Sailing from Korea to China

Sailing from Korea to China
By Laura Foy

We had to endure a 18 hour boat trip from Incheon port to Qingdao with no other westerners on board. Our Korean friends had dropped us to the port and when they saw the people wed be sharing the room with they made sure we upgraded to a private room instead of a dorm room, which when we started to queue to board the vessel, realised that was a wise move. The people at the port looked rough and scary, and we had never, ever been stared at so much (or so we thought - this was only a taster of what was to come). It was a horrible feeling to be stared at to such a degree, unnerving and so uncomfortable that I resorted to hanging my head and getting thicker by the minute.

When we got on to the boat we found our cabin that turned out to be very spacious and not so bad at all. It had a little TV and fridge where we could leave the two bottles of vodka wed bought earlier, chilling for later. We decided to go on a wee tour of the boat and found out that we had, in fact, saved our own lives by upgrading to the four bed cabin, as the dorm was like a mad mans bedroom. There were 14 mattresses lying in a military-like order on the floor. Each room was gendered (although it was hard to tell in both cases which room was which) and it truly looked like something out of a World War II camp scene. The people were stuffed in beside each other, uncomfortably close, all slurping in to their pot noodles and the smell lingering outside the dorm, made me wonder what the hell did it smell like inside?

So we ran back to our little cabin and cracked open the bottles of vodka, and as to be expected things started to get a little better. These people didnt look so scary at all, in fact, they looked quite approachable, and within no time we had invited some of them over for a drink with us on deck. We met a Korean English teacher, and when I asked him his name, he couldnt understand me, but that was okay because I had consumed a fair amount of vodka at this stage, and therefore I could talk for him and so I had a great conversation altogether. After some singing we retired to our room and closed the curtains on each of our little beds and headed to the port of Qingdao.

The next morning we woke up bright and early, ready for our first sight of China. We headed down to the showers and walked in to one big room full of naked Chinese women washing and then did a U-turn and headed straight back to the dorm. Sharing a shower with people who stare at me when I have clothes ON? I dont think so, love! I comforted myself by thinking, if Im going to travel I may get used to this not washing every day lark anyway. Then my friend came back, and said it wasnt so bad, and if Im going to travel I may get used to these circumstances. We were docking at 8.30am so at 8.20, guessing that most people would be ready to disembark I scurried down to the showers, and ran in to the shower room. Luckily, there was only one auld woman there who may have been blind as she didnt seem to notice me, but by jaysus I scrubbed like Id never scrubbed so fast. When I put on my towel I felt adventurous and that I had accomplished something. I felt proud and ready to take on the rest of Asia!

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The Rise and Rise of Croatia For Sailing Holidays

The Rise and Rise of Croatia For Sailing Holidays
By Christopher Longmore

In the 1980s, Croatia - then part of Yugoslavia - built up a sizeable yacht charter industry. It was never then on the scale to rival long time favourite Greece, but it was large enough to get itself noticed as an attractive coming destination. Then came the various Balkan wars - one of them involving Croatia itself - and the disintegration of old Yugoslavia. Croatia is now the ex-Yugoslav republic with almost all the coast line!

Since the wars ended the growth of the croatian yacht charter industry has been little short of astonishing. In an industry notoriously short of credible statistics, we suspect that Croatia must now be a serious rival to Greece. There are a number of expalanations for this remarkable success:

The country is naturally blessed with sailing waters as good and varied as anywhere in the world.

After the war, the Croatian government went out of its way to encourage and indeed subsidise the re-building and building of the necessary infrastructure - most obviously the marinas.

Northern Croatia is a 4 hour drive from most of Austria, and southern parts of Germany. Even Dalmatia, where perhaps the best sailing is to be found - is only 6 hours away. This was always a big advantage, but in the wake of 9/11, when Germans in particular were reluctant to climb on an airplane, it catapulted the industry forward.

Sailing holidays in Croatia now include almost everything that customers could conceivably want. There are thousands of bareboat yachts to charter in bases from Pula and Cres in Istria, to the massive yachting centres of Zadar, Sukosan, Sibenik, Murter Island, Split, & Dubrovnik. Each one of those can be chartered with a skipper for those without the necessary experience. There are sailing flotillas from Split, and an RYA Authorised Sailing School on Murter Island. The opportunities to spend one week afloat and another ashore are endless.

One of the problems for the British used to be that getting there was expensive and there were not enough seats on such planes flew there. Things started to improve in 2004, with regular charter flights to Split at least. For 2005, there are flights to Opatija in the north, Zadar to get to central Dalmatia, Split, and also Dubrovnik. Getting to Istria is easy. Just fly EasyJet to Venice, or Ryanair to Trieste. The first has hydrofoil links to the excellent sailing of Pula; the second is a transfer bus away from Portoroz (actually in Slovenia), and Pula. Croatia is now the sailing destination for the British - the destination that has it all!

Christopher LONGMORE - Owner of Top Notch, a GibSea402 based in Turkey and of the Global Yacht sailing holidays group.

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The Ultimate Sailing Vacation: Book a Cruise on a Tall Ship

The Ultimate Sailing Vacation: Book a Cruise on a Tall Ship
By Aldene Fredenburg

From the coast of Maine to Key West, from The Pacific Northwest to Antarctica, tall ships offer a unique experience. Sailing vessels of centuries-old designs moved goods all over the world in the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; now they enjoy an esteemed place in the minds and hearts of modern men and women.

Tall ships caught the public's imagination in the 1970s after having been relegated to the history books; everyone alive and conscious during the U.S. 1976 bicentennial remembers the glorious sight of scores of tall ships sailing into New York harbor, past the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan's skyline. Since then, governments all over the world maintain fleets of tall ships as some sort of maritime ambassadors; and many small private companies have sprung up to offer both short cruises and ones lasting days.

In Maine, the owners of the schooner Mary Kay have been offering windjammer cruises since 1950, long before the tall ships craze hit. The cruises, lasting from three to six days, sail out of Camden, Maine and explore the islands and coastal passages of Maine. Accommodations on this specially designed schooner include a choice of single, double, or triple occupancy cabins and a saloon, featuring a cozy fireplace, offering delicious meals prepared by an experienced chef.

Adventure on the High Seas

If you're looking for adventure on the high seas, the Liberty Fleet offers a two-week cruise on a gaff-rigged schooner, a replica of the famous nineteenth-century Baltimore clippers, from Key West, Florida to Boston, Massachusetts in May of 2006, with a stop in Charleston, South Carolina and a possible additional stop in on Nantucket or Block Island before arriving at its final destination in Boston. Participants can either relax onboard or be put to work as part of the crew, learning navigation and other maritime skills. In the fall, the ship participates in a series of schooner races and short sails stopping in Provincetown, Baltimore, Norfolk, Virginia, Charleston, and back to Key West; participants can sign on for any leg of the southward journey.

For the most adventurous among us, the bark Europa offers a 22 day voyage from Argentina to Antarctica and back, featuring a full itinerary with many stops along the way to explore the unique natural environment of this remote region of the world, with its unusual animal life, volcanic geological formations, looming ice cliffs, and geo-thermal pools.

Anyone who loves sailing would find one of these adventures - whether a day-long jaunt or a three-week Antarctic tour - the ultimate sailing experience, a voyage tied to centuries of maritime history and offering a unique vantage point on the world. And these three opportunities represent only a fraction of the many seafaring voyages available to every corner of the world.

Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire, who has written numerous articles for the Internet and for local and regional publications. She may be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com.

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Solent Sailing & Yacht Charter

Solent Sailing & Yacht Charter
By M Thomas

The Solent is a magnificent sailing playground on the South coast of England between the mainland and the Isle of Wight. Approximately 30 miles long and 3 to 5 miles wide, it encompasses an amazing variety of geography and sailing conditions. You could choose a quiet natural harbour like Newtown Creek nature reserve or a busy cosmopolitan city like Southampton. Nowhere is more than a few sailing hours apart and it is all protected from the worst of any weather by the Island itself. That's not to say there are no challenges for the yacht sailor and for sailing instruction courses there is no better spot to learn due to the wide variety of navigational obstacles some natural and some man made. To give you an idea, here are some of the obstacles that you may find.

 An historic ship wreck
 Tides in excess of 4 knots
 Dangerous rocks
 Ferries
 A curved ledge with a trap in its hook
 High speed catamarans
 Oil tanker and container ships with moving prohibited zones
 An offshore sandbank suitable for hosting a cricket match
 The biggest yacht race in the world
 Radar speed traps
 Pile moorings
 In excess of 30 marinas
 A National Trust nature reserve
 Hovercraft
 Underwater submarine barriers
 Mid channel defensive forts
 Cross Channel ferries
 Ocean going liners
 Warships & a naval dockyard
 A small boat channel
 Fishing vessels
 Active minesweepers
 Floating dead whales
 Railway sleepers adrift
 Lighthouses, lateral buoys, cardinal buoys, safe water and isolated danger marks
 Locks
 Firing range danger area
 Sand bar
 Chain ferry
 Submerged pipelines marked by a fresnal lens

As a result of this variety, the Solent is a paradise for sailors and Cowes at its centre can rightly describe itself as the home of yachting. The annual Cowes week regatta sees the Solent filled with so many yachts, taking part in so many simultaneous yacht races, that its virtually impossible to navigate a straight course. But it is also this huge variety that enables so many sea schools and yacht charter companies to flourish in the area. It may not be as beautiful as the West Coast of Scotland, but I know where I would rather learn or instruct.

Martin Thomas BSc FCA
Commercially endorsed Yachtmaster & Cruising Instructor
Member of the Royal Institute of Navigation
Member of the Royal Naval & Royal Albert Yacht Club
http://www.solentsail.co.uk

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Sailing Regattas British Virgin Islands

Sailing Regattas - British Virgin Islands
By Jim Linskey

The British Virgin Islands is the Mecca for sailing which lends to the assemblage of some of the largest sailboat racing fleets for sailing regattas in the Caribbean. The diversity of organized sailboat regattas in the BVI is one thing that makes sailing here in the BVI so unique. Regattas of all types spanning from a "whatever floats race," where crews bring their "boats" to the regatta, assemble them, and set off racing, to high level international match racing regattas.

The BVI Spring Regatta, held on the waters off the capital island of the British Virgin Islands, Tortola, attracts about two hundred fifty yachts annually for the event. All types of racing classes are spread out on five separate racing courses, from beach catamarans to eighty-foot maxi racers. The charter boat fleets also have a large racing class, giving those that don't have their own yachts based in the British Virgin Islands, the opportunity to compete in the fabulous venue, with steady trade winds and warm waters. The IC 24 class, which is built here on Tortola, also assembles a large sailing fleet with an international blend of sailors. This upcoming year will be the twenty-ninth running of the Sweethearts of the Caribbean Regatta, that has a diverse fleet of the "oldies but goodies" wooden boats and also gives the vintage fiberglass yachts of decades back an opportunity to test their skills against each other on a more even playing field.

On nearly every weekend during the season, which starts in October and goes through the end of July, one can find all types of regattas being held - from groups of junior sailors in small prams to the larger fully crewed keelboats. Several organizations in the British Virgin Islands also hold racing clinics throughout the year for both juniors and adults to hone in on their racing skills. One of the better-known sailing clinics in the British Virgin Islands for teaching sailing and sailboat racing for the children of the BVI is the Kids and the Sea (KATS) program, which are in their sixteenth year of operation.

In the British Virgin Islands, there are three main yacht clubs that maintain a busy regatta calendar during the year. The yacht clubs based in Tortola and Virgin Gorda sponsor the majority of the regattas in the BVI. The water sports oriented resort Bitter End Yacht Club of Virgin Gorda, hosts a variety of regattas held during the year on the Gorda Sound. The Bitter End also sponsors a Pro-Am regatta that attracts some of the world's best sailboat racers from the top tier America's Cup teams along with amateur sailors that are given a chance to sail with and against these well-known sailing personalities.

Based in Tortola is the Royal British Virgin Islands Yacht Club that among being the sponsor of the BVI Spring Regatta, hosts a plethora of regattas during the year from dinghy races to keelboat regattas. Loyal West End Yacht Club holds many "fun" type regattas that attract many of those racers that love to compete, but also to have loads of fun doing it, with great parties and prizes for all that sail.

If you are one that likes sailboat racing, whether watching from a spectator boat or actually joining in with a crew, the British Virgin Islands is truly one of the finest places to participate in a sailing regatta in the world. For more information on regattas in the British Virgin Islands, please visit http://www.escape-bvi.com/.

Jim Linskey of Escape BVI. For more information on vacation and travel in the British Virgin Islands visit http://www.escape-bvi.com.

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Bareboat Sailing What Is It And What Do I Need To Know?

Bareboat Sailing What Is It And What Do I Need To Know?
By Peter Leigh

Bareboat sailing means that the yacht you charter does not have the amenities you would have with a crewed or luxury sailing charter. You dont necessarily need to have sailing experience as you can have a captain and crew along on these charters as well. If you book a bareboat charter, you have to supply all your own food as well as that of the captain and crew. You will also have to pay these people yourself because that cost is not included in the quote for bareboat sailing yachts.

You can book a bareboat sailing charter in just about any part of the world where there are sailing charters available. You can sail the yacht yourself if you have the necessary qualifications. However, in many parts of the world where there are navigation hazards, such as in the islands of Greece, you may need to have an experienced captain along with you for bareboat sailing. The charter company will supply you with all the navigational charts you need and will give you the instruction you need so that you can have a safe sailing charter.

Have you ever considered bareboat sailing along the coast of Turkey? The yachts available for these sailing charters are well maintained and the budget price will provide you with a cheap vacation. The major cost involved in this type of bareboat sailing charter will be the travel costs associated with getting to Turkey. The cost of living is quite low in this part of the world, so the cost of the bareboat yacht is not expensive at all. In addition, the cost of groceries you need to take with you are also very inexpensive.

Bareboat sailing in Turkey will enable you to charter a yacht that is easy to handle as well as able to accommodate a small family or several couples. The protected bays and inlets along the coast are easy to navigate and will provide you with an exceptional view of Turkish culture. With a bareboat sailing charter in Turkey, you will enjoy sunfilled days, exotic scenery and turquoise waters. There are many itineraries for you to choose from if this type of bareboat charter appeals to you.

Choosing Turkey as your location for bareboat sailing will offer you a stress free holiday. There are no tides, currents or high waves to worry about and there is usually a steady afternoon wind in the summer, which makes for ideal sailing conditions. The temperature of the water is perfect for swimming in the summer, so your bareboat yacht could become your diving platform. When you consider bareboat sailing, there are so many places in the world you can go that you will have a difficult decision to make.

To find out more about Sailing Vacations visit Peter's Website Your Sailing Vacation and find out about Bareboat Sailing and more, including Caribbean Yacht Charters, Crewed Yacht Charters, Bareboat Charters and Florida Charters.

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Tips For A Sailing Vacation.

Tips For A Sailing Vacation. ... Seychelles - Tips For A Sailing Vacation