trades and professions. And many will be returning to reunite with friends they made on their last trip; maybe you’ll be next!

Traveling alone has never been so much fun! Just think “yachting” for this year’s upcoming vacation, and you’re guaranteed to meet new people; maybe even a special someone. So whatever your tastes, interests, or age, there’s a sailing adventure waiting – just for you!

David is the founder and owner of multiple online boating and sailing resources. For more information on sailboats, yachts or other sailing topics, feel free to visit http://theoceansailingguide.com

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Yacht Charters

2008-03-12T23:39:00.001Z

Yacht Charters

More about Modern Yachts Charter

by MonishMohan
Sailing yachts and catamarans cruisers recognized as a second birth now a days. Modern yachts and catamarans are tremendously dependable and just in operation vessels. That is why yacht lovers have a chance to manage them without help and avoid appointing a professional crew.

Keen demand for modern yachts motivated yacht builders to move their shipyards into mass manufacture of comfy sailing and motor yachts and other catamarans. This fresh wave of production provided reduces of the expenses that lessened the expenses, spent on manufacture of these vessels and, as a result, charter prices.

Yachting becomes more well-liked with women, whom one could meet not only as a yacht traveler, but as well as a skipper. Chartering companies pay attention for all the questions regarding a yacht’s grounding for a sailing, and they provide it for a sensible price that comprises of insurance and tax expenses. Yacht sailing became accessible not only to high-class society, but as well to a middle class people, who have a preference of sailing cruisers to other kinds of leisure.

A lot of contented marines are built in places, where yachting is in style: the modern yacht berths are also manufactured, where yachtsmen are offered with all what is needed for leisure and amusement: restaurants, bars, supermarkets, and nightclub. Yacht cruisers are magnificently combined with such well-liked water sports as windsurfing and kiting; the required equipment could be placed expediently on the yacht’s board. Modern yacht is more known because of the fun it offers and it is becoming even more preferred by the young groups.

Aidless charter is the most self-governing alternative of charter leisure. This kind supposes that everybody, those charters a yacht for sailing need to be confident enough in his own abilities to run it in any conditions, which could come out in the sailing area. A charter company could also insist a confirmation of your qualification. One, who charters yacht separately, need to possess good basic skill in both offshore and coastal direction-finding and course plotting as well. He needs to have good knowledge in steering and also in the meteorology.

Mr.Monish is a Copywriter of yachts for sale.He written many articles in various topics.For more information visit:florida yacht charter.contact her at yachtloop.marine@gmail.com.
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Celestial Navigation

2008-03-09T07:38:00.000Z

Sailing

2008-03-07T02:19:00.000Z

Sailing

A Difficult Sailing Maneuver Explained

by Jimmy Cox
Sailing is a mighty safe sport but now and then something happens to damage your boat or some other craft. In most of these cases, the trouble occurs as you are either getting underway or coming in for a landing. You have no brakes and no reverse gear, nor can you sail directly into the eye of the wind.

One of the most difficult maneuvers is to get away from the side of a pier or float. In fact, it may be impossible unless you have the boat towed out or can row or paddle her into a position where you have maneuvering room. Suppose you are lying against the front of a float and the wind is blowing directly sideways. Ahead of you, a large boat is also made fast to the float so that you cannot go ahead for any appreciable distance.

You are bottled up and there is nothing you can do about it without changing your position. You may be able to turn the boat end for end at the float so that you will be able to go ahead. All is still not perfect. As you raise your mainsail, the sheet will have to be slack or the boat will capsize.

This means the boom will swing across the float until you can haul your sheet and get the boat moving. All this may be possible if the float is deserted and has no projecting uprights at the ends. The expert will be able to get away from there, but the novice is in a situation where getting towed into the clear is the only logical answer.

Getting away from a mooring is easier if there is plenty of room in the area where you move first. Even that takes planning. Study the direction and force of the wind and think over the possibilities. As you lie at the mooring, you will swing so the bow is facing into the wind unless there is a strong tidal or other current. Should the latter be the case, you must remember that when you get the sails up, you are going to swing around and face in the opposite direction.

When that happens, you find yourself the center of a half-circle of boats moored so closely together that your chances of slipping between them is rather slim. Astern, you have more room but how are you going to get back there? You cannot drift, for the current is running the wrong way and will send you into the craft that lie to windward.

Careful planning will solve that problem. With your sails down, but all ready to be quickly run up, you take a spare line, attach it to a stern cleat, carry it forward on the outside of all rigging, and attach it to your mooring by passing one end through the mooring ring. Carry the end back and make fast at the stern.

Now cast off the original bow line and the boat will swing around so her stern is facing the wind. Ahead, you will have clear water and plenty of room to maneuver. If you are alone, the next step will keep you busier than a juggler in a swarm of bees. See that everything is all clear, hold the end of your new mooring line between your knees, or in your teeth, and cast off plenty of mainsheet.

Get the sail up in less time than it takes to think about it; speed is the essence in this maneuver. The instant the sail fills, you will be on your way. You may take the mast out of her, break the boom, yank out your stern cleat, get pitched overboard, or accomplish all those things at once.

If things go right, your mooring line will slip clear and can be gathered up when you get your breath - before the first motorboat crosses your stern and fouls the trailing line in its propeller. Your boat will be sailing before the wind and, if you planned it right, the boom will be off on the correct side so that you can steer to clear all obstructions and bring the wind over the side of the boat.

The good skipper will spend many minutes planning a getaway that may, by itself, take no more than a few seconds. Once you have mastered this problem, you will be well on your way, although there are many other obstacles which you will undoubtedly come across in your sailing career. Good luck and good sailing!

Want To Learn How To Sail Like A Pro? Follow These Sail Boat Plans!
Click here for FREE online Ebook
http://www.sailboatplan.net/
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Sail Boat

2008-03-06T12:29:00.000Z

Sail Boat

The Small Sail Boat. Is It For You?

by Verlyn Ross
Experiencing a small sail boat can be a wonderful and enchanting thing. I hasten to add, if you're driven to outdo your neighbors and friend, it'll just be frustrating until you trade up.

It is also very relative. Your perception of what small means, may be totally different than reality. But, let's attempt to perform an objective analysis.

When you buy a small sail boat and pull it into your driveway, you'll quickly notice that it's very small. Don't have visions that you have bought a yacht, or a keelboat, or a cutter. It could be as small as an 11-foot mono hull. A small sail boat, on the other hand, could be a racer or it could be a day-sailer.

Small sail boats do not have cabins but they could have some form of partial shelter. This is important to consider when you do your purchase analysis. As is the consideration of whether they have a portable toilet. But, they're certainly not going to have the amenities of the large sail boats.

The small sail boat is a good first boat to learn how to sail. If you make an error, it lets you know immediately. You can then learn from your mistakes, as you go. You'll become exposed to many important water experiences that you would miss if you started with a large sail boat

One of these experiences is capsizing. Capsizing is certainly not fun. It teaches you about one of the dangers of sailing. It teaches you how to right a boat. It teaches you how to develop and practice a recovery plan.

Sailing clubs teach children, many times, as early as age six, to become proficient on the small sail boats. As they become knowledgeable, they progress on up to larger sail boats. There are many advantages for young boys and girls, as well as adults, to start on the smaller size sail boats. One of these advantages is price.

This is not to say a day-sailor cannot be a family boat. You can take a small sail boat across the bay or along the shore line for that picnic, fishing trip or little jaunt. But, it is not recommended you get too far from shore.

Of course, where the small sail boat shines is in the racing world. Without getting into the specific special high speed designs, just note that these are built for speed, and not for comfort.

Remember, a small sail boat can truly be a beautiful and pleasurable thing for everyone in your family. It can draw you together as a family unit. And, what could be more important!

Verlyn Ross owns and operates a website dedicated specifically to the enjoyment of fishing. It includes a wealth of free articles in which you may have an interest. For a great place to get answers, go here!
Freely explore it and visit our Blog. ENJOY!
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Motor Yacht

2008-02-28T21:21:00.000Z

Sailboats For Sail

2008-02-24T21:32:00.000Z

Sailboats For Sail

Purchasing A Sailboat For Heavy Air Conditions

by Dave Bello
This article describes the proper process to buy a sailboat. Unlike most boat purchase advice, written by manufacturers and designed to persuade the reader to purchase one brand or another, the suggestions in this article are written from the perspective of a sailboat buyer and are drawn from the collective wisdom of the author's dozen or so sailboat purchases as well as conversations with many, many other sailboat buyers.

This article will focus on applying the buying process to purchasing an appropriate vessel for heavy air sailing.

The Buying Process
We believe a multi-step process to purchase a sailing vessel is ideal. Our initial emphasis is on assuring that purchases are based on a detailed description of how and where the vessel will be used and then identifying the best set of vessel characteristics for the specific type of sailing to be completed. Critical vessel characteristics include: sail plan, rig design, keel shape, keel depth and displacement. In this article, we apply those characteristics to heavy air sailing areas.

Let's start by describing heavy air sailing areas. Heavy air areas are sailing areas that average 15 knots of wind or more. Moreover, wind speeds exceeding 20-25 knots are not uncommon. What areas would be considered heavy air areas?

Typically consistent winds in these speed ranges are driven by global weather and geological phenomenon. Some of the best known areas qualifying as heavy air areas would include the thermal winds of San Francisco Bay, the Caribbean trade winds from December through March and most latitudes below 40 degrees South.

Vessel Characteristics For Heavy Air
To begin, we assume you have already identified your usage in detail as we recommended in Part One. Next, its time to find a vessel that best fits the usage in heavy air areas. In heavy air areas we will not be concerned with powering up to the boat like we would be in light areas. Most of the time, we will easily reach hull speed and our primary concern will be assuring stability and steerage. To accomplish this, we want a flexible sail plan that assures the vessel can be controlled and safely sailed on all points of sail in the expected strong wind conditions.

The first vessel characteristic to consider is keel design. While cruising in heavy air, we look for stability and stiffness (resistance to heel) more than maneuverability and weight reduction. In these conditions, the full keels shine. The improved steering, resistance to turning and full keel length are all desirable characteristics provided by a full keel. In addition, full length keel allow for shallower drafts than fin keels (while maintaining similar resistance to heal), permitting access to more ports of call while still maximizing stability.

This is not to say that fin keel boats can not perform in heavy air, they can. Only to say that in heavy air the full keel boat can provide ease of steering and good stability without excessive draft.

The next two factors to consider are sail area and sail plan. The key to safely sailing in heavy air is to reduce the sail area to match the increasing wind speed while maintaining a balanced sail plan. In order to accomplish this, we want a very flexible sail plan with many configuration options. Now is the time for cutter rigs and multi-mast rigs such as ketches and yawls. The increased number of sails on these rigs allows for far more flexibility in sail area and sail placement and gives the sailor many more options to keep the sail plan balanced with less and less sail area.

A sloop rig simply can't provide all the configuration option available with these other rigs. Also, the largest drawback to these rigs is eliminated in heavy air. While cutters and multi-mast rigs have increased drag, this is not a concern in heavy air since we have more than enough wind to reach hull speed anyway. For consistent sailing in heavy air, cutter rigs and multi-mast rigs are the way to go.

Finally, we consider displacement (i.e. weight). Sailing vessels get stiffness, resistance to heel, from reducing sail area, hull design and many other factors. One factor is displacement. More displacement helps increase resistance to heel (for a given hull design), so it is desirable in heavy air where large wind forces will increase heeling forces dramatically over light air conditions. In addition, big winds, particularly on open water, create larger waves with more potential to slow or stop a vessel when going to weather. To keep moving, we want increased displacement so that there is more momentum to keep going through bigger waves.

Summary
With the right vessel, heavy air sailing can be safely and enjoyably accomplished. When sailing in heavy air, a primary consideration is assuring we have a vessel that remains stable and maneuverable as the wind force increases. This means matching (reducing) the sail area, while continuing to balance the boat, to the increased wind force. The best boats for these conditions are the ones that provide the most flexible sail plans. Multi mast rigs and cutter rigs are superior to sloop rigs for this purpose. A keel design that helps keep the boat steering straight through large wind forces and waves is also a help, so full length keels are preferred over fin keels. Finally, stiffness, the resistance to heel, and momentum to move through larger waves are critical, so more displacement is favored over light air conditions.

Capt Dave Bello is President of Fair Wind Sailing School, an ASA affiliate sailing school offering monohull and catamaran sailing charters and sailing lessons, in the Virgin Islands Chesapeake Bay and on Lake Erie.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Sailing Basics

2008-02-22T09:31:00.000Z

Sailing Basics

Sailing - the Physics Simplified

by Simon White
If wind was the only factor involved in sailing a boat, then a boat would only be able to sail as fast as the wind blows, and would only be able to drift directly downwind. There are actually two main forces involved; the wind on the sails and the resistance of water on the hull and keel.

The physics of sailing is a little more complicated than the wind simply pushing the boat along. Sailing boats move forward because of the flow of wind over the sails and the action of water resistance on the hull. Quite often sailing boats will actually travel faster than the wind.

The movement of the wind and the motion of the boat combine to create an air flow known as the ‘apparent wind’. The curved surface of a filled sail causes this air flow to move faster over the leading surface of the sail than the other side creating lift much like an aeroplane wing. The resistance of the water on the hull and keel prevents the boat being pushed sideways and so the boat moves forwards.

Depending on the efficiency of the rig, it is possible for a sailboat to sail directly over 290 degrees of the compass. In other words the boat can sail in any direction apart from 35 degrees either side of the direction of the wind (often called the ‘no go zone’). Other boats with less efficient rigs will have a larger no go zone perhaps of about 45 - 55 degrees either side of the upwind direction.

Points of Sail
Some common terms for a sailing boat’s motion relative to the wind:

Tacking – Turning the bow (or front) of the boat through the wind so that the wind comes over the opposite side of the boat. A starboard tack is when the wind is coming over the right hand side of the boat. The boat is said to be on a 'port tack' when the wind comes over the left side of the boat.

Boats cannot sail directly upwind, however, they can make headway in the upwind direction by sailing as close to the wind as possible on one tack, before taking to the opposite tack and repeating the process. When a boat is sailing as close as possible to the wind direction, it is termed ‘beating’ or sailing ‘close hauled’.

Running – Sailing a boat within about 30 degrees either side of the downwind direction. Turning the stern (or rear end) of the boat through the wind is called gybing. The wind can rapidly flip the boom of the main sail from one side of the boat to the other causing danger to the crew. It is best to gybe in a controlled manner by pulling in the main sail (also known as ‘sheeting in’), turning the stern of the boat through the wind and finally letting out the mainsail on the other side.

Reaching – This is when a boat is sailing approximately perpendicular to the direction of the wind. If the angle is exactly 90 degrees, we call it a 'beam reach’ as the wind is coming over the beam (or side) of the boat. Sailing in a direction about halfway between a beam reach and close hauled is called a ‘close reach’, whilst sailing a little downwind from a beam reach is called a broad reach.

For most modern sailing boats, reaching is the fastest way to travel as the direction of the wind generates the most lift in the forward direction on the sails. However, often this can take the course of the boat parallel to the waves causing excessive rolling. This can be countered by turning the boat upwind slightly.

TheYachtMarket.com has guides on how to buy and sell a boat and lists thousands of new and used boats for sale.
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Sail Boat

2008-02-17T10:44:00.000Z

Sail Boat

Go For Routine Boat Maintenance, Sail with Safety and Style

by Henery Archie
Go sailing your boat and enjoy your hobby but repair your favorite boat at the first sign of danger. See to it that your water body companion remains in perfect shape. It is one of your priced possession after all. Any shortcoming, once inside the water, might prove to be dodgy. As they say, prevention is better than cure. With a range of boat maintenance and repair material available online, you can now float and flaunt your boat in style.

Your boat may not be a regular used one but before placing it in water check it for reliability. All you need to do is a regular run through check of your boat and procure maintenance material accordingly. Look for the problem areas like damaged surface, infected wood patch, corrosive area, leakage etc. Routine checks of your boat brings out many risky issues, take a note of them. Now, start dabbling in online shopping stores to find out adequate material for boat maintenance. A quality mending stuff purchased will refurbish your boat towards a new look. The materials, which you may need generally, are sealants, epoxy, cleaners, polishers, tapes, paints, furnish, fillers, battens, glues, lubricants, resins, solvents, clothes, gloves, mixing containers, paints, pigments, brushes and other refinishing substance.

Treat each of the contagions affecting your boat's performance. You can also shop for sail repair kits for regular touch ups on your boat. Remember that a restoration done in time will avoid you from falling into a menace. Those, very passionate about their boat, may keep on adding new colors to it, which is also part of boat maintenance. Just arrange all the add-ons and convert your dinghy into a piece of appreciation. Keeping your sail boat faultless comes easy with an attitude of care about it. After all, your sail boat or dinghy gives you a pleasurable sailing time and safety must not be compromised.

About the author:- Henery Archie loves sailing boat covers, boat maintenance, boat equipment, boat care, waterproof boots and his favourite hobby is fishing. He takes special interest in boat care and the tools and equipments required for it. Through this article, He wants to share his knowledge with all who deal with boats or love sailing.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Bluewater Yachts

2008-02-09T09:14:00.000Z

Bluewater Yachts

Second Star To The Right - Finding your way with celestial navigation

by Jules Smith
You're a long way from home, adrift on an unfamiliar sea where few have ventured before. In every direction you see nothing but sky and ocean. You haven't spied land for weeks. While you've managed to capture some rainwater to drink, food is another matter. Chewing on leather is less than satisfying and the rats trapped aboard ship with you - themselves shockingly thin - are starting to look appetizing. It's imperative that you determine your position, now, before the rats make the first move.

This was the dilemma facing Ferdinand Magellan in 1519. He needed to establish his position before his food ran out and before his crew mutinied. But how? GPS satellites wouldn't be launched into orbit for more than four-hundred years. Even the sextant was still a long way off, not to appear until about 1757.

For Magellan, the answer was likely the astrolabe, a simple device that allowed a mariner to ascertain his position by measuring the sun's altitude above the horizon. It was crude -- inaccurate, useless in foul weather, and only able to provide one's latitude -- but sufficient to allow one of Magellan's captains to successfully complete the first circumnavigation of the globe.

Today, any explorer undertaking the same voyage would likely turn to a GPS unit, able to pinpoint a location within a few meters, any time of day, in any weather. But not necessarily.

Many die-hard traditionalists would rather look to the heavens, plotting their position as Magellan did five hundred years ago, by measuring the altitude of the sun or moon above the horizon and comparing it with the date and time.

Of course, when Magellan set out to find a westward route to the Spice Islands, he had no choice but to use the tools available to him. If he had had the option of using a GPS unit tied to artificial satellites, he almost certainly would have done so.

So why do voyageurs today, who have the freedom of using fast, accurate, and easy GPS, opt instead for the laborious, time consuming and error-prone methods of celestial navigation? What is celestial navigation, how does it work, and how can you learn it?

What is Celestial?

Celestial navigation, usually just called Celestial by those experienced with its use, is an ancient blend of art and science, based on a simple concept. Take your position on the earth's surface, the current date and time, and the apparent altitude above the horizon of a celestial body; the sun, moon, planets, or stars. If you know any two, you can calculate the third.

We do this all the time with barely a thought.

It's mid-summer. The sun has just peaked over the horizon. You know it's early morning, unless you're very far north or south, in which case it's closer to noon.

With experience, astronomers know intuitively where to look to find specific constellations at any time of night and in any season.

Determining our location this way may be less intuitive for most of us because we do it so infrequently, but the principle is the same.

The Challenge Is Accuracy

How do you measure the precise altitude of the sun when it's too bright to safely view? How do you account for the refraction of light through the earth's atmosphere at different angles, your own height above the horizon, and the inherent inaccuracy of your instruments? A star or planet may appear as a single point of light, but the sun and moon appear much larger. Do you measure their height from the top or bottom, or guess as to the middle? Modern digital timepieces have eliminated one problem that plagued early explorers; we always know what time it is. But do we use our local time or some other standard?

Once you've taken your sightings and determined the time, how do you combine those data to produce values for latitude and longitude? The math isn't difficult, but it can be confusing since you're working with seconds, minutes, and degrees, not a straightforward base-10 system. Cindy took a few lessons in celestial several years ago. She admits, "the hardest thing I remember was the math. You don't add and subtract in groups of 10, but rather 6's since the math is based on 60 seconds to a minute. I made a mistake that could have cost me many many miles! Fortunately it was only a lesson quiz."

You also have to consult sight reduction tables, either on a computer or, for the purist, in an annual publication like the Nautical Almanac, based on data compiled by the U.S. Naval Observatory. These tables allow you to correlate all the values you've measured from two or more sightings and reduce them -- thus the name -- into a triangle containing your likely latitude and longitude.

If you're sighting during the day you'll use the sun. At night you may use the moon, or a star or a planet. Obviously it will help to be able to identify a few constellations, so a basic stellar atlas is also a good idea. A perfect sighting and flawless calculations will just get you lost if you've misidentified the star you're following.

It sounds like a lengthy, convoluted process, and it is when you're just starting out. But as with any skill, the more you practice it, the easier it becomes.

Learning The Ropes

Assuming the complexity of celestial hasn't scared you away -- perhaps it's even whet your appetite for more -- the next step is to actually learn the process.

Teaching you how to actually take a sighting and how to compute your location is beyond the scope of an article like this, but there are several options available.

You can ask a friend already experienced to show you how it's done. You can go to the library and borrow a few good books on the subject. Or you can take a course.

Most sailing schools teach courses in celestial navigation. The courses generally last a week and cost a few hundred dollars. Some schools will provide a sextant and site reduction tables; others will require you to bring your own.

At some point, if you decide to pursue celestial, you'll need to obtain your own sextant. Prices range from less than $200 CDN for basic models in plastic, to $3000 CDN or higher for brass sextants with multiple filters, micrometers, and telescopes. As is often the case, you get what you pay for; a higher quality sextant is likely to cost more, but it will also allow you to take more precise sightings and therefore to plot your position more accurately.

With a good sextant, a little experience, and a lot of patience, you may be able to pinpoint your location within two or three nautical miles. Mikael Pettersson, a lieutenant in the Swedish Navy (reserve), found this to be true when he sailed from Sweden to Japan via Panama and New Zealand in 1987, before GPS was commercially available. His main means of navigation was celestial, using an antique sextant manufactured in 1870.

While there's no denying that GPS is easier and more accurate, there are good reasons you may choose celestial.

Why Bother?

Keith Gore is an experienced celestial user. But he still recommends GPS. "When you most need a fix it's likely to be stormy and overcast with nothing visible to shoot. Celestial is a neat trick to learn, but for practicality I'd suggest simply buying a backup GPS or two. Cheap, drop dead accurate, and virtually idiot proof."

However, opinions vary, and with good reason.

The satellites that provide the GPS service are, for the most part, owned by the United States military. How that sits with your political views is one matter. Another is that, in the event of a security disruption, the Pentagon could decide to switch the system to a less accurate mode known as "selective availability," or disable it for civilian use altogether.

Even if that doesn't happen, there's still the issue of reliability. Badru Hyatt, who's made transatlantic crossings using only celestial, explains, "GPS's break all the time. Nautical electronics is notoriously unreliable, what with all the salt water that gets everywhere. Also, it's not uncommon for a boat to get hit by lightning and have all its on-board electronics fried. If that happens on an offshore passage and you don't know how to navigate celestially then you will be in a real predicament."

Mikael, mentioned earlier, agrees. "I would definitely have a sextant with me for any longer voyages. I would never fully depend on electricity on-board. It has nothing to do with romance, just common sense."

Although celestial navigation takes a certain degree of skill - or perhaps because of this - it tends to provide a greater sense of satisfaction. Badru comments, "I definitely do it for the ... I guess you could call it romance, but I'd prefer just to call it pure satisfaction. I find great satisfaction in being able to accurately determine my position anywhere on the earth using only 'old fashioned' methods."

While Magellan's voyage may have ended in disaster, that was due more to his failing as a diplomat than from the 'old fashioned' navigational tools he used. Certainly there was no failing on the part of the stars. With a little practice you can use those same stars to guide your way today.

Jules Smith is the principal of LightningStrike Studios, a professional business and technical writing firm offering a full range of services. LightningStrike provides magazine articles, newsletters, brochures, press releases, technical documentation, online help, ghost writing of books and articles, letters, and web site content. Visit www.lightningstrikestudios.com

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Caribbean Yacht Charter

2008-01-30T11:06:00.000Z

Caribbean Yacht Charter

Yacht Charter in Antigua and Barbuda

by ken jones
Christopher Columbus landed on Antigua in 1493 and named the island Santa Maria de la. Early Spanish settlement was replaced by English rule from 1632, with a French interlude in 1666. The islands were granted independence from British rule on the 1st November 1981. They remain members of the British. Commonwealth.

Reliable trade winds throughout the season, which runs from December to May, make Antigua and Barbuda a great yacht charter destination. Coral reefs and abundant marine life make for great snorkelling and scuba diving.

Antigua offers all the types of yacht charter; bareboat charter, skippered and crewed yachts, catamaran, sail and motor and super yacht charter.

Antigua has an international airport, with daily flights from many cities throughout the world. The East Caribbean dollar is the official currency but both US Dollars and Euros are used and major credit cards may be accepted in hotels, restaurants and some shops.

Creole cusine predominates on the islands. The national dish of Antigua is fungie and pepper pot. Fungie is a dish almost entirely made from cornmeal and very similar to the Italian polenta. Other local dishes include ducana, seasoned rice, saltfish and lobster from Barbuda. There are also local confectionaries which include: fudge, peanut brittle, raspberry and tamarind stew and sugarcake. Good international cusine is also widely available.

Antigua is home to the famous English Harbour that lies on the island’s southern coast. Nearby Shirley Heights is famous for "Jump Up", BBQs and punch parties with live music and dancing.

To the east of English Harbour is Falmouth Harbour, major yachting centre in its own right. Home to Nelson's Dockyard, the only working Georgian dockyard in the world. There is a museum dedicated to Admiral Lord Nelson who used English Harbour as his Caribbean base in the late 18th century. Nelsons Dockyard is an active yachting centre and the bay now has three large marinas and the Antigua Yacht Club.

Green Island, at the mouth of Nonsuch Bay on Antigua's east shore, offers an unspoilt anchorage.

St. John's is the capital of Antigua and lies on the islands west coast. Here you will find good provisioning. Five Island Harbour, just south of St. John's, offers a choice anchorages in which good shelter can be found whatever the winds direction.

Jolly Harbour, on the south coast is a large complex of boatyards, marinas, restaurants, and shops.

Redonda, Antigua's out-island, lies 30 miles to the southeast. It is completely uninhabited

Barbuda lies 20 miles to the north of Antigua and offers good sailing and a number of lovely anchorages on its west and south sides. Codrington Lagoon is on the west side and is seven miles long with pink sandy beaches. Codrington, Barbuda's largest town is worth a vist while here. Many other pleasant beaches can be found on the island often covered with shells.

Every April sees the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, hosted by the Antigua Yacht Club. And in May there is the Rolex Antigua Sailing Week. This local sailing week has grown into an international event attracting competitors from the world over and combines top quality yacht racing and an unforgettable social scene.

Ken Jones runs a Crewed Yacht Charter Guide.
Follow this link for more info on Yacht Charter Antigua.
See our marine directory for Yacht Surveyors

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Florida Yacht Charters

2008-01-25T01:26:00.000Z

Florida Yacht Charters

Florida Yacht Charter; Top Five Marinas to Dock Your Yacht

by eYachtCharter.com
Today’s upscale marinas are offering more than just dockage, they are now providing a full range of amenities that enhance the yachting experience. With new acquisitions, multi-million dollar renovations and some of the finest amenities, most upscale marinas are making the Florida Yacht Charter into a grand experience.

Since Labor Day has passed, the majority of luxury vessels will be migrating south to the Florida Region. For those booking a Florida Yacht Charter, some of the ports of call are just as important as the boat itself. Listed below are the top five marinas in the state that cater to the most elite ships on the water.

Rybovich Marina, Palm Beach FL

The Rybovich name has been a cornerstone in the South Florida luxury sport fishing industry since the 1940’s. The name has been synonymous with some of the sport’s most innovative vessel construction and design. The facility located in Palm Beach has been a pillar in the Palm Beach & Riviera Beach community for decades.

The facility has recently completed a $100 million dollar renovation that built a state-of-the-art mega-yacht service facility and marina. The marina will boast a 600 Ton Marine Travelift making it the only one of its kind on this side of the hemisphere. The lift has the capability of hauling vessels up to 240’ feet in length. It is largest transient dock in Florida with high-speed fuel. The marina also has a waterfront restaurant, retail shops and available commercial office space for lease.

The marina features floating concrete docks up to 230’ feet with dockage for vessels up to 250’ feet. The facility is open 7 days a week and is secured by a staff 24 hours a day. There are concierge, laundry, restroom and shower facilities on site as well as trade shops, which feature the latest technology. This marina is the ideal location for travelers, captains and crewmembers to relax.

Sunrise Harbor, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Westrec is one of the largest owner operators of marinas in the U.S. It has an impeccable proven track record when it comes to efficient marina management, and Sunrise Harbor in Fort Lauderdale is no exception. Sunrise Harbor offers the mega yacht community a state-of-the-art marina with amenities, services and leisure activities for the entire family. This upscale marina includes several areas for families to kick back and relax poolside. The health center includes top of the line fitness equipment with sauna and therapeutic massage facilities.

Once you dock at this marina you are within steps of Fort Lauderdale beach, first class resorts, luxury shopping on Las Olas or the Galleria Mall and fine dinning at five star restaurants such as Seasons 52, Capital Grille and the Blue Martini. This marina has everything you’ll need on land or sea to enjoy your Florida Yacht Charter vacation.

The Galleon Resort & Marina, Key West, FL

The Galleon Marina is one of the finest places in the keys to dock. The resort and marina offer exclusive amenities for their guests including a pool, private beach, sauna and exercise room. This marina is also located in one of the most highly protected harbors in the Keys. The Galleon Marina is breakwater shielded and provides specially engineered docks for maximum protection.

This facility is proud to host some prestigious races such as the World Championship Power Boat Races, the Clearwater to Key West Yacht Race, and Audi/Yachting Race Week. For those who want to be in attendance for the action may charter and book to dock during one of the race weeks or any other festivities that Key West has to offer.

Old Port Cove Marina & Yacht Club, Palm Beach, FL

Old Port Cove Marina is one of the major marinas in Palm Beach, Florida. The Marina recently went under major renovations to its facility that allow it to accommodate vessels from as small as 30-feet to mega-yachts up to 190 feet in length. The marina is reopening this Fall for dockage. The renovation plans for the marina include the replacement of all current docks, piers and pilings with beautiful new state-of-the-art hard wood decked floating docks. The marina features new power pedestals with electric, cable, phone, WIFI, and the convenience of in slip pump-out. It is located just off Coast Guard Channel north of the Palm Beach Inlet, the marina is minutes from some of the finest fishing and cruising grounds in Florida and is an excellent "jumping-off" spot to the Bahamas.

In addition to the phenomenal dockage facilities the Old Port Cove Yacht Club is ideal for guests to dine and be entertained. This five star establishment has first class service that hosts formal evenings on a regular basis.

The Harborage Yacht Club & Marina, Stuart, FL

This marina is located in one of Florida’s most serene locations. There are over 150 yacht slips available. Complimentary valet service is provided for guests from their slip to the yacht club or spa. This stunning facility combines beauty and elegance with necessity and security. Located in Florida’s Sailfish Capital, the Harborage provides a complete suite of luxury amenities that cater to the most discerning yachtsmen.

Noted as one of the gems along the Treasure Coast, this marina attributes to the ultimate Luxury Yacht Charter experience. For those looking to couple luxury with the adventure of Florida’s lively waters. The Harborage is an optimum retreat from life on the water.

eYachtCharter.com is a full service Luxury Yacht Charter firm with travel and yachting news, resources and a comprehensive directory of sail and motor yachts located in exotic destinations worldwide.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Caribbean Yacht Charter

2008-01-20T10:50:00.000Z

Super Yachts

2007-12-19T14:44:00.000Z

Super Yachts

Monaco - Luxury Yacht Show Fights Global Warming

by Roger Munns
The world's leading luxury yacht show in Monaco is to pay for 55 wind turbines in New Zealand - enough to generate power for 45,000 homes - making the event 'carbon neutral'.

Under the watchful eye of Prince Albert, the yacht show is part of Monaco's new stance on global warming, and comes shortly after Prince Albert himself travelled to the North Pole in April to highlight the damage he believes global warming is having on the environment.

'Since Prince Albert came to the throne last year' comments Henri Boulanger of Monte Carlo travel guide YourMonaco, 'Monaco has changed her policy from one of the few countries not to sign the Kyoto Protocol to not only signing it but taking a lead in the battle against global warming. Prince Albert has personally taken steps to show how concerned he is, and by setting the example of going to the North Pole has shown the leadership necessary to encourage Monaco companies to become environmentally friendly, and the Monaco Yacht Show is an example of this'.

The Monaco Yacht Show has bult a reputation over the years as the place for the wealthy to view potential purchases, and this year there will be nearly a hundred yachts on display to those able to afford it.

In total 22,000 visitors are expected to attend with over 500 exhibitors from the yachting world exhibiting.

The mix of wealth and Monte Carlo also means that real estate agents in Monaco will be on full alert. In previous years the Monaco Yacht Show has often proved more beneficial for the realtors than the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Monaco Grand Prix attracts tens of thousands of Formula 1 fans annually to the principality at the end of May, but with some Monte Carlo streets closed, showing property in Monaco can be more problematic than during the Yacht Show.

Monte Carlo real estate specialists Tribune Properties say that the more relaxed atmosphere of the Yacht Show allows potential property buyers to view properties.

'If someone is visiting Monaco for the Yacht Show and has several million Euros available, it's a pretty safe assumption that those buyers will have a few million for a property too, and a luxury yacht and Monaco Real Estate appeal to the same type of buyer', claims Roger Munns, Tribune's Managing Director.

Typical of Monaco Real Estate prices is a two bedroom two bathroom apartment in Seaside Plaza, close to where the Yacht Show is located, at 3,700,000 Euros.

Monaco Hotels

The emergence of the Yacht Show has helped the Monaco economy by drawing the world's wealthy to the principality for four days in September.

Until recently the Monaco Grand Prix in May and the Monte Carlo Masters tennis the month before have been the two main events of the year which boost the occupancy levels of the hotels in Monaco.

With the Yacht Show in September filling the hotels at premium rates, it has proved to be a welcome addition to the calendar of events for both residents and businesses alike, and the Hotel de Paris Monte Carlo will be the scene of many deals being signed over the four days.

This year also saw the first Monaco Flower Show, which it is hoped will also be a tourist magnet in future years.

'In the past Monaco has had the highlights of the Monaco Grand Prix and the tennis, with consistent numbers of visitors the rest of the year, but Monaco is becoming much more diverse in what it offers throughout the calendar year. The Yacht Show has been a success, and given a little time the Monaco Flower Show will appeal to a different type of tourist, and might be as popular as the Hampton Court and Chelsea Flower Shows are in the UK. Diversity is the key to sustained tourism, and Monaco is doing it very well.

Despite being the second smallest country in the world, Monaco has attracted many of the world's top business and entertainment people to live there due to her income tax free status, and with Prince Albert at the helm it seems that the principality is beginning to punch above her weight in world politics as he takes the lead on environmental issues', conclude YourMonaco.

For hotels in Monaco visit http://www.yourmonaco.com
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com

Sailing Lessons

2007-12-12T12:40:00.000Z

Sailing Lessons

Why Choose Fractional Sailing?

by David Yuri
Sailing can offer one of the most liberating experiences in the world. However, there are not many people that know how to sail properly and this is why the Internet can be so useful. For them, there are specialized companies providing yachts for rent and training programs, all at low-cost prices.

Fractional Sailing Program has offered interested customers the possibility to cruise with a luxurious yacht, paying only a part of the possession. Many clients have proved out to be interested, considering such programs as innovative and attractive. It represents a great alternative to owning a boat, especially as a lot of people still dream of owning one.

Sailing with a beautiful yacht can transform from a dream into a true reality with the help of the fractional sailing program. They have really convenient offers, providing intensive training sessions for beginners and showing their commitment throughout the entire sailing season. They have a flexible program, allowing the client 7 uses per month and additional uses if there are any boats available, at no extra cost.

There are many benefits to fractional sailing and the price is not the biggest advantage. They have Catalina sailboats just waiting to take you sailing in the local waterways, equipped with all the things needed, meaning safety items, cookware and high-tech electronics. A permanent, wireless Internet connection maintains a permanent communication with the shore, making sure that everything is working out just fine.

Their check-in and check-out system is wisely devised, so as the company and also the client are satisfied. They have the ability to constantly monitor the boat and alert the proper authorities in case something goes wrong. Also, the staff is warned about fuel, pumping or maintenance requirements.

The member program for fractional sailing includes training lessons for those who want to learn how to sail. The complete training program is designed to make an introduction to navigation and develop all the necessary skills, allowing clients in the future to sail out on their own. The program has flexible payment options and a big plus is represented by the fact that training is for free.

If one were to weigh the possibility of owning a boat and the one regarding the fractional sailing program, the final results were surely in favor of the second. There are no additional charges, no maintenance worries and no insurance policy to pay. However, clients are responsible for any damages and they also have to do the cleaning after the rental period expires.

For those who want to learn how to sail, there are a few things that should be known. First of all, the type of training depends very much upon the location. There are intensive courses which last up to three days but it will take a lot more to learn the true art of sailing. The basic stuff taught includes sailing orientation, yacht terminology and vital information about safety equipment. Life vests, flotation items and navigation elements should be present at all times and clients should learn how to use them properly.

There is also the owner member program, very interesting when you come to think about it. You buy a boat, you introduce it in the program and enjoy a great period of sailing without thinking about any other details. After the agreement expires, you have several options to choose from. You can, of course, keep the boat, sell it or exchange it with a new one. Whatever you pick out, you can be sure that you are dealing only with professionals, trained to serve and assist you.

There can be said a lot of things about sailing. The most important and certain thing is that it is just as popular today as it was centuries ago. The reasons for why we sail may have changed, but there are still some common elements. More and more people opt for fractional sailing, being attracted by the member programs and fair prices, welcoming also the possibility to be trained into the art of sailing.

You may have heard of fractional sailing. Now it’s the time to try it. Come and pay us a visit and we will be most glad to present our special offers. Join our community and learn how to sail with our training programs. Ready to sail, mate?
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com

Yacht Charter Caribbean

2007-12-04T06:30:00.000Z

Yacht Charter Caribbean

Sailing in St. Thomas

By: Edmundo Nurthen
When selecting a vacation destination, many individuals and families select a destination that offers them excitement and relaxation, all at once. If this is what you are looking for out of your vacation, then a St. Thomas vacation may be just for you.

St. Thomas is located in the Caribbean. As one of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas is known as one of the hottest, vacation destinations in the world. If you have never had the pleasure of vacationing in St. Thomas before, you may be wondering what awaits you there. In St. Thomas, there are an unlimited number of services and activities that you may find exciting. One of those activities is sailing.

The ocean waters surrounding St. Thomas are ideal for sailing. Beginners and even the most experienced sailors can enjoy sailing in the St. Thomas area. Since most individuals vacationing in St. Thomas fly into the area, you will have to find boat rentals. When renting a sail boat, it is likely that you will have a number of different options. Sail boats come in all different shapes, sizes, styles, and designs.

Before planning an independent sail off the coast of St. Thomas, you may need to take a number of important factors into consideration. One of these factors is your level of sailing experience. Many of the individuals and companies that provide boat rentals require that you have the appropriate level of sailing experience. You may be required to take sail boat for a test drive or you may need to show documents that show you are licensed to operate a sail boat. Many individuals and companies do this to protect their investments.

To make arrangement to rent a sail boat, it is advised that you make your reservations ahead of time. Sailing is a popular vacation pastime in St. Thomas. To guarantee that you are able to have access to an available boat, you will want to make your boat rental reservations well in advance. You can easily learn of boat rentals that can be found in or around the St. Thomas area by requesting a St. Thomas vacation packet. Your local travel agent may also be able to offer you assistance.

While sailing is an activity that is enjoyed by many, most individuals are unable to operate a sail boat. Just because you do not know how to operate a sail boat, does not mean that you cannot vacation on the waters surrounding St. Thomas. Throughout the area, you should be able to find multiple companies that offer guided sail boat rentals. In addition to paying for the boat rental, you will be provided with an experienced sailor who can take you on voyage that you will forever remember.

Sailing on the water surrounding St. Thomas is an exciting experience all on its own, but that is not the only thing you can do while on the water. While sailing on the water, you may be surprised with what you will find and see. A sail boat is a great way to vacation on the water, but sightsee as well. Scuba diving and snorkeling are also fun activities that can be combined with sailing. If you are with an experienced sailor who also is a trained scuba diver, you may be able to enjoy these two amazing activities all at once.

When you are searching for sail boat rentals, you may want to consider what the resort you plan on staying at has to offer. If you are vacationing at an all-inclusive St. Thomas resort, you may find that you are able to receive free sail boat tours. These free rides are not offered in all vacation packages, but may be able to save a large amount of money if they are.

Whether you plan on sailing yourself or you are using the services of an experienced sailor, you will be sure to enjoy your time on the water. Activities found on the St. Thomas Island are not limited. You can easily find an number of activities, many of which will be what your heart desires.

Deon Melchior is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit ArticleClick.com. Article Click is a free content article directory. You may reprint this article, as long as the article is unedited and this author box is included with it's live hyperlinks.

Luxury Yachts

2007-11-30T07:18:00.000Z

Yachts For Sale

2007-11-27T07:17:00.000Z

Yachts For Sale: "Steel Yachts For Sale Super Yachts Swarovski Sailboat Symbol Yachts"

Yachts

2007-11-25T21:54:00.000Z

Yachts: " Altus Yachts Antique Yachts Bluewater Yachts"

Yachts From Hell Forum

2007-11-25T11:14:00.000Z

Yachts From Hell Forum: "Sailboat Names Sailboat Pictures Sailboat Reviews"

Match Racing

2007-11-25T03:35:00.000Z

Match Racing: " +39 Challenge 33rd America's Cup 2007 Alinghi"

Yachting

2007-11-24T01:37:00.000Z

Yachting: "Sailing Vacations Sailing Yachts Sailors Creed"

Yacht World

2007-11-23T00:28:00.000Z

Yacht World: "Learn To Sail Luna Rossa Challenge Luxury Motor Yacht Charters"

Yacht Trader

2007-11-21T23:45:00.000Z

Yacht Trader: " Sailing Magazine Sailing Magazines Sailing Mp3"

Yacht Salvage

2007-11-21T20:14:00.000Z

Yacht Salvage: "Antique Yachts Bayliner Sailboat Beneteau"

Yacht Sales

2007-11-20T10:04:00.000Z

Yacht Sales: "Luxury Yachts Luxury Yachts For Sale Macgregor 19 Sailboat"

Yacht Sale

2007-11-19T04:16:00.000Z

Yacht Sale: "Luxury Yachts For Sale Mega Yachts Meridian Yachts"

Yacht Repo

2007-11-18T11:17:00.000Z

Yacht Repo: " Hanse Yachts Hatteras Yachts How Many Sailing Magazines Are On The Internet"

Yacht Rentals

2007-11-17T06:34:00.000Z

Yacht Rentals: " Bahamas Rental Yacht Bahamas Yacht Charters Bluewater Yachts"

Yacht Rental

2007-11-16T09:56:00.000Z

Yacht Rental: "Caribbean Crewed Charter Yachts Caribbean Rental Yacht Caribbean Yacht Charter"

Yacht Names

2007-11-13T08:30:00.000Z

Yacht Names: "Sail Away With Me Wall Plaque Sail Boat Sail Boats"

Yacht Furniture

2007-11-12T04:12:00.001Z

Yacht Furniture: "Catamaran Designs Catamaran For Sale Catamaran Plans"

Yacht For Sale

2007-11-12T04:12:00.000Z

Yacht For Sale: "Pdq Yachts For Sale Pearson Sailboats Pershing Yachts"

Yacht Delivery

2007-11-12T04:11:00.000Z

Yacht Delivery: " Antique Yachts Bahamas Rental Yacht Bahamas Yacht Charters"

Super Yachts

2007-09-08T09:42:00.000+01:00

Super Yachts: " Mega Yachts Meridian Yachts Moth Sailing"

Yacht Crew

2007-09-08T09:41:00.000+01:00

Yacht Crew: "Crewed Sailing Yacht Crewed Yacht Charter Cruiser Yachts"

Yacht Club

2007-09-08T09:40:00.000+01:00

Yacht Club: " Chicago Yacht Club Class Association, One Design Sailboats Clothing Outdoor Protective Sun"

Sito Ufficiale della 32ma America's Cup - Il Port America�s Cup � un nuovo capitolo

2007-08-12T07:24:00.001+01:00