He's your captain, climb aboard

If you're contemplating a trip to a Mediterranean paradise such as Turkey, Croatia, Malta, Italy or Greece, your first instinct might be to go with one of those all-inclusive package deals. You'd most likely end up with a charter flight to a busy resort offering the usual array of beaches, pool and buffet dining. That's nothing to sneeze at, but by midweek you might find yourself longing for a change of scenery or physical activity more strenuous than laps across the pool.

Perhaps, on the other hand, you prefer to be as active as possible on your vacations, as well as to witness sights that you wouldn't necessarily come across while being hauled through the countryside in the air-conditioned comfort of a bus seating 65 passengers. In that case, George Tomai, a civilian residing in the Wiesbaden area, might have the solution you didn't even know you were looking for. Tomai is happy to serve as the captain of a chartered vessel upon which you, your family or friends will act as crew.

Catering to groups ranging in size from six to eight persons, Tomai will find and charter a yacht or suitable craft at the destination of your choice and serve as its captain for the duration of your travels. Should you have a larger group, Tomai has skippers standing by to sail the additional boats. Two factors will directly affect the cost of the vessel -- the sum total of all passengers between which costs are divvied up, and the time of year. The cost of the boats and flights are divided by the crew, and Tomai sails with them at no cost to himself. Any additional skipper, for a second boat, costs around 75 euros per day, plus the cost of meals.

Sailing in the off-season has advantages beyond that of savings. Off-season travel affords groups the opportunity to find seclusion in tiny coastal coves, or enjoy a leisurely meal as the only clients at a local restaurant. It also increases the likelihood of encountering more challenging weather patterns than the flat, calm sea typical of the Mediterranean in summer months. No matter the weather conditions, however, Tomai stresses that his prime concern is safety. "I don't want anyone hurt on my cruises," he says.

A recent charter led by Tomai saw a group of eight Americans and a gentleman from Portugal sail off from Dalaman, a port city on Turkey's southwest coast. The basics of sailing and navigation were patiently explained to those less salty members of the crew. Participant Clayton Lynch summed the experience up in an e-mail as the perfect combination of seeing and doing.