Catamaran Charter Greece

Catamaran Charter Greece

Catamarans are the fastest growing type of charter yacht at the moment and once you've sailed on one it's easy to see why. A catamaran charter Greece can take you to a multitude of beautiful destinations, from the Ionian to the Aegean, across thousands of years of civilisation and some seriously spectacular scenery.

Types of Catamarans Available For Charter In Greece:

Catamarans: Luxury catamarans are stable and spacious, with quick sailing performance, and have been gaining in popularity in recent years. Better for larger groups, they have lots of room for water toys, and are big enough for a little privacy. A catamaran charter is easy and comfortable for novices not used to heeling and are loved by families due to their extra space when compared to a monohull sailing yacht. Typically far more luxurious than a sailboat the larger catamarans have en suite toilets and showers in the cabin as well as ample entertaining space in the saloon and on deck.

Power Catamaran: These motor boat catamarans are relatively new, but have also been gaining in popularity as the two hulls keep the boat more stable when compared to a monohull. The wider beam also means more deck space and as they don't have sails or a mast, they have a lot more space on deck than a sailing catamaran rental or monohull. For a luxury catamaran charter, consider taking a crewed catamaran charter sailing vacation with an experienced captain.

Catamaran Sailing Areas In Greece

Let's look at five sailing areas where you can enjoy the best a Greece yacht charter has to offer.

Ionian Sea: The westernmost islands of Greece, the Ionian Islands are subject to calmer and more relaxed winds than the sometimes too-exciting Meltemi on the Aegean. Rising to near perfect sailing conditions from lunchtime on and falling to a zephyr at night, the Bora will allow you to explore the beautiful Ionian Sea and islands such as Corfu with the only excitement being what you make for yourself!

Argolic Gulf and Saronic Gulf: The nearest sailing area to Athens, this is Greek coastline sailing at its best. With the Saronic Islands and Cyclades Islands a short sail from the charter base, you can mix and match your sailing vacation as you wish. Explore ancient ruins and enjoy the nightlife as you enjoy Greek hospitality at its best.

Cyclades Islands: Just to the east of Athens and the Saronic Gulf, this is one of the more popular sailing areas in Greece thanks to its accessibility from the capital. You're afforded a mix of top end nightlife in locations like Mykonosand completely relaxed secluded coves or uninhabited islands with relics from the Helenic and Minoan empires of old as you cruise these beautiful islands.

Sporades Islands: Just off the Pagasetic Gulf (where Jason and the Argonauts are believed to have set sail from) the Sporades Island archipelago are a laid back paradise. Generally with Skiathos as the charter base and 26 beaches on that island alone, a yacht charter Greece in this area is about seriously relaxing on your luxury yacht!

Dodecanese Islands: Closer to Turkey than Greece, the Dodecanese Island archipelago with famous vacation islands including Rhodes and Kos are an ideal sailing trip destination. The sailing is fun and the tourism industry has blossomed in the area so from exploring the important ancient ruins to having serious fun, a Dodecanese catamaran sailing trip is about as much fun as you can in this varied and beautiful country.

Crewed Catamaran Charter or Bareboat:

When it comes to a Greece catamaran charter you typically have two choices - bareboat or crewed charter.

When using Borrow A Boat you can filter all catamaran searches to be with or without captain depending on what charter yachts you are looking for and below we cover some of the main points to consider for your catamaran rent.

Captained yacht charter: You can do a crewed or captained catamaran charter in Greece. This form of luxury yacht charter gives you the advantage of being able to get afloat without having to invest in getting sailing qualifications beforehand. For a captained luxury yacht you will pay a fixed fee for the crew and captain as well as their food and a tip at the end.

When you get to a luxury yacht charter with crew these prices will increase and costs also depend on where you plan to sail to along with the size and type of yacht rental on your sailing vacation.

In some cases, captains will also be the boat owner (typically day charter) which means they will know all the best - secluded beaches to show you the best that the area has to offer with their local knowledge.

For day trips you will often be able to use a captain as well and prices will vary depending on the type of charter boat.

Bareboat Catamaran Charter: For skilled sailors, a bareboat yacht charter is cheaper and gives more privacy for you and your charter guests. Many sailors prefer to be helming the charter yacht while choosing their own course, and provided you have the knowledge and relevant qualifications you can captain these boats yourself.

Do You Need A Licence To Charter A Catamaran In

If you are on a crewed Greece catamaran charter you do not need a license to sail - you can just turn up at the marina and go.

You do need a license if you are on a bareboat yacht charter and in some countries a day captain or ICC may not be enough for boats over 45 feet in length, you will need to check with the charter agent but here are some examples of typical sailing qualifications that will allow you to charter in most countries:

International Certificate of Competence: This is issued on request by your European sailing authority and you should automatically qualify with certain national sailing qualifications.

RYA Qualifications: If you have the following qualifications you will typically be able to take a bareboat charter out of Thailand (but it is worth checking as per above), these include Day Captain, Coastal Captain (*sail or motor endorsement) or Yachtmaster.

American Sailing Association (ASA): The ASA 104 Bareboat certificate is commonly accepted but also check as per above

US Sailing: The International Proficiency Certificate is widely accepted and The Bareboat Cruising Certificate is also accepted in many cases.