Are you dreaming of a Sailing Trip in Greece ?
Sailing holidays is a dream way to experience Greece and especially the Greek islands.
Greek mainland is surrounded by thousands of big and small islands , some of them uninhabited and others busy and crowded especially in summer waiting for you to explore.
Here is a small guide of what you must know before you set sails !
Greece from April , when the temperature is rising and days are getting longer , thousands of sailing and motor yachts sail around the Greek seas. Most of them are charter yachts offering sailing holidays allowing its guests to come close to sea, and connect to nature.
The Greek waters are an attractive playground for experienced sailors with numerous coves , bays and beaches waiting for them to explore and of course most of them are only accessible by boat. The charter boat is your floating hotel , and starting point for many summer activities such as fishing, snorkeling , sup and canoeing . At the end of the day , after all that sun, sea and salt has soaked your bodies , you can easily head to a nearby port or have your dinghy take you to the land and get your feet on the ground. You make your choice depending on your mood , whether you want to mingle with other people and hang out for drinks or party at a beach bar , club or spend a quiet night with your crew watching the stars or the full moon after a dinner at a local taverna.
DO I NEED A SKIPPER?
We can help you choose the kind of sailing holidays you want depending on your request and budget, offering a crewed or skippered sailing yacht or catamaran or a bareboat yacht depending on your qualifications and skills.
If the answer is yes I want a skipper , we can provide one , who will be your guide for the entire journey. Have in mind though that you have to share the public areas of the boat with him.
His weekly rate does not include his meals which is your responsibility.
Am sure that you are concerned about sharing a boat with a stranger, but rest assured that professional skippers are trained to keep a low profile.
If your skills and qualificationιs are such, and you have the proper international certification , RYA , ICC or other equivalent from a sailing school or institute , you only need to get adequate information and plan carefully your itinerary always taking under consideration the weather conditions. Our knowledge can assist you in providing all necessary information in order to plan your trip in the best way. The Saronic Gulf, Argolic gulf and Peloponnese are the ideal places for bare-boat voyages. In contrast, Cyclades requires more experience, since the meltemi ( North winds ) blowing from late July to the end of August reach a force of 5 to 7 Beaufort and sometimes more…
Bear in mind that your decision on if you need to hire a skipper or not, your level of sailing knowledge is not the only factor. Skippers also have local knowledge, could suggest the best beaches and ports depending on the weather, make a schedule based on past experience and this will make the difference on how you spend your holiday .
If you select to have one on board then you can really enjoy sailing, taking off the pressure of decisions , worrying about the boat and finally enjoy relaxing sailing holidays .
In any case , a refundable deposit should be paid before departure and will be returned to you after your trip, provided there is no damage.
HOW MUCH IT WILL COST ?
Costs vary according to the type of boat, its size and the period .
As a benchmark, for example , to rent a 36-38 ft sailboat, fully equipped with 3 cabins and 2 heads , the average price will come between 2,000 and 2500 euros per week. The high season lasts from July to the end of August. Price varies also depending on period of booking and ongoing special offers.
Please ask for more details or join our mailing list for newsletters on seasonal offers.
Charter price does not include the cost of fuel, which can reach 150-200 euros per week depending on the yacht journey and engine hours used and can be doubled up for a catamaran, harbor fees which are minor and calculated on the length of the boat. An indication is 5 to 10 euro per day.
All charter boats come with well-equipped kitchens, so if you make a good stock on the first day, you can cook some meals on board, keeping your budget low. But do not overdo because the Greek cuisine is everywhere and you can’t miss the taste .
Towels and sheets are offered by us , and cost is included in the “end cleaning fee” along with gas tanks for the kitchen , a jerry can of fuel for the outboard motor .
Sailing holidays are like going camping or touring with a Van. That explains why people who rent sailboats are the same type of people who go camping as they are the ones who like to be close with nature and leave behind some of the comfort , but not all since newer and modern yachts provide most common day to day facilities.
A key point not to be forgotten on your trip is water consumption. The only fresh water you have on board is the one in your tanks and needs discipline on consumption especially when doing the dishes and having showers. That being said, remember that you can only refill your tanks in ports and marinas.
THE TIME HAS COME TO SET SAILS !
Everybody who visits Greece wants to go to Mykonos and Santorini . Definitely yes !
Admittedly these two islands are among the most advertised and popular destinations in the world and of course are not for no reason.. Natural beauty ,majestic sunsets , nightlife , celebrities and so on !
But they are not the only one!
Starting from marina alimos in Athens is a long distance with sailing legs at least 8 hours per day and like said before, weather conditions may not be comfortable for everyone on board if they are not familiar with the boatlife.
If you are determined to sail to the Cyclades it is better to reduce the number of islands on your itinerary so that you have less time spent on sailing. A popular route is to Kea, Syros, Mykonos, Kythnos or you can head to the west Cyclades (Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos and Milos).
Alternatively from the marina of Alimos in Athens you can set sails to the Saronic Gulf which also usually have easy sailing conditions in the summer, with stops in Aegina, Methana , Poros, Hydra, and Spetses, Ermioni .
On a sailboat , en route to above islands you can always stop for swimming and enjoy beaches beaches that are not accessible by land, such as, Bisti on Hydra , Moni island in Aegina , and Kolona on Kythnos , Kleftiko on Milos and many more.
More information on above routes you can read in our Destinations and Itineraries section.
Boats have narrow spaces, and there are things to be done by everyone , so the best way to enjoy the journey is to assign these tasks to everyone from the first day. Depending on everyone’s experience and ability, daily jobs have to be divided so everyone is relaxed at the end of the day and not exhausted.
Remember the aim is for everyone to enjoy the sailing holidays he dreamt of !
And speaking of narrow and confined spaces living on a yacht , even if you are a couple or family is a crash test for people’s behavior and relations . 6 to 8 people living together in a yacht without privacy and limited space needs extra effort from everyone to keep mutual respect and honoring basic rules so that pleasant and light atmosphere is kept on board at all times .
So, take a minute now to send us a message and find out availability of our yachts…Or click your to browse thousand other options to find your dream way to experience Greece ….
You are only a step away from your sailing holidays of a lifetime!!!!
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