Sailboat Rentals?

[miketmbt]

After I take sailing classes, is it possible to rent boats before I buy so I can get an idea of what I might want? Would I be able to rent one for a weekend trip? If I am really only able to sail a few times a year would it be cheaper to rent a boat than to own one (maybe for a week at the longest)?

[HobieFan]

There's plenty of places that will do bareboat charters.

Just look around for boat charters. It is most certainly cheaper to charter once a year than to buy, pay maintenance, moorage, etc. Maybe an order of magnitude cheaper. :-)

[osirissail]

- - Before picking a "sailing school" check to see which "bareboat charter" companies recognize that school's "certificate/certification." There are "big name" schools that are recognized by the major bare-boat charter companies and worth a little extra money.
- - The 3-part rule of "renting versus owning" holds especially true to boats, and over the years you can rent and sail many different types, models of boats and find out which one is the "best" for you - before you finally buy.