The sailing season in the Atlantic Islands including The Azores, Canary Islands and Cape Verde extends throughout the year in most places, which means as well as a summer dream holiday, it could be an idea for a winter charter says Sue Pelling
The North Atlantic groups of islands off the coast of Africa and Portugal including the Azores, the Canary Islands and the Cape Verde islands just a relatively short hop from the UK, means sun seekers looking for year-round charter options, may find this is a good alternative to travelling thousands of miles to the southern hemisphere.
Their very nature of location, however, means these Atlantic group of islands are generally considered challenging in terms of charter holiday destinations – particularly areas of the Canary Islands – so it’s important to select your location according to sailing experience. If you are looking to expand your sailing experience or perhaps want an introduction to trade wind sailing, bareboat charter in this area is possible through yacht charter agents like Plain Sailing, The Globe Sailor, Sailogy, and clickandboat. Generally, though, you’ll find most companies offer skippered/or by the cabin packages, while others offer tuition, which is perfect for if want to learn to sail in a convenient place while enjoying the warm climate and fantastic cruising grounds.
Although some charter companies cover specific groups of islands, you’ll find some, such as Cornwall-based Classic Sailing that offers tall ship sailing holidays, cover all areas, so it really is worth checking company websites for specific destinations.
Canary Islands
The Spanish Canary Islands lie approximately 70 miles off the coast of West Africa and offer a year-round mild climate with an average of 19ºC in winter and 23ºC in summer, with the main season October to May. It’s also in the same time zone as the UK and is well served with flights from the UK. The north-east trade wind makes sailing exciting around these islands, which means it is particularly popular for those with more experience. In fact, most companies operating bareboat here require qualifications such as Day Skipper, and some including Nautilus, a Coastal Skipper qualification is mandatory.
The Wind Acceleration Zones (WAZ) is something to be aware of when sailing in this area, particularly in places like Tenerife out west. As the wind funnels between the mountainous islands, it can increase in strength dramatically, sometimes 12-30kts, within minutes.
