The bareboat you choose will be your home for the entire length of your bareboat charter, so getting the right boat is critical! Skimping on space to save a couple of hundred dollars is not a great idea, given that getting too little boat may cramp everyone and reduce the fun of your boating holiday.

The first decision is the type of bare boat - Motor, Sail Monohull or Sail or Motor Catamaran.

If your looking for a bareboat sailing yacht charter your fundamental choice is between a catamaran and a monohull (traditional) sail boat.

Two choices will largely determine the size and type of bareboat you will charter for your boating holidays.

• The number of family or friends taking the boating holiday.
  
• Background level of sailing or power boat experience - either individual or group.
  

Bareboats for charter come in an infinite number of shapes and sizes and can be chartered from 9.0 metres (28 ft) to 15 metres (50 ft). That's the beauty of cruising, you can't help but find a bareboat that's just right for you. You can get a good idea about how comfortable and fast a boat is just by how it looks.

You can tell that a big, heavy, wide boat is a good cruiser but isn't going to break any speed records on the water. Here's a look at the different types of bareboat.

Monohulls
Monohulls are classified as yachts, as we said earlier in this section. Boats can also be characterised by their rigs - the type and number of masts they have and the types and number of sails they carry. Sailing yachts of all sizes and makes comprise the majority of Queensland's "Bareboat Fleet".
Multihulls
A multihull is defined as a boat with multiple hulls. A boat with two hulls is called a catamaran; three hulls, a trimaran. Multihulls can be fast and thrilling to sail - with a little wind you can feel like you're flying.

Bigger multihulls are great cruising boats. Because of their width, they're very stable. Multihulls are fast, too, because they're very light and don't have heavy keels or as much surface area underwater as monohulls (boats with one hull) of the same size.

Catamarans are one of the fastest growing area of the bareboat charter business because they deliver great comfort and privacy, while providing a lot of communal areas to better enjoy your group.

Catamaran charters are the fastest growing type of bareboat charter, and for good reason. They combine the thrill and teamwork of sailing with comfort, privacy and great social spaces. Key benefits of a catamaran for a bareboat charter are :

• Great views from the spacious salon
• Excellent sun decks for easier, more comfortable lounging on deck
• Fewer stairs and less separation between the cockpit and the galley
• Reduced seasickness (cats don't roll as much as a monohull)
• More private sleeping quarters (cabins are separated from each other in the hulls)
• Easier to navigate in shallow water
• A feeling of being"on top of the world" when in the Salon

Sailing catamarans are becoming increasingly popular as they are often more spacious than the equivalent length yacht and don't tip (heel) as much under sail providing for a more stable feeling on the bareboat and this appeals to some families.

If you're a party of several couples or a family, with several inexperience sailors aboard, choose a Monohull... Catamarans are generally more expensive per person than a monohull, because there is more boat.

Power catamaran
For those light on experience a power catamaran can also be easier to handle than a sailing cat and will be more comfortable for the weekend sailor.

They are a wide stable boat with a ride generally softer than a "V" bottom hulls. A wide, airy main cabin is the trademark of a cruising catamaran with lots of deck space for sunning. They are fuel efficient and make excellent boats for long-range cruising and island hopping.

Motor cruiser
A power vessel (either motor cruiser or power catamaran) can provide a little extra in performance and could be more to your liking if your crew would like plenty of walk around space and a flybridge for additional lounging comfort.

Motor cruisers are ideal for ocean cruising or navigating large rivers. Two engines, usually fuelled with diesel, and a generator for electricity make them self sufficient in terms of living accommodations. Motor yachts have well appointed living accommodations and are ideal for bareboat charter.