What skills do you really need for charter sailing in Greece? — featuring VENTUS - Waves Travel Trails Bostjan Zagar

0:02 introduction this video is for all of you who have been considering going sailing but haven't succeeded so far I'll present aspects that are not typically found in sailing videos such as Logistics necessary skills where to go costs which have a separate chapter in the end of this video and other

0:23 topics there won't be a significant focus on sailing techniques which can be easily found elsewhere as an example I will present our sailing story from this summer being a skipper so far I have accumulated about 20 weeks of experience as a Skipper and additional 10 weeks as a crew member covering a distance around

0:48 3,000 Mi not as much but sufficient to be confident in managing a sailboat in various situations I hold the national boating and VHF license and I also own the Rya Coastal sker license if nobody among your crew possesses the appropriate knowledge and experience you can always hire a skipper

1:13 but this comes with additional costs and you also need to provide them with their own room and food getting there this year decided to go sailing in Greece numerous Islands remote locations nice beaches predictable weather fewer crowds and affordability compared to some other countries we traveled to

1:37 Athens by when and we arrived on in attens on the afternoon the day before embarcation after refreshing up in arbnb apartment we visited the Parton and enjoyed a nice dinner the embarcation time is when you can get the boat decided by the charter company and it's usually set for Saturday afternoon after

2:00 5:00 p.m. before embarcation we went to the Charter office for necessary paperwork and to the supermarket for some groceries for the first few days and don't forget to buy enough water we set sail around 300 p.m. how to choose a destination where to go our first destination was a bay on

2:27 the southwest side of agist Island about 5 hours of sailing from Marina alimos we plan this Waypoint because it's close enough to reach it on the first day and at the same time to reach our first anchoring spot Before Sunset ensuring sufficient light for safer maneuvering the bay is big enough to comfortably

2:50 more many boats I usually select a general direction based on cruise capabilities and other preferences taking into account what we want to experience whether it's snorking fishing exploring small towns hiking and more another significant consideration is of course the weather especially the wind this

3:16 Factor consistently influences where and when we will sail and it is the most important one if the crew is less experienced this year four out of six people were first timers we opt for an easier rout that is less exposed to strong winds and larger [Music] waves after we determine the planed

3:42 direction we delve into more detailed exploration we search for suitable anchoring spots picturesque base Charming small towns and unique opportunities such as our thiser discovery of a volcano to climb on metana Peninsula from small town vti this is how we compile a list of potential

4:07 waypoints it's important to measure the distance between them to ensure reasonable travel times I also verify all of the way points online in navigational maps and pilot books some of these pilot books might even be available on a sailboat we have a plan l go our general

4:32 direction was the saronic and angol golf the west coast of peloponeso and down to the South around Cape Mana to the most picturesque Beach on alaus island the first day was quite exhausting after dealing with all the matters in the morning office and shopping it was time to prepare the sailboat the primary task

4:57 was to inspecting and taking over the sailboat while the most exhausting thing is transferring everything we had Tiding up and preparing to set cell due to the heat w we were all eagerly looking forward to leaving the [Music] marina day one alimos agistri we put SS out and covered quite

5:24 a distance without Mr dier besides that all of us even tried our hand at helming which can be quite tricky for first timers a sailboat behaves differently what we are accustomed to in the cars the steering is less responsive the CBO reacts with the delay and it's easy to turn too

5:45 much in the bay we choose the nicest available spot dropped anchor and secure two St lines to the shore now the relocation begins [Music]

6:12 day two a three we stayed in our first Bay for two nights relaxing resting and essentially doing nothing we did a bit of fishing swimming snorkeling and stand up pedling basically engaging in typical vacation activities however there was one notable difference we were alone in our spot and

6:36 joining a private natural swimming pool we were embraced by Nature with no buildings or noise except the sounds of the natural [Music] world day three aist on the third day we pulled up our anchor and sailed for less than 2 hours to to a small fishing town called vat

7:02 the key there is small perhaps for less than 10 boats but there is one additional anchoring spot opposite to the key on the other side if you are lucky it might be available as it turned out it was our not so small boat was a tight fit but we managed to [Music]

7:28 Anchor day four vuni volcano hike after an evening visit to the Taverna the next morning we went hiking on the nearby volcano which last erupted about 200 years ago the entire metana Peninsula is actually one large volcano with a history of many

7:53 [Music] eruptions Upon returning to the boat we sailed to the city of amuni a journey of about 8 [Music] hours and dropped anchor in front of the city in the evening we observed a very

8:21 colorful Sunset the colors were really red due to Smokey clouds from forest fires we also saw many [Music]

8:47 dolphins we were anchored and no other lines were attached for that we had to let out enough chain my advice is always to use all of it we had around 100 m of course if there is enough space for visiting the town we used a [Music]

9:28 dingy day five ammuni we found some nice toess and a local fruit and vegetable store that offered quality produce we bought provisions and really high quality olive oil we also got some really nice fish

9:53 for dinner as you might guess fishing activities might not always always provide you with the catch you're hoping for day six herion

10:18 elus after two nights the big day came the nighttime start of the sale to the most distant Waypoint of our journey the beautiful beach on the island of alonesos on the south of the ponus a few of us woke up early and set sail night sailing requires some experience as navigation becomes more

10:42 crucial and everyone has to keep their eyes open to spot anything that might be on the water on that day we sailed for almost 15 hours we circum navigated the famous Cape Mala where we encountered wind shifts significant currents and some strong gusts that we used for some nice

11:09 sailing maneuvers those Maneuvers were the highlight of our sailing experience for all of us and were very enjoyable as well day seven elus the beautiful beach didn't disappoint us for two days we enjoyed a private swimming area with water so clear that one could almost mistake it

11:33 for the shallows the bay is relatively empty with only a few boats it's simply too far away for most charter boats day eight and elus

12:01 monia we slowly left in the morning after 6 hours around Cape Malaya which was Calon that day we arrived in monia the small Port is nestled beneath the shadow of the massive Rock upon which the historic old town is [Music]

12:27 situated pure coinci brought us the right on the Independence Day celebration a festive atmosphere a picturesque old town and an added bonus a sea turtle in the [Music] harbor after Tavern visit a peaceful night and with replenished water tanks we set sail in the morning towards new

12:55 adventures luckily our neighbors from a nearby boat lent us a house because our was significantly Too Short here the water tap was more than 40 m away day nine monia kilada that day was hot with a weak Breeze at our backs so we hardly felt any wind unfortunately we couldn't avoid

13:22 using the motor but at least we managed to recharge the boat's batteries by evening we arrived at our next Bay in front of fishing Village kilada the bay was very shallow with water temperature of a thermal spot our reward was perhaps the most beautiful sunset of our vacation day 10 kilada Doos the next day

13:49 more wind was forecasted and we decided not to use the engine except for departure and anchoring and what an excellent sailing experience we had we made numerous TXS skillfully navigated through narrow passages and the boat was exceptionally fast that day that is what we came [Music]

14:23 for day 11 doos after 3 days of constant sailing it was time to rest so we stayed on Doos for 2 [Music] days an important reason for this decision was also the bay on the island of Doos

14:49 itself It is Well sheltered really beautiful and not to mention the [Music] water day 12 Doos poros another sailing day brought us to [Music]

15:19 pors this town is very popular among Charters and it's pretty crowded but we choose to stay at anchor a bit away yet still close enough to get to the key by [Music] dingy poros here supermarkets tavernas bars nightclubs even a nice fishing market and lots of

15:50 [Music] people day 13 porus metana a after some early morning shopping and coffee we left for our last destination which was the same as the first one a [Music]

16:16 gory we had some nice sailing again and along our route was the port of metana which gave its name to the smelly gas methane you will understand why when you get there early afternoon we arrived on a this Bay is one of the main stops for charter boats before returning to their home

16:42 marinas so it might get crowded and it's advisable to be there [Music] early the 14 a three alimos Marina next day was sadly our last one on the sailboat we sail back to alimos Marina and among other things we saw a

17:09 presentation of US military power it's big in the afternoon we M our boat in the assigned spot finally we packed everything into the wi went through a final check with the charter company stuff and slowly started our journey back

17:35 home returning the S Mode when checking the boat it's wise to go through all the items on the list provided by the charter company so that you don't have any unpleasant surprises if anything is in order and you didn't broke or lose anything from the boat you'll get your insurance deposit back Greeks are very

17:55 friendly helpful always ready to assist and they prefer not to complicate the things even with the matters you might expect to be important to them but still it's necessary to double check things perhaps someone might have overlooked something that could be very important for your relaxing

18:18 vacation how much does it cost we have calculated the costs and try to identify the most economical options probably the best choice for renting a boat is to Charter directly from a company that provides saleboats rather than going through online Charter platforms these platforms act as a

18:41 middleman and charge their own commission I manage to arrange it via email [Music] directly another way to secure a more affordable Charter is to book well in advance preferably before January for for the upcoming season for even larger discount you can take a chance with the last minute booking option however

19:07 there's a possibility that you may not find a boat that suits your preferences or even find one at all especially during the high season July and August another significant expense is the cost of getting there while many people opt for flying we also have nearby airport with direct flights how however we

19:29 choose to rent a van and drive 1,700 km in One Direction considering there were six of us three of us driving and all the luggage and gear we took it still cost less than flying without even mentioning the convenience of logistics if you choose to fly you need to take a taxi for all the trips you'll

19:55 make before embarking such as provisioning for food or even sseeing if you are in a city like aens of course you could take the bus or trim but imagine yourself with all your luggage food and drinks for the first few days on the boat there are options for boat provisioning organized by some local

20:18 companies the charter will provide you with contacts eating iness is relatively cheap in Greece a this dinner with some drinks might be under €20 per [Music] person all the combined costs we had with the charter transportation and all of the food and drinks including many

20:45 visits to tavernas in other words all inclusive amounted to less than 2,000 EUR per person for 2 weeks which I believe is quite a bargain conclusion if you are looking for the cheapest at least active holidays then sailing probably isn't for you but if

21:12 you truly want to enjoy the nature in its purest form the C if you don't mind getting your hands a little salty if you are active and don't shy away from some household tasks then sailing can certainly be your choice for vacation it's definitely worth trying I hope that this video answered some of

21:35 your questions clarified uncertainties and presented Sailing In a Different Light I'll be delighted to receive your questions comments thumb ups and even more excited about subscriptions that will keep you updated about upcoming posts and get me more views thank you for watching to the end