Few moments beat being with friends on a boat, cracking some cold ones, and soaking up the sun on a beautiful charter. For those who would love to be out on the water but don’t own a boat, we have a solution for you: chartering. Whether you’re an experienced boater or a first-timer, there are charter options for people with varying boating experience, budget, and geographic location. So, for those interested in chartering a boat, the next step is figuring out which destination is best for you.
When deciding where to charter a boat, there are numerous factors to consider, such as temperature, winds, number of nearby islands to visit, and the type of charter. It is imperative to pay attention to which type of charter you are renting, especially if you are a beginner boater. The two main types of charters are bareboat and crewed yachts. A bareboat yacht’s name helps with most of the description — it is “bare,” meaning you and the rest of your group are the ones in charge of doing all the driving and cooking, whereas with a crewed charter, a driver and cook will be supplied by the company. Considering all of these factors, here are three of the best destinations, but for those who are looking for more inspiration, you can keep searching here.
A top destination, especially for those located in the eastern part of the U.S., are the British Virgin Islands. For those who can’t pick the British Virgin Islands out on a map, they aren’t located anywhere near rainy and gray England; in fact, they are located in the beautiful Caribbean. And with the British Virgin Islands, there truly is no bad time to visit. With temperatures staying near the low 80°F range for the entirety of the year, the British Virgin Islands are warm enough to make the Caribbean blue water look even more enticing.
No list of ideal places to charter a boat would be complete without mentioning Greece. Located right on the Mediterannean, there are hundreds of small islands for you to hop from at your own leisure. As a heads-up to the more inexperienced boaters, navigating around Greece poses significantly more challenges than the British Virgin Islands, as there are more sizable winds and obstacles. If you’d prefer to sit back and relax rather than navigate, remember that you can book a crewed charter where a captain drives the boat for you.
When you think of beautiful boating destinations, Norway isn’t likely to be one of the first options that pops into your head, but perhaps it should be. In Norway, you likely won’t be exploring islands; instead, you will be exploring its fjords. For those who are unfamiliar with what a fjord is and still puzzled by the fact that an f is followed by a j, a fjord is an inlet between cliffs that are common in Scandinavia. It should go without saying, but those planning on traveling through the breathtaking fjords of Norway should definitely plan for a summer trip — winter time temps in Norway are usually about 20°F!
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