Yachting in Greece - Saronic Islands

What is the schedule?
Yacht tours in Greece start from May to the end of October and run from Monday to Monday every week.

Check-in: Monday, 13:00, Marina Alimos, Athens (set out to sea when the crew is ready, a short passage to the island of Aegina).

Return to Athens: Sunday, 16:00.

Check-out: Monday, 9:00.

Accommodation
Crew accommodation in two-berth cabins on the yacht Bavaria 40, the yacht can comfortably accommodate from 6 to 8 people. The yacht has 3 cabins, 2 bathrooms with shower, a kitchen with a refrigerator, gas oven and stove, a large sofa in the galley (which can be folded out into a large bed). This is a great option for both a fun company and for a family vacation. A vacation on a yacht with children is a great option for a summer vacation, for children under 7 years old, it is free (without providing a separate place in the cabin), and for children under 14 years old, we have a -30% discount.

Meals
Before the start of the trip, food is purchased, the entire crew takes part in the preparation of meals. The yacht has all the necessary utensils for preparing various dishes and serving the table.

Additional equipment
There is also a dinghy (inflatable boat with a motor), a SUP board, a set for fishing and snorkeling on board.

Travel
Daytime passages on the yacht will be about 4-5 hours, on the shore there will be an opportunity to visit attractions, beaches, interesting places and taverns.
The yacht has an excellent large covered cockpit with a table and sofas, where it is pleasant to sit with a glass of cool wine. And a folding ramp with a ladder allows you to comfortably dive and swim in the landscape lagoons.

Bavaria 40 Cruiser
The Bavaria 40 Cruiser yacht is an example of German quality and rationality.
The yacht was designed for a comfortable stay of up to 8 people. There are 3 cabins. One large «master cabin» in the bow of the boat with its own toilet and shower and 2 aft cabins to the right and left of the entrance. And an additional 2 more berths are provided in the galley, where the table is lowered and a large sofa of 1.60 by 2 meters is obtained. Each cabin has bed linen, pillows, warm blankets and towels. For personal belongings in the cabins there is a closet with hangers and several smaller cabinets.

Amenities on the yacht

The Bavaria 40 Cruiser has 2 toilets or, as they are called in the navy, 2 heads. One in the master cabin and another one at the stern of the vessel. The latrines on the ship are very different from the toilets we are used to. They have a specific shape and are equipped with a special hand pump, which immediately breaks or fails when hard objects, rags or paper get into them. Be sure to ask the captain about the rules for using the latrine. This is important.

The yacht is equipped with 3 places for taking a shower — a shower in each latrine and an additional one on top, in the cockpit, for rinsing with fresh water after swimming in the sea. Fresh water is collected at anchor in marinas and stored on the yacht in two special tanks of 180 liters each. Hot water is heated when the yacht is under motor or when it is in the marina and connected to the shore power line. Each shower has a washing set of gel, shampoo, soap.

Kitchen on the yacht

This model has a kitchen surface along the entire left side. Very convenient, lots of space for cooking. The kitchen is equipped with a rotary gas stove, gas oven, refrigerator, sink and microwave. Frying pans, pots, forks, spoons — all this is on the yacht and is regularly updated.

Additional equipment

Additional equipment usually means a rubber boat (dinghy) for disembarking the crew ashore and an outboard motor for it. We use a large 6-seater boat and a Mercury 3.5 hp outboard motor.

Recreation and entertainment

On board the yacht there is: a SUP board for coastal swimming in bays, fins and masks for snorkeling, a JBL speaker for mood, a spinning rod with a sea reel for tuna fishing, mini-fishing rods for dorado, a speargun for underwater hunting.

Wi-Fi

The Internet is available almost all the time. At marinas, there is free Wi-Fi from the administration, and during sea passages, there is unlimited mobile Internet from local mobile operators.

Video review of the yacht: Link to video

Technical specifications:

Yacht name: Bavaria 40 Cruiser

Year of manufacture: 2009

Overall length in feet: 40 feet

Overall length in meters: 12.35 m

Width: 3.99 m

Draft: 1.90 m

Fuel capacity: 208 l

Water capacity: 360 l

Power: 39 hp

Cruising speed: 5 miles/hour

Displacement: 9 tons

Mast height from water level: 18.68 m

Cabins: 3

Beds: 6-8

WC: 2

Rules of conduct on a yacht

The maritime culture has been developed over centuries, and behind each rule there is many years of experience of people who love the sea and go sailing. It has long been known that yachtsmen, like gentlemen, do not have so many rules. Respect these recommendations and rules, and then your yacht trip will leave you with only positive memories and impressions.

The captain is always right.

The main rule on a yacht, as well as on any other ship, is that the captain is the main one on board. He bears full legal responsibility for the vessel and the crew. It is extremely important to listen to and follow the captain’s commands, especially in conditions of critical unpredictability or in bad weather. Even if the captain’s actions seem strange and meaningless, first do what the captain said, and only then, in a calmer environment, you can ask him to justify and explain certain actions.

You need to understand that the captain cannot manage the yacht alone. When mooring, leaving the marina or working with sails, the entire team needs to work together.

The atmosphere on the yacht.

Sometimes the yacht crew can consist of very different people. Different in age, character, worldview, nationality, political views. Yes, by and large, all people are different. There are no absolutely similar people. Respect the people around you. Be more tolerant of someone’s shortcomings. If tension arises in the crew on the yacht, then everyone suffers from it.

On the yacht, we ask you to follow several simple rules:

— do not raise topics about politics;

— do not criticize others;

— do not hold grudges inside, if you have something to say, say it;

— do not throw garbage overboard;

— do not smoke in the cabins;

Sea fishing

When traveling on a sailing yacht, there is an opportunity to go sea fishing. The most common way to catch fish on a yacht is trolling during passages. Trolling is towing a bait behind the yacht, which the fish respond to. Most often, tuna is caught this way. For this type of fishing, a special reinforced rod, a sea multiplier reel and a bait called a wobbler are used. The length of the wobbler is 12 — 15 cm.

The second way of fishing is catching dorado directly from the yacht. When the yacht is in the bay at anchor or is in the marina at the pier, you can see with the naked eye schools of fish scurrying back and forth right under the keel. For fishing from the yacht, we use rods for winter biting, 40 cm long, very thin line and a small fishing hook. As a rule, the catch is a dorado weighing 300-400 grams.

Seasickness

Does everyone get seasick and how to deal with it?
If you have ever felt seasick on a plane, in a car, on an amusement park ride, then you don’t need to be told what seasickness is. If not, then either you are one of those exceptions whose vestibular system is perfect and ready for space flight, or you simply have not yet experienced seasickness.

With a small wave, you will not feel seasick, but if the wave is high and short, then most people are susceptible to seasickness.

It should be noted that in the first day or two, almost everyone gets used to the seasickness (gets used to it).

Those who go out to sea on long passages or are on a yacht for weeks and months do not take pills, but simply endure the first couple of days. For those who fly to the yacht for a week, we suggest not testing your body for strength and not wasting 1-2 days on “getting used to it” and adaptation. You can use the medications that suit you, motion sickness bracelets, eat foods that reduce symptoms.

Motion sickness remedies:

1. Tablets. The simplest and most obvious remedy. Of the disadvantages — you need to take them in advance (1 hour before the yacht departs), if you have already started to feel sick, then it is too late to take them. There are side effects in the form of drowsiness and a decrease in reaction. In addition, not everyone will suit certain specific tablets. Pharmacies now sell a huge number of drugs for motion sickness. You can try several options. Most often, we use Dramina.

2. Acupuncture bracelets. They have no side effects and can be put on at any time, but they do not work on everyone, and in severe rocking they will not cope with motion sickness at all.

3. Patches. There are a huge number of types, soaked in essential oils, drugs and kinesio. They can cause allergies or not work, but you can stick them on at any time.

4. We have not tested motion sickness goggles or electronic bracelets on ourselves.

What will help you with motion sickness on a yacht:

1. Take the helm and focus on steering the yacht. It helps in 99% of cases. It has been tested many times.

2. Do not focus on small details: a mobile phone, tablet, book, cutting vegetables or fruits.

3. Look at the horizon, at the beautiful nature and shores. Take a place on the yacht that is blown by the wind and breathe deeply.

4. Do not go down to the cabin and galley. It is best to be in the cockpit on the deck.

5. At the first symptoms of motion sickness, 50 grams of strong alcohol with sour lemon, ginger, etc. usually helps.

Children on a yacht

Parents can easily take their children with them on a yacht trip. Children enjoy sailing almost as much as adults. It is advisable to take a child to sea on a yacht when he or she is 7-8 years old.

At this age, children can even master some of the basics of sailing. Of course, children on board should be closely monitored. First of all, a vacation on a yacht should be safe. Make sure that the life jacket fits the child in size, since the child will simply slip out of an adult life jacket. Do not forget to stock up on medical supplies for motion sickness.

It is necessary to explain to the child the rules of behavior on a yacht and make sure that he or she has learned these rules. To ensure that the child does not get bored during a yacht trip, take toys, but only those that do not encourage active games. It is desirable that the child does not feel lonely during a vacation on a yacht. If his or her peer goes with him or her, that would be great. To captivate the child, you can interest him or her in tying sea knots. This is a very educational activity that trains memory and logic. You can also read books about sea adventures to your child.

Things to take with you:

• Personal hygiene items.
• Sunglasses. You can’t do without them on a yacht. The sun’s glare reflects off the water and your eyes get tired very quickly.
• Hygienic lipstick. The bright sun and salty wind dry out your lips very quickly.
• Personal medications, if you take them regularly.
• Headwear. A cap, bandana, buff, panama hat… anything to protect your head from the bright sun and avoid sunstroke.
• Sunbathing and swimming clothes, typical for a beach bathing holiday.
• Windbreaker and fleece jacket. In the evening, with a slight wind, it can be a little chilly.
  Clothes, of course, should be selected based on the weather forecast and the time of year for yachting. It is desirable that they be made of synthetic materials. Such clothes dries much faster than clothes made of natural fabrics. For walks around the city and evening trips to a restaurant, it is better to take wrinkle-free clothes in reasonable quantities.
  For a yacht, they usually take shoes with light soles so as not to leave black stripes on the deck. Soft moccasins, crocs, and topsiders are also suitable. For personal safety and for the safety of the vessel, it is not customary to walk on a yacht in high heels.

Things that should not be taken with you:

• Forget about comfortable and sturdy suitcases. Your things will be comfortable in them, but you and your suitcase in the cabin will not be so comfortable. Even on a very large and comfortable yacht, there is not much extra free space in the cabin. In addition, a yacht is a dynamic object, and so that your suitcase does not live its own life, rolling around the cabin and your feet, put your luggage in a sports bag or a travel backpack. They are easy to fold and in this state fit into any of the narrow niches in your cabin. Along with the suitcases, we leave electrical appliances at home — a hair dryer, curling irons, travel irons, etc.
• There is no need to take towels, bed linen and your favorite pillow. All this will be waiting for you on board.
  Valuable items that have the ability to deteriorate from moisture or get lost.
• Shampoo, shower gel, soap and other chemicals are usually either already on the yacht or can be bought in any store.

First aid kit

Since we cannot count on timely, professional medical assistance while the yacht is moving away from the shore or in cases where the yacht is near wild islands or in deserted bays, the first aid kit on the yacht is quite extensive and is assembled “for all occasions”.

Next, for simplicity and convenience, is a list of possible health problems and the means for their solution that are in the first aid kit.

1. Injuries.

Elastic bandage for bruises and sprains, flexible splint for fixing limbs in case of fractures, tweezers for working with shrapnel wounds, sterile gloves for working with open wounds, thread and needle for sewing wounds, glue for them.

Panthenol for burns, iodine solution, chlorhexidine, antiseptic with aloe, various plasters of different shapes, fastum gel or derivatives for sprains and bruises. Olfen plasters (Diclofenac) for pain relief.

Dressing material sterile bandage.

2. Gastrointestinal tract diseases (Gastrointestinal tract).

Heartburn remedies: Rennie, Gaviscon.

For diarrhea: Immodium and Nifuroxazide, activated carbon, No-shpa for stomach pain. Smecta.

3. Motion sickness.

Dramina ordinary. Causes drowsiness. The period of action is about 6 hours. For a body weight of 60-70 kg, no more than 0.5 tablets are taken. Biodramin with caffeine — causes significantly less drowsiness. You can take one tablet. Frequency no more than once every 5 hours.
Stugeron is a means of improving brain function. Fighting motion sickness is one of the additional properties. Does not cause drowsiness. Taken once every 3-4 hours.
Attention: Patches / bracelets / special glasses / mantras and spells of fortune tellers do not help against motion sickness. Tested many times with different people.

4. Solar activity.

Cream or body spray with SPF 50 protection.

Panthenol or anti-burn products with panthenol.

5. ARVI and everything similar to it.

During coronavirus, this is a special point. Masks are the first thing you need on a yacht, at the first signs of ARVI. The mask should be worn first of all by the sick person. No options. So that it covers both the mouth and nose. The rest of the crew — preferably at least inside the yacht. For cough: Forteza and Septolete sprays.

Vasoconstrictor sprays for runny nose: Ssinupret (tablets).

Antipyretics (painkillers): Ibuprofen, Nimisil, Farmacetron Forte, Paracetamol.
For eyes during ARVI — Tobrex (eye antibiotic).

Aspirin (now many COVID treatment protocols include aspirin).

6. Skin diseases.

For herpes — Zovirax (Acyclovir), for allergic dermatitis — Hydrocortisone, methylene blue, Flucinar — for irritations, dermatitis.

7. Allergic reactions.

Remedies for severe allergic reactions: Diphenhydramine in ampoules, Papaverine in ampoules, Suprastin in ampoules. Suprastin in tablets. Analgin in ampoules. Syringes. Tube for intubation and forced ventilation of the lungs (in case of edema of the respiratory tract).

8. Antibiotics for difficult and emergency situations.

All the mentioned drugs have various contraindications and side effects. Before using any medicine, it is better to consult a doctor, especially since the Internet and mobile communications are almost always available.