Living on a sailboat for a year

Mark Moore    New Sailing Holiday Ideas, sailingbreaks     California, Sailboat, Sailing, Sailing Holidays, Sailing in the Caribbean, Sailing Tours, the Caribbean

Almost everyone has occasionally imagined what it would be like to be living on a sailboat: The allure of the easy-going lifestyle, the freedom and the adventure; what’s not to desire?

Live your own adventure on a sailboat. Image: Flickr/spantil

It’s smooth seas, mermaids, sunsets, sailing tours and booze cruises everyday, right? The boat is cheaper than rent, there is no traffic and the entire ocean is at your disposal. After living on a sailboat for the better part of a year, not all of the above are accurate.

All in all, it is pretty sweet, though…

I ended up in California after I broke up with a girl. She left me – figures. I’m not meant for relationships because when the wind is blowing or the surf is running, I have a hard time holding down a normal commitment.

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Sailing Samoa: Before the Tsunami

Mark Moore    sailingbreaks     Lalomanu, New Zealand, Pacific ocean, Sailing, Sailing Breaks, Sailing Destinations, sailing holiday, Sailing Samoa, Sailing Trips, Samoa

A tiny speck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Samoa is not an easy place to access from North America. My friend and I ended up there during our year abroad in New Zealand. It was a magical place.

Samoa, the tropical paradise of the Pacific Ocean. Image: Flickr/ NeilsPhotography

In late September of 2009, a powerful earthquake measuring over 8.0 struck the deepwater trench roughly 150 miles south of the small Pacific Island of Samoa.

The local time was shortly after 6:00 AM when the resulting tsunami made landfall on the southern coast of the vulnerable island nation.

While most of the island slept, those fortunate enough to have been awake had a measly fifteen-minute warning to seek higher ground…

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Sailing Florida: Key to the Keys

Tom Sykes    sailingbreaks     Destin Vacation Rentals, Fernandina Harbour, Florida Keys, Fort George Island, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Fort Myers Beach Vacation Rentals, Hawk Channel, keys, Lake Worth, Sailing, Sailing Florida, Sailing Holidays, sailing trip, US, Vacation Rentals

There are few more attractive places to go sailing than Florida. The waves gleam almost as brightly as the fair shores of the Florida Keys, America’s most exotic archipelago.

Florida Keys, America’s most exotic archipelago. Image: Flickr/ Fifth World Art

Beneath invitingly clear and calm water sits a beautiful live coral reef, truly a sight to see even from the surface.

For those who have chosen Fort Myers Beach Vacation Rentals, a spot of cruising will only add to an already amazing experience. Here are some top voyages and sailing tips to make your journey complete.

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Best sailing watches: Start-line saviours and mid-night wakers

Mark Moore    Sailing Gear, sailingbreaks     Best Sailing Watches, Gill Regatta Master II, Ronstan Clear Start Regatta Watch, Sailing, sailing holiday, Sailing Holidays, Sailing Watches, Win Design Racing Watch

I’ve been involved in sailing races without having a watch. It’s not a pleasant experience. A start line is hectic enough without having to guess at remaining time or do countdowns in your head.

Sailing watches are multi-purpose tools.

A good start off the line is important. And the best sailing watches do much more than tell the time…

As with most sailing products, sailing watches are multi-purpose tools. Some of the primary functions that sailing watches offer are: countdowns, stopwatch function, elapsed time indicator, reset time (without too much effort) and an alarm loud enough to wake you up in time for your next duty. And the more expensive models can do a lot more

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Sailing the Indian Ocean: Adventures and Destinations

Mark Moore    sailingbreaks     Adventures, Asia, australia, Destinations, Indonesia, mauritius, Perth, Sailing Breaks, Sailing Holidays, Sailing the Indian Ocean, sailing trip, Sailing Trips, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, the Maldives, the Mediterranean, The Seychelles, western australia

Not many Europeans or North Americans get to experience sailing the Indian Ocean. It tends to be more of a hot-spot for people living in Asia or Australia, for the obvious reason that it is much closer.

The Indian Ocean, an area for the adventure-oriented sailor. Image: Flickr/ llee_wu

Shame really, as most of the sailing in this region is much more adventurous than the Mediterranean or the Caribbean. The crossings can be long and grueling, and during the southern hemisphere winter, the Roaring Forties latitude pumps out serious ocean swell that can cause hectic conditions.

This is an area for the adventure-oriented sailor that doesn’t expect to pull up to a 5-star marina for a massage every night. And there’s a number of places to start from or even link together as a longer adventure.

Fancy a challenge? Time to take your sailing into the Indian Ocean in search of horizon’s new? Good. Here’s an intro to help.

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Croatia: A coast made for sailing

Tamsin    sailingbreaks     Croatia, Sailing, Sailing Breaks, Sailing Holidays, Sailing in Croatia, sailing trip, Yacht Base, yacht charter, Yacht Charter Croatia

The Croatian coastline, dotted with over 12,000 islands and stretching for 1700 kilometers, is “where the Mediterranean is as it once was”. Consequently, it is becoming more and more popular with people seeking the perfect place for an unforgettable sailing holiday.

Croatia, an unforgettable sailing holiday. Image: Flickr/ Macskafaraok

Croatia has 98 marinas and nautical ports with a total of 11828 berths and over 4,000 charter boats. So you will never be far from a welcome stop at the end of a days sailing. All this is easily accessible, thanks to the wealth of international airports and highways that serve the coastal areas.

From April to November the weather conditions are perfect for heading out onto the water. With winds often blowing from morning till night, you can enjoy an entire day of sailing, which is a good thing, as you’ll need all of the time you can get to make sure that you see everything Croatia has to offer.

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The Top 5 Sailing Destinations in Croatia

Tamsin    sailingbreaks     Croatia, Dubrovnik, Istria, Kvarner, Sailing, Sailing Breaks, Sailing Destinations, Split, Yacht Base, Zadar

With arguably the most beautiful coastline in Europe and dotted with over 1,000 islands, Croatia is truly a sailor’s paradise.

The most beautiful coastline in Europe. Image: Flickr/ snailo86

Wherever you choose to spend your sailing holiday you won’t be disappointed, but here are our top five destinations in this Adriatic oasis.

Starting in the north, you have Istria and Kvarner. Within easy reach of both Slovenia and Italy and serviced by two international airports, this region is a great starting point for a Croatian sailing holiday.

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