Top sail destinations

Charter yachts operate in most destinations around the world, but tend to be more readily available in the top sail cruising areas. This changes with the weather and time of year.

During the winter months in the northern hemisphere, the Caribbean is the most popular destination, with an abundance of yachts available for charter. The weather is reliably pleasant with warm days spent cruising beautiful aquamarine water. The Bahamas and Florida are popular as well, but can have the occasional cold spell from the north. There are other areas in the world where yachts are available on a more-limited basis such as Australia's Great Barrier Reef, New Zealand's Bay of Islands, Tahiti, and the Seychelles.

During the summer months, the cruising grounds shift to the north. The season is short but the destinations vary in scope and appeal.

In Europe, the Mediterranean offers many chartering areas. The focus is less on water-sports and more on culture and history. Greece, Turkey and Croatia are popular in the east. In the west, Italy and France are very busy with a few yachts in Spain's Balearic Islands.

The United Kingdom is home to many of the world's most avid sailors. For the more adventuresome, there are plenty of breathtaking ports of call amid the islands and islets of this nation steeped in nautical history.

In North America, the summer cruising grounds open up along the entire eastern seaboard. New England is a popular cruising area from New York to Maine, with Newport, Rhode Island the center of much activity.

The Pacific presents opportunities along its sprawling coast from Costa Rica to Alaska. The chartering is limited to more-defined areas due to the nature of its often-inaccessible coastline. Yachts are available in the main ports of Mexico, the major U.S. port cities, along Canada's pristine coast, and Alaska.

Yachts are available in a few destinations year-round due to their proximity to the equator, but a watchful eye to developing hurricanes is always a must. These areas include the Bahamas, Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Tahiti.

There are many other locations where charter boats may be available, but are limited due to a number of factors such as remote location and a shortened cruising season. The charter rate would normally be higher in those areas, just like in the top sail areas mentioned above in the seasons' peaks. 

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