Informal Flotilla Option

What is a Flotilla in Greece?

A flotilla is typically a group of between 7 and 12 yachts who sail around the Ionian in Greece with one boat acting as a Lead Crew. This yacht has an engineer, skipper and hostess on board. Flotillas meet each morning for a briefing on where they will be heading each day, meet at lunchtime, typically in a bay, and again in the afternoon at around 3-4pm when each boat is helped moor up alongside each other for the evening. Each evening the lead crew of the flotilla organise some sort of entertainment, whether it is a group meal or drinks party.

What are the benefits of choosing flotilla?

If you lack the confidence to sail bareboat then our informal flotillas or assisted charter could be the option for you. Our informal flotillas give you the option to meet and socialise with other guests- a great option for families with younger children. Alternatively you could take a skipper with you for the first few days of your holiday. The skipper does not need to sleep on board and aims to give you the confidence to sail bareboat without a flotilla.

 

What is Assisted Sailing?

Assisted sailing

Assisted Sailing is a great option for novices or those that need to build their confidence. With assisted sailing your route is not set, allowing you complete control over your course. Your skipper is there to help you and ultimately you can be and feel able to continue your holiday by yourself with complete confidence. With assisted sailing you can

-Learn to sail and moor safely and confidently

-Learn to deal with situations suchas tacking, man overboard, and stern to mooring

-Build on your ability and thus give yourselves the freedom to sail the yacht without a flotilla

-Go off of the beaten track and explore some of the smaller bays and secret spots where flotillas don't frequent, giving you more options.

-Choose what time you anchor. With flotilla you are often pushed for space. Choosing assisted charter allows you to go to the smaller bays and ports, whenever you like with no worries about getting in early to rush for a space.

-For the first two days our staff will also be in the local harbours until 7 in the evening. Our assisting skippers will happily run by your schedule- as long as you promise to by them a beer on arrival in port!

If you have younger children, our Sail Ionian yachts with assisted skippers tend to head to the same harbours for the first two evenings, so you will still have plenty of opportunities to meet other families. The children group together and then often dictate where you go for the rest of the holiday!

What Support is there after the assisted skipper gets off our boat?

We are at the end of a phone 24 hours a day and we are there to answer any questions, whatever they are. We send you a weather text each morning and if the forcast is looking slightly different to the normal Ionian weather we will advise on ports to go where you will be sheltered and help with mooring is available if needed. On an average week we have two fully qualified and experienced skippers sailing around the area, so if you want support in the evening just follow them! We also have Rodney, an 8 metre rib (Speed Boat) which can get to you anywhere you are likely to visit in the Southern Ionian in under an hour.

Who are the skippers?

We are a family company and only have a few staff so the ones we employ are chosen for a reason! All our skippers are patient, used to teaching novices and newly qualified sailors and know the area well (for most it is our 5th year teaching in the area!). All our instructors are experienced RYA yachtmasters. For more information on our skippers please visit the Sail Ionian instuctors webpage.