Advice on chartering in Greece

[cpedw]

4 of us are pondering a fortnight's sailing in the Med, probably Greece, in 2013. 2 of us have a couple of decades experience cruising Scotland, east and west. The other two have a small amount of sailing experience but bags of enthusiasm and a yen for warm weather sailing.
I'm wondering if a flotilla would be a good idea - we 2 did one in the Ionian in about 1980, then one in Turkey and another in Yugo-Croatia. We really enjoyed them but I guess those experiences may not be representative of the current nature of flotillas.
On the other hand, bareboat would allow us more freedom but I would need to do some more homework on the planning.

So to the questions:
1. Flotilla or bareboat?
2. Companies to go with/avoid.
3. Which area for easyish sailing, a bit of deserted beach but enough shoreside for most dinners ashore? Not necessarily Greece, but it's the current focus of our attention.
4. What season to go? I don't like it very hot and we are not constrained by school holidays but the others want to swim in warm sea.
5. What have I forgotten to consider?

Thanks,
Derek

 

[Tranona]

Ionian, North or South. Both areas offer what you are looking for, but are a bit different. North is a bit more spread out but choice of harbours or anchorages on mainland or islands. Advantage of flotillas is that you have more direct support as you learn the ropes, but most allow quite a lot of freedom and no compulsion to take part in organised activities. However, bareboat is easy in most respects, just a bit of tution usually for stern to mooring. Navigation is line of sight, but boats will have GPS and probably chart plotters as well.

Best times to go are May, June and September, avoiding school holidays. Weather dependable and not too hot (currently 27 in Corfu, but can be mid 30's in July/August). Sea warmer in September. Winds are mainly light but most afternoons there is a good NW breeze to give you a sail to your next harbour.

Plenty of choice of operators, many are British owned and run. Sailing Holidays, Sail Ionian, Nisos, Bobs Yachts or you could try one of the UK based agents who book with a wide range of operators. Go for a decent size boat - 40 footer for 4 people is about right. Check what is required for evidence of competence as this can vary.

Have a great time.

 

[aBod]

Hi Derek.
1. Flotilla or bareboat? - Flotilla
2. Companies to go with/avoid -One Stop Sailing Holidays
3. Which area for easyish sailing, a bit of deserted beach but enough shoreside for most dinners ashore? - Ionian, but Skiathos and Cyclades are also great to sail around too.
4. What season to go? September and October, warm seas and some actual wind!

You don't have to follow the flotilla. Many modern crews are happy for you to go some where different, so there is alot of freedom while still being very sociable.
good sailing
alasdair

 

[Nico]

I've sailed in the Ionian in early June, July/August, September, and late October.

In early June the weather was good, the countryside was green, and the locals were in optimistic mood with the peak season yet to come. On the down side the water was a bit cool for swimming, at least for lingering.

July and August were too hot, with some days wind-free. We went then because of school holiday constraints. On some days the thermal wind came up in the afternoon and it can get quite lively but not often. The warm evenings can be nice, but it can be too hot to sleep.

September was good with warm water and moderate winds and the air temperature wasn't too hot. The countryside was a lot less green than early in the summer though.

Late October was a mistake in the Ionian. We had three days of rain and southerly F6+. Nothing is sadder than a Greek village in torrential rain. In between the bad weather it was pleasant but a lot of the villages were pretty much shut down for the winter and it was a bit depressing.

We did four flotillas and one bareboat. The big advantage of bareboating is that you can decide where to go each day according to the wind. Flotillas tend to have to coordinate their activities with each other so they don't all end up in the same little harbour with no room. As a result of the freedom we found we didn't have to motor when bareboating. If the wind was light we just did a short hop. When flotillaring we found ourselves motoring to keep to schedules. Otherwise, the social side of flotillas was generally positive and it isn't all follow my leader.

If you choose to go to the Cyclades be aware it can be very windy in July and August.

 

[lufc71]

We went with SailingHolidays at the end of last season and enjoyed it so much we are going with them again... next week
My only concern last year was that it might be a 'convoy' but the daily sailing was totally independant and they also allow you (depending on ability) to go off on your own for a few days. This has the added benefit of being pseudo bareboat but with the backup of the flotilla lead boat if required.
Whichever time you choose I'd recommend booking early (at the end of this season) to ensure that you get the boat that you want.
If you're happy to go at the start/end of the season you can get better deals on the delivery runs.
Good luck.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Very good advice above.

The better known British and Dutch charter/flotilla operators around the Ionian are highly competitive, and very customer oriented. Those with 10 or more boats in their charge are very good at ensuring their boats will be available on time and in good condition, and very good at finding replacements if previous occupants create serious damage. They are also well insured, and ask for quite small deposits, or offer insurance against any form of damage.

I only know of one sandy beach in Croatia, so write that area off.

You could add the Thessaloniki area to your list - sandy beaches, not to much wind, and relatively few boats outside peak season. Neilson used to do that area.

Warm water means after peak season - last week in August or later. But weather in northern areas breaks down earlier - mid September in Thessaloniki or Corfu; a week or two later in the Levkada area, and mid October around Rhodes or Crete.

For more detailed descriptions of all these areas (winds and seasons) see my web site www.jimbsail.info

And apologies to anyone who couldn't access the site 1 to 4 June - my web hosting company blew it to pieces when they updated their software!

 

[cpedw]

Thanks to all for the information given. One question that hasn't received much response is what companies to go with or to avoid.
I've seen favorable mentions in this thread and others of Sailing Holidays, Neilson, One Stop Sailing. I know there are quite a few operators but nobody seems to have any significant bogeymen among them. Would anyone care to name turkey (no pun intended) out there?

Derek

 

[Victoria Sponge]

We love the Turkish coastline from Kas to Bodrum. We've done bareboat and flotilla. The advantage of flotilla for us was a guaranteed mooring each night. When we did bareboat we found that sometimes we were going in early in the afternoon, just to make sure we were ok for the night. With the flotillas the lead crew save you a place, but generally expect you in for around 6pm. We had plenty of free sailing with the flotillas and the lead skipper only expected a text to say you were safe for the night. The other advantage of the flotilla is if you encounter any problems with the boat someone is around. When we did bareboat last year, we saw a guy fell off the back of the boat and badly gash his leg. He needed urgent hospital care. Luckily he was part of a flotilla and the lead crew took care of everything.

We've been with Sunscape and I thoroughly recommend them. I prefer Turkey to Greece. I find the Turkish people very friendly, I like their food and we find it cheaper than Greece. The Turkish coastline is, of course absolutely stunning.

 

[mjcoon]

You could add the Thessaloniki area to your list - sandy beaches, not to much wind, and relatively few boats outside peak season. Neilson used to do that area.

We did a "flotilla" there in 1984. In quotes because there was the lead boat and one other yacht. Since we had a gearbox problem we were glad of spare yachts! Company was called Flotilla Hellas and probably didn't survive the year.

I didn't know Neilson had tried it too.

Mike.

 

[Tranona]

Thanks to all for the information given. One question that hasn't received much response is what companies to go with or to avoid.
I've seen favorable mentions in this thread and others of Sailing Holidays, Neilson, One Stop Sailing. I know there are quite a few operators but nobody seems to have any significant bogeymen among them. Would anyone care to name turkey (no pun intended) out there?

Derek

Think you will find very few "bad" operators - it is too competitive for anybody who is no good to survive. Does not mean that there may not be the odd glitch, but the well organised companies cope well. Most of those already mentioned here have been in business a long time and are very reliable.

 

[ridgy]

Sailing Holidays "Saronic" route sounds like the thing for you if you have experience.
Some decent wind and quiet harbours.

The extent of the flotilla aspect is a 10 minute chat in the morning about where to go that day and what time to be there for. You are then free to get there however you like.
No problem going off for a couple of days here and there either but actually most people don't bother. Given that you have to moor up next to other boats anyway you might as well be moored by friendly ones.

One boat, after the 3rd day put themselves a day behind the fleet, so they were by themselves but still close to help.

 

[Victoria Sponge]

Sailing Holidays "Saronic" route sounds like the thing for you if you have experience.
Some decent wind and quiet harbours.

The extent of the flotilla aspect is a 10 minute chat in the morning about where to go that day and what time to be there for. You are then free to get there however you like.
No problem going off for a couple of days here and there either but actually most people don't bother. Given that you have to moor up next to other boats anyway you might as well be moored by friendly ones.

One boat, after the 3rd day put themselves a day behind the fleet, so they were by themselves but still close to help.

That pretty much describes how it is with Sunscape!

 

[gfere40]

hi
Ionian Sea will be a must for this year, most of the islands got their prices in half so I think that people with their yachts will found everything much cheaper than last year

Grigoris

 

[tedgorton]

CPEDW--I would recommend Sail Ionian for your specific case. they are based in Lefkas (Vlykho or Vliho Bay); their boats are all Bavarias and are very well-maintained. the reason I recommend them (other than the blissful sailing around the unspoilt Ionian islands like Ithaka and Kephallonia) is that they provide very good follow-up, from Med mooring practice ont he first night or two to very rapid response if you have an issue. I had a major electrical fault in Syvota and the son of the owner was with me in half an hour with just the part that needed changing. Not the cheapest but in my experience among the very best.

 

[Austerby]

I've bareboated quite a bit around different bits of Greece, Turkey and Croatia. I've often booked through latesail and used local charter providers - not the big name brands. I've had uniformly positive experiences with the boats and the support - we had a problem with a yacht in Turkey earlier this year and the base mechanics were with us within an hour, so you'll get the support for repairs whether you bareboat or flotilla.

As to locations, I really enjoyed the Sporades in mid-September a couple of years ago though it wasn't perfect sunshine and warm winds all the time.

 

[jordanbasset]

Think you will find very few "bad" operators - it is too competitive for anybody who is no good to survive. Does not mean that there may not be the odd glitch, but the well organised companies cope well. Most of those already mentioned here have been in business a long time and are very reliable.

Agree with this, we have been with Neilson, Sailing Holidays and Sunsail, would recommend all of them, their staff are very helpful. Now were living on board we regularly see them in action and they are still all good, look for the best deal would be my advice.

 

[Magaz97]

We did a Bareboat through BOBS YACHTS in Gouvia (Corfu). Thouroughly recommend. No connection, just a satisfied customer.

 

[Sybarite]

4 of us are pondering a fortnight's sailing in the Med, probably Greece, in 2013. 2 of us have a couple of decades experience cruising Scotland, east and west. The other two have a small amount of sailing experience but bags of enthusiasm and a yen for warm weather sailing.
I'm wondering if a flotilla would be a good idea - we 2 did one in the Ionian in about 1980, then one in Turkey and another in Yugo-Croatia. We really enjoyed them but I guess those experiences may not be representative of the current nature of flotillas.
On the other hand, bareboat would allow us more freedom but I would need to do some more homework on the planning.

So to the questions:
1. Flotilla or bareboat?
2. Companies to go with/avoid.
3. Which area for easyish sailing, a bit of deserted beach but enough shoreside for most dinners ashore? Not necessarily Greece, but it's the current focus of our attention.
4. What season to go? I don't like it very hot and we are not constrained by school holidays but the others want to swim in warm sea.
5. What have I forgotten to consider?

Thanks,
Derek

Just an idea, but have you considered Corsica/Sardinia?