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Flotilla sailing in Turkey, Greece, Italy and Croatia!
No matter which sailing
area you choose you will share experiences of a lifetime.
Your average daily sail of 15 - 20 miles gives you
enough time to swim, snorkel, visit remote bays, or
spend more time at your destination. We always keep in
mind that the weather runs the itinerary and sometimes
your leaders might have to change the route to ensure
safety.
Flotilla sailing offers the ideal combination of the
privacy and flexibility of chartering your own yacht
with the benefit of great local knowledge, technical
support and advice from our experienced flotilla crew,
who are always on hand when needed.
What is a flotilla?
A flotilla is a group of
yachts sailing in company accompanied by a flotilla
skipper on the lead yacht. He organises regular meetings
for all skippers. He will inform you about the weather
conditions, the route, possible lunchtime anchorages and
the techniques of Mediterranean mooring.
If you forget anything later, you can still check with
him on the VHF. You have virtually all the advantages of
independent cruising, plus the support of experienced
help if you need it. You're the skipper of your own
yacht, and each day's activities are yours to decide -
you can sail hard, or simply idle towards the next port
soaking up the sun on the way.
Once you arrive at the meeting point your lead crew will
help you to moor and secure a safe spot in your new
anchorage. They are your link with local people and
facilities and attractions on shore. You can get
information about sightseeing, shopping, and nice
restaurants. Your fleet leader feels responsible for
your enjoyment of the holiday and the smooth running of
the flotilla.
Less experienced skippers appreciate the help, advice
and support for the flotilla skipper. More experienced
skippers join a flotilla for the social side. It's a
popular choice for couples, friends and families.
During school holidays there are usually other families
on the flotillas. Children and teenagers love sailing
holidays- there is plenty going on afloat and ashore.
And the constant thrill of new destinations means
there's lots of exploring to be done.
A typical flotilla day
We are frequently asked,
especially by newcomers to flotilla sailing, what a
typical day is like. This is a hard question to answer,
as no two days are ever the same. However, this only
adds to the attraction of flotilla holidays as every
harbour or anchorage has its own characteristics. Every
evening will have a different feel and as every sailor
in the world knows, you never get two days' sailing
conditions the same.
We can point out the main components of a day on a
flotilla. The order in which they arrive depends on many
things, not least of all your energy levels on any
particular day.
Morning Briefing
This is your big chance
to gain the knowledge and experience developed by our
lead crews over many years. You will be recommended
places to shop, places to swim at lunch, places to avoid,
shallow hard places, windy places and places to meet and
eat the following evening. It's also a great chance to
get help with navigation for the day, be it a new
co-ordinate to head for, or a simple description of the
third island on the left.
Provisioning
This sounds arduous and a
chore but is in fact one of the joys of immersing
yourself in a foreign country. We're not about talking
popping down to Tescos here, more like debating if this
one giant tomato will feed the family, waiting for the
bread to cool down after emerging from the oven, or
selecting a watermelon that will last you and all of the
boats on the flotilla for a fortnight. Your lead crew
will give you first hand guidance on what is available
where and help you plan accordingly. Most harbours and
villages have cafes and restaurant that will see a
flotilla arriving and miraculously be open and fully
stocked for breakfasts, lunches and evening meals.
Leaving Harbour
Every sailor has stories
of the worst harbour ever, and nightmares of anchors
around propellers and furious fishermen. Frankly we
don't go along with this nonsense. Our lead crew won't
let you get into trouble and will always use their skill
and expertise to extract tangled anchors, un-knit
mooring lines and help you on your way. Armed with a
fridge full of fresh ice, your lunch and a recently
briefed route for the day; you can enjoy looking forward
to another exciting day afloat.
Lunchtime
You may wish to keep
sailing with a sandwich in one hand, the tiller in the
other and a drink propped safely in the corner.
Alternatively, anchor in a secluded sheltered bay, enjoy
a pre lunch swim and the range of fresh produce
purchased this morning as you treat yourselves to a meal
fit for a king. Follow this with a long siesta, knowing
that the only sounds you will hear are the whisper of
the wind and the gentle lapping of the water against
your boat.
Arriving in the bay
The anticipation of
sailing into a new harbour for the first time is always
exciting - How much space will there be? Will we be able
to find good shelter? What's the holding like? This is
all made so much easier when you see a familiar face
from our lead crew guiding you in and ready to take your
lines.
Sundown
After a day's sailing you
always get a deeply relaxing and satisfying feeling when
you are safely tied up. It's a great time to recap on
the day's adventures, to try and get to the last chapter
of your book or have a late siesta before the night's
revelry. There's always something special about seeing
the sun go down after a day sailing. Perhaps it's a
respect for the sea, or perhaps it's the first gin and
tonic with fresh pistachio nuts of the evening. A quick
shower, either on board or ashore, washes the day's salt
away and leaves you refreshed and ready for the evening.
Evening
Then it's time for the
evening meal, and the day's biggest problem - do you
have the calamari or the swordfish, the kebabs or the
grilled chicken? And of course baklava is fattening, but
never mind! As darkness falls, crews return to their
yachts, or to impromptu parties on other yachts. If
you're still feeling too hot, you can simply go for a
midnight swim off the back of the boat; or stay on deck
and study the stars.
Do you like to know more about flotillas?
Please sent
us an email
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GoFunSailing.com
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