Until Next Time

It's always good as you end your week at sea if your charter crew starts asking when the next trip is. This happened this time. It did help to have three solid days of Tourist Weather, and some more nice ports and then some excellent sailing. Nobody is going very far in the meantime- often my crews are from all over- this group is from my home town. And everyone got along.

Back at the base there was the usual cheerful welcome, and we were glad have the arrival run by staff and not us. We are confident in our boat backing ability, but Olympic Marina is tightly packed with boats. We shared a few "where were you in the storm" stories with the other guests.

On the way back to Athens we were impressed how much the entire area looks like California.

In talking with others on our return, we all had the same conclusion - the Cyclades are a great but windy sailing area. And one must have experience with Med Mooring and keeping the boat safe in challenging conditions. The area over toward Athens (such as Hydra, which other guests were raving about) is more protected to the north. Beginners to Greece should consider Vounaki, which has the same great food and people, but is very protected.

So in short, we'll be back. Exactly where and when will depend a little on our system of democracy and after that on where and when

the wind blows.

When it rains, they pour

Back in Athens after turning in the boat, we had a bit of rain and some labor unrest- so the main historic sites were closed. One of our crew decided she needed some mall air to make things right. We hopped on the Athens Metro up to Marousi, (Neratziotissa Station) and saw the some Olympic stadiums and this very hip suburban mall. If you want the full back in the USA look and feel, this ("The Mall") is it. One of our group wandered into a well known USA chain restaurant, but I could not bear it. This place, with a Sci-Fi atmosphere and nice techno music was just right.

Our New Cruise Director

One of our sailing buddies does not charter. He says he has "crew problems." We try not to have those. One staff job I try to have filled is the "Cruise Director" - a person who is friendly, cheerful and has off the scale people skills. Her (usually a she) job is crew morale, shore excusions and helping with the dishes. We try to have excellent food, to read our charts and navigate competently. We have this group decision making process, based largely on Robert's Rules of Order in force. But sometimes, you need to have someone to smooth over the customer service worries and keep everyone focused on having fun.

Amy is on the left.

Our New Favorite Boat

We decided today the new Sunsail 41 is our all time favorite charter boat. We like how light and airy the cabin is below, and the sailing performance is excellent. There is a second comfy seat by the Nav Station, and the extra shower compartment in the aft head keeps the floor dry and you can hang wet towels to dry. (Those retractible clothes lines you see in hotels would be a nice touch). The engine is smooth and powerful (good for dodging ferries) and the rig is just like our boat at home (a Hunter 31) so there is zero training time for our crew. Flat and fast is good sailing behavior for a charter boat. The galley layout is outstanding. We would pick one without air conditioning if we had one at home to conserve storage space. Our only quibbles are some low budget cam cleats (Harken but strangely disfunctional) and the cabin door handles need a drill and some lock-tight compound as they keep falling off. Overall, a 10/10. Oh and we can't forget to mention the sturdy bumper rail on the stern for Med Mooring accidents

and a place to store the life raft out of sight.

Euro Techno- EN PLO- Kea

I secretly wanted to find a Euro Techno place. I sometimes want to feel young and hip and stylish. I was of course in the uniform of the over 50 American male on vacation- shorts (always), polo shirt, fancy camera and running shoes. But for a moment I felt cool.  Plus they had nice coffee and WiFi and I could watch our boat out of the corner of my eye. The picture is of Gianna.

Ordering Fish- the Final Solution

We have strugged to order fish for dinner in Greece. For our crew of six, we tried the "million minnows" approach, then we tried "all the fish you have" (a version of the previous technique, since all the fish were small). Finally, in Korissia, at Mayuyes(?)our waiter Jani from Albania got us fixed up. The key was one really large specimen, what was described as a "yellow fish" on menus. Everybody was happy. We even had leftovers for breakfast.

Hydrotherapy @Loutra

For many years the theraputic benefits of mineral spas have been recognized. In Loutra, there is a well known sulfur spring, and in fact a large spa and treatment center still stands. The residential building seems closed, but the baths are open every day from 0800-1600. If you had a few million Euros it might be fun to remodel the place. We always lose we

ight on the Greek diet so a combination of that and the mineral water might be a winner.

Boat Selection

One of the fun parts of a sailing charter is picking out the boat. These days, all the boats are nice. The major issue is around how many crew you have and where you are going. For sheltered waters (like the Abacos and possibly Vounaki) and smaller groups the 36s are fine. I like to have two heads at a minimum. For most of our trips with groups of six-seven friends we like boats around 41-43 feet. This is a good minimum size for open ocean conditions and is still easy to dock. The 50+ foot monohulls are great for large crews and passages like St Martin to St Barths, but are tricky in smaller marinas and ports. One struggle for us- we like as many cabins as possible as we travel with groups of friends and not generally couples. One boat we used to like some years back was the 45, which had four actual cabins. I think a lot of cabins is a problem for resale, where a non charter second owner might like fewer, larger cabins.

Our current two favories are the Sunsail 423 (three heads) and the new Sunsail 41. We are not catamaran people, but I have chartered a cat and they are just fine. I am very used to deep draft boats, so can work with that, knowing a monohull is easier to find dock space for.

Loutra - All Good

A friend of of ours, David Donnelly, is a charter skipper in the Lavrion area. We met him on a Sunsail charter in the Bahamas, and when we heard he was over here now we kept pestering him for his notes on the area. He did send along the handbook he wrote for his crew. He likes Loutra and so do we. One of the advantages of travel by chartered yacht, is you can see a lot of places, and when you find one you like you can stay a while. Following his suggestion we had dinner at the Yacht Club/ Sofrano, and the seafood dishes were fantastic. There was on octopus with honey which was new to all of us, and a seafood risotto that was just right. A guess would be one could stay here a week and not try all the dining choices. Being protected on essentially four sides in the new inner harbor means in many

instances wind and swells outside can be ignored, and one can fully concentrate on the waterfront dining experience.

Loutra - Port Perfection

We pulled into Loutra, and decided whatever we sought in the Greek Islands we had just found. The town is pretty with the whitewashed buildings and the harbor is excellent. Dimitri the Harbormaster came out and said we can have showers, and laundry and there was power and water on the docks. We are planning to explore the hot springs next.

We need to have dinner, and I am lobbying to stay here another night. We found WiFi in Xerolithia Taverna, and were reminded that in in terms of our route, we, like Greece are a Democracy.

Postcard Sailing

After some rain and wind the forecast called for calm winds. It was wrong- the sailing was perfect- a light chop and a steady NW breeze. The Sunsail 41 is a nice boat - and handles well to windward- fast and flat. Our next port was to be Loutra.

Greek People are Nice

The next morning after the drama we found a nice coffee shop, Me

lipputo. Linda there gave us WiFi, dried our coats and suggested the excellent Yalos for fish dinner. Everyone was so nice. Around lunch time, we observed a large boat of men (it seems this happens to men) approach the pier in high winds at high speed. We closed our eyes. Soon his crew hopped off and he backed away from the jagged concrete pier. He then turned, and headed at equally high speed for the shallow water near the beach. We again closed our eyes, and he ran hard aground. He ran up and lowered his anchor (at least) and his crew ran down the dock and around the corner toward the boat. One stripped off his clothes and waded out to the boat. Soon the local fishing fleet sprang into action, and a small trawler was on the way with a towline.

Fishermen to the Rescue

In a dramatic and skillful operation, local fisherman expertly pulled the grounded 43 foot yacht off the beach. First, a small boat approached, and three lines were tied to the mast of the grounded vessel. Then a powerful diesel trawler backed up and tied on. Then, the boat was flipped toward the sea, taking advantage of some bouyancy. Then the trawler pulled from the top of the mast to free the boat. I was expecting them to pull from the bow, but this way they got help from the side of the hull, now in the water, and put no strain on the rudder or keel. The boat, from an area charter company, was in reasonable shape afterward. The salvage cost a reported 1100 Euros. As we watched the grounding happen, there are several lessons to be drawn. One, is to drop your anchor. The second is to try a spare anchor, including putting out two at once.  The third, failing those steps, is to kedge out an anchor right after the grounding, to keep the bow into the waves and provide a possible way to tow the boat off more easily.   If this had been a rocky coast and not a beach, the outcome would have been worse.

Greek Food- Don't Over Order :)

Hopefully we have explained we like to eat, and are fond of the Greek Taverna cuisine most of all. But in our excitement twice in a row we have gone back to the kitchen and somehow given the impression that we wanted not just what we wanted for six of us to share but actually wanted all the food they had left. In Kea we got every fish in the place on Sunday, and Monday somehow ordered every entree they had. Tonight, we are cutting back.

A Lack of Chain and High Drama

Apparently the major sin of inexperienced Med bareboat skippers is to not use enough chain. We were taught back at the Sunsail base in Vounaki that we needed about three boat lengths of chain out after free dropping the anchor. This worked perfectly in light air. But in Merikha, we came in and dropped about that amount plus or minus. A nice person in the rain grabbed our lines. We settled back and put away our foul weather gear and got out the cheese and crackers. A minute later another boat arrived and we helped them tie up. Soon they were headed back out at high speed, their anchor not holding. In about five minutes we felt a surge backward, and our anchor had broken loose in the stiff crosswind. Soon, even with a rookie crew (except for Renee) and a strong rain squall we had the lines cast off and we were headed out. Despite being a full boat width away from our neighbor, we captured his anchor. Soon, he came out from the wall, and we both started drifting toward shallow water.

We managed to get stabilized and back away from the shoal, and he found an iron hook on a line to untangle anchors. We decided the growing crosswind was too strong for the wall, so once untangled we anchored out, far from the ferries. We found a nice spot in shallow water and watched the wind build. Rod Heikell says this harbor is bad in a SW or W wind, but the wind did howl in from the NNW. We were protected from the swell.

The boat we tangled chains with went alongside the empty wall. We went to bed and were in a few hours awakened by whistles and boat horns.

One of the boats still Med moored on the wall either broke loose or tired of the rolling and anchored right by the ferry dock. The boat on the wall alongside headed at high speed to the shallow water ahead of us and then back toward the back of the harbor. They did not have an anchor down. Soon a 300 foot ferry appeared, and started blowing his horn. The stern of the ferry comes way back into the harbor as they leave. In the meantime the boat from the alongside tie up and gone past us in the 37 mph gale and blowing rain and

was tangled in some local small boat moorings near shore. Soon, they worked their way aground.

Wind - Six Beufort's Worth

Several of the Greek sailing websites describe the area of the Cyclades as "windswept"- I think they are right. Around the time we checked into the base in Lavrion, we were handed a weather forecast with Beufort Force Six circled for several of the days. This wind scale, developed in 1805, captures the idea that the force of the wind increases dramatically with speed - and a Force Six wind calls for a Small Craft Advisory. The hint was given that around Force Six, we would be unable to leave port. All night I was planning various ideas to keep the crew amused, and we left the back seat on the rented van at the Avis office, thinking we needed the luggage space. The next morning the forecast was revised, and off we went. This situation is common in the summer with the Meltemi, which blows hot and strong and can make the waters very challenging.   There are reports of "four days" of Force Seven winds in this area.

Our first day sailing over to Kea was windy, and we made it fifteen or so miles on just the jib at five or so knots. The next day on our way to Kythnos the wind was light but we had large seas- five to seven feet, some larger.  Amy, on her first charter, loved steering in strong winds and large seas, so earned the nickname "Six Beuforts."

Kea- Vourkari

All of the experts consulted seemed to think Kea (Vourkari) was a good harbor for a first stop.  There is a lot of space on the wall and the shelter is good.  We found around ten places to choose from for dinner, and the Zeus Faber Cafe has WiFi that can be reached from the boat :).  There is a shop for extra provisions as well.  Now for a weather report. 

The New Athens Base

We learned a few things about the new Sunsail Lavrion/Olympic/Athens base:

1. They have serious experts on the area doing the chart briefings
2. We found a rental car helpful and we stored our luggage in it.
3. A day in Athens is worth it for the food and scenery
4. The Greeks are good at tourism - you are in good hands always
5. They will manage with English but will appreciate a word or two of Greek
6. There are two sailing areas you can try depending on the winds - down toward the Cyclades or over toward Athens
7. There is a nice, well stocked shop on site
8. GSM (Global Standard) cell phones and data plans work well - CDMA ones not so much on the data side.  Essentially all Tavernas had WiFi.
9. There seems to be a bus to the good sized town of Lavrion from the airport via a stop.  Also one from the last Metro stop before the airport.  But Olympic Marina is a mile or two away from the actual town.  The base is 30 minutes from the Athens airport by car/taxi. 
10.  There is a nice supermarket (My Market) in Lavrion. 

10 Foot Seas

On the way over from Lavrion to Kea today (15 NM) we got some 10 foot swells. One of our newest crew, Amy, kept wanting to drive,  She did well.  We are happy.

Greek Sailing

If you are planning to charter in Greece you will need some basic qualifications. There is a new EU law, which is getting phased in across the continent.  As near as I can tell the Skipper needs the ASA 101 qualification at a minimum.  It has been years since I set foot in a sailing classroom, but the class we took had another experienced skipper going on a charter in Turkey and a total beginner.  We had fun and the instructor put up with us,  The payoff is big- there are some lovely waters and ports open to you now.  The First Mate can use a certificate issued by Sunsail.  A current rules of the road class is good all by itself.   

Athens Before and After

After a while you develop a list of favorite cities.  Athens is near the top of mine.  I think the food is the highlight, and the nice people would be second.  I usually find cities edgy, but once you set foot in a Greek shop or taverna or hotel, you know you will have a good experience.   On some items, a bit of minor bargaining was possible in shops. 

I am also not a fan of taking cabs on sailing trips.  When you have 6-8 crew, and luggage, you have to take two, or special order large vans.  So a good transit system is mandatory.  We get our hotel block near a major Metro stop, then we have cheap trips to and from the airport that run on time and have full mobility for a few Euros. 

You have to pay attention at intersections, as zooming motor bikes and other vehicles are everpresent.  It is interesting that it was hard to find non-Greek food.  But since the Greek food is so lovely, and you can get a lot of dishes in the average place (fish, meat, vegatables, etc.) you won't go hungry.  We tipped at American standards (15-20% or so) and the waiters seemed happy.

     

Greek Food - An Appreciation

If anyone wants to know the real reason why we like to charter in Europe- it's the food.  The simple, well prepared meals in places like Italy and Greece are a big reason people want to spend their vacations on the sunny coastlines and islands down there.  We have found you can get an authentic Greeek meal even in downtown Athens for the same price or less than at home.  Food seems to be slightly cheaper the closer you get to a marina, which is fine with me.   If you pay for your own boat repairs, it is probably true you are poor. The exchange rate on the Euro vs. the Dollar is very good now- 1.36. 

Here is a plate of stuffed green peppers at "Plakiotissa" which is in Plaka near Acropolis Metro Station.  We are getting to the point we have been to some places more than a few times over the years, and they keep getting it right.  We were asking yesterday about lemon soup- which is apparently only available in the winter. 

Twitter Feed

We are writing about our Athens charter on Twitter 10daysingreece

And we'll have some new crew- Amy, Becky, Sharon and John- on their first charter as guest commentators here

Charter Route Planning (Not)

One of our favorite sailing magazines, Latitude 38, has a slogan "We go where the wind blows."

That has become our defacto process for route planning on charters.  We got into this a little before our first trip to Greece, where a long list of possible ports was developed.  When we got there, the wind was very light, and the list had to be scrapped.  We won't go as far in high winds either, if there is a chance of any non-beginner friendly conditions. 

What we do now is to buy the area guidebook ahead of time, and go over the area around the base at a high level.  Then, on arrival at the base we go to the the chart briefing, paper and pencil in hand and take the recommendations from the base.  These are often very current, and take into account the weather.  We will try to avoid the flotilla routes on the same day due to crowding in smaller ports, but can go to all the same ports in reverse order.

This is how we had one of our most magical experiences ever, a two day stop in Amalfi, Italy, which was not in the brochure, but was suggested by the office at the base, due to the weather conditions being just right.  If you set low expectations ahead of time, you won't have sad crew who had their hearts set on a port  that was unreachable due to wind, weather and other conditions.  And you just might find the experience of a lifetime (which we try to have every year on our  charters).

Organization and Planning

While you can get carried away with too much planning for a week long boat charter, it helps to get a bit down on paper, if for no other reason than to make the actual trip more relaxing.  Stress is the enemy of all good things.

The late William F. Buckley Jr. wrote a series of books starting in the 1970s on his ocean crossing sailing and charter adventures with friends.  The first of the series, Airborne, was a best seller.  In these, he set out a plan for his voyages, and selected his route and timing.  He put most of his energy into picking out his crew, who were often high powered business and government leaders.  He put together a nice mixture of people, as he knew they had to get along for several weeks at sea.

He assigned duties and set up watches in advance, and had a formal chain of command.  As anyone who has chartered before knows, management by committee is a poor choice on a vessel at sea.

On our trips, we have the following setup, which works well for groups of friends who may have never met.  The idea is everyone has a job, and we have several departments aboard.  This way there is no resentment or overlap.  The jobs for running the boat are only in operation when we are underway, and we try to stick to our areas of expertise.

Captain
First Officer
Food and Beverage Director
Medical Officer
2nd Officer
Crew

The idea is anyone who is new, or unassigned, has a primary job in one of  the areas, and when we are sailing, everyone helps with that.  But in an emergency, as an example, this allows  the Medical Officer to have no other duties but to focus on First Aid. 

The other idea from Buckley which we love is to have a headquarters hotel set up before and after the trip, so everyone can gather there from all over, and one is not waiting at the marina long before check in.  We have used Best Western hotels extensively in Europe, which provide a cozy, well located Euro hotel experience with a USA based reservation system and at a good price. 

An Athens Charter 10/2011

In my circle of friends we are always talking about our sailing adventures.  This includes past ones (we have been to the BVIs and St. Martin about ten times) and coming up with ideas for new trips.  I think we were at an event sponsored by the  St. Croix Sailing Cub in about 2007, and I was sharing our stories and actually said I had such a great crew I would go with them on a charter anyplace we could get a boat.  At that moment, two of my friends looked at me and asked when I was taking our group to Greece.

For Americans, chartering in Europe is only a slightly longer flight than going to say the BVIs.  The price  of the boats  is about  the same, and so are the other expenses.  But once you are over there, the number of opportunities for experiencing history and culture and a variety of food is huge.  We have found the sailing is excellent at all of the Sunsail bases, but we like to focus more on the people and places we will see- we like quality shore leave and of course the exploration of new areas is on the top of our list.

We always talk to the Sunsail office about our trips- we share what we are thinking  and they guide us on the exact base for the time of year and our requirements.  We had a fabulous time following their advice in Vounaki, Greece, and soon made plans to go to Italy.  We enjoyed the new base in Naples /Procida last year, and soon it was time to go back to Europe.

You can tell if your crew is ready to go again if you throw out an idea "back to the Greek islands" and your inbox fills up with replies "yes please- let me clear my calendar."