Find the right yacht and crew on the Web
Chartering a yacht is like renting a cottage, private resort or secluded beach. It can be your own private paradise. If you and your companions are not sailors, you don't even have to do the work, you can hire a yacht with crew.
But the close quarters make it critical that you select both the right yacht and the right crew; it's not like you can walk away if you think the service is not up to par.
The best way to guarantee a professional fit is to go to the site of the Charter Yacht Brokers Association, or CYBA, www.cyba.net, where you will be asked what kind of yacht you want, whether you are a first-time charter cruiser, how many people are in your party, where and when you want to go and any other expectations that could help the broker member match you with a crew that is both professional and likely to give service that fits your lifestyle. The more complete communication you have with the matchmaking broker beforehand, the more likely he will be able to find a winning combination.
The options for crafts include sailing yachts, motor yachts or catamarans, and they can be found to fit any budget. You can sign up for a small yacht with only two crew members for an intimate vacation for a week that may cost $10,000, or choose a 40-foot sailboat for a more luxurious (and pricey) trip. Using one of these registered brokers should calm qualms if you're new at this. CYBA-member brokers "must meet extensive requirements …, subscribe to a code of ethics, and must inspect yachts and interview crews regularly in order to maintain their membership status." Charters are available all over the world, including Florida, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.
A good charter site for those who want to sail in the waters around Greece is www.sailingissues.com/greek.html. It offers a range of locations and itineraries in Greece and several kinds of charters, from bare-boat charters where you cook, clean and steer, to a combined experience, called a flotilla charter, where you sail along with other crafts and have an "admiral" to help should you need sailing advice.
Another niche is one called assisted bare-boat charters, a blend of the bare-boat charter and the flotilla style. There is also the cabin charter, where you rent a cabin on a yacht, similar to a cruise ship arrangement, where all the work is done for you but you are not bearing all the cost.
In print
If you like sailing or just being on the water, you'll like the salty tales told in "With Reckless Abandon: Memoirs of a Boat Obsessed Life" by Capt. Jim Sharp, published by Devereux at $18.95.
Capt. Sharp captained a windjammer off the coast of Maine for almost two decades and his life story is inspirational. He survived childhood polio to become first a financial officer, a multiple boat owner, then the captain of a 100-year old schooner. From high seas to high jinks, he spins amusing tales of his years at sea, combined with life lessons and lots of fascinating nautical lore.