Choosing a Charter CompanyFirst decide where in the world you want to charter. The Caribbean and the Mediterranean have obvious attractions but if don't want to travel abroad, there are many locations around the UK. Our base is in the Solent which has several advantages - plenty of places to visit, a variety of scenery, relatively easy navigation, sheltered waters etc etc. Of course there are a lot of other people that recognise the benefits of this area, that's why it is considered to be a yachting Mecca. This means it can get a little crowded in the height of summer, but even then its always possible to find somewhere to be alone, and anyway, socialising is half the fun.The choice of charter company varies from huge companies with many bases to one-man companies operating a single boat. Each has its own benefits. A larger company will have a large fleet of yachts to choose from and prices can be very competitive. They will also have the resources to come and fix technical problems as they arise. Smaller companies on the other hand often offer more flexible dates and yachts equipped with lots of extras. Solent Sail is somewhere in the middle. Big enough to provide choice and competitive prices, but small enough to be flexible and provide quality yachts. As far as equipment is concerned all charter companies offer all the basic items as standard. These are mainly safety related, and are required in order to meet the code of practice for yachts in charter. But extras vary considerably and its a good idea to check what you get. Some examples are electronic navigation equipment and colour plotters, outboard motors for the dinghy, fishing equipment, a TV/DVD, a CD player, on board heating etc. Similarly it is a good idea to check the policy on fresh water, fuel and gas.
Other things to bear in mind are whether you can sleep aboard for the first night, what their payment and cancellation policies are, what happens if the weather is bad and also if you think they will still be in business when you come to take your holiday. Bearing all this in mind, here is Solent Sail's policy:- | | | | Choice of boat | Many from about 35' to 54' | | Prices | Each year we monitor the prices quoted by other large companies and match ours to theirs. If you find a comparable yacht from another at a cheaper price, please let us know - we may be able to match it. | | Technical | All our yachts are maintained to the highest standards. When things break, and they always do on boats, as long as we know, we will get it fixed. | | Breakdowns | If your yacht breaks down whilst on charter, we use Sea Start to help you out. They are like the AA at sea and will come to you in a powerful black & yellow rib to get you going again fast. | | Extras | All yachts have inflatable tenders and if you think you might need it, we can supply an outboard motor.
Many yachts have flat-screen TV and DVD plus Freeview
We also provide colour plotters very often on deck with radar. So you always know where you are.
Electric anchor windlass and on-board central heating are pretty much standard across the fleet. | | Water | We ensure that yachts are pre-filled with fresh water before handover | | Fuel | The yacht comes full of fuel and we ask that you return it the same way. If not we will refill it and charge it back at cost. | | Gas | In most circumstances there is no charge, but week long charters incur a small charge for gas use. | | Prior night | We arrange handovers in the evening before your charter begins so you are then welcome to stay on board before setting off first thing in the morning, or you can even leave that evening if you want. | | Payment policy | A 25% deposit secures a booking, although if you book more than 6 months in advance, we only need 10%. In all cases we offer a 14 day credit period. Payment by cheque, transfer or credit card is acceptable. | | Cancellation | If you cancel or change your booking we will aim to re charter the boat and you would then only pay a small admin charge. | | Bad weather | If gales are forecast for more than 50% of your booked time, we would not put pressure on you to go to sea and you would be able to cancel the entire booking for no charge.
Similarly if you get caught out away from base when an unexpected gale arises, we would not put pressure on you to return the boat in any unsafe conditions. |
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