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 good 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 give some tips to consider when choosing a sailing destination.
The wind and route
In the Netherlands, we have to deal with widely varying wind forces that also blow from a different direction every so often. It is typical for our country, because in popular, foreign charter areas, it often blows much more consistently from the same wind direction. Wind force and wind direction affect your sailing plan and itinerary, especially if you rent bareboat (boat without skipper) and decide your own route. This has everything to do with the feasibility of planned intermediate stops and final destination. For the wind, you're just there, but what if you still have miles to cover while cruising to catch the plane in 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, returning to the port of departure, you can opt for a one-way sailing trip and embark in one port and disembark in another. The advantage of a one-way is that you can cover a longer sailing distance. With a flotilla sailing holiday, you sail cosily 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 your sails
Throughout the year, you can always sail somewhere in the sun. If it's winter here, you'll be fine around the equator and in the Southern Hemisphere, think the Caribbean, the Maldives, Seychelles, Thailand, Australia and Polynesia. But back to winds 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 practically windless, relaxing for the novice sailor, but less challenging for the sporty sailor.
Currents and tides
Currents and tides help determine which route to sail. Thus, on the North Sea and Wadden Sea, we always have to take the tides into account and keep the tide table handy, while on the Baltic Sea there is hardly any difference between ebb and flood. In areas where many islands are close to each other, such as in some places in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, currents are created between them as the water is pushed up. We in the Netherlands have a soft seabed, but abroad you will more often find reefs, a rocky bottom and ditto coast. For instance, atolls are surrounded by coral reefs, which obviously do not lend themselves to anchoring.
Swell and waves
The depth of the water affects swell and wave action. Even though much of the Netherlands is 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. If the water colours lighter blue on the Mediterranean, you should be aware of a shallow depth 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. Apart from 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, which is why a catamaran is more often chosen if the travelling party takes seasickness 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 play a role in planning your sailing holiday, but that is also the fun part! Do you find it difficult to choose a destination? Let us advise you, we know from experience what would suit 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 various sailing areas with varying conditions and, on the other, by taking specific sailing lessons. There are short courses that prepare you specifically for the actions one has to perform in a foreign sailing area, such as anchoring and mooring at moorings. For less experienced sailors, a flotilla is recommended, as there is 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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