Flotilla sailing holidays can be a great way for beginners to enjoy a yachting holiday in Greece. If you have enjoyed flotilla sailing but are considering progressing or fancy a change then a bareboat yacht charter on an Island Sailing yacht is a great next step.

There are a few differences between standard flotilla sailing holidays and bareboat yacht charter sailing holidays

With Bareboat Yacht charter, unlike standard flotillas you have the freedom to chose your own route, you sail exactly where you want to, visit the places that you want to see and decide when you want to anchor off, moor up and set sail again. Every day is a ‘free sailing day’ when you chose a bareboat yacht charter holiday.

Flotillas can follow the standard, often crowded ‘milk run’ routes and you may wish to follow this yourself BUT with the freedom to set sail and arrive at the next port when YOU decide. You can also chose to avoid some of the busier places in favour of the more peaceful and quiet destinations, or pick to visit a destination on one of the days when the big flotillas are somewhere else! You can explore bays and harbours that are more untouched and more tranquil and visit the smaller ports that are too small for the flotillas to get to due to the sizes of their fleets.

A flotilla holiday can be more expensive that a bareboat holiday, with bareboat yacht charters you pay for your yacht without the extra cost of the flotilla on top.

If you love the party atmosphere of flotilla and enjoy being part of a large group of people throughout your sailing holiday you may miss this on a bareboat yacht charter. If you want to experience the beauty of the Greek Ionian Islands with your friends and family or enjoy meeting like minded sailors when you moor up each evening in the many different ports and harbours then bareboat holidays are perfect! Many great friendships begin on a bareboat yacht charter holiday where you strike up a conversation with a neighbouring yacht and share experiences and stories together. With a bareboat yacht charter sailing holiday you can chose to make new friends and meet other couples and families who all share things in common – especially a love for a great Greek sailing holiday!

If you would rather enjoy complete peace and tranquility with your family or friends or share a romantic sailing holiday getaway or yachting honeymoon bareboat yacht charter is definitely the way to go.

If you feel you may be ready to move onto bareboat yacht charter after one or more flotilla sailing holidays but are worried about being left on your own – don’t!!

You can progress to bareboat yachting with Island Sailing in two different ways:

1. Bareboat Yacht Charter

If you’re confident to set sail straight away and skipper your yacht bareboat, (knowing we will still be on hand if you need us) and have the RYA Day Skipper or ICC under your belt then go for it!! If you chose a bareboat yacht charter with Island Sailing this does not mean you are sent off without any support, it just means you are free to do what you like, when you like.

An Island Sailing bareboat yacht charter offers you total freedom on your sailing holiday with the security that we are always available should you need assistance. While on charter with us you have access to our personal support and professional advice wherever and whenever you need it.

You have 24/7 communication with us via radio or mobile phone and in the unlikely event of you needing support, backup is provided by a large rib we are always available should you ever need our assistance.

A weather text will be sent each morning and we are always at the end of the phone and VHF. Whist you plan your own routes we are happy to offer any suggestions and can provide advice on the sailing area from the best anchorages and beaches to great restaurants and tavernas.

We offer free stern to mooring assistance at the start of your holiday. We are on hand if you would like a little help mooring up on your first couple of evenings in the Ionian. We also provide free stern to mooring practice sessions which is a popular option with sailors who are seeking a refresher.

You will give you a full run down of your yacht. Once we have covered all the essentials, shown you all of the safety equipment onboard and provided a chart briefing we can spend as much or as little time as you like discussing the sort of sailing you would like to do and, together with our detailed knowledge of the sailing area you will know all the best places to explore before you cast off.

We provide a great sailing guide to the area full of useful information and advice, as well as the Heikell Guide and all necessary charts and navigation aids, including Raymarine Chartplotters.

2. Assisted Bareboat Sailing holidays

If you feel like you want to progress from Flotilla sailing to bareboat sailing in Greece but want a little extra support from your own personal Island Sailing skipper for the first few hours of your sailing holiday or maybe the first day or two try our assisted bareboat sailing option.

An assisted bareboat sailing holiday can offer great value for money for those wanting the instruction, guidance or support of a skipper on board for some of the time. Unlike a flotilla sailing holiday where your flotilla leader is responsible for all the boats in the flotilla, not just your boat an assisted bareboat sailing holiday means you have your own dedicated and private instructor who is there to assist you 110% of the time.

You can keep your skipper onboard on an open ended basis and have him for as little or as long as you need progressing to bareboat when you are ready. When you do go bareboat you still get our dedicated support throughout your sailing holiday as mentioned above. Assisted bareboat sailing can be a really great way to progress from flotilla sailing holidays to bareboat sailing – you can:

Brush up on the skills and experience you have gained on your previous flotilla holidays
Learn more about the Ionian Island sailing areas and take advantage of your skippers’ local knowledge - find out about all the best places to moor and anchor up
Give yourself or your family or friends time to relax and unwind and get used to your yacht before you take the boat bareboat