Yacht charter agencies for cheap sailing holidays ?

[MagMo]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anybody knew any websites offering cheap boat rentals for sailing holidays abroad ? My sailing buddy in France mentioned Beboats.com and they have a British website (I have made an enquiry). To maximise my chances to get the best price, I am open to any suggestions

Thanks!
Maggie

 

[KellysEye]

www.latesail.com they have discounted yachts around the world but not in the UK. Choose when and where you want to go and keep an eye on prices, then use 'Name your price'. Make an offer 10 to20% off and a company in the area is likely to accept it.

 

[nigelmercier]

Canary Sail

 

[shan]

Make certain you know exactly what is part of the price. Sometimes, it doesn't work out as cheaply as you think! For example, in Turkey, you have to buy (in addition to the cost of the charter) a compulsory Transit log €120 and a blue card €20(for pump outs of loo stuff). The charter company then charged a compulsory cleaning fee €75, for use of an outboard for the tender €70, deposit for the tender €500.... etc etc. A bit like booking a Ryan Air Flight. In the end, it cost us the same as if we had booked through Sunsail.

Also beware that cheap charters equate to poorly maintained boats! The Genoa on the boat we chartered in Thailand, was so stretched, it resembled a pair of Grandmother's old knickers.

 

[MagMo]

Hey guys,
@kellyseye: Thanks for your helpful reply!

Beboats.com made me a better offer than Latesail for the same boat (with a younger build year!). Might be worth looking into it for yoruselves too!

@ Shan: The staff seemed to know their stuff and gave me some useful tips for travel arrangements. The only extras I'll have to pay on the spot are cleaning, VISAR and the cruising permit, which are all mandatory for charters in the BVI. Have you chartered with Sunsail several times before? Who did you rent from in Turkey?

 

[KellysEye]

>Beboats.com made me a better offer than Latesail for the same boat (with a younger build year!). Might be worth looking into it for yoruselves too!

I assume you mean www.bareboats.com but it it is not operational and the URL is for sale try www. bareboats.com and see what I mean. Or was the one you posted wrong? The site says it is for sale because the owner has changed the business plan so it could have been a con if the URL was working when you went to it.

 

[MagMo]

>Beboats.com made me a better offer than Latesail for the same boat (with a younger build year!). Might be worth looking into it for yoruselves too!

I assume you mean www.bareboats.com but it it is not operational and the URL is for sale try www. bareboats.com and see what I mean. Or was the one you posted wrong? The site says it is for sale because the owner has changed the business plan so it could have been a con if the URL was working when you went to it.

Thanks for the tip Kelly I just saw that the website's domain was for sale. Just to clarify that I really did mean www.beboats.com. I can't remember to whom I spoke to on Saturday but the site definitely exists

Thanks again

 

[KellysEye]

>Just to clarify that I really did mean www.beboats.com. I can't remember to whom I spoke to on Saturday but the site definitely exists

OK thanks.

 

[simonfe]

Just got back from the Ionian, Sailing in Blue great value on a 2003 Bav41.

 

[choppy]

Bit of a plug but you can go direct to the fleet operators - such as ourselves for instance !- Ie cut out the middle man. (Agents are generally working off the same feeds to varying degrees of success depending on their marketing angle & effectiveness) There is often a discount to be had as mentioned above and we have direct responsibility for the boats & their condition/description.
You may also find they will have reciprocal arrangements with like minded operators in Turkey & Greece & therefore are able to give an honest picture of the operator you are chartering from.
Good luck

 

[shan]

Hey guys,
@kellyseye: Thanks for your helpful reply!

Beboats.com made me a better offer than Latesail for the same boat (with a younger build year!). Might be worth looking into it for yoruselves too!

@ Shan: The staff seemed to know their stuff and gave me some useful tips for travel arrangements. The only extras I'll have to pay on the spot are cleaning, VISAR and the cruising permit, which are all mandatory for charters in the BVI. Have you chartered with Sunsail several times before? Who did you rent from in Turkey?

We booked through Nautilus, who are the agents for Aura Yachting in Turkey.

We have not chartered through Sunsail but our next door neighbours have used Sunsail several times and looking at their photos and talking to them, they have had excellent experiences. We priced up Sunsail after our Turkish Charter and it would have cost us roughly the same.