Boat charter in Greece

Greece yacht charter with captain

Trade the licence test for a week in the Aegean or the Ionian. Book a sailboat, a catamaran or a motor yacht in Greece, and a professional captain comes with it. Athens, Lefkada, Corfu, Kos. You bring the crew, we bring the captain.

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Frequently asked questions about a Greece yacht charter with captain

Will I or anyone in my group need a sailing license for a Greece charter with a captain?
No. The captain holds the ICC plus VHF (or a recognized international equivalent like the RYA Day Skipper) and takes full nautical responsibility. The Greek port police check the captain's papers, not yours. American guests with no sailing background regularly book this way.
What does it cost to add a captain to a Greece yacht charter?
Around USD 220 to 310 per day, or USD 1,500 to 1,900 for a standard Saturday-to-Saturday week. A separate food kitty of about USD 40 to 55 per day is paid locally because the captain shares meals with the group.
When is the best time of year for a captained Greece yacht charter?
Late April through late October. May, June and September are the calendar sweet spots: water still warm, the meltemi is rare, prices drop noticeably outside July and August. July and August are peak: hot, busy, the highest prices, and meltemi-managed routing in the Cyclades.
What is the meltemi and how does it affect our Greek charter week?
The meltemi is the strong NW Etesian wind that blows across the Aegean in summer, peaking in July and August at 25 to 40 knots in the Cyclades. It is the single biggest factor in a Greek summer charter. The captain's job is to plan the route around it. The Ionian and the Saronic are sheltered, the Cyclades are exposed, the Sporades and Dodecanese sit in between. May, June and September are the meltemi-quiet months.
Where will the captain take us on a Greece charter?
The route is your call, made together at the Saturday briefing. Common choices: Saronic islands from Athens for an easy first charter, the Ionian loop from Lefkada or Corfu for a family-friendly sheltered week, the Cyclades from Athens or Mykonos for the photo-album version, the Sporades from Skiathos for quieter water, the Dodecanese from Kos for the eastern Aegean.
How big a group fits on a Greece charter with captain?
Two to twelve guests plus the captain, depending on the boat. Couples and small parties tend to pick monohull sailboats. Families and friend groups go catamaran for the cabin layout. Anything larger than twelve usually means a fully crewed gulet, which is more of a Turkish thing than a Greek one; if that's the brief, get in touch and we will route you to the crewed catalogue.
Can the captain teach me to sail during our week in Greece?
Yes. A captained week in Greece is a popular informal sailing school. The meltemi cycle in particular is a useful weather environment to learn in (predictable diurnal builds, rather than random fronts). By the end of the week, motivated guests can typically dock under power, hold a course, set and trim sails. There's no exam, no syllabus unless you ask for one.
Where does the captain sleep on the boat during our Greece charter?
In the forward or aft cabin depending on the boat layout. On smaller monohulls, sometimes in the saloon. The arrangement is confirmed at the Saturday briefing so privacy expectations are clear from the start.

Greece yacht charter with captain: hand the helm to a pro who already knows what the meltemi is going to do

American visitors planning a Greek charter run into the same paperwork wall every Mediterranean newcomer hits: bareboat charters in Greece require an ICC plus VHF licence, or a recognized international equivalent. The Greek port police check before departure. A Greece yacht charter with captain sidesteps the paperwork and the meltemi guesswork in one move. Pick any sailboat, catamaran or motor yacht in our Greece fleet, and a professional captain comes with it for the week. The captain holds the licenses, has been reading meltemi forecasts since they could read, and reverses into a Hydra or Symi quay in 25 knots of crosswind without raising their voice. Your job: pick the boat, pack a swimsuit, decide whether tonight's anchorage is a quiet bay or a town quay with grilled octopus on the wall.

Greece yacht charter with captain: the essentials

Detail What to expect
Captain fee About USD 220 to 310 per day, or USD 1,500 to 1,900 per week, plus food kitty (around USD 40 to 55 per day)
License required from guests? None. The captain holds the ICC plus VHF (or recognized equivalent) for everyone on board
Charter base ports Athens (Alimos, Lavrio), Lefkada (Nidri, Vlicho), Corfu (Gouvia), Kos, Volos, Skiathos
Standard charter week Saturday to Saturday
Boat types Sailing yachts, catamarans, motor yachts
Best time of year Late April through late October. May, June and September shine; July and August are meltemi-managed in the Cyclades.
Group size 2 to 12 guests, plus the captain

What you actually get when you bring a captain along

  • Zero license stress: Greece checks paperwork. With a captain aboard, that paperwork is theirs, not yours.
  • The captain picks the right cruising area for the season: July and August in the Cyclades is meltemi country, 25 to 40 knots most afternoons. The captain either runs the week downwind or, more often, redirects the route plan to the Saronic, the Sporades or the Ionian, where the meltemi barely shows up.
  • Local intelligence you can't Google: which taverna in Symi serves the squid the locals queue for, where the holding really is good in Lakka, when to leave Mykonos for Tinos to beat the lunchtime build. That is the part you cannot read off a chartplotter.
  • Med-mooring made invisible: Greek harbors pack boats stern-to with millimeters between hulls. Watching a stranger do it well is one of the small pleasures of a captained week.
  • Insurance coverage shifts: handling errors are the captain's professional responsibility, not a hold on your security deposit.
Captain's Insider Tip: "If your dates are flexible, aim for late May, June or September. The meltemi (the strong NW Etesian wind that defines the Aegean summer) is rare in those months, the water is already warm enough for swimming, and the famous Cycladic harbors are half-empty. If you have already locked in mid-July or August, the smart move is to run the Ionian (Lefkada to Ithaca to Kefalonia) where the meltemi barely arrives, or the Saronic (Hydra, Spetses, Poros) right out of Athens. The Cyclades in August can be a magical week, but only with a captain who has done the route ten times before."

Where a captain is most likely to take you

  • Saronic, sailing out of Athens: Hydra, Spetses, Poros, Aegina. The classic relaxed week, ferry-friendly distances, no meltemi exposure. Easiest connection from a US flight via the Athens airport.
  • Ionian, sailing out of Lefkada or Corfu: the Lefkada to Meganisi to Ithaca to Kefalonia loop. Family-friendly distances, sheltered water, the calmest Greek week available.
  • Cyclades, sailing out of Athens or Mykonos: Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Santorini, Milos. The dramatic photo-album week. Best in May, June or September unless you actively want the meltemi as a feature, not a bug.
  • Sporades, sailing out of Skiathos or Volos: Skiathos, Skopelos (the Mamma Mia island), Alonissos and the National Marine Park. Lush, green, monk seals, far quieter than the Cyclades.
  • Dodecanese, sailing out of Kos: Kos, Leros, Kalymnos, Patmos, Symi. Very close to the Turkish coast, fortress-rich harbors, distinct character.

The booking process, end to end

  1. Choose a base port, dates and group size at the top of this page.
  2. We confirm a boat and a professional captain.
  3. Send the deposit. The captain's contact details land in your inbox.
  4. Saturday afternoon: meet at the marina, do the boat briefing.
  5. Six days later, Friday evening: return, pack up, fly home tan.

What the price covers and what is paid locally

Included up front: the boat, the captain's professional fee, full third-party insurance. Paid locally during the week: the captain's food kitty (around USD 40 to 55 per day, the captain eats with the group), fuel, port fees outside the home port (Greek harbor fees are modest), optional end-of-charter cleaning. Want a different category of boat? Browse our full Greece fleet, sailboats in Greece and catamarans in Greece.