King

Four of us would like to charter a traditional style power/sail yacht w/crew in June 2003. We have 10 days and will charter the boat for 8 days. <BR><BR>We would like to plan an itenerary that includes Mykonos and Santorini. Should we start in Athens, and if so, would anyone end the trip at either of these two islands in order to spend more time there. Not sure if we'll be allowed. If we start in Athens, we may be asked to end the charter there.<BR><BR>I've had a recommendation on a particular ship (Eleftheria) that I see on may of the sailing charter websites. Can anyone recommend a way to inquire/book that ship without going through the expense of using an agent in the US. There should be a way to contact them in Greece or Turkey directly. No?

Grasshopper

King, We used GPSC which is located in Philly and Athens. They were GREAT and it was cheaper than we expected. If you talk to them they can recommend where you start from. You probably can't go from Athens AND return in 8 days. But according to our skipper you could start at one of those islands and sail back. Our skipper was Spyros and he was fantastic. The website is www.gpsc.com.

Joanne

I agree with GPSC. We sailed with Nicko Biblis in 1998. We chartered a 40 foot boat, and they gave us a 55 foot boat. Nicko was fabulous. Do not go without a captain, even if you have seasoned sailors on board, because sailing in Greece involves MANY ideosyncracies that can ruin your trip if you can't handle them. For instance, you can sail around Santorini, but can't really disembark there. And some islands (like Mykonos) are so crowded that you'll have to get to the harbor shortly after noon in order to get a spot. And then, you'll be on the inside with other boats tied up to you several deep, so that you won't be able to leave in the morning until everyone else is gone. This depends on the time of the year, but a good captain will find great islands where this is not a problem, or at least advise you of what the situation will be. My post makes it sound like we didn't enjoy the trip, but I can assure you that this was one of the greatest trips of our lives, and we've traveled quite a bit. enjoy.

Grasshopper

Joanne, I thought one of the fun things was all the boats that docked outside of you. Every evening we sat with our wine while sailors from around the world asked permission to board so they could get ashore. We met some very interesting people!

King

Thanks for the suggestions. I was hoping that someone had a contact in Greece. How about Turkey as another option for Greek Island Charters,or is that too far&gt;?

michael

Try [email protected] though I think you'll get the same rates as through gpsc in Philadelphia.<BR>Turkey is too far for 8 days. Stick to the Cyclades: Milos has some fantastic beaches and rock formations; Naxos has a lovely mountainous interior if you want to venture inland one day; Syros has a very elegant main town, Ermoupolis. There's some good info on<BR><BR>http://www.i-escape.com/greece.php<BR><BR>and click on Cyclades.<BR><BR>What sort of price are you paying, do you know?

Joaanneaj

The Cyclades can be very aggressive, especially if the meltemi is blowing - if you're a newbie sailor, try to plan an itinerary down the Peloppenese coastline, perhaps ending at Monemvassia, which is really cool. But that won't take you to Mykonos or Santorini.

King

Michael, Thanks everyone for the feedback. Michael, we have been quoted $10k for 8 days on a boat that actually sleeps 6 (for 4 of us). We are going to be pickey about the boat, crew, space, itenerary,etc. Looking for a more traditional looking vessel rather than a sloop. Any other suggestions are welcome. KF

Grasshopper

King, Check out http://www.seascape-sail.com I don't have first hand information about them but I was in contact with the principals when I was looking into a home exchange option. They seemed very nice. And their website is intriguing.

beaux

I am curious about this as well. Would this be an appropriate trip for a family with two daughters aged 16 and 12? They have been on a royal olympic cruise to santorini, rhodes, and mykonos. Would like a mixture of nice snorkling areas, greek food and culture and &quot;shopping&quot;. Dad would like the flexibility and lack of structure a charter might provide.

Xenos

Beaux, have a look at sunsail.com. They are a well-established UK-based company who organise sailing holidays all over the world (we've even seen them in Malaysia). They offer a choice of bareboat or crewed charters, as well as flotilla holidays, depending on your skill levels. We see their boats every year in the Greek islands and they seem to be very popular with families.

wasilchak

Do not use GPSC of Philadelphia, they closed their ofices in July 2003 and disappeared with deposits for over 40 charters. The GPSC agent in Greece ([email protected])has been very helpful getting us the same boat for a reduced rate but the original deposit is lost