When it comes to organising our free time, most of us fall back on the same things. This time, five reasons why hiring a boat is a very good idea.
It is unlike anything else you are likely to have done, and a great many people do not consider it because they assume it is out of reach.
Here is why you would enjoy it.
Being on the water
The sea gives you something no other setting does: sunrise or sunset from the middle of it, the quiet, the smell of it.
It works on every sense, and it is exactly right for anyone who loves water.
Reaching bays and coves you otherwise could not
One of the real advantages of hiring a boat is getting to places that are hard or impossible to reach any other way.
You leave behind the crowds of any beach where finding a space is the first problem of the day.
Instead you get empty beaches, quiet and to yourself — exactly what a sunny day is for.
And the coastline you pass on the way.
A very good day, and some very good photographs.
Learning something about sailing
It suits anyone who loves the sea, and equally anyone interested in boats themselves — how they are handled and what makes them work.
Hiring a boat usually includes an experienced skipper, who handles it and suggests where to go depending on what you are after.
So if you know nothing about boats, there is nothing to worry about — and if you want to learn, ask the skipper whatever you like.
Doing a good deal more than sailing
Hiring a boat might sound like a limited proposition. It is the opposite: it gives you the freedom to do a great many things.
If nothing comes to mind, here is a list:
You can go scuba diving or snorkelling , which gets you what the sea looks like from underneath. You can swim or dive wherever you stop, you can fish, and if the skipper agrees you can take a turn at sailing.
There is plenty in it for everyone, children included.
How much it costs
People assume hiring a boat is out of reach, which is fair enough if you are hiring one on your own. Split between friends or family it can work out cheaper than other kinds of accommodation.
You pay for the time you use it, which for a day is not much, and the costs — insurance included — are covered. The price will surprise you.
