Family Flotilla

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Captain Seapig

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Mrs Seapig and I are taking our seapiglets (boys 6 & 8) on the south Ionian flotilla with Neilson at the end of August. We might have the right bits of paper from RYA, but we don't have a lot of experience to draw on. I am hoping this will be the first of many family adventures. Any advice on how to make it fun and comfortable?
 
I had a motorboat and wanted to try sailing, so with minimal sailing experience we booked a flotilla yacht in the Ionian. It proved a great family introduction to the dark side, in relatively calm waters an enough wind to be interesting.
My tips would to stand back and encourage the rest of the family take charge at times, even if they’re reluctant to. You can keep an eye on them and step in if really needed. Get them doing chart work so they’re involved in the planning stage too.
Take a good head torch and mozzy repellent. If the children are good swimmers, buy them an underwater video camera for next to nothing from ebay.
 
Flotilla holidays are already fun and comfortable and if it is not then Neilson are doing something terribly wrong. There are people there to help so don't worry. If the going gets tough just stay put and enjoy where you are. Everywhere will be nice if you have a relaxed attitude. Don't worry about docking etc as in a flotilla there is always someone to help. Then just make sure you have the right sundowners on board, wear sunscreen and relax
 
As Pmagowan says, flotilla holidays are already fun and choosing the forum moniker of Captain Seapig then referring to your crew as Mrs Seapig and the Seapiglets sounds to me like you're the sort of people who will fit in nicely and enjoy the fun. A pedantic note, I do believe though that it's traditional for Mrs Seapig to be referred to as Admiral Seapig. Welcome to the forum and enjoy your holiday.
 
We're done a few with much older children and always had a great time. There'll no doubt be other children of a similar age to yours so they will have company and the flotilla leader will have games and competitions for the kids at the overnight stops. What we found appealing was that you could do your own thing during the day and then meet up for the evening. Lunch time stops anchored and swimming in crystal clear warm water will be great fun.
 
Fabulous way to spend a holiday, some of our best. Personal tactics include exuding supreme confidence and unwarranted inner zen-ness even when assuaged by all manner of challenges. Sounds like you are already 90% there. God speed to the whole sty......
 
The Ionian has a reputation for comparatively light winds and short distances. FInd a pace that suits the family and stick to that. The only rule is not to scare anyone so keep the sailing simple - you can always use the engine if there is too little or too much (unlikely) wind.
 
Some factors may depend on how accustomed the children are to sailing. I would suggest that they should first become inured to the wearing of lifejackets, starting with practice runs at home if it is not already a family habit. Measures may be needed to protect them from the effects of sun and possibly seasickness, and at this age, quite short passages should be the norm.

Engaging them in everything on the boat, from sail trimming to washing-up will help to keep them interested, and I imagine that the modern child will want his/her own source of entertainment to fall back on.
 
Our first sailing holiday, without kids, was an Ionian flotilla and we've been back many times since with kids. It really is a great cruising ground with family. If you need to take it easy you can but if you want a good blast then there are some late afternoon winds that will oblige. The islands are beautiful and do have genuinely different characters.

We've bareboated the last few times. Last summer we went into a few ports that Neilson were using and I was very impressed by their flotilla crew.

For keeping kids amused then I'd recommend a paddle board for lunch stops and early mornings, great fun. There's a reasonable amount that can be seen snorkelling, hermit crabs, the odd coral and, if you're lucky, the occasional octopus. Keep a look out for dolphins and mountain goats. There are lots of ice cream places which we've used as task-and-reward for, say, coiling warps properly. Chances are though that they'll fall in with a little pack and roam feral having a great time. The flotilla crew will organise a few things for them, dinghy paddle races and similar.

In terms of downsides then there are only really two. First it can be very hot, many times we've abandoned plans to stay a couple of days in a port just so we could get out and get some air moving over the deck. Second is that it will be busy in the popular spots but a great advantage of a flotilla is that they will get you in.
 
Our family did flotillas all through my teenage years, often in the Ionian. There isn't really anything you need to do, prepare or worry about beyond turning up. It's a very easy sailing area; if you have RYA bits of paper you're already ahead of the many families we sailed with in which Dad had done a three-morning introductory course at the Beach Club the previous week, and Mum and the kids had never been on a yacht before. They often needed help mooring up, but so what, that's what the Lead Crew are there for.

Main source of discomfort, such as there was, was being too hot in cabins at night. Not much you can do about that, and they should have fans and windscoops to help. In our day, showers were often ad-hoc arrangements in strange locations - the basement of an art gallery, often some little old lady's house up a back street, once actually built into a huge antique wardrobe at the back of a taverna - but I don't know how much this is still the case.

Some people like to take gloves to handle the lazy line when mooring, though we never felt the need.

You'll probably take more clothes than you need :-)

Pete
 
We've been on two flotilla holidays in the South Ionian and written about our experience here. We're yet to write up our (very) recent bareboat charter in Croatia. :D

In addition to the above, a mini-hammock such as this is good fun. They're lightweight, inexpensive and can be tied to a boom swung out over the water with a preventer.

Also, it'd be advisable to check whether a windscoop is provided by the charter firm. If not, they can be bought on ebay/at the chandlers and are well worth the money! Make sure you take, or obtain from the charter firm, a few short lengths of dynema or similar, to allow for rigging the windscoop (and/or hammock).

Experience also indicates that the speaker systems can be prone to component failure - it's worth checking the internal & cockpit speakers upon arrival to allow time for repair by the charter firm, if necessary, prior to departure. A 3.5mm minijack to minijack cable will, in most cases, enable iPhone/iPod connection to the boat's head unit.

Subject to the charter firm, it's likely that a 'KidCo' will be among the lead crew, and that much of the kids' time will be spent with them.

A couple of other sundry points:

  • It's worth photographing the boat, inside & out, upon arrival. There may be little time to check for damage prior to signing the charter agreement: photographs will provide a good record, should any discrepencies arise upon return.
  • Deckhand gloves and soft shoes (wetsuit boots, jelly shoes, etc.) are useful for preventing contact with sea urchins when swimming ashore with a long line (when anchoring).
  • We enjoy cooking on board and, to this end, always take a set of sharp kitchen knives. If in doubt, Neilsons will probably email an inventory, if requested.
  • The fridge/freezer will almost certainly be insufficient, however, a couple of bags of ice, bought from local mini-markets & replenished every couple of days, will make a huge difference to its effectiveness and keep the beer nice 'n cold.

Have a great holiday!

TJ.
 
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TJ1982 said:
Make sure you take, or obtain from the charter firm, a few short lengths of dynema or similar, to allow for rigging the windscoop (and/or hammock).
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That's a good point. Charter yachts never have more than the absolute minimum necessary cordage, so a few 3' - 10' lengths of light line for lashing things in place and so on will come in handy. No need whatsoever for it to be dyneema, though :)

Clothes pegs for hanging towels and swimming kit over the guard rails are necessary; hopefully provided on board though.

TJ1982 said:
The fridge/freezer will almost certainly be insufficient, however, a couple of bags of ice, bought from local mini-markets & replenished every couple of days, will make a huge difference to its effectiveness and keep the beer nice 'n cold.
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We used to buy all our water as frozen 1.5l bottles. They weren't expensive, were sold in bulk, and I assume are still available in yachty ports. They keep the fridge cold, then as they thaw they're nicely chilled themselves for drinking.

Pete
 
I've only been back a week from a south Ionian flotilla with Neilson, and absolutely loved it. No kids though.

There will be a briefing at 09:30, where the lead crew will tell you about the destination for the evening. They will give a weather forecast, but there is about a 90% chance it will be wrong, but that doesn't matter. Then you are free to do what you want, until you are expected to arrive at the day's destination (about 17:00). The lead crew will be there to take your lines, etc.

The sailing is mostly pretty gentle, especially in the morning. However, we did have to beat into a F6 on the approach to Ithaca. I think we were the only ones to sail it. Everyone else dropped their sails and simply motored to windward. (To be honest, looking around it seemed that only a minority of boats - and I'm not just talking about those on the flotilla, but everyone - actually bothered to sail). The navigation is very easy. Basically, if you can't see it and the sea is dark blue, not pale blue, and you haven't been warned about it, then you can't hit it.

Every day we would hunt out a nice quiet bay to anchor for a leisurely swim and a lunch.

Until that trip I had only sailed in Northern European waters, so it was something new. I loved it. I wasn't sure how I would like the "sailing in company" side of it, but that turned out great. Nine boats (ten if you include the lead crew), about 30 people.

If your lead crew are James, George and China (engineer), say hi to them from me. They were great.

p.s. Make sure you all have masks, snorkels and flippers. Great for snorkelling. The Neilson shop at Vounaki is a bit pricey, so only buy the basics there. As prv says, most places sell large bottles of frozen mineral water. Some of the places you will visit won't take credit/debit cards and don't have cashpoint machines (Kalamos and Kastos), so make sure you have enough cash to last 2-3 days.
 
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johnalison said:
Some factors may depend on how accustomed the children are to sailing. I would suggest that they should first become inured to the wearing of lifejackets, starting with practice runs at home if it is not already a family habit..
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Just back from a charter in Croatia. Hardly saw one being worn. The ones supplied by the charter company are certainly not for full time wearing. I would suggest first thing us get the kids in the water and don't scare them with stories of always needing a life jacket.
 
Spyro said:
Just back from a charter in Croatia. Hardly saw one being worn. The ones supplied by the charter company are certainly not for full time wearing. I would suggest first thing us get the kids in the water and don't scare them with stories of always needing a life jacket.
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We did a few flots with Sailing Holidays, magical times for the kids, they formed their own "gang" and would all hook up every evening when we got in. The adults did the same. When they gave us a "free day" the kids made sure we went where the gang were going! As for life jackets? I never saw any one wear one!
Stu
 
I guess if you have a very young non-swimming child then a jacket is probably boringly sensible, but otherwise insisting on them in the Ionian charter environment seems absurdly po-faced. It's not the North Sea in winter, it's a big flat blue swimming-pool.

Pete
 
prv said:
I guess if you have a very young non-swimming child then a jacket is probably boringly sensible, but otherwise insisting on them in the Ionian charter environment seems absurdly po-faced. It's not the North Sea in winter, it's a big flat blue swimming-pool.

Pete
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I should have said, mine have swum like fishes from day one and so had most of the gang I saw mine with! Plus as you quite rightly say, mostly its a big warm blue swimming pool there!
Stu
 
Dear All, thanks very much for all that. Loads for me and Admiral Seapig to draw on. Feeling a bit more confident and a lot more excited. Think I will contact the admin to get an inventory...
 
With the end of roaming charges in the EU, I'd make sure your phones have a decent data allowance on them and can be used as hotspots. Then you can use them to provide internet access for tablets and so forth. Rasonable coverage in most places Neilson go to (except Kioni but the bars there have good wifi and are next to where the flots moor).
We happened to be in a bar in Vathi on Meganisi yesterday morning having a coffee when the Neilson flotilla descended for their morning brief. It was a quiet classic: easy to follow, used mainly landlubber terms but covered all the bases. That was delivered by one of the lead crew, the leader then spoke briefly on Frikes and what's there and how to moor before saying that was it: evening programme would be covered on arrival - in other words, no information overload, just enough to get you to the next stop.
And having seen them arrive in the evening, it is nearly always a masterclass in getting people to do unfamiliar tasks well and without panic. I sure you'll all have a great time: look out for Rampage as our paths may well cross.
 
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