Greece - again!

[SlowBoat2]

Planning to get a boat to keep in Greece and liveaboard for 3 months per year. My wife and I have a boat in the Solent but regularly charter in Greece for holidays and are getting to the stage where we could do longer spells.
We like the Cyclydes but on balance think that Gouvia (based upon reading previous threads) would be a better base although is there an argument for being based more in the south and sailing north early spring to be blown back as the stronger winds set in through the summer. Whats the typical planning to take account of the meltemi.
Also, any thoughts on whether best to buy a boat already in Greece of buy here and sail her there (with help)

Thanks to anyone kind enough to reply.
All replies and advice will be greatly appreciated.




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[boatless]

Have a look at some of the other threads for more info. I didn't really like Corfu, prefer Preveza. Levkas town and Vliho (south of Nidri) have their fans too.

Sunsail ex charter boats can be very attractively priced, and have the advantage of being UK owned. Details on their website I believe. Obviously heavily used, not always perfectly repaired, but probably sound.

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.

 

[Davy_S]

We are mooving out to the Ionian later this year to reside there. As regards buying here and sailing down we are in a similar dilema. I do not have the time to sail down, so have been given a rough quote of £5000 to have a 27ft boat transported down by road. I have yet to get other quotes, but it may seem a better bet financialy to sell and buy there. Good luck with your plans.

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[bryantee]

Boats tend to be about 30%cheaper in Greece than Northern Europe.
have a look aT www.yachtfractions.co.uk, they usually have a good selection.


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[Swampyhotdog]

Nidri - great place.
Speak to Horatio, he'll look after you.

Stu

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[steve_cronin]

You wouldn't want to leave a boat un tended in Nidri not even for 24hrs although some do. There are far too many "nursery slope" charters coming and going. I watched a boat be damaged on both my last visits there (& I'm going back next week to have our gantry fitted) Another boat had his anchor trawled by one of the Tripper boats (Blue Star) and it was only because the owners were on board and able to quickly let go the stern lines that serious damage was averted. If you want your boat to be used as a berthing barge for the rest of the world and it's friends, berth in a busy charter spot like Nidri. Otherwise, Gouvia or Levkas marinas, although they cost (Nothing like south coast UK) are a safer bet. Also Nidri is a bit remote for flying back to the UK.

Steve Cronin



<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion

 

[boatless]

Could swap stories all day about the tripper boats at Nidri. B*stards. Won't even stay in their yellow painted bit.

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.

 

[steve_cronin]

Meltemi

From Athens, you can lay Kea, just about if there is more N than NE in the Mel. Then you have a choice to beat to Andros or plug up to Evia followed by a down-wind island hop to Tinos & Mykonos (touristy - ugh!) followed by Naxos, Paros maybe taking in a few of the smaller islands and ending up in Milos, or you can run down the western islands of Kythnos, Seriphos and Sifnos and on to Milos. From Milos, where the Mel. curves more NE- wards you can have a pleasant full day's sail (often broad reach) to the Peleponnisos, say Leonhidion (Plaka) or Kalamata and either go outside up to Levkas or Corfu or through the canal and the gulfs to Kephalinia and then north. Did this trip last summer. We are now based in Gouvia Marina and will fly out friday for three weeks when we may well repeat the route.

Steve Cronin





<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion

 

[davidbains]

Re: Meltemi

I am based at Preveza marine which is hightly recommended for winter storage.
When liveaboard you can move to Vliho initially. from here I have twice circumnavigated
the Peloponnese anticlockwise ( the right way IMHO!). It's a long slog back up from
Methoni to Zakynthos!
And twice sailed up the Adriatic, which we will do for the third time next month.
I intend to leave the boat at Trieste (thankyou Lucian!) and will most probably
return to Preveza next year for further dry land refitting.
I think the Ionian is a good base in Greece, and not too difficult to get to
the Aegean if you want to age your boat. In fact some Greek owners who
live in Athens keep their boats in Levkas.
Does it really cost £5000 overland to the Med. A month in the canals should do it.




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[steve_cronin]

Re: Meltemi

Slowboat was asking about the Cyclades and getting back to the Ionian I thought? Since the Mel. swings in the south to more of an E/NE it seems sensible to follow the course I suggested but should he not want to pay the inflated prices for the canal, he could go outside the Plop. although this might mean a beat for most of the way.

Steve Cronin



<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion

 

[davidbains]

Re: Meltemi

I agree Steve if you're starting from the Aegean side. I was referring to starting from the
Ionian. On another Aegean matter, have you been to Crete? I ran down from Athens to Crete
many years ago (1980!) and flew home. Now I'd like to circumnavigate Crete and probably return to Preveza, although I understand you can leave your boat in Ag Nich now.
David.

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[steve_cronin]

Re: Meltemi

No not been to Crete yet but the next three weeks might change that, except that we don't know how long it is going to take Phil to fit the gantry in Nidri.

We had a very sloppy trip past Preveza a week ago last Thursday from Levkas with the wind coming over the quarter but the remains of the NW swell coming from the open sea. We were making Gaios. The following day we had 38kts of wind driving us back to Gouvia despite a local NW4 forecast.

Steve Cronin



<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion

 

[Melody]

Do you intend to leave your boat in the water or out when you are not in Greece? There are two good boatyards on Aegina near Athens (and one not so good). From there you can get to the Cyclades, the Peloponnisos, or through the Corinth Canal to the Ionian. You can leave it afloat in Poros or Porto Kheli.

I don't know why so many Brits get hung up on the Ionian. I've sailed there three times and find it very crowded and full of flotillas compared to the Aegean. There are lovely green places elsewhere in Greece that you don't have to share with lots of other yachts.

There are some very good bargains to be had in boats in Kalamaki. VERY good bargains - esp this year after two bad charter seasons. I wouldn't touch an ex-Sunsail boat or one from any big charter company though. What you want is a privately owned charter boat that has been looked after by its owner and used for family holidays as well as the statutory 60 days charter to keep the licence. There are lots of these about if you know who to ask.

Many of them get sold at 5yrs or 10yrs old, in very good condition. They are only sold because customers don't want to charter a boat over 10 yrs old.

There are also some good bargains in liveaboard yachts - typicallly long keel.
If you are serious about this, why don't you email me privately and tell me what you are looking for, and I can give you more information. If you buy in Greece GET THE YACHT SURVEYED. There are English speaking surveyors here.

Personally I wouldn't use yachtfractions - they put on a lot of commission.

Come to the Aegean. You can move around then - maybe go down to Kos Marina one year (fabulous marina by all accounts) and visit Turkey as well as Greece.

Let me know if I can help in any way.

Cheers
Melody

<hr width=100% size=1>Melody McKay Burton
Yacht Valentine, Greece

 

[hugh2004]

Melody can you give me the name of an english speaking yacht surveyor in Greece
regards Hugh

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