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The French island of Corsica, 110 miles south of the Riviera and just north of Sardinia is an exceptional choice for a luxury yacht charter vacation. With a mountainous, dramatic landscape featuring rivers, gorges, waterfalls, lush valleys, rocky cliffs, vineyards, picturesque towns, 16 ports, and 620 miles of coastline surrounded by clear water in all shades of blue, the surprisingly uncrowded Corsica has it all. The rugged coastline, with more than 200 beaches, is especially alluring to those of us traveling by boat - there are many areas you can’t get to any other way and you may find a beach you can have all to yourself. Because of its geography, rising from sea level to almost 9,000 feet, Corsica’s climate is quite varied. The island is divided into three major ecological zones: the coastline and valleys enjoy a maritime Mediterranean climate (hot summers and mild winters); in the lower mountains, at 2,000 - 6,000 feet, you will find the cooler and wetter mountain Mediterranean climate; and at 6,000 feet and above, the climate is alpine, with snowcapped mountains and even small glaciers at the highest altitudes.

Corsica’s average of 250-300 days of sunshine per year (April - October being the sunniest) is the highest in France, and as a general rule, the northern part of the island is warmer than the south. You can find all types of yachts to charter on Corsica - bareboat, skippered, crewed, catamaran, sailboat, motoryacht and luxury yachts. The island is easy to get to. There are 4 airports - the Campo dell Oro Airport in Ajaccio, Poretta Airport in Bastia, Calvi (in Calvi), and Figari (in Figari) - as well as ferry service from France (Marseille, Toulon and Nice) and Italy (Genoa and Livomo). Of course, if you charter a yacht in France or Italy, you’ll be arriving on your own boat. Corsica is about a day’s sail, or 3-4 hours by motor yacht, from the French Riviera.

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Super Yachts, generally defined as luxury yachts over 80 feet in length, are the equivalent of floating private five star hotels, with no expense spared. Today’s Super Yachts offer high speed Internet connections, Plasma Screen TVs with satellite video on demand, superb chefs that cook to your exact specifications, all the water “toys” such as jet skis, water skiing, scuba gear and wind surfers. Their interiors are often created by name designers, and offer rooms for every need - offices, kids rooms (with Nanny’s quarters, of course), glorious master suites, separate decks for sunning, hot tubbing, and dining, and lavishly appointed salons and dining rooms. Crew members often outnumber guests and offer unending hospitality. Some Super Yachts even have their own beauticians, masseuses and SCUBA diving instructors.

All this luxury usually floats in one of the world’s paradises, be it the Caribbean Islands, the French or Italian Riviera, Sardinia, Greece, Spain or lesser known but equally enchanting areas of Asia, Australia, South America or Africa. It is common for a Super Yacht to spend the summer in Mediterranean hot spots and then cross the Atlantic to the Caribbean for the winter, to hop between St Barts, St Lucia, St Martin, Martinique and/or the Grenadines.

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Catamarans, both sail and power typically have the same layouts, and these layouts are much different to the more traditional monohull yachts. Catamarans are constructed with two hulls connected by a rectangular deck area. The hulls, or pontoons, are large enough to hold full size cabins and bathrooms. The deck area in between is big enough to house a large master cabin, saloon and galley. The catamaran will be as well built and tastefully finishedas any monohull yacht.

A catamaran has many benefits and is a good choice for your first yacht charter. A catamaran has more space available than a similar length monohull, is more stable and steady when at sea and needs less water to sail in. Because of the two hulls each with cabins and the large deck area with the master cabin a catamaran can carry more people or have more space available for the same amount of people as a monohull. The space between the hulls in front of the deck area normally has a net stretch across it which alows you to lay or sit on offering even more space. You may have seen pictures or film clips of high performance racing catamarans with only one pontoon in the water and heeled over but that won’t happen on the catamaran you will charter. They are very stable with both pontoons remaining in the water, this makes it easier to move around and relax.

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Boat covers play a very significant role in the protection of your boat. Purchasing a boat is a heavy investment, and it is also a very valuable asset if you like to spend a lot of time on the water. Therefore, your boat requires complete safety from dust, grime, dirt and airborne particles.

A boat cover is an essential accessory for all boats, and it has many uses. It keeps your boat clean and dirt free, and also keeps away dampness and mold. A boat cover saves your boat from the ultra-violet rays from the sun. These rays can be very destructive and harmful for color of your boat. Ultra-violet rays from the sun can be the biggest cause of cracking and weakness of rubber on many parts of your boat.

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Sailing in Greece offers visitors the chance to discover the hidden splendor of Greece & the Greek Islands. Experience the luxury of sailing in the warm turquoise waters of Greece and explore hidden coves on remote Greek islands.

Drop anchor in a secluded bay and sunbath on untouched sandy beaches that can only be reached by boat. Picture yourself diving off your yacht into crystal clear waters of the Aegean or enjoying your afternoon meal on deck, then relax and have a cool drink in the midday heat listening to the waves gently splashing against the keel.

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I must admit I have had a fascination with boat names for many years. It probably stemmed from when I lived on the River Thames at Chertsey and I used to spend many a happy summer day lolling on the decks of an old Thames Barge (grandly named ‘Sunbeam’ whilst a similar barge a few berths down was nobly named ‘Atlas’) watching all manner of craft ply the river. It was particularly interesting to realise many of these craft were very old indeed and the practice of boat naming was is highly thought of today as it was back in the old days. The cross section was broad and in many ways you’d think that the names that were given to craft would have long been exhausted but this appears not to be the case. However, when you realise that every subject of interest, anywhere, to anyone, has been thoroughly searched and raided to provide names for past and present and doubtless future generations of floating craft.

Names of towns, cities, villages, counties, countries, royalty, cartoon characters, film stars, mythology, the stars, planets and heavens have all been thoroughly trawled for representation upon the bows and transoms of a thousand, yea, ten thousand craft that ply the waters of the world.

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Compounding (Oxidation Removal):

Gel-coat, the exterior finish on fiberglass boats, is a porous mix of polyester resins and pigments that must be sealed from the damaging effects of ultra-violet (UV) rays, salt, dirt and weather. Neglect it, and it becomes more porous due to the oxidation of the mixture resins and what remains is a faded, dull finish.

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Many people probably don’t put a lot of thought into the dealings of yacht brokers. They probably wonder what they do. Well, they are the go-to guys for buying and selling boats. They are the movers and shakers that make it happen.

These guys get boat listings that come from people who initially try to sell the boats on their own. When that doesn’t work, they go out and find experienced people to help them make the sale.

Trying to sell a boat or a yacht is not a piece of cake. There are certain steps that have to be followed in order to make a successful sale. When employing a broker, it’s important for them to know what the market is like.

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People who take boat trips often fail to realize the potential disasters that can ensue if they are not careful and safe on-board their boat. Over 1,000 people die on boating trips per year, and many of the dangers associated with boating are easily preventable. In this article, we’ll give some tips to help you to avoid the potential pitfalls that one may wake while operating a boat.

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It’s that time again and I’m sure everyone is as anxious to get back out on the water as I am. It’s tempting to pull off the cover and just go, but there are 5 things you should take care of first to avoid the maiden voyage from Hades, well you get my point.

Number one on the list is the battery. I can’t stress this enough. If you make it away from the dock and your battery isn’t 100% you’re asking to be towed back. Check the water in each cell unless it is a sealed battery and add if needed. Charge fully and keep the first trip short in case you do need assistance.

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