For one week this Summer, we had been the captains of our personal Greek journey. With not one of the normal family chores and with out a lot as opening my laptop computer, we merely loved high quality time collectively — and a beneficiant stretch of Ionian blue. Welcome to the charming pleasures of a flotilla crusing vacation — courtesy of Sail Ionian, an impartial family-run firm working out of Vliho Bay, Lefkada.
Without being complacent, we had been trying ahead to some hopefully straightforward crusing in pleasant winds, brief hops between islands, and a solar that hardly ever clocks off. Most of our coaching had been in considerably much less inviting circumstances off the west coast of Scotland, however this is able to hopefully have put us in good stead for something sudden.
The concept of crusing in a bunch — in convoy, however with the liberty to roam and help readily available — provided the right mix of independence and reassurance.
What is a flotilla vacation?
A flotilla is a small fleet of boats — normally not more than ten — loosely travelling the identical route. Each night, everybody gathers on the similar port or anchorage, however by day, you’re free to sail, discover, meander, race, or pause as you want. Some corporations supply a social programme every night, while others — like Sail Ionian — don’t, permitting you to combine with others as a lot or as little as you want.
Support comes within the type of a lead crew who information, advise, and sometimes step in if you’re struggling to moor. It’s camaraderie with a lightweight contact. Guidance with out intrusion. And our knowledgeable flotilla help workforce included skipper Maria (who glided by the radio title of Rodney for some purpose!), Ervin, and Nick — all calm underneath strain, and at all times showing exactly when wanted, like nautical genies.
What’s required to sail a yacht?
In Greece, at the very least one individual on board wants an ICC (International Certificate of Competence) or an RYA Day Skipper qualification. A second grownup have to be at the very least on the degree of ‘Competent Crew’ — basically somebody who is aware of their port from their starboard and received’t tie themselves to the growth throughout a gybe.
To turn into an RYA Day Skipper, there’s a principle and sensible element — with at the very least 40 hours of research really useful for the idea, while the sensible aspect is a 5-day course (however assumes a level of prior expertise, such because the 5-day RYA Competent Crew course). Once you’ve the RYA Day Skipper qualification, you will get ICC certification however this isn’t at present required for Greece – simply the Day Skipper will suffice.
We had been a combined get together of ten adults throughout two households — 4 certified Day Skippers of differing experience in our household and 6 enthusiastic novices within the different. We had initially checked out chartering two yachts however rules wouldn’t have allowed us to often chop and alter the personnel on every each, so we as an alternative opted for one boat to accommodate us all.
This made for a great steadiness of expertise and fresh-eyed surprise, with sufficient ability to sail independently however no scarcity of awe for what we had been about to expertise.
Our yacht
Our floating residence for the week was Te Anau, a Bavaria 46 Style yacht, which Sail Ionian retains in immaculate situation.
She boasts in-mast furling, a self-tacking genoa, bow thruster, generator, and that uncommon Aegean luxurious — air con. The cockpit was spacious, shaded by a bimini, and the saloon was equally beneficiant.
Te Anau sleeps ten folks – as much as 4 with an en suite within the bow, two en suite rooms both facet of the aft, and a saloon that may accommodate one other two or three. Of course, with ten of us on board, it was cosy – however we knew that might be the case and had been ready for it… it’s an excellent job we get alongside effectively. As the week progressed, a number of of us most popular to sleep underneath the celebrities on deck as that tended to be beautiful and funky.
There was a stunning welcome basket that greeted us on arrival, too.
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Our route
Our route was to take us across the South Ionian, calling at quite a lot of totally different islands, with the precise itinerary evovling because the week went on, relying on the climate circumstances. Here’s the place our journey took us:
Day 1: Vliho Bay, Lefkada to Vathy, Meganisi
Sail Ionian doesn’t dilly-dally. After a welcome briefing and yacht handover by Chris, we had been off the dock and motoring by means of the Vliho strait by late afternoon. The sea was mild, our spirits excessive, and we had been trying ahead to the journey that lay forward.
We minimize east between Skorpios and Sparti — Skorpios as soon as owned by the Onassis household, now shrouded in billionaire thriller. Our vacation spot: Vathy on Meganisi, the place a desk awaited us at Karnagio, a beachside taverna draped in bougainvillaea and attraction. Just a few of us paddleboarded after dinner, as a result of… why not? When in Greece…
Day 2: Vathy, Meganisi to Sivota, Lefkada
The morning concerned the transferring of fenders and a bit of parking follow earlier than setting off once more. Between Meganisi and Lefkada, we caught a fleeting glimpse of dolphins — too fast for the digicam, however sufficient to place large smiles on our faces.
We dropped anchor at Mikros Gialos for a swim and snorkel, earlier than persevering with to Sivota, the place we moored exterior Taverna Ionion. Our waiter there was fairly a personality and even posed for a selfie with our group, instructed us a story or two, and served us the catch of the day — crimson snapper and dorada, merely grilled, completely flaky.
Day 3: Sivota, Lefkada to Fiskardo, Kefalonia
The wind was in our favour. We sailed — truly sailed — many of the passage at round 4-5 knots, a type of unhurried tempo that makes you realise time on the water flows in a different way.
Fiskardo isn’t any secret — a pastel-painted harbour the place superyachts jostle with constitution boats and the scent of jasmine competes with espresso. We made landfall early to safe an area and took the tender to Foki Beach, the place we explored a once-mined limestone cave with tunnels that stretch over 100 metres deep.
Dinner that night time was a curveball, really useful by our help crew: Lord Falcon, a stunning Thai restaurant tucked away in certainly one of Fiskardo’s again streets.
Day 4: Fiskardo, Kefalonia to Vathy, Ithaca
There are many Vathys in Greece, and at the moment we visited one other: the one on Ithaca, fabled residence of Odysseus and proud bearer of one of many deepest pure harbours within the Ionian. (The title ‘Vathy’ comes from the Greek phrase “βαθύς” (vathýs), that means “deep” — an apt description for the sheltering harbours that bear its title.)
We stopped first at Filiatro Beach — turquoise, crystalline, postcard-perfect — and spent an hour swimming, lounging, and paddleboarding. That night time, securely anchored, we skipped the taverna and cooked aboard Te Anau . A dinner with the celebrities as our ceiling.
Day 5: Vathy, Ithaca to Kalamos, Kalamos Island
After a morning stroll, we sailed ownard towards Atokos Island, a dramatic hunk of rock with aquamarine waters — and pigs.
Yes, pigs. With totally different theories abounding as to why they’re there, from shipwrecks to a supply of meals, they’ve turn into unlikely icons. But if you happen to ought to go to, please bear in mind these are feral animals and don’t decide them up as we noticed one youngster try… the piglet’s mom didn’t appear so joyful!
Later, we reached Kalamos, the place we wandered to Alogoborós seashore, essentially the most fantastic secluded cove which we loved to ourselves.
Dinner was at George’s taverna, an area favorite with essentially the most scrumptious hen souvlaki.
Day 6: Kalamos, Kalamos Island to Palairos, mainland Greece
Quite a lot of us — myself included — had been operating every day. This morning’s problem: a 180m climb to the church of Agios Georgios earlier than breakfast at George’s. Built in 1886, this lone basilica provided sweeping views and, maybe, a bit of cardio-induced readability.
After a day on the boat, having stopped for a swim in a stunning bay simply east of Mytikas, we anchored off Palairos, took the tender ashore, and located a bar with chilly refreshments and a pool desk. We loved dinner on board at sundown.
Day 7: Palairos, mainland Greece to Vathy, Meganisi
With storms within the forecast and our flotilla return imminent, we determined to go again to Vathy, Meganisi, returning to a well-known bay the place we knew the taverna. But earlier than that, we anchored at Pachara Bay, cooled off with a swim and messed round on the paddleboards both facet of an on-board lunch.
Day 8: Vathy, Meganisi to Vliho Bay, Lefkada
A brief, quiet morning motor introduced us full circle. The Ionian solar had shone all week and we had been now a bit of extra tanned, a bit of saltier, and fully smitten.
We packed our issues, disembarked Te Anau and had a late breakfast at Vliho Yacht Club, earlier than our respective households stated our farewells, however not with out promising to do the same journey collectively subsequent yr. Our holidays weren’t as we every had just a few days left – us in Greece nonetheless, and the opposite household returning to the United States through Italy.
The ultimate verdict
Often when folks consider luxurious yachting holidays, they could consider silver trays and white gloves. This wasn’t like that each one – it was one thing higher. It was casual, magical, mildly chaotic (there have been ten of us on board in spite of everything), and completely joyful. And the luxurious got here within the type of time collectively, countless laughter and a really memorable expertise.
We took selfies with pigs. We ate crimson snapper that was caught simply hours earlier. We by some means managed to cram eight days of being on the boat right into a seven-day florilla. And the flotilla set-up gave us freedom with a security internet. Adventure with steerage. Independence with out isolation.
Would we do it once more? Absolutely. Though subsequent time, we would preserve a tally of what number of instances we stated, “This is the life”.
Disclosure: This put up is sponsored by Sail Ionian. Our journey was sponsored by AEGEAN Airlines.
Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has labored within the journey trade for greater than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED journal. In addition to different awards, the weblog has additionally been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Telegraph.
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