Sailing Destinations for World Travel.
How do I choose the best sailing destinations for family-friendly adventures?
What are the most popular family-friendly sailing routes, destinations, and considerations when planning your sailing itinerary?
Choosing the ideal sailing routes for family-friendly adventures involves a blend of captivating destinations and practical considerations. The Caribbean, with its turquoise waters and gentle trade winds, offers numerous family-friendly islands, each boasting unique charm and activities suitable for all ages. The Mediterranean, with its historic ports and diverse cultures, is also a favored choice.
When crafting your itinerary, take into account factors such as shorter sailing distances between ports, allowing more time for onshore exploration and family bonding. Opt for destinations with calm anchorages, kid-friendly activities, and facilities catering to family needs.
Seasonal weather patterns are crucial; select routes during periods of stable weather to provide a more enjoyable experience for everyone on board. Ultimately, combining scenic landscapes with family-oriented attractions ensures a memorable and enjoyable sailing adventure for all.
However, if you have kids, chances are you'll buddy-boat with other family vessels and collectively choose destinations and routes based on your kids' friendship groups.
Embarking on a major lifestyle change, such as sailing around the world with your family, requires commitment, focus, and self-belief. Good planning is vital. The time spent ashore, plugged into the grid, is invaluable for developing the knowledge, resources, passion, and skills needed for the journey ahead. But don't overthink it, and don't wait for the perfect time to leave or the perfect boat to come along – neither exists!
Deciding to go and actually going are two entirely different things. Making the decision to go is only the first step in a long process. Out of a hundred people who want to go, probably only one will eventually do it.
Set incremental goals for yourselves. Sell your TV, buy a large map from Ikea, and stick it on the wall. Apart from covering mildew stains, it will loom over you at mealtimes, and conversations will naturally drift towards geocentric topics and world travel. Through Brexit, Middle Eastern wars, US elections, we used our map to grasp geopolitical events, and the kids began to realize there was a big world out there ripe for exploring. They became as excited as we were about the idea of adventures on the high seas.
Further Reading: "World Cruising Destinations” by Jimmy and Doina Cornell.
Further Reading: "World Voyage Planner” by Jimmy and Ivan Cornell.
Further Reading: "World Cruising Routes” by Jimmy Cornell.
Comprehensive cruising guides for choosing family-friendly sailing routes and cruising destination around the world. This substantial set of books by the Grandaddy of world cruising - Jimmy Cornell - contains all the information you need on the maritime nations of the world, voyage planning and cruising routes to them with details of local attractions, charter opportunities, formalities, facilities, useful websites and cruising guides.
These books are not only must-have onboard reference manuals for long distance sailors, but will undoubtedly inspire the adventurous to explore new and challenging destinations.
Jimmy actually sent me a signed copy of his World Cruising Routes after contributing to his latest edition, which I treasure and keep by my bunk!
Do you have your own recommended reading material or other suggested resources on choosing the best sailing routes for family-friendly adventures, that could be included here? If so, drop us a line via the contact form.
