Sailing Itinerary

There are two options – there is a very easy trip which requires little to no sailing and the slightly more
challenging option which will enable us to sail considerably more and save fuel.

Option 1
Option 2
Regardless of where we choose the weather will be warm being the first week of July and the start of
the high season. Highs can reach the mid 30’s but are often between 27-33 and rarely drop below 20
even at night.

During the summer months and especially between mid July and mid August, strong winds are
common in the Aegean Sea. These winds are called "Meltemi" and blow from North/Northeast.
"Meltemi" starts suddenly and can blow continuously for several days. Wind conditions in the
Ionian are generally 1-2 Beaufort less than in the Aegean.

As a result July can be the start of the Meltimi’s which are strong winds which run from the
north and south towards the Cyclades (option 2) this can be a good option for people more
keen onsailing than motoring and being the start of the month the winds are not yet at a peak,
occurring usualy mid July to August.

Personally I would strongly recommend the Cyclades for two reasons. Firstly, the sailing is
considerably better and secondly it can make for a very long, noisy, boring day if we’re just
motoring for hours at a time.
Start location: KALAMAKI MARINA

On our first day it would be best if we all arrive around 10.30 am unless rescheduled prior.
Although we will most likely depart between 1 -2pm this will alow us enough time to meet
William. Check everything has been process and most importantly get to the supermarket and
buy provisions.

This is usually carried out by our resident chef extraordinaire David, but he will need two deck
hands to help with the carrying and loading. This will most likely be Micheal and Robert being
the strongest. I will be on the boat and Katherine you can help me board and load the bags.

A good meeting place is the skippers bar very close to where we will launch in Kalmki marina, if
you take a taxi it’s almost certina they will know the location as it’s a regualr meeting spot.
With regards to costs I will try to make it as transparent as possible here.

Boat Hire 950

Fuel 100
Deposit 1500
Food + Drink 400
Total 2950
Per person 590

These are the shared costs and of course the deposit is refundable as long as there is no
damage to the boat. This does however exclude evening meals and drinks or any spirits if you
would like to bring some aboard. It’s not necessary as we usually have beer and wine in the
shared costs but of course if you would like to bring some please feel free.

I will keep a runing excel file of the costs as we go so we have a record of it and youre free to
ask for it at any time if you would like to keep up to date on anything that’s been paid or
covered for. There shouldn’t be any other shared costs but obviopsly in the event we have to
use a marina or refuel etc etc these will be shared costs and will be added to the toptal.

Eveing meals as ecplained before are paid individually and are really up to you but the running
rate we have found in the past is around 15 to 25 euro a head depending on qulaity, location
and food choice. That being said I would say on average meals and drinks in the eveing are
definatley at the lower end of the scale so you can budget around this. We usually eat ashore
every evening so you will have to budget accordingly.

What to bring

Stuff You DO NOT Need To Bring:

* Any kind of towels and/or linen

* Cooking and eating implements/utensils
* Full snorkel gear (Unless you have exceptionally large or small feet)
* Foul weather jacket
* Navigation tools, charts.
* Binoculars
* First aid kit; all boats have them on board Note: However, they're rather basic.
Ladies (maybe gentleman): First leave the expensive jewelry at home. Then...make sure to
forget this:
- Fake nails (they break immediately)
- Fake eyelashes (they fly immediately)
- A lot of make up
- A hair-dryer

Everyone:
* Work from your office
* Worries

Stuff You MUST Bring:

Remember: Use a soft, collapsible duffel bag. There is no room for a hard suitcase

Clothing
TIP: When you pack at home, put all your stuff on your bed. Then take half the clothes, and
put them back in the closet. Trust me, it works.
* Tee shirts / tank tops - lots of 'em (I take 1&1/2 t-sirt per day)
* Shorts
* Long sleeve, cotton cover up for first couple of days if your skin is not sun-friendly
* several bathing suits...No, 1 is not enough!
* Hat with wide brim AND restraining tie of some kind.
* Sunglasses - polarized sunglasses are great because they let you see the reefs underwater
* Have a tie for your hat and sunglasses- at marine stores, or in the Islands but for much more
money!
* Beach and / or walking sandals – make sure these don’t rub !
* One light windbreaker/ sweater in case you encounter cool nights.
* A tote bag or a back pack for the trips to the beach in the dinghy.
* It happens that bags get delayed, take a small carry-on bag with everything needed for 2 days.
Just in case!

Notes about cool and uncool stuff (if you don't want to look like a geek :-)
* cool: Boat shoes (no socks, pllleeease!) - Walking barefoot (until you get some splinter in your
foot) - Tee shirts/caps with the name of a race, sailing team, or boat on them

* NOT cool: Ending your cruise looking sunburn-lobster-red

Toiletries/Medications

* Basic toiletries - shampoo, tooth paste, - extensive make-up discouraged ;-)

* Sun lotions ... lots of it. If you are the light-skin type, get SPF 30 or higher.
* A second pair of prescription glasses / contact lenses if you use those.
* Any specific prescription drug you need
* Antihistamine and/or cold medicine
* Aspirin or equivalent
* Sun burn medications (Aloe Vera gel works wonders)
* Insect repellant - look for a brand called "OFF", which you can also find in the islands.
* Sea/ travel sickness medication

Other
* Your PASSPORTS
* Credit cards and/or travelers' checks.
* Call your credit cards before leaving and let them know you will be abroad. If not, your card
may be blocked after first purchase.
* Book
* Underwater camera.
* Small, personal flash light (helps you find stuff at night without waking up other guests.)
* Sailing gloves if you're used to them but necessary if you don’t have them
* Quality mask & snorkel, if you don't want to use the boat's snorkel or have large or tiny feet

Daily routine:

Obviosly every day is different but we usually rise around 6-8am. As captain I’m up early and
getting ready to depart, I will need one person every moring to help me raise the anchor and
leave safely so Ill let you know when we’re on the boat and who will do what and when. But
generally you can sleep as long as you need; it is a holiday after all.

Breakfast is usually continental meaning a variety of fruit, breads, Greek yoghurt with honey,
cheese and meats. We don’t cook for breakfast so it’s always cold. However I am a coffee fiend
so there will be freshly brewed coffee to start your day and of course water or juice. If you have
any dietary requirements please let me know in advance so we can plan before we leave /
finish the shopping.

We then usually sail through the day, hopefully arriving at our destination around 3pm. We will
heave to and have lunch or a swim at some stage, this levels the boat and gives us time to eat
or swim. This is a great chance to swim in some very deep water, with a safety line of course.
From here we will make our way to the anchorage mainly because its free but personally its
more peaceful and beautiful and allows us the freedom to swim and get away more easily in
the moring.