Flotilla Holidays / Assisted Sailing in Greece

Many of our return "Learn to Sail" guests wanted the freedom offered by a bareboat charter, but with the safety net the larger flotilla provide and without the "quiz nights". Our assisted sailing holidays provide a brilliant balance of the two. We aim to keep away as much as possible from the incredibly busy northern ports of the Ionian where often finding a mooring after 2pm is impossible due to the volume of yachts.

How it works

Sail and visit different destinations with our support. It is informal and flexible, but with the emphasis on building confidence in a safe and fun environment. We play it very much "by ear" and always see how you are getting on before we set any daily itineraries.

We'll start off with a day or so practising existing skills with the other yachts at our Lixouri base and get used to the newer bigger yachts. We'll focus on necessary new skills , make sure everyone is happy, and then head off for the first night away from base.

Where we explore

Usually we'll start and finish in Lixouri and destinations that we might visit depending on wind and consensus include the lovely Kounopetra(anchorage), Aghia Peligia(harbour), Spartia(anchorage), Poros(harbour) all on southern Kefalonia, and also Ag.Nicolas(harbour) on the neighbouring island of Zante.

The "Assisted" bit

The qualified instructor is on one of the yachts or hops on and off different boats depending on requirements. Your instructor won’t be on board the whole week, nor will he live aboard. If there are a number of yachts on the same assisted sailing week, then the instructor will move from one yacht to another, tailoring his sail training as needed. Once you’ve sailed to your overnight destination near Kefalonia, he will make sure that the yacht is moored safely for the night before leaving. After this, he will be on call and available throughout the night through the on board mobile phone.

After the first two or three days guidance, you will be keen and ready to make your own sailing decisions during the day, keeping our involvement to telephone contact where necessary, and a quick visit from our team to ensure you are safely in for the night.

Who is it for ?

It's the next step for anyone who has successfully completed our Learn to Sail course in the last 3 years or any sailing crew with limited experience looking for a bit of friendly support.

What qualifications do I need ?

In order to charter a yacht in Greece you need a minimum of ICC, IYT Flotilla Skipper or RYA Dayskipper practical. The port police also recognise any official paper from a sailing school or other relevant organisation that has tested and can verify your sailing ability. Also, one crew member must have some previous sailing experience and be able to handle the yacht in case of emergency.

I don't have any formal qualifications ?

Sea-Trek offers the chance for experienced sailors to gain their ICC qualification at the beginning of their charter. It is a 1/2 day practical assessment of their skills with a qualified instructor. The theory course can be covered on-line prior to the holiday with the new E-Learning concept, leaving just the practical assessment and a short theory test on your first day on the water. This way there's no time wasted in the classroom and you can enjoy the holiday even more. 180 euros per person.

What yachts do we use ?

We'll be using our comfortable Bavaria 36's, 37's and our Beneteau 393.

View our yacht details

Dates

Throughout the summer season from May until October.

What's the cost ?

Just add the Assisted Sailing supplement of £300 per yacht to the standard charter price.