Our Skippered Charters in Greece
For those without a valid certificate for bareboat sailing or just want to relax a little bit more on your sailing holiday - our skippered yacht charters are made for you!
Skippered charters as the name implies means the yacht rental comes with an authorised skipper who will handle the main tasks of sailing the boat, navigating the islands and mooring when visiting islands.
Our skippers are highly trained, know the Greek islands like the back of their hands and are friendly and easygoing. With our skippers, you are guaranteed an amazing sailing holiday in Greece!
Istion maintains a wide range of sailing yachts, sailing catamarans and motor yachts up to 60 feet available for rent to any island chain in Greece.
Our Skippered Charter Bases
We are pleased to provide skippered charters from all of our bases throughout Greece.
Skippered charters give you the flexibility of deciding your own sailing route with the comfort of knowing an experienced captain is on board to guide you through any rough seas and to recommend the little known spots that make sailing in Greece such an amazing experience!
No matter which charter base you set off from, you can rest assured your skipper has all the local knowledge to ensure your sailing holiday in Greece is simply unforgettable!
Skippered Charters - Frequently Asked Questions
Skippered charters are required for charter groups who have no qualified sailors in their party and are recommended for those who do not have enough experience to feel confident handling a yacht themselves. In such cases, we are happy to suggest the right yacht type and provide an experienced skipper who will handle the yacht for you.
Our skippers are a friendly lot who know the best spots to visit and the best routes to take to ensure you have a simply amazing sailing holiday in Greece! The exact route and islands you visit are completely up to you. All skippered charters start with a briefing between you and your skipper to agree on the best itinerary based on your interests.
The skipper is responsible for the navigation of the yacht, mooring, anchoring and manoeuvring and for keeping the deck and cockpit of the yacht in good, clean and fully functional condition, also for managing the refilling of water and fuel of the yacht and of the outboard engine and for processing port formalities, all on Charterer’s expense.
The hostess shall do the daily shopping and prepare and serve each day breakfast and a light meal (lunch or dinner). In addition, the hostess will assist the skipper in all of his/her duties under his/her instructions and shall take care of cleaning of communal areas of the yacht daily.
The crew (skipper and/or hostess) will have his/her own cabin and share a WC.
In the case of a catamaran, crew will sleep in one of the bow cabins.
That all depends on you! Istion's experts are always happy to recommend the best choice for your needs. Our skippered charters typically use larger boats including both sailing yachts and catamarans. Catamarans are a favourite choice for many skippered charters due to their comfortable and spacious layout and smooth handling while sailing. Your sailing holiday can be tailored to fit your party and your preferences. We have a wide selection of yachts suitable for smaller and larger groups, simply contact us for our recommendations based on how many people will be in your party!
Please note that regardless of the yacht’s size, the number of passengers allowed must not exceed 12. A pleasure craft in Greece that carries more than 12 people is considered a ‘passenger ship’ and must comply with different safety regulations which are not compatible with bareboat charters.
Our skippered charters are usually offered Saturday to Saturday. Depending on the yacht’s booking plan however, there may be a chance we could accommodate other embarking/disembarking dates, so feel free to ask!
Our skippered charters start on Saturday at 17:00. In some cases a fast track process is available for an additional fee. If it is available, fast tracking allows you to check in at 14:00. If you wish to start your charter earlier than 17:00 please notify us so we can advise on availability.
Charters end on Saturday at 0:900 (disembarkation from the boat). You will need to be back at your designated finishing base by Friday at 18:00.
The key for sailing charters is simplicity and a minimum of unneeded extras. Casual and breezy beach attire is certainly the order of the day on deck, though for evenings ashore, slacks or a sundress are more appropriate. Rubber soled shoes as opposed to hard soles are recommended aboard our yachts, so bring boat shoes or tennis shoes. For cool or windy evenings, a windbreaker comes in handy and depending on the time of year you are sailing a long sleeved shirt or two just in case you feel chilly is a good idea.
Above all, protection from the sun is vital – lots of suntan lotion, wide-brimmed hats or sailing caps, and loose-fitting cotton cover-ups. Don't forget to pack it all in soft-shell baggage for easy onboard storage.
During check-in, you will meet our base team (and of course your skipper!) who will conduct the yacht familiarisation briefing and join you in thoroughly inspecting the yacht so as to have an overview on all the yacht's systems and safety equipment on board.
Check-out is similar in the sense that here too our base staff will inspect the yacht and you will sign the handover papers. This is also a good time for you to share your feedback and any comments you may have regarding the yacht & your overall sailing experience.
Kindly be advised that all our yachts are comprehensively insured against damage to the hull, machinery and/or equipment including third party cover, beyond a deductible excess figure, which is boat’s security deposit.
The security deposit is a refundable deposit used to cover the insurance deductible of any ONE insurable event (damage or loss). This means that should an incident occur, in order to be covered against a 2nd incident, the charterer must replenish the security deposit to the initial amount.
The value of the security deposit varies depending on the size of the yacht or catamaran you are renting. If no insurable event occurs during your sailing holiday, the deposit is returned.
The security deposit covers damage per insurable event that will be covered by the amount of the refundable figure (i.e. EUR 3000 for a Lagoon 42) even if the cost for the damage is higher.
The only possibility of exceeding the refundable figure is with the loss or damage of the auxiliary equipment of the vessel, such as damage or loss of the outboard motor or dinghy. For such, you (the client) would need to cover the cost of the reparation and/or replacement of the auxiliary equipment in full.
For skippered charters, If the damage is caused by the skipper, then the skipper is responsible, on the other hand you (the customer) are responsible for your actions and any damage caused by your actions onboard.
Yes! When chartering with Istion Yachting we offer the option to reduce the boat’s security deposit by choosing the security reduction which consists of two figures (amounts depend on yacht’s size as per our Bareboat Price List).
SECURITY REDUCTION (NON-REFUNDABLE & REFUNDABLE FIGURES)
Security Deposit reduction:
• Yachts up to 44 ft: €300/week plus refundable security deposit €500
• Yachts from 45 ft and up to 50 ft: €350/week plus refundable security deposit €600
• Yachts from 51 ft up to 54 ft: €400/week plus refundable deposit €700
• Yachts from 55 ft: €500/week plus refundable deposit €1.000
• All catamarans up to 41 ft: €400/week plus refundable deposit €700
• All catamarans from 42 ft and up to 45 ft: €500/week plus refundable deposit €800
• All catamarans from 46 ft: €600/week plus refundable deposit €1.000
The security deposit reduction is mandatory in case of a skippered charter. For all skippered charters: €350 plus refundable security deposit €700. Not available for regattas & races.
