Neilson Stay and Sail holidays

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glen t

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I need to keep the non-sailing miss happy(ish) on holiday and considering booking a Neilson Stay and Sail, where you get a beach holiday with water sports for a week and then a week’s charter. Mainly based in Turkey and Greece. Anyone had any experience of these holidays ?

http://www.neilson.co.uk/
 
I haven't done the "stay and sail" - can't persuade SWMBO.
Have done the "stay" about 10 times - rate Neilson very highly. Must say was slightly disappointed with standard of dinghies last time (Limnos, September), may be suffering from Thomas Cook's problems. Every other time has been terrific though. Favourites Phokaia, Adakoy and Ortakent.
Have looked at the boats at Adakoy, very decent. Dufours.
Don't know what your SWMBO's interests are but there is good tennis coaching, pilates, yoga, biking, lots of non water things, and decent food (buffet style).
 
Do the sailing first.

Sail and Stay!

A friend used to do this with his charter boats in Scotland and highland cottage. He would strongly discourage doing the sailing second.

It means SWMBO spends the week sailing looking forward to the relaxing on the beach. Not relaxing on the beach thinking about sailing..

Or as it worked in Scotland a week in a warm cottage followed by wet week sailing.
 
Suggest you do stay and sail, and during the first week, consider doing one of the training courses they offer. You never know, but after a gentle 2 or 4 days on a course learning how to handle a yacht and its gear from a third party, while you're buzzing around on a windsurfer or whatever, she may be sold on the idea of cruising around for the second week.

Since 1982 Neilson have taught tens of thousands of complete novices during the "stay" week enough for them to go off for a second week in charge of their own yacht, in flotilla. And thousands of those now own their own boats . . .
 
Afraid they don't do Porto Heli any more.
They only do the more relaxed beach clubs - with better accommodation - now, not the serious activity centres.
 
nimbusgb said:
There must be a market for stay and sail where one half gets to daysail and the other does beach, pool and sunbathing and they get together for dinner and festivities!
Click to expand...

Sometimes you can daysail a yacht with Neilson but it's a pretty expensive extra charge.
Dinghies etc are included.
 
Troubadour said:
Sometimes you can daysail a yacht with Neilson but it's a pretty expensive extra charge.
Dinghies etc are included.
Click to expand...

I went many years ago with wife and 2 young daughters. Stay and sail. The first week my wife did a sailing course which involved slipping, steering, tieing up at taverna. Long lunch. Slipping, steering, tieing up near hotel. Kids on the other hand, who were quite young at the time, had to sail dinghys, toppers, and windsurfers all day. They even sailed over to a nearby island for a BBQ lunch.

I was sat on the beach during this first week and within half an hour of each other, my wife and kids sailed past me in different boats!

Our week on the water was great and all the family loved it. We went back another couple if times to the same place, and done many charters since
Go for it. You will love it.
 
Did a stay and sail with them quite a few years ago. 3 days in the hotel (basic but adequate) and then off on a short flotilla holiday if I remember rightly. We did the day sailing in the boat we took on the flotilla. It was excellent, both the concept and the staff. We took one day off to do something else (I can't even remember what but it was probably shopping) but all that was talked about was the sailing. With a crew that had never sailed before and wouldn't consider it in the UK because it's too cold and boats are smelly and cramped, etc. it was perfect because there was no pressure. If they didn't want to stay on the boat we could scrub the flotilla and stick to day sailing (assuming that they had rooms, which they assured us they nearly always did). They got taught the basics by someone other than me (bit like teaching your wife/son/daughter to drive otherwise) and the skipper we had for the first few days was able to re-assure them that, by the standards of most of the flotilla crews they get, I was up with Sir Francis Chichester and Sir Robin K-J (which means I could tie a bowline and sail downwind without beheading the crew). By the end of the second day they were all talking about "when we go on passage" :-). It was expensive because we took a fair-sized boat for just three of us and tended to find the most expensive options all the time but it meant that there was no making up beds and decent heads, etc. so it was worth it. Thinking about it we crammed in some beach sports and biking as well somehow. One of my best holidays.
 
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