Evaluation: Casual flotilla vacation with Sail Ionian, Lefkada, Greece

For one week this Summer time, we have been the captains of our personal Greek journey. With not one of the regular 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 unbiased family-run firm working out of Vliho Bay, Lefkada.

With out being complacent, we have been wanting ahead to some hopefully simple crusing in pleasant winds, quick hops between islands, and a solar that not often clocks off. Most of our coaching had been in considerably much less inviting circumstances off the west coast of Scotland, however this could hopefully have put us in good stead for something surprising.

The thought of crusing in a gaggle — in convoy, however with the liberty to roam and help available — provided the right mix of independence and reassurance.

What’s a flotilla vacation?

A flotilla is a small fleet of boats — normally not more than ten — loosely travelling the identical route. Every 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.

Help comes within the type of a lead crew who information, advise, and infrequently step in once you’re struggling to moor. It’s camaraderie with a light-weight contact. Steering with out intrusion. And our skilled flotilla help crew included skipper Maria (who glided by the radio identify of Rodney for some purpose!), Ervin, and Nick — all calm below stress, and all the time showing exactly when wanted, like nautical genies.

What’s required to sail a yacht?

In Greece, a minimum of one particular person on board wants an ICC (Worldwide Certificates of Competence) or an RYA Day Skipper qualification. A second grownup have to be a minimum of on the degree of ‘Competent Crew’ — basically somebody who is aware of their port from their starboard and gained’t tie themselves to the growth throughout a gybe.

To turn out to be an RYA Day Skipper, there’s a idea and sensible element — with a minimum of 40 hours of research advisable for the speculation, while the sensible factor is a 5-day course (however assumes a level of prior expertise, such because the 5-day RYA Competent Crew course). Upon getting 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 have been a blended social gathering 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 laws wouldn’t have allowed us to usually 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 perfect steadiness of expertise and fresh-eyed surprise, with sufficient ability to sail independently however no scarcity of awe for what we have been about to expertise.

Our yacht

Our floating house for the week was Te Anau, a Bavaria 46 Fashion 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. In fact, with ten of us on board, it was cosy – however we knew that will be the case and have been ready for it… it’s an excellent job we get alongside effectively. Because the week progressed, a number of of us most well-liked to sleep below the celebs on deck as that tended to be pretty and funky.

There was a stunning welcome basket that greeted us on arrival, too.

Our route

Our route was to take us across the South Ionian, calling at a wide range of totally different islands, with the precise itinerary evovling because the week went on, relying on the climate circumstances. Right 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 have been off the dock and motoring by way of the Vliho strait by late afternoon. The ocean was mild, our spirits excessive, and we have been wanting ahead to the journey that lay forward.

We lower 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 appeal. 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 shifting of fenders and just a little parking apply earlier than setting off once more. Between Meganisi and Lefkada, we caught a fleeting glimpse of dolphins — too fast for the digital camera, however sufficient to place huge 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 — pink snapper and dorada, merely grilled, completely flaky.

Day 3: Sivota, Lefkada to Fiskardo, Kefalonia

The wind was in our favour. We sailed — really 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 is not 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 Seashore, the place we explored a once-mined limestone cave with tunnels that reach over 100 metres deep.

Dinner that evening was a curveball, advisable by our help crew: Lord Falcon, a stunning Thai restaurant tucked away in one among Fiskardo’s again streets.

Day 4: Fiskardo, Kefalonia to Vathy, Ithaca

There are numerous Vathys in Greece, and at this time we visited one other: the one on Ithaca, fabled house of Odysseus and proud bearer of one of many deepest pure harbours within the Ionian. (The identify ‘Vathy’ comes from the Greek phrase “βαθύς” (vathýs), which means “deep” — an apt description for the sheltering harbours that bear its identify.)

We stopped first at Filiatro Seashore — turquoise, crystalline, postcard-perfect — and spent an hour swimming, lounging, and paddleboarding. That evening, securely anchored, we skipped the taverna and cooked aboard Te Anau . A dinner with the celebs 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.

Sure, pigs. With totally different theories abounding as to why they’re there, from shipwrecks to a supply of meals, they’ve turn out to be unlikely icons. However should you ought to go to, please bear in mind these are feral animals and don’t decide them up as we noticed one baby try… the piglet’s mom didn’t appear so completely satisfied!

Later, we reached Kalamos, the place we wandered to Alogoborós seaside, probably the most fantastic secluded cove which we loved to ourselves.

Dinner was at George’s taverna, a neighborhood favorite with probably the most scrumptious hen souvlaki.

Day 6: Kalamos, Kalamos Island to Palairos, mainland Greece

Numerous 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. Inbuilt 1886, this lone basilica provided sweeping views and, maybe, just a little 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 move again to Vathy, Meganisi, returning to a well-recognized bay the place we knew the taverna. However 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 have been now just a little extra tanned, just a little saltier, and fully smitten.

We packed our issues, disembarked Te Anau and had a late breakfast at Vliho Yacht Membership, earlier than our respective households stated our farewells, however not with out promising to do an analogous journey collectively subsequent 12 months. Our holidays weren’t as we every had just a few days left – us in Greece nonetheless, and the opposite household returning to america through Italy.

The ultimate verdict

Usually when folks consider luxurious yachting holidays, they could consider silver trays and white gloves. This wasn’t like that every one – it was one thing higher. It was casual, magical, mildly chaotic (there have been ten of us on board in any case), and completely joyful. And the posh got here within the type of time collectively, limitless laughter and a very memorable expertise.

We took selfies with pigs. We ate pink snapper that was caught simply hours earlier. We in some way 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 web. Journey with steerage. Independence with out isolation.

Would we do it once more? Completely. Although subsequent time, we would maintain 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 Airways.