Bareboat Charter in Greece
Bareboat Charter in Greece is becoming a more and more popular holiday for families, couples and groups of friends.
What does a Bareboat Charter Holiday sailing on a yacht involve?
Bareboat charter is simply an arrangement for hiring a yacht, where no skipper or crew are provided as part of the agreement. The people who charter the boat are responsible for the yacht and need to be suitably skilled and qualified to handle the yacht.
On a bareboat charter, the charterers plan their own route, with our help if required and travel at their own pace and there is no requirement to report back to base every day and so there is a real feeling of freedom. We send a weather text each morning and are always at the end of the phone and VHF.
Bareboat charters have become increasingly popular as more people than ever now have the ability to sail a yacht. The cost of owning your own yacht can be prohibitive and this, combined with the time spent on maintenance makes bareboat charter a very popular choice. When you arrive at the bareboat yacht charter base the boat is ready to go, full of water and fuel, add a few provisions and you are on your way, so you don’t waste precious holiday time on maintenance and preparation.
What Qualifications do you require to Bareboat Charter in Greece?
Ideally most charter companies like charterers to have sailing qualifications to at least RYA Day Skipper level, have an ICC or have adequate experience to handle the size of yacht chartered. In Greece there are no set qualifications required for bareboat sailing unlike most of the world! At Sail Ionian we will be pleased to advise on the suitability of your qualifications and experience. If necessary we can provide training with stern too mooring or for the first one or two days. Any questions please email katie@sailionian.com or call 0800 321 3800.
Bareboat charters in Greece: Where Do we Sail?
The Ionian Sea is breathtaking with so many islands to explore, all within a few miles giving you plenty of options for stops in bays and small harbours. There is almost no tide and few navigational hazards inside the island chain. It is not an area that will easily frighten people and the sea is always flat! The islands include Cefalonia, Ithaca, Lefkas, Meganissi, Kastos, Kalamos and many more.
Our smaller yachts tend to stay in the South Ionian – which is easy to sail because it is sheltered. Larger yachts and people on a longer holiday may travel further afield exploring the North Ionian bays, harbours and anchorages. Wherever you go you’ll find delightful tavernas and welcoming people, along with delicious cuisine.
What Support does Sail Ionian offer Bareboat Charterers?
Sail Ionian is a specialist in bareboat charter in Greece of our larger yachts have completed more than four seasons of charter, with NEW yachts being added each year. You can trust the quality and safety of our yachts. We also have 2 ribs for support, one of which is able to reach anywhere in the Southern Ionian in under and hour. We have a 24hr mobile that is monitered continually so that, should any help be required we can be there immediately.
We are a family run business that has 6 years experience in helping many families plan and enjoy their holidays. We help you plan the route of your bareboat charter, we also provide our own guide to the Southern Ionian with lots of destination ideas, and when you arrive, again we will assist you with your planning, getting to know the yacht and share with you some of our favorite spots.
Aside from my bareboat charter fee what other expenses do I have?
You will have to pay for fuel that you use at cost. There are almost no mooring fees in the Southern Ionian. The yacht is full of water on your arrival but you may have to pay for a fill up as you travel round the Greek islands (no more than 6 euros). There is a final cleaning cost which is the same whatever the length of your holiday. Transfers from the airport are normally chargeable at around €10 per person (2009). See these prices in detail for different yachts.
What do I need to bring with me?
You are going to be spending your bareboat sailing holiday in warm climate, but you may find there is a chill at night or if you are sailing either late or early in the season. You will want deck shoes that are soft-soled. Most of the white soles and some of the black soles won't scuff up the deck, so be sure to wear shoes that don't leave marks on the deck. Don’t forget your bathing suit, shorts and warm weather clothing, a windbreaker or light sweater. The yachts will have some kind of electrical outlet for charging phone and cameras but hair dryers, irons etc use a lot of power and are best left at home. Once your holiday is booked we send a detailed guide with suggestions on what to bring, where to sail, what to expect etc which will hopefully answer any pending questions.
What size yacht should I Choose for bareboat charter?
Please call us up to discuss this - 0800 321 3800. Katie or Di answer the phone and will be able to talk through the best options depending on your previous boating experience and crew. If you have no-one above Day Skipper Level on board we will probably suggest a yacht no bigger than a Bavaria 37 - the smaller the yacht, the easier it is to moor and sail!
Much is dependent on crew. For families with younger children with little yachting experience for example, a Bavaria Feeling 28 6 to a Bavaria 35 would be plenty large enough. For couples a Mirage 27 - Bavaria 32 is sufficient.
Can we combine an RYA Course with a Bareboat or Flotilla Sailing Holiday?
Yes and that is a great option. If you have 2 weeks to spare - do 5 days learning and then take the yacht bareboat and build confidence and practice in a familiar area with a familiar yacht for the duration of your holiday. Being able to practice straight after the course is very beneficial. If you have only 1 week spare then use the days at the end of the course to practice/relax as you are on holiday! See our Sea School for more information
RYA Yacht Courses are 5 days generally, if you are looking for less days training why not follow our assisted training scheme?
Should we do an Assisted Sailing Holiday or RYA Course?
Everyone is different. Assisted Sailing teaches the basics - it is much more like a holiday with the instructor leaving the yacht each evening and teaching is done on your time schedule. The amount of days with an instructor is up to you, there is no set syllabus, no set route plan - we play it by ear. The aim is to get eveyone working together on the yacht so each person knows their role in different situations - ie.when mooring, tacking. We do not tend to teach everyone everything on board - unless of course you want us to! Usually one or two people are the best at mooring, others best at the anchor, others best at winches etc and the instructor will work with you to make sure everyone understands everything and recognises especially all the safety aspects on board. Of course the key is getting confident at mooring!
The RYA Competent Crew and Day Skipper will give you a certificate after 5 days. With the Competent Crew you will cover more than the basics of being crew and in more detail than assisted sailing- i.e.8 knots need to be learnt instead of 2 or 3! There is a set syllabus to cover which does include learning the correct names for everything on the yacht, man overboard drills and there is a night sail for min 4 hours. It is fun of course but it also has to be remembered as a course and therefore learning is priority. You will get to stop and swim etc but more likely for 1 hour rather than 3 or 4!
Both allow you to log your miles if you want to do further courses in the future. If you want to discuss options by phone please call us on 0800 321 3800.
What is the Difference between Tidal and Non Tidal Day Skipper?
The Syllabus for the 2 courses is quite similar - minus the tidal aspect of course! Firstly, both courses require a prerequisite of Day Skipper Theory (this includes tidal knowledge) and both suggest the same required mileage.
We have 5 days to focus on everything apart from tide!
If you would then like to covert, there is a 2 day min conversion course in the UK (usually w weekend) for anyone looking to convert a non tidal Day Skipper Practical to a tidal Day Skipper Practical. This covers i.e.tidal moorings, tidal navigation in practice etc. The only reason for needing to convert is if you are looking to stop there with your RYA certificates or charter in the UK before you get your Coastal Skipper.
FREE ON ALL YACHTS - Food and drink welcome pack - Dinghy - Outboard (All Bavarias) - Bed Linen - Yacht Towels - Last Night drinks & Pimms Party - Full Support from our dedicated team - Masks and Snorkels - All Charts and Navigation Equipment - Daily weather by SMS - Free Stern mooring practice - Assistance with route planning - Etc Etc.
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