We have decided to take our family away on a yacht charter next year but don't know whether to go for a motor yacht or a sail yacht. A friend told me that a sailing yacht charter is more relaxing then motor yacht charter. Is this true?

Editorial Team

There may be an idea that a sailing charter is more « casual » than a charter onboard a motoryacht.  One of the reasons behind this impression could be that many sailing charterers like to learn how to handle the sails and vessel, and will take part / help the crew play with the sails if given the opportunity. This kind of situation potentially fosters stronger bonds between the crew and charterers, and may also give that impression of a more « casual » charter. But that doesn’t mean that a sailing holiday is actually more « relaxed » ; in fact, it could be a lot more demanding if you want to experience sailing to the fullest !

Ultimately it doesn’t matter whether you’re chartering a sailing or motor yacht to make the holiday « relaxing » ; it all depends on you and how you want to go about your holiday, how you connect with the crew and the kind of atmosphere you’re looking for. If you want it to be festive, then the crew will make sure it is. If you want it to be formal, then they will oblige too.

Whether it is more relaxing or not will be down to the individual person. The differences between sailing yachts and motor yachts are numerous.

Essentially, a sailing yacht operates predominantly using sails and the wind, does not have the same amount of deckspace and you are more prone to getting wet from the sea spray. The crew operate in different manner in that they need to be very hands-on, adjusting sails and rigging according to the weather, wind speed, direction of travel etc. There is a different level of excitement with a sailing yacht, managing the speed according to the wind and it is more eco-friendy.

A motor yacht affords you a different type of relaxation in that the deck space available to you is much bigger than that which you get on a sailing yacht. You can sit at the bar, jump in the Jacuzzi, have a massage, go up to the top deck in a lift - and you will feel much less with regard to the movement of the boat. The crew are not at the mercy of the weather in the same way and whilst the 'romance' of sailing may not be there, it offers you a luxurious journey that you can get from no other form of travel.