Top 5 Sailing Spots in Spring in the Mediterranean

Tips for your sailing holiday

Your sailing holiday may be determined by the holiday period and travel distance. Close to home, for example, as the Netherlands offers sailors a unique combination of inland waters, inland seas and open sea. If you want to be sure of nice weather and prefer to seek out the sun, there are already numerous options for a sunny sailing holiday within Europe, but a subtropical destination far away is also possible. We offer some tips to consider when choosing a sailing destination.

The wind and the route

In the Netherlands, we have to deal with strongly fluctuating wind forces that also blow from a different direction every so often. This is typical of our country, because in popular, foreign charter areas, it often blows much more consistently from the same wind direction. Wind force and wind direction influence your sail plan and route, especially if you rent a bareboat (boat without skipper) and determine your own route. This has everything to do with the feasibility of planned intermediate stops and the final destination. For the wind, you'll be there in no time, but what if you still have miles to cover while sailing to catch the plane on time? If your car is in a port closer to home, you are generally a bit more flexible.

Cruising route and sailing distance

Instead of sailing in a loop and returning to the port of departure, you can opt for a one-way cruise and embark at one port and disembark at another. The advantage of a one-way cruise is that you can cover a longer sailing distance. With a flotilla sailing holiday, you cozily sail from port to port with a small fleet. For flotillas, easy-to-sail routes are mapped out with not too long sailing distances where you visit the most beautiful spots of the area in question. Most flotillas depart and end in the same port, but there are also one-way flotillas.

Where and when the wind is in the sails

Throughout the year, you can always sail somewhere in the sun. If it's winter here, you'll be right around the equator and in the southern hemisphere, think the Caribbean, the Maldives, the Seychelles, Thailand, Australia and Polynesia. But back to the wind and your route in a particular area. In the Caribbean, for example, the wind blows from an easterly direction. There, in some regions, you should avoid the hurricane season from July to December, at least if the sailing yachts there have not already been taken out of charter. Along the Greek and Turkish coasts, the wind blows predominantly from a northerly direction. But in spring on the Ionian Sea, it is virtually windless, relaxing for the novice sailor, but less challenging for the sporty sailor.

Currents and tides

Currents and tides determine which route to sail. On the North Sea and Wadden Sea, for instance, we should always take the tides into account and keep the tide table handy, while on the Baltic there is hardly any difference between ebb and flood. In areas where many islands are close together, as in some places in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, currents form between the islands when the water is pushed up. We in the Netherlands have a soft seabed, but abroad you are more likely to find reefs, a rocky bottom and ditto coast. Atolls, for example, are surrounded by coral reefs, which of course do not lend themselves to anchoring.

Swell and waves

The depth of the water affects swell and waves. Although much of the Netherlands lies below sea level, our waters are many times shallower than elsewhere. But of a fairly constant depth without obstacles. The IJsselmeer is about 4 to 6 metres deep and the Dutch part of the North Sea barely reaches 45 metres. By comparison, on the Mediterranean, depths of 500 metres or more are no exception, not to mention the unfathomable depths of the oceans. When the waters on the Mediterranean turn a lighter blue, you have to reckon with shallow depths and a reef that can rise steeply.

Monohull or catamaran

Many sailors prefer one type of sailing yacht, a monohull (single hull) or a catamaran. Regardless of preference or sailing experience on a specific yacht, you can say that a catamaran especially comes into its own in shallow, sandy bays. In addition, you are generally less affected by swings, so a catamaran is more often chosen if the travelling party takesseasickness into account . On the other hand, a monohull is easier to handle in places and ports where there is less space.

Choose the sailing holiday that suits you

Several factors come into play when planning your sailing holiday, but that's also the fun part! Finding it hard to choose a destination? Then get advice, we know from experience what suits you best. In any case, you can prepare yourself in the Netherlands for a sailing holiday abroad. On the one hand by gaining sailing experience in different sailing areas with varying conditions and on the other by taking specific sailing lessons. There are short courses that specifically prepare you for the actions you need to perform in a foreign sailing area, such as anchoring and mooring at moorings. For less experienced sailors, a flotilla is recommended, as there will be a companion ship sailing along and the skipper can provide assistance if needed. Finally, you can choose to charter the type of sailing yacht you are used to. So there are plenty of options for everyone to have a fantastic sailing holiday!

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