What You Need to Know BEFORE Booking Your Next Charter

Some people are drawn to the sea, and dream of sailing over the deep blue water, feeling the wind in their hair, smelling the tang of the sea in the breeze and being the captain of their voyage and the master of their soul.

If sailing around the Greek islands in your own privately chartered yacht sounds like your ideal vacation, you probably have some questions about the practicalities involved in planning and organizing a Greek island sailing vacation.

Here is some basic information you need to know before choosing a charter and booking your own sailing yacht.

Do You Want A Bareboat, A Skippered Yacht or Something In-Between?

Bareboat

The first thing you need to decide is if you want a crew, or if you (and someone in your party) have the ability and qualifications to sail the yacht yourselves. If you can captain it on your own, and you don’t want a crew, it’s called renting a “bareboat” or “bareboating.”

Of course, if you decide you want to be the “captain” the first thing that will happen is that you’ll have to prove to the yacht charter company that you are really qualified. (This is both for your safety and the safety of their beautiful yacht.)

What the Yacht Charter Company Wants to Know if You Want to Bareboat

The company you’re going to charter your yacht from wants to see that you’ve got several years experience sailing a yacht approximately the same size as the one you want to rent from them. Here are some things that will be helpful in proving you’ll be a good captain of your ship:

1. If you’ve successfully completed any recognized boating courses, be ready to provide copies of your completion certificates
2. Be ready to demonstrate that you understand and have experience in navigation and anchoring procedures
3. Be prepared to explain how tides and currents could affect your yacht in the coastal areas you’re planning to sail around

Unless you’ve rented from the charter company before, don’t be surprised if you get asked to provide an actual demonstration of your captaining abilities the first day of your sailing vacation. (Oh, and if you “flunk” the test? Most contracts state that the charter company has the right to put the captain of their choice onboard - at your expense of course.)

What You Need to Know About Chartering A Bareboat Yacht in Greece

In Greece, a Bareboat Yacht Charter requires that two people on board are capable of commanding the vessel - and have the knowledge and experience needed to sail a yacht around the Greek islands.

This means you must give the Port Authorities in Greece a recognized and appropriate sailing certificate or a signed affidavit stating that you’re qualified to skipper the boat on your own.

Oh - and if you’re not a citizen of a recognized European Union member state, your certification will have to include a translation in Greek or English. The port authorities also have the right to ask for an additional declaration stating your (or the person in your group who will be acting as captain) competence.

So it’s always a good idea to find out exactly what paperwork you’ll need to bring with you - so you’ve got time to put everything together ahead of time. (See the above list for the yacht charter company, U.S, AND CANADIAN CITIZENS A VALID PASSPORT.)

Now just because you’ve got the ability, the knowledge and the experience doesn’t mean you have to go bareboat.

Many very competent sailors would rather not be 100% responsible for the safety and operation of their yacht. In fact, they’d much rather have the freedom to kick back and enjoy the ride - and doing the actual sailing only when - or if - the mood strikes.

If this sounds more like your idea of a dream sailing vacation, then what you’re looking for is a crewed yacht.

What to Expect if You Choose a Crewed Yacht for Sailing Around the Greek Islands

Most of the time, your crewed yacht will be a private vessel, and the crew includes a captain and cook.

There are several advantages to choosing a crewed yacht. For one thing, the crew quarters will be separate from yours, and the ships are larger and more luxurious.

Crewed yachts also offer more in the way of amenities. For example, most have air conditioning, satellite televisions (many even have large flat-screen TVs in the lounge with additional televisions in each cabin), and they have DVD players and video games too.

And you’ll often be able to choose a crewed yacht that offers additional luxuries like jet skis, water skis, kneeboards or tubes, and scuba diving or fishing equipment onboard.

Discover One of the Ultimate Pleasures of a Crewed Yacht - Having Your Own Private Cook

...Imagine not having to think about “what to fix for dinner” or answering the question “When are we going to eat?”

...Just think about what it would be like to eat delicious, perfectly prepared and beautifully served authentic Greek cuisine - and not having to clean up afterwards?

...Picture yourself being able to choose the menu, based on your specific likes and dislikes and with the freshest ingredients picked fresh every morning from local markets and/or from the fisherman themselves - and being served breakfast in bed, or eating out on the deck and enjoying the sea, sun and sand every single day of your vacation!

That’s just a “taste” of what’s to come when you choose a crewed yacht charter and have your own private cook onboard!

Choosing the Perfect Itinerary for Your Sailing Vacation Around the Greek Islands

When you choose a crewed yacht for your vacation in Greece, you can choose your own itinerary. The yacht charter company will be happy to give you plenty of information about the different islands, what is a “must-see” on your choice of the more than 160 permanently inhabited islands - and even what type of waves and ride you can expect as you sail on the Aegean or Ionian seas.

You should also plan on consulting with the captain - he or she may have “insider information” that can turn your trip into the perfect Greek sailing vacation.

Questions you’ll get asked may include:

1. When do you want to travel?
2. How many people will be in your party?
3. Are you bringing children with you? (And if so, what are their ages, their likes and dislikes, and activity preferences)
4. Is price a consideration?
5. How much sailing experience do you (and your “crew”) have?
6. Does anyone in your party have allergies, health problems or disabilities that need to be taken into consideration
7. Do you want to go shopping? Sight-seeing? Exploring?

One of the greatest pleasures of choosing a crewed yacht is having the freedom to go where you want, when you want. Sailing around the Greek islands on a private yacht is like being the guest of an exclusive, luxurious floating hotel - except that you’re the only guests and you get to experience the fun and excitement that comes each time you stop to explore a new island, stop at one of the hundreds of beaches that are only accessible by boat or visit one of Greece’s tiny fishing villages.

Or Maybe a Flotilla is More Your Idea of the Perfect Way to go Island Hopping in Greece

A Flotilla is a group of three or more yachts - some crewed, some bareboats - who are all going to the same place at the same time. (Think of it as safety in numbers.) If you decide to bareboat it, this might be the perfect choice if you don’t have a lot of experience, because the flotilla captain (who is always an experienced and completely capable skipper) will be close at hand to answer your questions, or help you if you run into problems.

Another good thing about sailing as part of a flotilla, is that it gives you the valuable experience you need - and that the yacht charter companies and the Greek port authorities are looking for, when you eventually decide to go bareboat.