Charter in Dodecanese

B

bromleybysea

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 Nov 2007
Messages
677
Location
Not Bromley anymore, yippee!!
Visit site
As a treat this year (summer school holidays) we are planning a bare-boat charter in the Dodecanese- because I want to visit friends on Samos and No 1 daughter is keen to visit some old ruins (not you daddy, ha ha) thereabouts. What are the sailing conditions likely to be in July/August, and does anyone have any recommendations as to a good bare-boat charter company?
 
Dodecanese

I must admit, I haven't been there in a few years (guess the age of my oldest child!) - but have sailed there for a total of 20 weeks.

But you should expect a NW F 5-6 - the Meltemi (caused by the confluence of the Azores High and Pakistan low). It generally runs for 10-12 days, has a quick break, and then comes back in at F 7-8 for a day as weather systems change.

Major port to charter from is Kos, which at the SE end of the chain means a bit of of a beat - perfectly manageable, but you need to be up for it.

I've chartered from Kiricoulos (a little underwhelming) and also (dare I say it Sunsail - but only as they were the only company who had a boat at the time).

It is however a glorious chain of islands, and when you get to Lipsi and beyond you are in heaven.

PM me and I'll tell you the best places and unspoilt tavernas in isolated bays.
 
bromleybysea said:
As a treat this year (summer school holidays) we are planning a bare-boat charter in the Dodecanese- because I want to visit friends on Samos and No 1 daughter is keen to visit some old ruins (not you daddy, ha ha) thereabouts. What are the sailing conditions likely to be in July/August, and does anyone have any recommendations as to a good bare-boat charter company?
Click to expand...

Have a look at JimB's website...lots of relevant info there. www.jimbaerselman.f2s.com

One option would be to charter from Bodrum (in Turkey) & cruise from there. We often come across people doing this. There does not seem to be any issue with leaving/returning to Turkey as the charter Co. organises the bumph.
 
Our boat is currently based in Leros and last year wecame back to UK for July and most of August. The meltemi really started to blow in mid June (F7-F8 for 8 or more days) - not really what you want on a family holiday. We returned to the Dodecanese on 13th August, by which time the meltemi had eased significantly and we enjoyed seven weeks of which about 5 days were spent in port waiting for the wind to drop.

There are lots of charter companies operating from Kos marina and also one or two from Samos marina. Kos marina is about 35-40 mins from the airport, Samos marina is about 10 minutes from the aiport.

http://yachtvigdis.wordpress.com
 
Last edited:
Looking in my (old) copy of Robin Petheridge's pilot he says that the Meltemi comes in after mid-day and eases off in the evening and dies away for the night. That seemed to be the pattern when we were in Fethiye a couple of years ago but that was a land-based holiday so I wasn't taking that much notice of the wind. If it does blow hard in July all day then probably best to avoid the area altogether and go somewhere else- would further east in sy the Gulf of Fethiye be better?
 
A lot depends on which islands.

[QUOTE...I want to visit friends on Samos and visit some old ruins...[/QUOTE]

Which ruins?

We were in the Dodecs July 2009 and got galebound in Leros for a few days and again in Kalimnos, otherwise we enjoyed some lively sailing, but then we were going downwind. During August it got really wild for quite a long period (we'd friends stuck in the Cyclades and Dodecs for about 2.5 weeks!) but as we were around the SW corner of Turkey by then, we had it much easier.

I didn't really notice charter-boat companies, but we met a lot of Charterers who'd sailed out of Kos and Bodrum and also some out of Turtegeis and Kusadasi. If the ruins in question are up near Samos - Pergamon or Ephesus perhaps? - then I'd advise trying to charter from the latter marinas as they're further north. If you sail out of Bodrum/Kos, then immediately you get any light weather, motor-sail north, hard and fast! Once up there, the wind has to get pretty evil before you can't sail back south again as the myriad of islands give a lee to the seas making them significantly smaller than those out in the Cyclades, but they're still steep and sharp, so beating north when the wind's up is slow and uncomfortable.

I would advise (only an opinion mind, I'm far from an expert on the area) go as early as possible - don't schools have a holiday in late May? - or as early in July as possible; if the weather suits, put in a long day or two and get north, but if it doesn't, don't try fighting it just sail into Gokova Korfezi (the big gulf S & E of Bodrum) and enjoy a better sheltered holiday in there.
 
Bumph Turkey/Greece

jamesmar said:
Have a look at JimB's website...lots of relevant info there. www.jimbaerselman.f2s.com

One option would be to charter from Bodrum (in Turkey) & cruise from there. We often come across people doing this. There does not seem to be any issue with leaving/returning to Turkey as the charter Co. organises the bumph.
Click to expand...

If you do it "officially" the bumph can be very expensive. And even if you decide to pay the extra, you have to do the paperwork clearing out/in/out yourself.
End of this summer, we did a one-way (paying extra, natch), Bodrum-Turgutreis, with Dodecs in between. Timing coincided with public hol for end of Ramadan, so no agent available for 3 days. Base manager (Greek flagged boat), realising we were getting seriously p'd off, produced Greek papers for the boat, alongside the Turkish ones. Even so, clearing into Symi was a PITA, and clearing out of Kos even worse.
Fond memories (mostly) of the cruise, but not sure I'd do a cross-border charter again
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top