Greece
bareboat charter.

## Why sail Greece

Greece is the easiest country in the Mediterranean to learn on, and one of the hardest to exhaust. Six thousand islands, give or take, and a coastline you could spend a lifetime tracing. The water is clear enough to see your anchor in 8m. The villages still run on caique time. You sail from one taverna at the quay to the next, and the navigation between them is mostly a question of which wind you want that day.

We keep things small. Two yachts, two sailing grounds: one boat in the Ionian, one out of the Athens area covering the Saronic and the Peloponnese coast. That's the whole fleet, and it's deliberate. We'd rather know two cruising areas properly than sell you a glossy version of ten.

## The two sailing areas

**Ionian Islands.** West coast, off mainland Greece. Lefkada, Meganisi, Kefalonia, Ithaca, Kalamos, Kastos. Short hops — most days are 15 to 25 nautical miles. The sea state stays kind because the islands shelter each other, and the afternoon breeze is reliable without being violent. This is where almost every first-time charterer should start.

**Athens area, Saronic and Peloponnese.** Departing from the Athens marinas (Alimos or Lavrio depending on the week). The Saronic gives you Aegina, Poros, Hydra and Spetses inside three days of easy sailing. Push west and you're into the Peloponnese — Nafplio, Monemvasia, the Mani — which is bigger water, fewer boats, and more committing. Good for crews on their second or third charter.

We don't run Cyclades trips on our own keels. If you want Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, talk to us and we'll be straight about whether the meltemi suits your crew.

## Season and winds

The charter season runs roughly **May to late October**. Shoulder months (May, early June, late September, October) are our pick: water warm enough to swim, wind steady, tavernas open, quays not yet full.

Winds are the part most brochures lie about, so:

- **Ionian.** The *maistro* is a thermal north-westerly that fills in around lunchtime at 10–18 knots and dies after sunset. Mornings are often glassy. You motor out, you sail back. July and August add a degree or two of strength but rarely cause real problems. - **Saronic.** Lighter and more variable. North-easterlies dominate in summer, 8–15 knots typical. Hydra channel can funnel and gust higher. - **Aegean / Cyclades edge.** The *meltemi* — a dry northerly — blows hard from mid-July through August, often 25–35 knots for days at a time. It's not dangerous if you know what you're doing, but it dictates your route entirely. We'll tell you honestly if your plan needs rethinking.

Winter (November to April) we don't charter. Boats come out, get refit, go back in.

## Charter types we run

Both boats are available **bareboat** if your skipper holds an ICC or RYA Day Skipper (or equivalent) and the co-skipper has some experience. Bring the paperwork; the port police do check.

We also run both as **skippered charters** — you bring the crew, we bring someone who knows the anchorages, the konobas, and which bays to skip in a north-westerly. This is the most popular option for first-timers and for families who want the adults to actually be on holiday.

We don't do crewed/catered charters with a hostess on board. The boats aren't big enough and that's not the kind of week we sell.

## Realistic costs

Weekly charter fees in Greece vary by boat size, age and season. Rather than invent a number, we'd rather you ask — but as honest ranges for monohulls in our size bracket:

- **Low / shoulder season (May, October):** lower end of the market. - **Mid season (June, September):** middle. - **High season (July, August):** roughly 50–80% above shoulder pricing.

On top of the charter fee, budget for:

- **Skipper:** Price on request — varies by week and boat. - **Fuel:** typically €150–€350 for the week depending on how much you motor. - **Provisioning:** €30–€50 per person per day if you cook on board, less if you eat ashore most nights. - **Marina and harbour fees:** €15–€80 a night depending on the port. Anchoring in a bay is free. - **End cleaning and final fuel:** usually included or a fixed end-of-charter fee.

We quote everything inclusive on WhatsApp before you commit. No surprise line items.

## A sample week in the Ionian

This is the route we sail most often from a Lefkada base. Distances are conservative.

- **Day 1 (Sat).** Board after 17:00, sleep on the boat in the marina, eat in town. Shake down the systems while you've still got someone to ask. - **Day 2.** Lefkada to Spartochori on Meganisi. 12 NM. Lunch stop at Tranquil Bay. Stern-to on the quay; the family that owns the taverna also runs the lazy lines. - **Day 3.** Across to Kalamos. 15 NM, usually a beam reach. Quay free, taverna expects you to eat there. Fair enough — the food is good. - **Day 4.** Down to Kastos or back to Sivota on the south of Lefkada. 18 NM. Sivota has more options; Kastos has almost none, which is the point. - **Day 5.** Vathy on Ithaca. 20 NM. Long-ish day. Walk up to the village above the harbour at sunset. - **Day 6.** Fiskardo, north Kefalonia. 12 NM. The prettiest quay in the Ionian and the busiest — arrive by 15:00 or anchor off. - **Day 7.** Back towards Lefkada via a swim stop at Emerald Bay (Atokos). 22 NM. - **Day 8 (Sat).** Return by 09:00 for handover.

Saronic itineraries follow the same logic from Athens: Aegina, Poros, Hydra, Spetses, Ermioni, back. We send the full route once we know your dates.

## Getting there

- **For the Ionian boat:** fly into **Preveza (PVK)** in summer — 30 minutes by taxi to the marina. Out of season, **Athens (ATH)** plus a 4-hour drive, or Corfu (CFU) plus a ferry. - **For the Athens boat:** **Athens (ATH)**. Alimos marina is 25 minutes by taxi; Lavrio is 50 minutes.

Bring your sailing licence, the co-skipper's CV or résumé of experience, and passports for everyone on board — the harbourmaster will want a crew list. We send the paperwork pack a fortnight before you arrive.

Questions, dates, or a quote — message us on WhatsApp. We answer ourselves, usually within the day.

Bareboat means you skipper. You'll need a recognised licence (ICC + VHF, RYA Day Skipper or ASA 104+) and a confident hand aboard — if no one on the crew is qualified, take the same yacht skippered and our captain drives.

We brief you on the local navigation: the channels and headlands that funnel the wind, where to anchor versus take a mooring, provisioning ports, and the best first-timer route versus the longer run for experienced crews.