Setting off in a cruising multihull to enjoy the most beautiful anchorages is not reser-ved for a few fortunate owners. A few clicks on the internet, a visit to a boat show,some good reading (such as for example an excellent magazine about Multihulls)and the week(s) in delightful lagoons, aboard one of the countless cats or trimaransavailable for charter is (are) yours.

Of course, this dream has a price!There is the air ticket to get to theother side of the world, where the

weather is good and hot all the year round,and then there is the charter of the longed-for boat. Not to mention the essential provi-sioning and fuel top-ups... Yet if you look clo-sely, holidays on a boat may not be as expen-sive as all that... Here then, according to thebudget you have available, are the differentpossibilities for chartering a multihull all overthe world. And you will see that there issomething for all tastes and all budgets!

Where to charter?After an exhaustive comparative study, wecan now tell you loud and clear: you can gocruising in a boat whatever budget youhave available, and the most beautiful des-tinations – those which have you dreaming,with translucent waters and sumptuousmarine life – are completely accessible.But you have to be a bit crafty, and playwith the different boats and periods... Boatcharter is actually particularly sensitive tothe seasons. June in the West Indies orApril in the Mediterranean offer desertedanchorages and good sailing conditions atbargain prices. Why not take advantage?

A boat to accommodate allyour friends...We are all in agreement... If you are going tocharter a boat, it might as well be a multihull!There is no lack of arguments in favor of amultihull: greater deck and saloon area, bet-ter privacy, no heeling, a stable and less‘rolly’ anchorage, a draft which allows accessto all the anchorages... And above all, anunparalleled amount of accommodation. So,if you have lots of friends, you can charter acat (or a trimaran) capable of accommodating8, 10 or even 12 people, which divides thecharter price by as many times! Most chartercompanies also offer a ‘premium’ fleet, with

the most recent boats and the most equip-ment, as well as a ‘classic’ fleet, with boatsover 5 years old which can be charteredmuch more cheaply, whilst being very accep-table. Why deprive yourself?

The principle for paying lessThere is therefore no miracle solution: to finda cheaper charter, you must go away in theoff-season, and aboard a boat which is less indemand – QED! The brand-new Saba 50from Fountaine-Pajot will inevitably be indemand this winter, and therefore moreexpensive to charter than the Salina 48 itreplaces in the builder’s range. The appeal of

CHARTER CHARTERING A MULTIHULL

You will find more and more cats in the mostbeautiful anchorages in the charter areas

(here in the Seychelles). Quite simplybecause they are the best!!!

50

AS A COUPLE, WITH FRIENDS OR AS AFAMILY, CHARTERING A CAT IS ALWAYS

A GUARANTEE OF AN EXCEPTIONALHOLIDAY... (PHOTO MOORINGS)

THE PRICE

OF HAPPINESS!

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the new boat, as well as the lower availabilityexplains this fact. ‘Private owner’ type boats arealso harder to find on the charter market, and thusinevitably more expensive. If you are dreaming ofleaving this winter in an Outremer 51 or a Privilège,it will be a bit more expensive than in a 50-foot pro-duction boat.

The different charter areas ❑ Caribbean - High season from December to April

The Caribbean Sea offers a wonderful and diversecruising area. The charter companies have understoodthis, and there are a lot of charter bases here. Fromthe Virgin Islands to the Grenadines, the string ofWest Indian islands offers numerous destinations...The best period to enjoy them stretches fromDecember to April... The weather here is drier, thetrade winds are better established, and therefore theweather conditions are more stable. And as the icingon the cake, the nights here are (relatively) cool andthus pleasanter. The hurricane season stretches intheory from June to November, but it is above allduring the months of September and October thatthere are most depressions.

❑ Indian Ocean - High season from December toAprilThe dry season stretches from April to October. Thisis in general the best period for sailing in the islands ofthe Indian Ocean. During this period, the easterlytrade winds gradually become established and finallyreach 15 to 20 knots. The temperatures are very plea-sant: between 25 and 30°C.The north-westerly monsoon (October to April) bringsheavy, short-lived rain, especially in November andJanuary. Ashore, the breezes cool the climate. Thetemperatures are stable and are generally around29°C. Note that depending on the islands (Seychelles,Madagascar, Mauritius or Thailand), the conditionscan be very different...

❑ Mediterranean - Highseason from June toSeptemberThe summer months havethe pleasantest weatherconditions. But they arealso the months with themost tourists... It is therefore hard (or even impossi-ble) to find yourself alone in an anchorage! At the endof August there is a real risk of storms and gales. Andbeware; when the Mediterranean gets angry, it’s notpleasant to be out at sea! So use a little commonsense, check the weather forecasts carefully, anddon’t overestimate your strength or that of your crew.The Mistral, the Tramontane, the Meltemi, the Siroccoand the Libeccio are winds which can reach stormforce and of which you must be wary.

❑ Pacific - High season from July to OctoberFrom November to February, you are in the hurricaneperiod, but they are very rare in this region. Outsidethis period, which is always critical for cruising, youcan go to Polynesia whenever you want. The windsblow at between 15 and 25 knots from March toOctober, which makes this period the most pleasantfor cruising. In any case, most charterers in Polynesianever leave the lagoons, and only rarely risk long pas-sages. There is actually enough to see and do close tothe charter areas, so you don’t need to go and facethe swells of the Pacific...

❑ Atlantic - High season from June to SeptemberThis cruising area is sumptuous, and although thesummer months are the pleasantest in weatherterms, the periods before and after the season offersome absolutely magic days’ sailing. As in other areas, to avoid unpleasant surprises, it isadvisable to check the weather forecasts carefullybefore setting off...and locate the rocks to be avoidedon your charts... Then the exceptional discoveries, thedeserted anchorages, the delightful gulfs, and therivers to be explored are all yours.Good sailing!

51

THE VOLUME OFFERED BYMODERN CATAMARANS ALLOWSYOU TO CONSIDER CRUISING WITH UP TO 10 PEOPLE, WITH NOPROBLEMS. (PHOTO NAUTITECH)

A NEW TREND, CHARTERING A MOTORCATAMARAN ALLOWS YOU TO FREE

YOURSELF FROM WEATHER PROBLEMS...(PHOTO MARINEMAX VACATIONS)

THE CHARTER COMPANIES:

Caribbean (Martinique - Guadeloupe

- Grenadines - BVI):

Autremer Concept - Barefoot YachtCharter - Corail Caraïbes - DreamYacht Charter - France Escales -Horizon Yacht Charters - Kiriacoulis -MarineMax Vacations - OceansEvasion - Punch Croisière - StarVoyage - Regis Guillemot Charter - SailCaribe - Sunsail - The Moorings - TMMYacht Charters - Sunreef Charter

Mediterranean (Corsica, Turkey, Greece,

Croatia, French Riviera, Italy, Sardinia...): 

Absolute Yacht - Alternative Sailing -Apaca Location - Broablue Charters -Calvi Marine - Dream Yacht Charter -Emeraude Multicoques - IstionYachting - Italy Charter - Kiriacoulis -KVO - Liberty Sea - Major Boats -Multihull Yachting - Océans Evasion -Sunsail - Tendance Voile - TheMoorings - Touta - Ultra Sailing -Ajaccio Marine Center - Carina Ulixis

North and Central America (Bahamas –

Belize – Mexico – USA):

Dream Yacht Charter - Horizon YachtCharters - Ocean Evasion - Sunsail -The Moorings - TMM Yacht Charters

Indian Ocean (Seychelles -

Madagascar - Maldives):

Dream Yacht Charter - Indian OceanCharter - Marine Cat Sey - SailfishingCharters - Sunsail - The Moorings

South Pacific (French Polynesia –

Tonga):

Dream Yacht Charter - L'EscapadeCharter Tahiti - Sunsail - Tahiti YachtCharter - The Moorings - SunreefCharter

Far East (Thailand – Malaysia):

Cataleisure - Dream Yacht Charter -Sunsail - The Moorings

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✓ YOU HAVE LESS THAN 300 EUROS PER PERSONPER WEEK

Is it impossible to go on holiday and enjoy the lagoons on the otherside of the world with a budget of 300 euros per person for a week’scharter (not including the air fare – let’s not get carried away!)?LET’S SEE...We found a superb Lagoon 380 available for charter in Martinique fromPunch Croisière, for 2390 euros per week, off season (from 7th May to21st December). A catamaran equipped with 4 double cabins and twobathrooms, which will allow you to go and discover the Grenadines, lea-ving from Le Marin, with no problems. The price per person: 298.75euros, less than 50 euros per night. Who can do better for a week?Another solution which is just as attractive - Greece in October: the endof the season is often superb and the anchorages are completely des-erted. For 7 days in the middle of October, you can charter an Orana 44capable of accommodating up to 10 people for 2681 euros, fromKiriacoulis – 268 euros per person for the week. When you realize that during this period, the air fare to Athens is also quite frankly cheap(125 euros per person return from Paris, with Easy Jet), it really wouldbe a shame to deprive yourself...FOR WHOM?Those who have a lot of friends and/or a large family.WHERE?he West Indies or the Mediterranean, or even the Bahamas, but youmust leave off-season (which is fortunate, as air transport is often chea-per then).

WHEN?The West Indies from May until the end of November (excluding themonths of July and August), the Mediterranean in March, April, Mayand October, November.

✓ YOU HAVE BETWEEN 300 AND 500 EUROSPER PERSON PER WEEK

The budget is greater, and you are ready to discover a number of destina-tions, especially if there are a lot of you sharing the boat. For example, youcould go to the Bahamas in October aboard a Sunsail 444 for 3670 euros.The Sunsail 444 offers 4 double cabins and as many bathrooms (plus twoforepeaks). 8 of you will therefore be comfortable, which will allow you todiscover the wonderful Bahamas for 458 euros per person for a full week. Another dream destination, the Seychelles. The millionaire’s destinationpar excellence is however not completely inaccessible. The proof, withDream Yacht Charter, which is offering a Lagoon 450 Premier from 13th to20th of next December for 4672 euros inclusive (with redemption of theexcess, cleaning and the starter pack). With 10 of you aboard, it will onlycost you 467 euros per person for the week, and you will be able to dis-cover some wonderful islands and above all, the Seychelles’ fantasticunderwater life. A dream!

FOR WHOM?Ideal for two families who get on well, a group of friends or your bas-ketball team...

WHERE?The budget allows you to go wherever you want...or almost. TheCaribbean or the Mediterranean, and even the Seychelles are all availa-ble if you want. To optimize your holiday, try to leave outside the schoolholiday periods.

WHEN?The Caribbean is open to you off-season, as are the wonderfulSeychelles or Thailand. In high season, you can also go to the Grena-dines, and even try the BVI...

Martinique off-season - thesun within reach at a

reasonable price.

Aboard this Sunsail 444, 8people can embark to enjoy

their holidays...

Greece in May or Octoberoffers its little ports

to you alone.

The classic postcard:the Seychelles in a

catamaran!

CHARTER CHARTERING A MULTIHULLTHE PRICE

OF HAPPINESS!

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✓ YOU HAVE BETWEEN 500 AND 800 EUROSPER PERSON PER WEEK

The world opens up to you, and there is no longer any limit to your des-tinations. Belize tempts you? You are right; it’s an absolutely superbdestination. TMM is offering a Bahia 46 for 8 people at 7500 US$,around 5700 euros, in high season. Christmas on one of the mostbeautiful coral reefs will therefore cost you 712 euros per person forthe week. And have you thought about Greece in August? You candiscover the magic of these fantastic islands, which are unique in theworld, aboard a Broadblue 435. In high season, the catamaran will cost £2950 (3720 euros), and with its 3 double cabins, it will thus only cost you 620 euros per person for the week.

Even Tahiti opens its doors to you with this more than comfortable bud-get. A Lagoon 380 in the low season costs 4760 euros for the week,with a skipper, from Tahiti Yacht Charter. 795 euros per person for 7 days, if there are six of you aboard, and the certainty of discovering,with your skipper, the most beautiful corners of the mythical lagoonsthat only Polynesia is capable of offering... FOR WHOM?Families during the school holidays; 4, 6 or 8 friends on the other sideof the world... There are no longer any limits!WHERE?The most beautiful destinations, as well as those farthest away, opentheir arms to you. The Mediterranean in summer, the Caribbean in win-ter: nothing is impossible.

WHEN?For the furthest destinations, you will still have to leave off-season, or accept that there will have to be a lot of you aboard. Otherwise, high season in the West Indies, the Mediterranean, the Seychelles or Thailand can be considered.

✓ YOU HAVE BETWEEN 800 AND 1000 EUROSPER PERSON PER WEEK

Corsica in July, to discover the coastal paths – are you tempted?Absolute Yacht is offering walking cruises, which will allow you todiscover the unique paths of the Corsican maquis. On the program,a few walks of from 1 to 4 hours per day, between the sea and themountains. Aboard a Nautitech 442, this will cost you 6000 eurosper week in July, and a little more in August, as it is in the very highseason. Still in Corsica, and still in the high season, why not try amotor catamaran, to explore the creeks of the ‘Ile de Beauté’ indepth. Calvi Marine is offering a Summerland 40 for 6500 euros,which, for 8 people, comes in at 812 euros per person for the week.

And what if you went to the sunshine this winter? The British VirginIslands have not been the Mecca for boat charter for 40 years fornothing: they are wonderful, and the sailing there is so easy, wellprotected between the islands. At the beginning of February,Moorings is offering you a Moorings 4800 (the brand-new Leopard48), ideal for 8 people (but able to accommodate up to 10) for 7650 euros - 965 euros per person for the week. The best, to beexperienced with the family or friends!FOR WHOM?For you! With your friends, your family, or quite simply as a couple,depending on your wishes...WHERE?The most beautiful anchorages in the most beautiful islands are withinyour reach. Mediterranean, Caribbean, Pacific, Indian - it’s up to you to choose!

WHEN?You can leave whenever you please, even in very high season. And if you want to, leave off-season and stay for two weeks instead of just one...

Belize is wonderful, and itsmarine life is sumptuous.

Discover it very soon!

Just like a modern Ulysses, awhole lifetime will not be

enough to discover all theriches of the Mediterranean.

Aboard the Leopard 48(Moorings 4800), the BVI are even more beautiful.

Corsica, its footpaths and its deserted creeks

await you...

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✓ YOU HAVE BETWEEN 1000 AND 1500 EUROSPER PERSON PER WEEK

With these budgets, you can go anywhere in the world and at the datesyou wish. As a couple in Polynesia aboard a Mahé 36? It’s possible!With 4 of you, the Grenadines, the BVI or the Bahamas are all also possible... But why not leave to discover the magic of Asia and itsunique light? Thailand is an exceptional destination, and you can forexample charter a Lagoon 400 S2 Luxe Super Premier (the best of thebest) from Dream Yacht Charter, leaving from Phuket. It will cost you9856 euros. With its 4 double cabins, the 400 will easily accommodate8 people, making 1232 euros per person per week.Another dream destination, the Seychelles, opens its arms to you: whynot spend the Christmas holidays there? With three friends, each intheir own cabin, the Mahé 36 offered by Marine Cat Sey will providecomfort and privacy for not much more than 1000 euros per person forthe week. FOR WHOM?Those who don’t like to have too many people aboard, or on thecontrary, those who have a lot of friends, and want to leave in severalboats.WHERE?Anywhere your wishes take you.

WHEN?All the year round, both high and low season.

✓ YOU HAVE MORE THAN 1500 EUROS EUROSPER PERSON PER WEEK

Here we enter the realm of the ‘made-to-measure’. Everything becomespossible. For example, why not leave for several weeks, and realize yourdream of crossing the Atlantic? Star Voyage charters boats for the Atlanticcrossing. The price varies, according to the time taken to cross, but basedon 5 weeks, leaving from France for Martinique, reckon on between 12 and 15,000 euros for the crossing in a Lagoon 450. A boat which willthen be available for charter in the West Indies...

And why not go away on an exceptional boat? Sunreef Charter is offeringnumerous luxury boats for charter, exclusively with crew, including thecatamarans built at their yard. The price of a Sunreef Power 70 in high season is 40,000 euros per week (for 8 people). As for ‘Che’, the Sunreef 114, it accommodates 8 passengers, for 64,500 euros per week...The price of the dream!FOR WHOM?Those of you who want to experience something exceptional.WHERE?Around the world, the Atlantic, the lagoons on the other side of theworld, and even Patagonia if you wish.

WHEN?According to your schedule, as here everything (or almost everything)becomes possible.

54

GOOD TO KNOW

The aim of the few examples we have presented in these pages is just to show you the incrediblywide range of possibilities on offer to you concerning multihull charter throughout the world. Don’t

hesitate to contact the charter companies directly for a personalized quotation according to yourwishes and needs.

Find all the destinations and ask for a direct quote on: www.multihulls-world.com

The Polynesia myth is stillvery much alive. Paradise

for cruisers...

In Thailand, you willdiscover some

unique scenery. To be experiencedat least once in a

lifetime.

You dream of crossing the Atlantic? It’s possible,even as a charter!

Welcome aboard‘Che’,

the114-footer from Sunreef...

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