What is the secret to a successful yacht cruise?

In today's reality, only a small percentage of yachtsmen have that amazing opportunity to go on their sailing yacht to any point on the planet and for any period of time. For the majority, a cruise is an event strictly limited in time, funds and resources, for which, willy-nilly, they have to carefully prepare.

As any experienced yachtsman knows, planning is the key to a successful cruise. However, the concept of “planning” itself is a little deeper and more complex than it might seem at first glance.

Charter and own boat

Charter cruises are a great way to get acquainted with yachting in general. A yacht itself is not a cheap investment, so if you do not have experience yet, but have a great desire to experience all the delights of yachting, a charter can be an ideal option. 

Besides the fact that chartering is relatively cheap (compared to buying and maintaining your own yacht), it also teaches discipline. Yachts are rented for a specific time on charter, and even before leaving the marina you already have a specific plan of action: to get from point A to point B within the allotted time. 

At the same time, having your own boat gives you an incomparable feeling of complete freedom. No contracts or delivery of boats, you are your own skipper, cook, first mate, chief engineer and generally a free bird. However, the charm of complete freedom ends at about the same moment when you realize your own "wants": you need to go there, and here, and to Italy, and to Cuba, but you physically do not have enough time and money for this.

The harsh truth about yachting is that there is a big difference between “seeing the world on a yacht” and “occasionally going to sea”. In the first case, in order to have time to see and explore everything you want, you will have to move to live on a yacht. In the second case, you will most likely be limited to the waters of a few seas.

However, it is not all that bad. The harshness of the truth should in no way limit us, yachtsmen, in our dreams. And in order to make dreams come true, we will have to resort to that very planning.

Plan, planning and strategy

So, we are unlikely to sail around the world in our lifetime, but we can make the most of the opportunities we have. To do this, we will need a plan, planning, and strategy.

Plan

Regardless of your goals (crossing the ocean, going through all the canals and rivers of Europe, going to Australia, etc.), you need to keep in mind that any plan is feasible provided you prepare properly. The most important thing is to clearly define the goal. Agree that the goal of "seeing the world on a yacht" is too general and even a little scary. How much time will it take? Money? It is unclear. But if we change our view of the goal, everything will fall into place.

"I want to visit Italy, Spain, France, Britain, Norway and Sweden" is a more understandable goal. Here we have narrowed the region of "wants" to Europe. In such a formulation, we can already roughly estimate the complexity, time costs and cost of the trip. But this is not enough. We need to simplify the goal until there are clear boundaries of this very goal: "This year I will go to Italy and visit <insert places of interest>. Next year I will visit Spain, where I will <insert activities of interest>" and so on and so forth.

So we have a plan – a general idea of where, why and for what purpose we are going. Great, the first stage is over.

Planning

The second step is to refine the plan. According to the original plan, we are going to Italy this year. How long will the trip be? How long will we be sailing? Will there be entertainment and relaxation, or will we be sailing with occasional walks around coastal towns? 

Planning is a detailed plan taking into account a great number of input factors. It is necessary to take into account the duration of the trip, its cost, complexity, the list of planned tasks, etc. This is the difference between a plan and planning. A plan is a general picture that we see on the wall, and planning is individual images in the overall composition. 

The following popular expression is attributed to the American General Eisenhower: "A plan is nothing, planning is everything." And this is absolutely true, since a plan is just a general outline of the final goal. Planning must take into account different scenarios. On the way from point A to point B, a storm started? Then we change the route. A fitting broke? There must be a spare on board. A crew member suddenly fell ill with seasickness? Another crew member must replace him. 

Planning should be your faithful companion and you need to be on first-name terms with it. Don't take the idea of making backup plans A, B, C, D lightly. It shouldn't be that you have a well-developed plan A, and options B and C exist only in your head. Even the simplest cruise can turn into difficulties due to the vagaries of the elements, so all possible scenarios should be worked out.

Strategy

No matter how much we plan, nature, the Universe, or God always has plans for our plans. Sometimes even the backup plan for the backup plan doesn't work, and strategy comes to the rescue.

This term is familiar to many yachtsmen who participate in regattas. Strategy refers to a general system of approaches to the route, both for normal and abnormal situations. We, cruisers, have a lot to learn from racing enthusiasts.

A strategy is very different from a plan, as a plan involves a sequence of actions, while a strategy is an overall approach. A plan can be itemized, while a strategy is more like a “toolbox” that can be combined. Two sailors with the same strategies can have completely different cruises.

Principles of strategy

A true sailor develops his own strategy as he learns his boat and understands his preferred conditions. Strategy is like a method or philosophy, so it is individual to each person. However, it can be reduced to a few general principles:

• Knowing your boat - A yachtsman must know the features of the boat and be prepared to solve any problems on board.
• Distribution of responsibility in the crew - the skipper is aware of his responsibility and understands the importance of the role of each crew member. This improves the interaction on board.
• Understanding the weather and handling - Weather can be unpredictable, so it is important to understand how to handle a yacht in different conditions.
• Setting a goal - going out to sea should have a goal, whether it is a trip to a nearby port, fishing, diving or sailing. Going out without a goal is a waste of resources.

It is also important to distinguish between regatta and cruise strategies. The “regatta” strategy is aimed at maximizing speed and optimizing the team’s work. The cruise strategy involves a set of approaches to improve safety and comfort, as well as finding the optimal route.

These principles are not absolute and do not provide a guide to action. Understanding strategy takes time and experience - it is a complex concept that becomes more natural with experience.

Planning for all occasions

Let's get back to planning and its aspects. Let's remember that this year we are going to Italy and think about how much time we will allocate for the cruise. 

Time costs

Let's assume that our vacation falls on the high season, i.e. summer. The vacation lasts two weeks, one of which we can completely devote to a boat trip. Great, we have a whole week!

But let's get back to reality and think: is the boat ours or is it rented? If it is rented, then we subtract half a day from the seven days for the acceptance and return of the boat to the charter company. In this case, six days remain. They need to be spent usefully. 

If the boat is yours, it's good if it's in Italy. And even then, you'll have to spend time getting there, especially if you live in the Czech Republic, for example. If not, you'll have to change your plans to visit the birthplace of pasta and Julius Caesar. 

What's on the plan?

According to the plan, we want to "see Italy". If this means trying to feel the Italian atmosphere, then we should choose the appropriate regions and places. The Italian peninsula has many secluded corners that perfectly convey the spirit of "that very Italy". 

In this case, you can focus on leisurely exploration of coastal areas, alternating land and sea activities. Yes, in six days you are unlikely to see many sights, but you will be able to fully enjoy nature and relaxation.

If we are talking about visiting tourist places, then most likely you will have to cruise at a fast pace to see everything. In the summer there will be a lot of tourists, and yachtsmen in the marinas no less. Advance booking a month or two before the trip will help avoid losing precious nerve cells.

Weather 

Let's assume that you went to explore Italy not in the summer, but closer to mid-autumn, when the excitement has died down. There are not so many yachtsmen, tourists have slowly gone home, the weather has become less hot. However, the closer to winter, the stronger the winds will be, the more vicious the rains will be, and in general it will be cold and unpleasant. 

The weather will directly affect the length of your cruise, so it is worth considering this. In unfavorable circumstances, one or two days can be spent in the marina due to rain. Let's face it, sometimes this happens in the summer. It is worth being prepared for such a development of events and doing some available activities on land. 

Restrictions

Restrictions can vary widely, from local laws to tides. It is important to research potential restrictions before you set out on your cruise. Consider the time of year you are cruising, whether there may be strong tidal currents or adverse weather conditions during the planned time period. There may also be customs restrictions on yachts under a particular flag. 

Cruise duration

Perhaps you have drawn a lucky ticket and you are not limited to a week for a cruise. In this case, we recommend trying a long cruise: three to four weeks or even more! This way you will be able to really “feel” the country or region of sailing, study the area, and do plenty of sailing. In addition, with a long cruise you will have the opportunity to spend a day or two at anchor or in the marina due to bad weather without any regrets.

Shorter cruises, say two or three weeks, feel a little different. It's still a long time, but you can't afford to waste days in the marina. It's important to have a clear idea of how long the cruise will last before you plan.

Acclimatization

Even if this is not your first time on a cruise, you need to give yourself and the crew time to acclimatize, especially if the temperature conditions of your home country and the yacht's location are different. The same goes for seasickness - there is a high probability that someone from the crew will still fall victim to this insidious affliction.

The Experience Trap

There is a saying that the more experienced a yachtsman is, the less likely he is to get into trouble due to weather conditions and problems with the boat, etc. We hasten to disappoint the sea wolves - no one is immune from stupid mistakes, even experienced yachtsmen. 

Moreover, experienced skippers are particularly susceptible to the "seasoned sailor" disease, whereby one's own skills and abilities are significantly overestimated. It is important to always remain clear-headed and to treat oneself and one's skills with a serious dose of self-criticism. 

Assess your options sensibly

Not only yours, but also the capabilities of the crew and the boat. Even if you are a very experienced yachtsman, there is no point in spending days on end under sail at high speeds, finishing off a tired crew. What good is it if the crew wants to walk along warm beaches during the day and sit in a restaurant with a glass of prosecco in the evening? 

Returning to the question of goals: you also need to be careful with them. The goal of a specific cruise should be realistic and achievable at this stage. If there is a goal, but it is still beyond your abilities and capabilities, then let it remain a dream for now.

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09.11.2024