When we charter a multihull, it's usually to head for the sun... The Med in summer, Caribbean, Asia, Pacific throughout the rest of the year. How do you choose your destination? Start by nailing down your dates: Christmas, February, Easter? As a rule of thumb, you should try and avoid the rainy seasons. For example, Christmas in the Caribbean is perfect, but it's better to avoid Polynesia...
The second point to weigh up is to make a decision (as honestly as possible) regarding your sailing prowess. Sailing in the Virgin Islands and leaving Martinique for Los Roquès is one thing, sailing around the Polynesian atolls is another... Some basic navigational skills and a good feel for the water will get you by in the Grenadines, the BVI, the Bahamas, the Seychelles or even the interior of the Polynesian atolls. However, if you decide to head "off the beaten track" you really need good sailing experience (or a skipper)
Finally, you won't sail in the same way with a family crew as you will with a group of serious sailing friends. In the first instance, you should look for short passages with regular beach stops where the snorkeling is good and the access is easy. With sailing friends there's nothing like a good night sail, sporty passages and moorings where you can party hard!
Multihull vacations: whatever the destination or the boat of choice, they’re always magical! (Photo : Sunsail)
"Traditional Destinations", or how to pick a location that's a guaranteed winner.
If charter companies have been setting up shop in various locations for the last forty years, then it must mean that those destinations are worth visiting. The Virgin Islands, Greece, The Grenadines or the Bahamas are amongst those destinations that all sunshine cruisers should visit at least once in their life. You can't be disappointed by these "classic" destinations, which have great anchorages, brilliant beaches, fish-rich waters and all the amenities that any sailor looking for a good time needs. Those who have partied on Jost Van Dyke in the BVIs or savored spiny lobster on a beach in the Grenadines will know what I'm talking about. The advantage of these "classic" destinations is that there are a large number of charter companies in situ who can offer a wide range of boats and services. For example whether you're at Le Marin in Martinique or in the BVI, you will find just about every catamaran in production available for charter. Lagoon, Fountaine Pajot, Leopard, Nautitech, and even Outremer, Gemini or Neel. There's definitely something for everyone.
Among the destinations which will always press the right buttons, are:
Greece, a classic amongst classics; The British Virgin Islands, still as nice and so easy to discover; The Grenadines with their unique colors or the hundreds of Bahamian islands. But you shouldn't forget Guadeloupe and its dependencies, Corsica, the famous "beautiful island" and of course, the one that we all dream about: Polynesia.
Destinations for Modern-Day Explorers
If you've already dropped anchor in the reefs of these classic destinations, don't worry! There are other places around where you can have a great time. Over the last ten years, Asia has become a more and more attractive destination, and several charter companies are based in Thailand and Malaysia. But there is also the Seychelles, Madagascar, Fiji, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Los Roquès, The Whitsundays or even Cape Verde, The Maldives or New Caledonia... and a few other spots that the smartest sailors manage to find and who just share the details amongst themselves (and in the pages of Multihulls World!).
What these destinations have in common is that they really are worth the trip. There are hours of flying needed to get there, often with several connections. And once you get there, there's no marina with all the usual mod cons, but often just a simple landing stage, or even just a few moored boats which require a dinghy to access them. As for provisions, it's a good idea to have a friend on board who knows a thing or two about fishing, and whatever the conditions, will entice dinner out of the water. But if you do like to discover virgin territory, you will be overjoyed. Most of the time you'll be anchored alone, but you will have all the time in the world to properly meet and get to know the inhabitants of the places that you sail by, and for whom you will be more than just an ATM. These destinations are worth the visit and they offer so much more that it would be a shame to miss out on them.
15 destinations to discover in a catamaran
The best part of a passage is arriving at the stopover’, according to the proverb... So we might as well get straight to the essentials. Here is a selection of 15 destinations not to be missed. To discover in a multihull, obviously!
1 - The British Virgin Islands
Around sixty large and small islands make up the British Virgin Islands, a paradise for easy unhurried cruising. With a calm sea, constant trade winds and numerous anchorages very close to one another, the BVI are a perfect destination for less experienced cruisers, or families cruising with young children...
This maze of islands, 50km long and 25 wide, offers white sand beaches bordered with palm trees, and clear water, which allows you to enjoy the particularly rich underwater life to the full.
THE DESTINATION’S ‘PLUS’
Ideal for a first experience in a catamaran: numerous anchorages, with very short distances between them, and more often than not, on a mooring buoy.
NOT TO BE MISSED
The Baths, the ‘Treasure Island’ cave (The Caves – Norman Island), Anegada and its coral reef.
2 – The Grenadines
The Grenadines archipelago is a real sailing paradise: from Bequia to Grenada, via the famous Tobago Cays, there is no lack of perfect anchorages and cruising is particularly pleasant and easy. By studying the charts closely, nothing is simpler than finding your own little spot, with no neighbors in the anchorage...
All that remains is to choose your departure base: from Martinique you will have a wonderful passage of around a hundred miles before arriving in paradise, like a real discoverer. Otherwise, there is nothing to stop you chartering your catamaran directly on the spot... The rest is pure pleasure!
THE DESTINATION’S ‘PLUS’
The biggest choice of catamarans available on the planet, to organize your cruise.
NOT TO BE MISSED
Bequia, the whaling island, Mustique, the millionaires’ island, and of course the Tobago Cays.
3 – The Bahamas
The Bahamas form an archipelago full of contrasts, offering everything you could dream of throughout its 700 islands, with clear waters speckled with lush green islands, endless white sand beaches and incredibly rich underwater life.
Imagine the water in a swimming pool: here it’s of the same color, but the turquoise extends for miles and miles. You leave one heavenly island to reach another, (which is inevitable uninhabited), just ahead of your bows. This is what cruising in the Bahamas is like. And the water is so transparent that you feel as if you are flying over the seabed. Exceptional!
THE DESTINATION’S ‘PLUS’
Uninhabited islands or American-standard marinas, there is something for all tastes. The choice is yours!
NOT TO BE MISSED
The underwater life, of course, Green Turtle Cay, Man O War Cay, Treasure Cay and Pelican Cay National Park.
4 – The Seychelles
With the Seychelles, we enter the world of postcard images: the flora and fauna are jealously protected by the authorities, and as a result, the scenery is sublime and the underwater life is of an unequalled richness...
There is no need to say more about these wonders, the splendor of the beaches and lagoons, the extraordinary possibilities these islands offer to divers and the number of closely-spaced anchorages there. The Seychelles are a genuine paradise for lovers of nautical tourism. To be discovered soon...
THE DESTINATION’S ‘PLUS’
Jealously protected endemic fauna and flora. When we tell you it’s magic...
NOT TO BE MISSED
La Digue and its ox carts, the Vallée de Mai, Grande Sœur, Ile Cousin...and don’t forget your mask and snorkel. Underwater it’s even better!
5 -Belize
Belize is still a little-known destination which however is really worth the trip... Between the ruins of the extraordinary Maya civilization, the incredibly rich underwater life and the beauty of the scenery, you really won’t regret your discovery. Belize is situated between Mexico and Guatemala, and its coast is of particular interest to divers and lovers of ‘tropical’ cruising.
On the program: numerous anchorages where you will be alone for most of the time, alternating with stopovers on the islands, where the inhabitants’ kindness and welcome will delight you. For certain people, Belize represents the best of the Caribbean...
THE DESTINATION’S ‘PLUS’
A coral reef which runs along some 170 miles of coastline.
NOT TO BE MISSED
The Blue Hole: diving here will be one of the most memorable moments of your life!
6 – The Maldives
The Maldives are a concentration of everything good, beautiful and magical that you find in cruising sailing throughout the world. There are countless breathtakingly beautiful anchorages, where you are always alone. The islands you will land on are always uninhabited, and everywhere you go you will feel like a genuine Robinson Crusoe. Finally, the inhabitants are incredibly kind and the welcome is always warm. A ‘must’ which you should take advantage of now, as the waters are rising...
THE DESTINATION’S ‘PLUS’
The underwater life, perhaps the most beautiful in the world.
NOT TO BE MISSED
Swimming with manta rays and sharks, and going into raptures about the colors of the parrot fish.
7 – Tuamotus
The Tuamotu atolls are genuine crowns of sand and coral, placed on the Pacific Ocean. An exceptional collection of jewels, of a unique, wild beauty, far from the usual circuits. From Rangiroa, a genuine interior sea 70km long and 30 wide, to Fakarava, Toau, Apataki and Tikehau atolls, there is a multitude of areas to explore.
This is an ideal area for a perfect cruise, and to sail in complete safety and serenity... In the passes, which are home to an incredibly rich and varied underwater life (to the point of being amongst the most famous dive sites in the world), you just have to let yourself drift with your mask and snorkel to discover sharks, turtles, dolphins and a multitude of multicolored fish...
THE DESTINATION’S ‘PLUS’
A genuine ‘Robinson Crusoe’ cruise: you will always be alone in the anchorages, in an exceptionally well-preserved area.
NOT TO BE MISSED
The underwater life, of course, Rangiroa’s passes (Tiputa and Avatoru) as well as the pink sands and of course the famous paumotu Polynesian-style barbecue.
8 - Greece
The land of legends and passions, Greece will not leave any self-respecting sailor indifferent. From the Aegean to the Ionian Seas, the Sporades to the Dodecanese, there is no lack of different cruising areas. Today, almost all the major charter companies are offering catamarans for charter. All that remains is to choose your departure base, to discover some exceptional anchorages, some charming little harbors and nature on a grandiose scale. In Greece, you will discover a new facet of a thousand-year-old culture, a fabulous tavern or a sumptuous panorama on every cruise. You will have understood – we love it!
THE DESTINATION’S ‘PLUS’
Sailing in the tracks of Ulysses, between culture, tradition and beauty: a must!
NOT TO BE MISSED
Hydra, Poros, Santorini, Seriphos, Symi... The list really is too long!
9 - Corsica
From the Lavezzi Islands’ pink granite to the Agriates desert, the Piana ‘calanques’ to Porto Vecchio bay, Corsica offers lovers of the sea some sumptuous scenery along over 1000 kilometers of coastline.
A genuine paradise for lovers of cruising, diving and quite simply, beauty... Situated less than 100 miles from the Cote d’Azur, and half as far as Italy, Corsica is an ideal cruising destination in the Mediterranean basin, one which still offers a few wild and semi-deserted anchorages, for those who know how to look for them...
THE DESTINATION’S ‘PLUS’
Sublime scenery, the possibility of leaving from mainland France or Italy, and...the island’s interior!
NOT TO BE MISSED
The Lavezzi Islands, in perfect surroundings; some sumptuous anchorages...
10 - Croatia
Imagine: 6000 kilometers of coastline, bordered by over 1,200 islands, most of which are uninhabited, and all in a warm sea tinged with turquoise. Yet here you aren’t in a lagoon on the other side of the world, but on the Adriatic coast of Croatia, a magic destination for your summer holidays!
Most of the charter companies have bases all along the Dalmatian coast, which is moreover well provided with modern, practical marinas. You will therefore easily be able to alternate between wild anchorages and evenings ashore, depending on the crew’s choices and wishes.
THE DESTINATION’S ‘PLUS’
With easy access, Croatia offers an ideal climate for cruising between April and October; the summer high season is quite obviously the most pleasant.
NOT TO BE MISSED
The Kornati Islands, Hvar and Brač.
11 - Baja California
The famous Captain Cousteau named this little bit of sea 'the world’s aquarium’: quite something. The Cortes Sea is even more than that: an exceptional marine sanctuary, with incredible fauna, where you will perhaps be lucky enough to sail and swim amongst whales and their young...
And for those of you looking for deserted anchorages, note that the Gulf of California contains 922 islands. A genuine ecological paradise, upon which only a few boats are lucky enough to be able to intrude.
THE DESTINATION’S ‘PLUS’
890 species of fish, 77 of which are endemic, not to mention the 33 species of cetaceans which populate this sea.
NOT TO BE MISSED
Swimming amongst whales and sailing in a desert...
12 – New Zealand
If you have seen the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, you will know that New Zealand offers some sublime scenery. The three films were actually shot in Peter Blake’s country, allowing this unique island’s beauty to be publicized: mountain ranges, active volcanoes, large expanses of beaches, deep fjords and lush forests. New Zealand is actually divided into two islands, one in the south, with a temperate climate, the other to the north with a sub-tropical climate: most of the charter companies are based on the east coast of this island, with 75 kilometers of coastline sheltered by over 80 islands, which offer countless anchoring possibilities.
THE DESTINATION’S ‘PLUS’
A country which loves the sea and multihulls.
NOT TO BE MISSED
The Bay of Islands offers tropical luxuriance and a mountain lake atmosphere: incredibly beautiful!
13 - Tonga
This little kingdom hasn’t really changed since the 18th century, when Cook named it ‘The Friendly Islands’. An original destination in the middle of the Pacific, with numerous islands which will have you re-living the fantastic Treasure Island era. A genuine elixir of youth! Tonga offers more than 170 large and small islands, divided into three main archipelagos, including Vava'u, the ideal departure point for your cruise with around fifty lush green islands. A cruise among the coral which you will never forget.
THE DESTINATION’S ‘PLUS’
An idyllic climate which allows cruising all the year round.
14 - Malaysia
There are more than 90 large and small islands around the main island of Langkawi, off the north-west coast of Malaysia. It is a natural paradise which is unique in South-East Asia, and offers sumptuous scenery, from mangroves to white sand beaches bordered with coconut trees and bathed by emerald green waters. The distances between anchorages are very short, favoring the discovery of new, deserted anchorages every evening.
THE DESTINATION’S ‘PLUS’
Deserted anchorages, sublime beaches and a stopover which as a bonus is renowned for its duty-free shopping.
15 – The Canaries
For many people, the Canaries are just a final ‘European’ stopover before the crossing to the West Indies. But it is really worth stopping in the Canaries, and even chartering a boat to take advantage of all their charms. There is plenty to do, between the seven main islands and the small almost deserted islands which border the waters of the archipelago.
The underwater life there is very rich, the water clarity is legendary, and those of you who like fishing will also be in heaven, as numerous sport fishing records have been beaten there.
THE DESTINATION’S ‘PLUS’
The surf – the Canaries offer several world-recognized surf spots...
