Sailing / Yachting Tour Operators

Worldwide

Sunsail Yacht Charters (http://www.sunsail.co.uk, Tel. +44 (0)23 9222 2225)
Sunsail has fleets of modern, well-maintained yachts of every kind and family-friendly beach clubs in 39 locations around the world. They offer yacht charters plus the chance to own your own yacht and will even manage it for you.
Charter World Yacht Charters (http://www.charterworld.com.au, Tel. +61 3 9521 0033)
Australian agency for yacht charters in the Whitsundays, Pacific, Caribbean, Mediterranean and Asia. Useful website with suggested itineraries as well.
Fraser Yachts (http://www.FraserYachts.com, Tel. +64 9 302 0178)
Find hundreds of luxury yachts for sale and charter and itinerary suggestions.

Australia

Sailing holidays Whitsundays (http://www.whitsundayescape.com, Tel. + 61 7 4946 5222)
Offers chartered boat hire for a self skippered adventure in the Whitsundays.
OzSail (http://www.ozsail.com.au, Tel. +61 7 4948 2096)
Opportunities to join a luxurious sailing trip or skipper yourself through the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsundays. Sailing and diving packages.
Bliss (http://www.bliss.com.au, Tel. + 61 2 8232 3036)
Luxury crewed charters in the Whitsundays.
Australian Tall Ships (http://www.australiantallships.com, Tel. + 61 7 4943 5932
Tall ship adventures in the Whitsundays with a fully manned crew.
Yachting Holidays (http://www.yachtingholidays.com.au, Tel. +61 3 6224 3195)
Bareboat and skippered yacht charter and sail training in Tasmania.

Pacific

Paradise Adventures (http://www.paradiseadventures.com.au, Tel. + 61 2 8799 2500)
Sailing and yacht charter vacations all through the Pacific including Tahiti, Tonga, Fiji and New Caledonia.

Latin America

Lohe Lani Sailing Cruises (http://www.lohelani.com, Tel. + 1 (714) 957-8144)
Sailing catamaran that tours Costa Rica’s pacific coast and pristine national parks.
Virgin Island Sailing (http://www.ViSailing.com, Tel. + 1 941 966 9387)
Boating options for the Caribbean.

Europe

Neilson Active Holidays (http://www.neilson.co.uk, Tel. + 44 0870 333 3356)
Give you the chance to skipper your own yacht on a sailing vacation in Greece and Croatia and provide training courses.
Secret Dalmatia (http://www.secretdalmatia.com, Tel. 00385 (0)23 384541)
Original sailing getaways down the Dalmatian coast to Split, Dubrovnik and Zadar.
Sail Croatia Cruise (http://www.sail-croatia.com, Tel. +44 (0)845 257 8289)
Offers 7-day sailing tours discovering tiny islands and secluded coves hidden in the Adriatic.
Sailing Europe (http://www.SailingEurope.com, Tel. +385 1 488 22 09)
Offer organized and inexpensive sailing vacations with a personal touch in Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Slovenia and Spain. Book a boat or book a cabin.
Lazy Winch (http://www.LazyWinch.com, Tel. + 44 01284 830505)
A family run, independent and boutique yachting company running charters or crewed options in Croatia.
OceanBLUE (http://www.yacht-charter-holidays.co.uk, Tel. + 44 0 1202 757 425)
UK Specialists for yacht charter in Monaco, Balearics, Turkey, Sardinia, Greece, Sicily and Croatia.
Activity Yachting Holidays (http://www.activityyachting.com, Tel. + 44 01243 641304)
Learn to sail in Croatia or take a sailing vacation with this operator.
Spetses Yachting Club Holidays (http://www.spetsesyc.gr, Tel. + 30 22980 73400)
Rent a boat, join an excursion or sailing trip from this Greek yacht club.

Do-It-Yourself Options

Nothing beats standing at the helm of your own yacht to cruise the Aeolian Islands or round the Cornish coast. It’s the ultimate in this kind of adventure travel. You will need to understand how to operate and man your craft, how to read maps, adjust the rigging, hoist the sails and any other tasks. You will also need a crew. The more people onboard also means more cramped spaces so think carefully about who is coming along and how likely or able they will be to help.

Most yachts have kitchens, toilets and bedrooms and will need people to clean or man them. Work out the tasks of each crew member or a system of rotation. To decide where you want to go ask at sailing and yachting clubs for advice, shops selling sailing equipment or other boaters.

If you own a yacht consider joining a yacht partnership whereby you can choose to sail your own yacht or, at no additional cost, use an equivalent model from a base elsewhere in the world. This means you never cover the same ground twice.