Sail away with Specialitytravel.com

“Sailing away from day-to-day life is the ultimate escape,” says Steen Hansen, Co-Publisher of Specialty Travel Index (specialtytravel.com). “That helps explains the huge popularity of cruising. But for some travelers, yachting and sailing vacations on more intimate vessels or charters offer advantages that the huge cruise liners just can’t offer.”

Among those advantages are spontaneity - you can anchor wherever the wind takes you, and solitude - you can avoid the shipboard and the port crowds. Even on scheduled yacht cruises, you share your piece of the ocean with only 6 to 100 people, and you can dock in shallow waters or quiet places the huge ships that disgorge thousands of passengers just can’t reach.

With seven seas and thousands of islands to explore, choosing the perfect yachting or sailing vacation can launch hundreds of hours of stellar daydreaming. But once your daydreams have honed in on the type of boating experience you want - bareboat, scheduled, or flotilla (as well as the waters you dream of sailing) - Specialtytravel.com can point you in the right direction.

Specialty Travel Index’s extensive listings and drop down menus make it easy to find your dream boat and slip your moorings. Here are just a few examples of seafaring vacations that you can find on specialtytravel.com that will satisfy both old salts and newbies with Dramamine patches:

Gunk Holing in Greece. With no tides, sharks, shifting shallows, or hurricanes, and blessed with reliable breezes, over 2500 islands, and glorious summer weather, “gunk holing" (exploring little-known, secluded anchorages) in the Aegean fulfills almost every sailing fantasy you might have.

And any way you want to live out that fantasy—with private charters, bare boat charters (you crew the yacht yourself), or cabin rental on scheduled cruises, Aegeotissa Yachts and Charters can set you up—and provide the insiders knowledge of the waters of Greece that only an all-Greek captain and crew can provide. Aegeotissa Yachts & Charters.
Specialtytravel.com/operators/listing.cgi?list_code=63760

Gorgeous Grenadines. Here in the Grenadines, sailors can do their best Cap’t Jack imitations, walk the plank into bathtub-warm, gin-clear waters, explore unspoilt beaches, or snorkel among deserted islands of Tobago Cays (where some of Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed). South of the usual hurricane routes, the Grenadines (St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Tobago Cays, Union, Petit St. Vincent, Carriacou, and Grenada) offer a feel for what the Caribbean was like before pirating meant illegally downloading songs.

For years, the only airport to serve this sailing route flew into St Luica, which required a 45 mile open water sail to the cruising ground—scaring off any but the most serious bareboat sailors. Of course, this isn’t problem for crewed charters, but the completion of an airport in St Vincent has also opened up these waters to bareboat sailors who were previously intimidated by that open water start. Luckily for modern day pirate-wannabes, the crowds haven’t caught on yet. Ed Hamilton can book crewed or bareboat charters in this secluded archipelago. Ed Hamilton & Co. Yacht Charter Agents.
Specialtytravel.com/operators/listing.cgi?list_code=57940

Cruising Croatia. A thousand islands set in the blue Adriatic sea, remote anchorages guarded by Venetian forts, and fine Italian cuisine all right in the heart of Europe - Croatia has been one of the best kept secret of European sailors, but word is spreading.

George Bernard Shaw once wrote “On the last day of Creation, God desired to crown His work, and thus created the Kornati Islands out of tears, stars, and breath.” Poseidon Charters offers bareboat yacht charters, crewed yacht charters, and flotillas (bareboats following a lead boat) that will show you why savvy sailors have been trying to keep this gorgeous coastline a secret. Poseidon International/Poseidon Charters Specialtytravel.com/operators/listing.cgi?list_code=53780

Exploring Galapagos. If you’re looking to combine elegance with exploration, the M.V. Galapagos Explorer II provides many of the luxurious amenities of a full-sized cruise ship on a more intimate scale. Just 100 guests explore the Galapagos’ almost primordial landscape. This archipelago, six hundred miles off the coast of Ecuador, has fascinated explorers since its discovery by the Spanish in 1535. Charles Darwin’s five weeks here inspired his theory of evolution.

The only predators in the Galapagos (besides man) are rats and sharks, so the wildlife is unafraid of 21st century explorers. Bright orange crabs, blue-footed boobies, penguins, giant land tortoises, and marine iguanas approach travelers curiously and the crew of the Explorer II will outfit you with snorkeling or scuba gear so you can cavort in the water with the sea lions. Elegant Cruises and Tours.
Specialtytravel.com/operators/listing.cgi?list_code=63960

Turkey: Turquoise Waters and Antiquities. History steeped ancient ruins, charming seaside villages, warm weather, and the impossibly turquoise waters of the Turkish coastline all combine to make it a yachter’s paradise.

From sleepy fishing villages in the Gulf of Gokova to bustling bazaars and bars in Bodrum to the Lycian stone sarcophagi cresting just above the water to steps to the buildings beneath the waterline in Kekova, nearly every bay or inlet on Turkey’s coastline has something to surprise and delight explorers. Alpha Yachting.
Specialtytravel.com/operators/listing.cgi?list_code=53003

Schooner Sailing New Englands’ Coastline. If you want to experience the New England of Herman Melville (but with a bit more comfort), you can sail the Arabella, a graceful, three-masted, 160-foot luxury schooner operated by Classic Cruises of Newport. The Arabella operates 3, 4 and 6 night cruises of southern New England and 5 night cruises off the coast of Maine. In spite of the Arabella’s historic look, you won’t share a bunk with a heavily tattooed Polynesian harpooner like Ishmael did. The Arabella’s 20 smartly appointed cabins—all outside cabins—have individual climate control, ensuite toilets and showers, satellite TV, telephones & viewing ports. Arabella, Classic Cruises of Newport. Specialtytravel.com/operators/listing.cgi?list_code=56881