First Time Flotilla

[jac]

Hi all

Eldest Daughter ( soon to be 16) wants to do a flotilla holiday somewhere warm as a family next summer - ( will need to be school holidays as younger daughter will be 14)

She's really looking for typical clear warm water, snorkelling, decent sailing but not too dramatic, restaurants/ taverna in the evening. possibly nice coves for beach times.

I'm looking for reasonable boats to sail, a company that provides reasonable customer service in the event of a problem, somewhere in the med, reasonably reliable sailing conditions ( i.e. not losing any days to too much or too little wind) no loud nightclubs.

Anyone got any tips / company's / particular areas to recommend / avoid?

Thanks!

 

[KeelsonGraham]

Don’t go to Croatia. It’s incredibly beautiful but the weather and wind shifts can be very dangerous. For that reason some flotilla companies have everyone staying overnight in Marinas - hot and miserable.

The Ionian is much safer but here there can sometimes be almost no wind all day and then strong katabatic winds just when you’re settling down at anchor. You’ll have a great holiday in the Ionian but expect to do a bit of motoring.

I’ve heard that the south coast of Turkey is great, but I’ve not personally experienced it.

 

[V1701]

Aegean - more chance you'll be sailing as opposed to motoring but might get a bit lively...

 

[BobnLesley]

We found the Saronic Gulf and nearby islands a good compromise between the glass flat 1-onion and the lively Aegean, but then again we'd choose our routes/destination on whether the week's wind outlooks were lively or quiet; not something you can do to the same extent on a flotilla holiday.

 

[ashtead]

My impression is that Croatia is expensive in marinas for the night even when compared to Solent prices . Lots of soft ie short hops for sailing in Greeks isles but Turkey would be my favourite from say Gocek etc for a first flot holiday.

 

[Hacker]

Check out Sail Ionian.

 

[coveman]

For a first flotilla the Ionian is excellent - we have completed two flotilla holidays here, both with sailingholidays.com. We found them very good - help is always at hand but if they feel you know what you are doing they will allow you to do your own thing rather than stay with the pack. This area tends to have gentler winds etc but if you give them a call and tell them what you want I'm sure they will point you in the right direction. We were a bit worried about doing it but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves as I am sure you will!

 

[Skysail]

We really enjoyed the Ionian some years ago with our two girls. A week in a hotel followed by a week sailing. Agreed about the wind only rising in the afternoon. There is another thread about the Aegean and black biting flies, but there may be mosquitoes anyway requiring the smoke coils at night.

 

[Sea-Fever]

I've had two week flotillas in the Ionian, Turkey, Croatia and Ageean. To me Croatia had the most balanced sailing but it surely depends on the weather. The Ionian brought the most fun but I didnt have kids then so that is the likely explanation. The Aegean (Saronic islands) were pretty darn windy but great. Turkey was hot! If you can pinch a week from the school term you may find more acceptable prices and temperatures. Remember...no air con on a boat.....well not one that I'd be on.

 

[John the kiwi]

A big thumbs up to SailingHolidays.com . We have done 3 flotillas with them and have a 4th booked for 2022 - covid fingers crossed.
Travelling from NZ, we have combined these flotillas with a British and European holiday.
We have our own boat in NZ so my original plan was to do a flotilla to gain some familiarity with the area, then bareboat charter in a following trip, but we just enjoyed the whole laid back flotilla thing so much we kept doing it. Not at all the regimented sailing in procession i had kind of expected.
Have fun!

 

[CJU]

Of the flotilla holidays we have been on, we thought Sunscape in Turkey were the best Homepage | Sunscape Yatching

 

[FairweatherDave]

We are heading back to the Ionian next Summer with Sailing Holidays. Felt the SH vibe was the most sociable and easy going...excellent for families. Also had a brilliant flotilla with Sunsail SW Turkey....brilliant location and sailing. Saronic had good sailing too .....slightly less interesting scenery. At the end of the day a lot comes down to the staff and other people on the flotilla. Hence we are back with SH. And they ey have been very good too through the pandemic with having to postpone last summer and again this summer mid June.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Give Greek Sails a look based in Poros.

 

[Laysula]

Another vote for Sailing Holidays from me. We've had several in the Ionian and one in Croatia. Much preferred the Ionian.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Unfortunately it can be motorsailng holidays in the 1onion

 

[RichardS]

Don’t go to Croatia. It’s incredibly beautiful but the weather and wind shifts can be very dangerous. For that reason some flotilla companies have everyone staying overnight in Marinas - hot and miserable.

I agree that marinas are best avoided but I'm not aware of flotillas using marinas unless a bora is forecast but such winds are very unusual during the summer months.

Richard

 

[laika]

Does eldest daughter specifically want a flotilla for the social element? You're an experienced family of sailors so wouldn't bareboat give you a little more flexibility?

For flotillas, sailing holidays were my one experience and whilst reasonably priced and friendly which would be top of many people's criteria, their boats were functional but quite "well used" which I'm wondering from jac's phrasing above may not be ideal.

 

[mjcoon]

Of the flotilla holidays we have been on, we thought Sunscape in Turkey were the best Homepage | Sunscape Yatching

We have been with Sunscape many times, despite their inability to spell "yatching"! ;-) Most recently this June, in a "flotilla" actually run by Greek Sails from Poros (per post #13). I put flotilla in quotes because there was no "social element" (per post #17); it was just us and the lead boat! Not really viable, and a bit claustrophobic, but we were lucky to get away at all. The holiday had been booked late 2019 for summer 2020 and postponed to 2021. So we were delighted to be able to visit Monemvasia for only our second time ever.

 

[ashtead]

I always associate flot holidays with Mirage yachts from the 1970s which were certainly basic but our experience more recently is that the bene and Bav boats are well maintained but I guess it’s a question of asking if any problems but the flot lead boats tend to be really helpful-young and enthusiastic and non of the jaded 2 chip approach you can find with the sun sail instructor types in the uk who don’t seem to do anything more than freeload off their students . What works for a particular family won’t suit another so I would be writing down priorities of each crew member. A number of Greek islands offer unsophisticated music etc and partying venues but in Turkey less present. Do crew want to see ruins eg a quick trip to a ruined temple/theatre etc from the port as opposed to day at sea or like a trip down to scenic waterfalls as per Croatia.Do you want stops in bays at anchor where you might roll a lot or do you see ideal day as a short sail say 3miles,drop anchor and then have lunch and motor a few miles for say 6 miles to next port where lead boat has the space reserved and there to take lines and brief you on that evenings taverna. Some remote places only have one bar/restaurant so that’s fine if your party are social types but can be a little tiring if not . So flot tends to be quite clubby compared to bareboat but the plus is space to park generally. Most of the areas have tourist boards whose websites might give ideas of land based attractions. I quite like a marina with a swimming pool for example as all that salt water can be too much for some particularly those with long hair . There are a number of pilot books on areas and you might want to have a look at a few of these .

 

[FairweatherDave]

We have been with Sunscape many times, despite their inability to spell "yatching"! ;-) Most recently this June, in a "flotilla" actually run by Greek Sails from Poros (per post #13). I put flotilla in quotes because there was no "social element" (per post #17); it was just us and the lead boat! Not really viable, and a bit claustrophobic, but we were lucky to get away at all. The holiday had been booked late 2019 for summer 2020 and postponed to 2021. So we were delighted to be able to visit Monemvasia for only our second time ever.

I think that emplifies the issue. Not all flotillas are the same, and can be a mish mash of groupings. One flotilla we booked had obviously not sold well and ended up us bareboating. The company said the the lead boat could accompany us....I declined.......not my idea of a flotilla. Appreciate covid cut across on your holiday but companies do do juggling for convenience....and it can be at the cost of the social element.