Learn to Sail a Yacht Holidays

Spend a week living on board a yacht having a flotilla holiday in Croatia, while being taught how to sail it as you go along. This holiday is equally suited to singles or couples that share a yacht with others, or to groups or families that fill a yacht themselves.

You sail around the stunning coastline and islands of the central Adriatic with the emphasis equally split between learning to sail and having a sailing holiday. Activity Yachting Holidays is an approved IYT training establishment so internationally recognised certification can be awarded to suitable candidates.

Total beginners will spend the week being taught the points of sail, knots and basic seamanship, navigation and generally get fully involved in all aspects of the sailing and mooring of the yacht. At the end of the week beginners should be at an International Crew Level and be a useful assistant on any cruising yacht. Those with some prior experience will develop their skills further and get more involved in the skippering and at the end of the week they should be at the Flotilla Skipper standard, a level at which they can now start to charter and skipper a yacht themselves in the future. ICC assessments are also available for anybody eligible for them.

Families or groups filling a yacht will not be sharing with others and can even opt for the instructor not sleep on board at night if required. They will follow the same syllabus as the couples and singles, but are free to take things at as relaxed a pace as they need with plenty of time for anchoring and swimming which is always essential if there are children on board.

Daily distances are kept relatively short usually between 5 to 20 miles allowing for maximum flexibility each day. Yachts sail as part of a flotilla so there is a very good social side between all the crews allowing for the mixing of singles, couples and families without any problems.

Price

From: GBP300 per person (1 Week)

Price Includes

• Accommodation on the yacht on a shared cabin basis
• Singles share in the main saloon
• Single occupancy of cabins available of required
• Instruction for the week.
• Mooring and marina fees unless stated otherwise
• Yacht fuel and operating costs

Price Excludes

• Flights and airport transfers, although we do orgainse the latter and these are paid for in cash locally, usually between £25 & £35 per person. Meals are not included. Breakfasts and Lunches are usually taken on board while most people choose to take evening meals in local restaurants, but you have full use of the facilities on board should you wish. All shopping is done in local shops and markets. Families and groups take care of all their own provisioning costs while, those sharing a yacht usually choose to operate a small kitty among themselves for onboard meals Preparation of lunches as with cleaning up and tidying of the yacht is to be shared by all on board

The first morning (don’t worry, not too early) starts with a comprehensive briefing for the entire flotilla. This is an excellent time to see the entire group together for the first time. Breakfasts and Lunches are usually taken on board while most people choose to take evening meals in local restaurants, but you have full use of the facilities on board should you wish. Once everyone is organised, usually between 11 and 11.30 you will prepare to leave port. The rest of the morning will be spent getting everyone familiar with the workings of the yacht, the engine and handling under power, the sail controls and generally establishing everybody’s experience. This will all be done as you slowly make your way towards your first lunchtime stop and swim of the week. The afternoon will usually be spent doing some sailing and leaving everybody get the feel for the yacht in its natural environment. By the time you reach port on that first afternoon a lot of the mystery of sailing will have disappeared and you will be ready for a cool drink. A shower and freshen up is normally next followed by a pre arranged group meal at a local restaurant for those interested in getting together. Most people like to go along, as it is the first night and its kept simple by everyone paying their own bill. It’s the perfect chance to discuss the day’s activities with the other members of the group. The pattern for the week will now have been set. The day will start with a short flotilla briefing at 0930 and most yachts will have left within an hour or two. Mornings tend to have lighter winds making them perfect for practicing and teaching. We will have lunchtime stop most days unless we have a particularly favourable wind and everyone wants to keep going. The brisker afternoon winds make for great sailing and the evenings are spent in port. After the first night we do not arrange group meals every night (unless by popular demand) but people just get together among themselves and wander off to try out different restaurants. During the course of the week we try to visit a different port every night. There is always time to explore locally and the whole emphasis is on learning by doing, hence our use of the word ‘tuition’ rather than ‘school’

Accommodation Details

All accommodation is on the yacht and there will be up to four students on a smaller 31 ft two cabin yacht, and up to six on board a larger three cabin one. Larger yachts are available for bigger numbers.

We get a full mix of all ages and both sex's coming on these holidays. Families are not mixed on board the same yacht as other adults, but singles and couples are mixed according to what seems to be the best fit. Generally people are in their mid twenties to mid fifties, but we have had people into their seventies.