faq

Rent a boat in Greece with captain - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Life on board

Please scroll down in order to find answers to more frequently asked questions

1. Where do we start our sailing holidays to the Greek islands? Which marina / port?

We start our trips usually from the center of the Cyclades. This is either from Paros or from Mykonos.

The access to both of the islands (Mykonos and Paros) is very easy and convenient. You can easy just fly out of Athens or you can take one of the many daily ferries. Athens, Santorini and also most of the other islands in the Cyclades archipelago are connected by ferries.

The Cyclades archipelago has so much to offer! In our consideration, sailing from the heart of the archipelago will provide de best possible experience. Because of their location, starting our sailing trips from either Paros or Mykonos means that we can easily reach the neighboring islands in just one tack. This means that we will rarely zigzag against the wind, trying to reach our destination.

Everybody knows about some islands like Mykonos and Santorini. But the Cyclades archipelago offer an amazing mix of wilderness and cosmopolitan places. The incredible architecture found in Santorini and Syros is mixed with the long sandy beaches of Paros, Mykonos and Naxos, with the wild swimming spots of Milos and Polyegos and the beautiful tiny of-the-beaten-path islands like Schinoussa and Kimolos.

The archipelago offers and ideal sailing distance in between the islands. Meaning that is long enough to enjoy your sailing legs, but in the same time short enough to limit the crossing in between the islands to 2-4 hours.

We sometimes alternate our regular departure and end islands (Paros and Mykonos) with departure and arrival from Athens.

2. What is the embarkation time? Why the one week charter is 7 days and 6 nights?

Our weekly trips start usually on Monday morning at 8:30 AM and end on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 PM. We plan for a Monday start in order to avoid the crowds in the harbors and in the bays, as most charter companies start on a Saturday. Whenever possible other start dates can be arranged.

Our 7 days trips are 7 days / 6 nights. This is done so that the night in between the charters is kept for the cleaning and the preparation of the boat for the new trip starting in the morning. Cleaning the boat inside / outside and possible maintenance and other preparations (like fueling up, taking sheets /towel to cleaning etc, filling up the tank with water for shower) in between 2 consecutive charters is a process taking about 8-10 hours.

This means that every time a charter finishes, at least an 8 hours working gap is needed for the boat to be prepared and ready to welcome most guests on board. We are doing this starting at 2:30 PM when guests disembark till about midnight and then continue early in the morning so by embarkation time 8:30 AM all is ready and a new trip can start.

Surfing the web, you have probably noticed on the companies that work on a Saturday – Saturday schedule, that a gap of many hours is needed in between charters for preparations. What they are doing in their case, is that the boat has to return to the base on Friday by 05:00 pm, and then spend the night on board at the base and disembark on Saturday morning by 09:00 am the latest. This is when the charter companies takes over, and the cleaning and the preparations for the new charter are done in between 09:00 am to 04:00 pm. The boat will be ready to embark new people on Saturday by 4:00 pm the earliest. Making the check in, paperwork, stock up will usually end up at around 06:00-07:00 pm when it’s actually too late to reach a destination during daylight. So the actual departure will often be postponed to Sunday morning when they will leave the marina for their first destination in the islands. The return is set for next Friday afternoon. So, for 99% of the big charter companies you will notices that the program described above, that the time on Saturday from 09:00 am to 04:00 pm is kept for preparation/cleaning of the boat. With other words, the last night and most of the time the first night is spent at the base, so a 7 day/7 night charter gives you the usually only the remaining 5 nights at other islands.

In our opinion, this 1-2 nights spent at the base a time consuming. Our guests have a limited time on board, they are here to visit the islands and not loiter at the marina of embarkation. This is why our trips can start in the morning and not late afternoon. This way, our guests have time for swims and enjoy a new island from the very first day on board. So are basically sacrificing the last night to save the first day .

3. What are the meal arrangements? What about food and drink?

Food and drink are not included in a skippered charter. That will give you the opportunity each day to enjoy fantastic food and wine at friendly water-side taverns at each island.

You can go on shore and enjoy the local cuisine or you can cook on the boat. The sailboat is equipped with a fridge, gas cooker and a fully equipped galley.

Breakfast: it’s just a small decision of how you would feel that morning. You can either go on-shore and have breakfast and coffee. There are many restaurants which in all of the Greek islands are right behind the boat. Or if you prefer, you can make your breakfast on board.

Lunch: the best and most relaxing thing to do is to plan for a light snack on board. Most probably you will be spending the day sailing, enjoying a beautiful crystal clear water bay, swimming and sunbathing. In conclusion, there is no point to interrupt these wonderful activities in order to find a restaurant.

Dinner: the best decision would be on shore. You will have many options of traditional Greek taverns to choose from. At every place of harbor you will be spending the night you will find taverns serving delicious food. Given these points, the Greek cuisine is something that you should not miss. Every island has its own specialty, and yes, you have to taste them all!

4. Can I customize the itinerary ?

Definitely. As you will see, the beauty of a sailing cruise is to experience a dream voyage tailored to your wishes. However bear in mind that sailing is about taking the wind and weather conditions into account. Your captain will advice you on the best sailing route.

Also sailing conditions vary greatly across different sailing grounds. There are areas with easy to moderate sailing condition year round. But also there are areas that can sometimes can get very windy/choppy. Please feel free to ask us more details before booking your sailing holidays in Greece if you would like to get to a specific island.

Some of the itineraries are possible even when the winds are strong. But, we do not recommended some of them when when winds are strong due to high sea and less sheltered places from the winds.

This is why, the key to a perfect sailing holiday is keeping flexible.

5. Who are private charter for?

Rent a boat in Greece and your holidays will become fantastic! Sailing vacations are perfect for couples looking for a romantic week away. Also, it’s ideal for families or groups of friends wanting to do something completely independent. All in all, explore Greece and the Greek islands in a different way.

You don’t need sailing experience in order to participate our sailing trips!

6. Who will be our skipper?

Meet your captain. Meet our team - your skipper in the Greek islands.

Meet Edouard

He is a passionate sailor who began his journey as a sailing instructor in northern France five years ago. After sailing in the Mediterranean, including Greece, Spain, southern France, and Italy, it was Greece that captivated him. Returning to the Cyclades, he leverages his in-depth knowledge of the region to provide a unique and safe sailing experience.

Since his childhood, he had the privilege of sailing with his father, an experience that profoundly shaped hislove for the sea. A few years ago, he decided to get back into sailing, which felt like a true rebirth for him.

Meet George

His first contact with sailing was at the age of six where he learned all the basics and crucial techniques of dealing with wind and waves. By the age of nine he was awarded twice for being the youngest participant racing optimists, got 15th place in the nationals and many more awards.

Until teenage he followed the same route on dinghy racing with boats such as laser and 470s. After few years away of what he mostly loved in his life, he found another path to yacht racing and became a professional skipper for chartered yachts leading first time sailors with safety to a once in a lifetime journey to Greek islands.

Meet Radu

He is the boat owner and also the skipper – a dedicated person, with a great love for adventure.

The last 14 years he has been sailing, exploring and enjoying the Greek islands that they now considers his home and knows them like the back of his hand.

He is focused on delivering what the customer is looking for in a safe and fun manner. Highly motivated he will go out of his way to turn your sailing cruise in a once in a life-time experience. His local knowledge ensures that you will see and experience the best of the Greek Islands.

7. What does the skipper do?

A skipper will handle the boat for you. Also, he will ensure your safety, recommend routes, places to visit and introduce you to the many islands and their secrets . You can benefit from the skippers’ knowledge. Not only is he very well acquainted with sailing conditions in the area but also he will also suggest the most interesting places for swimming and exploring as well as best restaurants.

In addition to actually navigating the yacht, your skipper will handle all related duties including charting your course, monitoring weather conditions and ensuring the safety of all guests and the boat.

8. How do we help the skipper?

No previous sailing experience is needed for participating in a skippered charter.

However the guests (or one of the guests) will have the chance to be an active part in the sailing/docking. Because at times a sailboat needs more than one person in order to execute a maneuver, one of the charterers should be willing to help at each anchoring maneuver. He will work the windlass (laying/pulling up the chain) while the skipper is maneuvering the boat. Backing up in a crowded harbor especially if any cross-wind is a very difficult job (boats have no brakes- and are easily taken by the wind).

The skipper is maneuvering the boat but somebody else needs to be in the bow at the windlass to lay the chain (or pull it up at departure) and ideally another person in the stern (back of the boat) to throw the lines to the people on the dock. The skipper will appreciate any extra persons willing to stay on the side and push /help with a tight anchorage. Also the captain will inform you each time when/if he needs help and brief you on the action you have to take.

At times, help with hoisting/trimming the sails might be needed and always highly appreciated.

It’s actually pretty exciting to be active and most people feel very rewarded after doing their part.

9. What should I pack?

– passports for all passengers
– shoes with soft/non-marking sole for on-board use exclusively. We recommend to bring an extra pair of shoes that you use on board only. This means different than the ones you use on shore. If you wear the same shoes on board and on shore you will bring lots of dirt, sand and pebbles on board and later in the day when you’ll want to be barefoot the feeling on your feet will not be very pleasant.
– beach towel ( on board you will find bath towels, but you will probably need a beach towel as well to wipe off the salt after swimming
– windproof jackets – if any windy day during your trip you will appreciate the extra comfort a windproof jacket offers\

– 12 volt car chargers four you electronic device : USB cables and 12 Volt car chargers for charging your electronic device (like the ones in the picture- exactly what you would use in your car to charge your phone ,tablet, etc).

Vitamin Sea has two 12V socket-plugs and four USB ports. In order to make sure the charger will work for your device, it’s advisable to test it and try charging the devices you are traveling with in your car before leaving home – if it works in your car, it will work on the boat as well.

Note: inverters are NOT ALLOWED on the boat as they dry out the batteries of the boat with the result of not having enough power for shower, toilets, lights, fridge, etc.
For more information about charging your electronic devices, please check below point 11. Can I charge my phone while on board?

– your toiletries (shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, sunscreen, lotion)
– sunscreen (we recommen cream – spray is impossible to apply even with a gentle breeze) .
– clothing: –in the summer months, you’ll spend most of your time in shorts, swimsuits, and t-shirts. You might want to add a lightweight jacket in case it’s breezy. -in spring/autumn the evenings can get coolish. We suggest you bring a couple of long sleeve tops , a jacket and a sweater .

– at least two bathing suits
– driving license ( and international drivers permit for US , Canada, etc visitors ( as you will definitely want to hire a car/moped in several of the islands so you can explore the pretty inland as well). More details on international driving permits.

We recommend to pack light and bring everything in a soft, fold-able duffel bag that is easier to stow away on a sailboat.

10. Is there music on board Vitamin Sea?

The sailboat is equipped with a HiFi car radio / player. So bring along your favorite CDs , mp3 player so you can run the music through the boat’s sound system. Also most phones and mp3 players can connect to the stero through a 3 mm mini-jack cable ( AUX) . For iPhones you will need to bring along your small adapter.

Just make sure to download your music and store it on your phone/ mp3 player before arriving in Greece . This is because trying to play from the cloud or Spotify,etc will not always work.

11. Can I charge my phone while on board?

Of course you can.

Sailboats have autonomy with 12 Volt DC power – just like a car or a camper van. This is used to power up the fridge, toilets, water pumps, lights and of course the charging station. So you will be able to charge your phone/iPad at any time. All you need is a car phone charger and your USB cable to plug them into the 12 Volt plugs or USB ports on board .

Vitamin Sea has two 12 Volt sockets plugs and four USB ports for your devices. Below you can see a picture of how the charging station on Vitamin Sea looks like.

You can also find 2 USB ports in every cabin to charge your devices. So, if you phone uses a USB Type-A, then all you need for your phones is your USB charging cable.

If your device has different cables (like USB Type-C to Type-C), please bring car chargers (not INVERTERS) that can be plugged in the 12V sockets. Car chargers are those who’s one plug directly into your device (laptop, camera ,etc) and the other end in a cigarette/12 volt lighter plug or a USB Type A plug.

Please note that inverters are NOT ALLOWED on the boat as they dry out the batteries of the boat with the result of not having enough power for shower, toilets, lights, fridge, etc.

If you are traveling with a camera or a special device for which you cannot find a 12 Volt charger, an easy alternative is to take it with you and charge it at the tavern while you are enjoying your dinner.

VERY IMPORTANT : If any members in your party travel with medical devices that have to be plugged in to work ( CPAP machines, etc ), you should purchase a car plug/car adapter before booking.

Please make sure that if you are traveling with your laptop and you need to work during your holidays, you have the correct 12 Volt charger. There are also universal laptop chargers where you just switch the charging jack.

Here is a link on how a universal laptop charger works.

12. Will I have internet during the trip?

Each afternoon/evening when you go on shore to explore you will find many restaurants, taverns and bars that offer Wi /Fi so you can keep up with friends and family, surf the web or simply upload picture while enjoying your meal or drinks.

For when you’re on board, the only option is mobile data. In case you don’t have a convenient international coverage from your provider, there are 3 options:

1) You can easily get a local SIM card (it costs around 20 euro) and activate a data package. You will find shops everywhere in Athens (Cosmote, Vodafone or Nova are the providers). And also at Paros at: VODAFONE, COSMOTE or NOVA

The more efficient solution is buying a local SIM or eSIM upon landing at Athens airport so you can be connected from the first moment you land in Greece till your departure. You will find a Vodafone stand at arrival and they have packages for internet and even unlimited data like a tourist card.

2) You can arrange for an eSIM, being the easiest and quickest since you don’t even have to visit a store. You can even get one before leaving your country and activate it when you arrive. The most important thing is to make sure your phone is compatible with eSIMs.

3) Alternatively we have a local SIM card on board with which you can go to at one of the shops in Paros- 5 minutes walk from the boat – and top it up in order to activate a data package.

13. Can we bring suitcases on board?

What we recommend is that you bring your belongings in soft-sided luggage like duffel type bags, backpacks etc). Having this, you can place your things in the little drawer/cupboard in your cabin then fold up and store the soft luggage away. The sailboats offer very limited storage making the storage of soft luggage much easier.

If your are travelling in a small group (2-3 persons ) there might be a bit of extra storage space provided you will keep at least one of the guests’ cabins as a storage space for EMPTY suitcases. This assuming the suitcases are reasonably sized and can fit through a sailboat’s door -40 centimeters-15.7 inch of course.

Thus for small groups of 2-3 persons it might be ok to bring along reasonably-sized suitcases and just empty them and place your things in the drawers in the cabin before leaving the base. Before leaving Paros, the skipper would place the empty suitcases in the cabin (after securing or wrapping them in blankets and placed them in a bag to avoid wood scratching) so they won’t damage to the woods around or the wood wall placed inside that cabin. Thus, the empty suitcases would stay there wrapped in blankets till the end of the trip.

No metal or reinforced plastic suitcases on board!

However if you are part of a group of 4 or more persons, then you’ll probably use all cabins for accommodation and/or storing your clothes, changing room, etc meaning that it will not be any place to fit even one single empty suitcase.

However there is a very easy solution if you need a suitcase for the rest of the trip. There are 2 suitcase /luggage storage right across the ferry dock in Paros.
1. At Limani Cafe shop
and also
2. At hotel Kontes

You can simply pack in a big bag or duffel bag in your suitcase and in the morning before coming to the boat, transfer what you need for the trip in that bag and drop the suitcase at the luggage storage. Alternatively the skipper will have on board some big bags- which she can offer to transfer your belonging from the suitcase to the bag, leave the suitcase at the luggage storage and easily transport your belonging to the boat.