An (affordable) Greek Islands Sailing Holiday

[CarolynKnappShappeyShipwright]

I dream of having a week or 10 days island hopping from a yacht! Next summer.

Googling this is overwhelming, or throwing up options of 2k per person…

Has anyone done something like this more affordably?

We are 2a + DC 11 & 8.

Willing to also pay for two more adults (DB + DSil in exchange for DB sailing is with his sailing qualifications). I have the one day course but it isn’t robust enough for a sailing holiday.

ideally we wouldn’t be too much in contact with other people… especially not sharing a boat!

Sunsail are one of the biggest companies doing flotilla holidays and bareboat chartering. Neilson are another big company

https://www.sunsail.com/uk/

https://www.neilson.co.uk/sailing

A flotilla holiday is where you all end up at the same place each night but during the day you're free to do what you want. There is also a crewed lead boat that is there to help you with mooring etc

Bareboat is where they just give you the boat and off you go.

Sunsail at the moment don't seem to be showing their prices for 2025 but I just found an example from Neilson link here to website for specific details for 4 adults and 2 children on a 7 night flotilla holiday in the southern Ionian Islands starting 3rd August 2025, including flights from Gatwick and transfers etc for £917 per person.

That's on a Beneteau 331 with three cabins. If you want something larger like a Beneteau 373 then, yes, you are looking at about £1,500 per person.

"Willing to also pay for two more adults (DB + DSil in exchange for DB sailing is with his sailing qualifications). I have the one day course but it isn’t robust enough for a sailing holiday."

All the sailing companies require the skipper to have at least the equivalent of an RYA Day Skipper certificate and then also for another adult onboard to have sailing experience as well. DB will need to get an ICC, all you need to do is show them your Day Skipper certificate and they will give you one automatically.

Flotilla holidays are great for your first time going on a sailing holiday; there's always going to be someone there at the end of the day helping you with mooring and making sure that everything's ok.

Although I don't know the cost they also do what they call a two week "Stay & Sail" where you spend the first week at a beach club and whoever is interested does some training and then the second week you go off on a flotilla holiday. That will likely work out the same total cost for four people as taking six people on just a flotilla holiday.

The other option is a bareboat charter where you they give you the boat and off you go. That is generally cheaper but you don't get any assistance. Also, most companies like to see that you already have some experience so prefer people who have at least done a flotilla holiday or chartered already.

Sorry, just to add, I chose an August date as that'll be the most expensive. Likely cheaper in July or first week of September.

We’re due to go to Turkey with Nautilus Yachting this August, booked late when we spotted some late reductions making it affordable for us. They have been really helpful so far and operate in Greece as well, so worth looking at!
We have RYA day skipper and are going on a flotilla.

Thank you so much!

yes DB has everything, both RYA and ICC. I just have the Spanish “titulin” which allows me to take boats up to 2 nautical miles from the shore in daylight hours (nothing much!) but I have time to get another certificate beforehand. I’ll try and find what my certificate is the equivalent of. I think I might have the day skipper from when I was much younger but will have lost it, and in any case I don’t have the confidence!!

DB mentioned that RYA certifications aren’t currently accepted in Greece post Brexit, he has international ones too but maybe something to look into PP who have them??

thatNeilson price is really good, thank you@Another2Cats ! A little nervous about the idea of a skipper as I want to be topless and comfortable 😁

we are also not tied to uk school holidays so hopefully can find a cheaper one that way, I also want to spend a bit of time doing historical stuff in Athens.

Sorry, another question - with flotilla holidays are you expected to socialise much with the other groups? I read on one about “group meals with each boat hosting different days” and bleurghhh

Flotilla doesn't mean you have to socialise but the one we are discussing has a bbq in the first night hosted by the flotilla company as part of the price. They haven't questioned our U.K. qualifications either (mine are RYA and the others have Royal Navy navigation and a statement of competency on 50ft yachts. )

For flotillas I would also add in Sailing Holidays, I've worked for most of the companies and they would be my choice. You can socialise as much or as little as you want to, there are organised drinks and meals a couple of evenings per week - but you don't have to join in. The only thing that the crew would want you to attend is the morning briefing where they outline where they will meet you that evening.

It does sound like bareboat would be more your thing though and if your DB has an ICC you would be fine chartering with that.

The Ionian Islands are very popular due to mainly line of sight sailing and fairly predictable wind, but that does mean they get very busy during peak season, but if you can go in June or September that shouldn't be a problem. The east coast tends to be less busy, windier with longer distances between ports.

Obviously you know your family best, but I've found that kids the age of yours tend to enjoy the holiday more if there is a good balance between time sailing and time where they can swim or play on land, so shorter distances most days tend to be best. A couple of hours in the morning, lunch stop for a few hours, then head for the evenings port or anchorage. Which is a long way of saying I'd probably go for the Ionian!

For bareboat in the Ionian I'd look at Sail Ionian and nisosyachtcharter.com, both of whom are excellent. If you do prefer the sound of the east coast ac-yachtingmilina.com, know their stuff.

"DB mentioned that RYA certifications aren’t currently accepted in Greece"

That's why you have to get the ICC. You basically pay £55 and upload a copy of your passport and RYA certificate and then they send you the ICC.

"DB has everything, both RYA and ICC"

It sounds like he may have chartered a yacht before in that case? If so, then as @AlannaOfTrebond said above, then doing a bareboat charter may be better. And the recommendations she made look really good.

"A little nervous about the idea of a skipper as I want to be topless and comfortable 😁"

The skipper would be your DB. It's a bit like renting a car; they a need a name for the primary driver and they check their licence.

In the same way, your DB will show them his ICC and he will then be listed as the skipper.

Although whether I'd be comfortable being topless in front of my DB anyway I don't know at all.

“Although whether I'd be comfortable being topless in front of my DB anyway I don't know at all.”

Hahahah actually I probably wouldn’t and hadn’t made that connection at all!!! Thank you!!

So it’s enough to have one properly qualified person on a bareback charter? That would be a good option if so. Yes DB was a sailing instructor and worked as crew for a while (never Greece) so he’s a good man to know and I’d rather cover the cost of his holiday than pay a stranger if he’s up for it. I’ll talk more to him about whether he’d prefer a flotilla, he might not want to spend the whole time just with us!

yes a week might be a little long for the dc so 5 days at sea + 5 days on land would be a good combination.

really helpful tip about the Ionian, thank you! It helps narrow it down a lot and DH is a nervous passenger so calm waters would be best! I’ll check out sail Ionian too!

Did you end up going? I’m trying to find a flotilla holiday with skipper or cabin charter in lead flotilla boat and would love to know if anyone has any reccomendations

@CarolynKnappShappeyShipwright also would love to know how you on.

and @Blast101, did you find anything with a skipper? I'd also be very interested in this as an option.

Thanks!

I'm not the OP but at the very top of this thread I did recommend Neilson (amongst others).

They do offer flotilla holidays with a paid skipper but it is more expensive like that:

https://www.neilson.co.uk/sailing/greece/skippered-flotilla-sailing-holiday

I've been with https://www.activityholidaysgreece.com/about-us a few times. Much smaller than Neilson etc. I think they have the option of hiring a skipper or bareboat. The owner is lovely. My kids just really enjoyed these holidays.

I really recommend! (I think they're cheaper than Neilson but probably still don't count as a cheap holiday!).

We went quite a while ago with nisos yacht charters as recommended by @AlannaOfTrebond upthread (love the Mumsnet name by the way). I had my yachtmaster coastal and DH had dayskipper but that was our first charter abroad and most if jy experience was crewing on bigger boats rather than skippering. We went out of Lefkas and it was nice easy sailing, although the stern too mooring/anchor combo was a bit nerve wracking at first. I think with your brother you would be fine to charter without a skipper. Not sure if it's still the same but mooring was free and food was pretty cheap. We didn't spend much other than the charter as the main activities were swimming and sailing. Our trip was pre DC but I would love to go back with them sometime.

I would recommend Elysium Yachting they have some amazing routes and prices look them up at https://www.elysium.cruises/skippered-charters/