Sailing
The Mysterious Island Of Corfu
If you are a sailor with a need for rest and relaxation, interesting things to see, a little ancient history, good restaurants and wine, sailing around the islands of sun, sea and romance could be just the thing for you.
Corfu is an island in the Ionian Sea and a good place to start your adventure. Just off the west coast of Greece it has a warm climate that reaches its peak during July and August and is very green compared to the other Greek islands. The warm dry summers and winter rain creates very lush green vegetation and this one island has over two million olive trees.
The islands history is steeped in myth, mystery and legend, laden with battles and conquests and visible in the castles and fortifications placed in strategic locations all across the island.
Catalina a Short Trip to a World Away
Catalina is one of those islands with a unique and very relaxing atmosphere. Whether it’s the warm climate or the smell of fennel and eucalyptus, Catalina is one of those places you go to do nothing, or at least nothing that has anything to do with work.
Just off the Californian coast, Catalina is the largest of the Channel Islands of California, a chain which runs east west from Catalina to San Miguel, the flattest of the islands which is home to over 50,000 elephant seals. Almost every kind of water sport is available and most kinds of waterborne craft can be hired from the numerous stores around the harbor.
The seas around the island are very clear, making this an excellent spot for snorkeling and diving. Catalina is famous for its flying fish, celebrated in the island’s Flying Fish festival every June. Don’t miss opportunities to see dolphins, seals and sea lions as well as bald and golden eagles. If that’s not enough you can also find Orcas, Dall’s Porpoise and Grey Whales in the area, as well as the enormous Blue Whale.
Understanding Home Boat Storage
Before you buy your first boat you need to give some thought to how you plan on storing it in the off-season. This could be in your driveway, in a garage or shed on your property, or in a commercial storage facility. In this article we’ll look at the self-storing options.
Obviously it would be cheaper to store your boat at home but there are limitations which may make this impractical. You might think you’re going to leave it parked in your driveway or at the curb but some town ordinances prohibit this. They feel having a big boat sitting out in the open is unattractive and brings down the value of the neighborhood. So if this was your plan make a call to your local municipal center to see if it is permitted.
What Type of Boat Share Is Best for You?
There are 2 main types of boat share.
You can own a share of the boat with a proportionate number of days allocated for your use each year.
Or you can pay to use (normally by redeeming points from an annual allocation).
In this article I discuss the pros and cons of each system.
Let’s start with the advantages of owning a share of your yacht
- Your capital is invested in the yacht not the management company. This means that if the company gets into financial trouble your share of your boat is safe.
- You and the other owners of your boat have a vested interest to care for the boat and protect your investment – so your boat is more likely to stay in good condition.
- If you choose a reputable management company, only you and your fellow owners use your boat. At the end of the syndicate period you get your capital back minus depreciation.
So what are the disadvantages of ownership based boat share systems?
- You have to commit for a longer period – usually it’s at least 3 year period for a yacht syndicate unless you sell your share before the end of the term.
- And you have to make an up front capital investment.
And the advantages of pay to use boat time share systems?
- You don’t have to pay up front to buy the boat.
- It’s a shorter term commitment – often you can sign up for a year or less.
And finally the disadvantages of pay to use boat time share systems
- Your costs over three years can be as much as a fractional ownership system and you have nothing to sell at the end.
- Should the company run into financial problems you could lose any money you have paid to them.
- You have no control over who uses the boat – it can be up to 40 or 50 different people including visitors from overseas and interstate.
- There is no owner pride so there is less incentive to care for the boat.
So now you know about the different boat share systems the next thing to consider is…
…You!
First look at your Free Time. How many days each year do you honestly have free to go boating? Think about work, family commitments, seeing friends and other leisure activities you enjoy. There is no point in paying for more days than you need.
Now look at your Skills. Do you know much about looking after boats? Do you want to get involved in maintaining and cleaning your yacht? Or do you want to just turn up and go sailing?
Is Owner Pride important to you? Do you want to share your boat with fellow owners who have a vested interest in it and care about it? Or is flexibility more important to you than the condition of your boat?
And finally Money. Do you have some cash available to invest in your boat? Does a three year term with a guaranteed asset at the end sound appealing? Or do you need the flexibility of pay to use accepting that you will have no asset to sell at the end?
Happy Boating!