Contents

Why ?...... 1

The Main Sailing Areas...... 8

Sailing Certificate Schemes...... 10

Which Course to Take...... 12

Comparison of RYA and ASA Courses...... 18

Choosing a Sailing School...... 20

12 Most Frequently Asked Questions...... 25

Questions You Should Ask ...... 38

A Day’s Sailing In Greece...... 43

About The Author...... 45

Useful Links & Resources...... 46 Learning to Sail in Greece

Why Greece? Greece is a unique sailing destination. Set on the edge of Europe, it has fascinated travellers for centuries with its spectacular islands, crystal clear seas, and stunning scenery. Climate One of the main attractions is the wonderful Greek climate. For most of the year Greece has plenty of sunshine. Even in winter there are many sunny days and during the main sailing period you’re pretty well guaranteed wall-to-wall sun, blue skies, and warm seas to swim in. It can get very hot in August but for most of the summer temperatures are pleasantly warm, ideal for sailing in the minimum of clothing. I first came to Greece to sail with some girlfriends in 1998. Before that I’d rarely been on a sailing boat without several layers of clothing plus oilskins on top. Sailing in shorts and bikini tops was an absolute eye-opener. Discover for yourself that sailing doesn’t have to be wet and cold! Scenery If you’re looking for a beautiful cruising area you can’t beat the Greek islands. It’s much more interesting to sail in archipelagos than sailing up or down a coast. Greece has thousands of islands - you could sail here for many years and still not visit them all. The villages are picturesque and the coastline isn’t dominated by hotels or holiday home villages, unlike some parts of the Med. Despite the heat, many areas of Greece remain surprisingly green, even in summer, with pine forests and mountains as a backdrop to the sea. Sailing in Greece is very natural. This has disadvantages as well as advantages. There are not many on-shore facilities for cruising yachts, such as marinas with toilets and showers. You’ll experience a more natural type of cruising than in more sophisticated countries.

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You can anchor in a pretty bay for a swim and sleep under the stars at night. In port, you’ll often be in the middle of everyday life in a fishing harbour and will truly experience the local culture. Note that this includes a café society and not going to bed early so expect some noise … Cuisine At the end of a day’s sailing it’s important to look forward to an enjoyable meal. Unlike sailing schools in northern Europe, where you often cook on board, here in Greece you’re likely to have your evening meal in a local taverna ashore. Cooking makes the yacht hot and humid and so is best avoided. Eating out at the harbour side is an integral part of your sailing holiday experience and prices are reasonable unless you are in a popular tourist area. Good Greek food is based on fresh, natural ingredients. Many people remark on how tasty things like tomatoes are in Greece compared to those they buy at home off the supermarket shelves.

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Over the past ten years there has been a quiet revolution in restaurant food, especially in areas near Athens. You’ll now find unusual ‘daily special’ dishes as well as traditional favourites. The amount of good bottled wines produced in Greece has also increased. Ask the taverna for recommendations for bottled wine if you want something better to drink than what is served in the carafe. Hospitality Greeks are by nature welcoming and generous to visitors. You’ll frequently be given a free dessert in a restaurant, or handed a fresh orange or fig if you pass someone gathering fruit. Even small children may greet you in English and it’s common for adults who deal with tourists to speak two or three languages. Despite the economic crisis, Greek parents still try to find the money to send their children to frontisteria, private language schools, and a great many young Greeks attend universities abroad. It’s re-assuring to know people will be able to understand you when shopping or travelling around. A few words of Greek to say hello or thank you are always appreciated. kali mera = good day / good morning yassas = hello ef-ha-ris-TOW = thank you (emphasise last syllable)

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Culture & Heritage Greece is often called ‘the cradle of civilization’ and an important part of a holiday in the country for many people is the opportunity to visit ancient sites and archaeological museums. The Aegean has most to offer if you are interested in history so this is something to consider when choosing where to sail. Schools in Greece recognise that most people who learn to sail here also want a holiday. You should be able to take a little time off during the week to visit a historical site such as the ancient Theatre of Epidauros, shown below. Most sites are open early and late in the day, when it is cooler, so you can often arrange a visit before you leave in the morning or when you arrive in the evening. If your instructor knows the area well they will be able to advise you on transport if required.

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Preparation for the Future What is your eventual aim in learning to sail? If you want to own or charter a yacht in the Mediterranean to sail with your family or friends, then it makes sense to learn in a similar area. You can become familiar with local charts and weather systems and learn important techniques like Med mooring (mooring stern to the quay). What Greece Isn’t Although Greece is a wonderful place to sail, it’s important to know what you won’t find here. To enjoy your training, it’s impor- tant to have realistic expectations then you’ll be pleased rather than disappointed. Although sailing in Greece in summer is a delight in many ways, with warm seas and blue sky, it isn’t particularly comfortable below decks in the summer. Yacht cabins are small and get very warm. If you come to Greece in July or August expect it to be hot. Very few sailing yachts are equipped with air-conditioning. Those that have a/c units may not be able to use them. They use a lot of electricity and the shore-power supply in many Greek ports may not be adequate to run air-conditioning. Motor yachts often have a generator but you won’t be popular with neighbouring yachts if you run a generator all night! If you walk along a row of yachts moored in a typical Greek harbour early in the morning you’ll see that many sailors prefer to sleep on deck or in the cockpit in the summer. Depending on your point of view you’ll either love to do this or hate it. If you can’t take the heat the best advice I can give you is don’t come to Greece in mid summer. It is lovely early or later in the year. If you’re restricted to school holidays, consider Easter or autumn. Some people may be happier in a country where you’ll moor in a purpose-built marina with good shore-power each evening. If you

5 Learning to Sail in Greece simply can’t live without an iron or hair-dryer, Greece is probably not your ideal sailing destination … Another misconception is that the Mediterranean is always calm and blue and like a mill-pond. There can be days with little or no wind, especially in the Ionian, but you can also get quite strong, gusty winds. You need the wind in order to be able to sail and so, if it was always flat calm, you’d have to motor everywhere which would be no fun. Sea conditions vary in different parts of Greece. If you are worried about finding conditions too rough you should avoid the more challenging sailing areas. Sailing schools tend to be located in the more sheltered spots. The wind commonly blows hardest in the late afternoon when the difference in temperature between land and sea is greatest. The sea can get choppy but the sailing is great! What About Tides? Most of the earth’s surface is covered by great oceans. These are subject to the gravitational pull of the sun and moon, which causes the water in them to move. This effect is what we know as tides. Where there are smaller bodies of water the gravitational effect is not large enough to be significant. It is there, but only to a very minor extent. These are called ‘non-tidal’ areas. The Mediterranean is non-tidal, as is the Baltic Sea. Sailing involves working with natural forces. In a non-tidal area the strongest natural force is the wind. In a tidal area, you will have to consider both wind and tide. This makes passage planning and boat-handling more complex and difficult. As a beginner you won’t have to worry about passage planning. If you are learning to crew it makes no difference whether you learn in a tidal or non-tidal area. The skills are identical for both ... so why not learn somewhere warm and sunny. :)

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Those learning to be captains / skippers in Greece will not have to worry about dealing with tides. This means that one level of complexity is removed and you can concentrate on learning to handle the yacht in the wind alone, which is easier. If you eventually want to sail in the UK, USA, or northern Europe you will need to learn about tides. You can upgrade some non-tidal certificates with a tidal update later.

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The Main Sailing Areas The sea around Greece is divided into five main sailing areas. They are marked on the map below. Each area has one or more yacht charter bases. ○ Ionian (Corfu, Lefkas, Preveza) ○ (, ) ○ Saronic (Athens, , ) ○ (Lavrion, ) ○ (, )

Each area includes a specific group of islands. The Ionian and Sporades are particularly popular with British sailors and the Ionian also has a lot of Italian sailors in mid-summer. The other areas are more cosmopolitan. Only the first three of these areas are really suitable for novices as they are sheltered from the strongest winds. You’ll find sailing

8 Learning to Sail in Greece schools in the Ionian, Saronic, and Sporades. The Ionian has the most RYA schools due to its large numbers of British visitors and the fact that there are charter flights from the UK during summer. What about the Other Areas? The Cyclades contains some of the best known Greek islands, such as and . Many people want to sail in this area but it’s more suited to experienced sailors than beginners. There is a very strong wind called the meltemi that blows in the Cyclades from June to September. The meltemi creates challenging conditions – often too challenging for novices to enjoy. When the meltemi blows it causes a big swell, making sailing uncomfortable and increasing the likelihood of seasickness. Yachts can also get stormbound in port for a few days, in which case you wouldn’t be able to complete your sailing course. The Dodecanese islands are not as prone to the meltemi but can still be affected. If you want to sail in these areas I suggest that you take your sailing course somewhere more suited to beginners, and then take a charter in the Cyclades or Dodecanese. Alternatively, take a ferry to visit them for a few days after your course. You could also consider booking an instructor for a skippered charter, rather than a sailing course. You can get some informal tuition but, if it’s not a formal course, then it’s less of a problem if you can’t sail on one or more days. It’s possible to sail along the coast of , the largest Greek island, but the coast is quite exposed and there are no RYA schools there. You’ll see Crete on the south of the map but it isn’t a main sailing area.

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Sailing Certificate Schemes The three best-known organisations that offer international sail- ing certificates are: ○ RYA (Royal Yachting Association) ○ ASA (American Sailing Association) ○ IYT (International Yacht Training) The RYA and the ASA have been involved in sail training for a very long time. Both of them are not-for-profit organisations. Any money that is made is invested back into the sport. The RYA is British based and education is a key part of its activity. It has certificate courses for all ages, abilities, and goals, from dinghy clubs right up to coaching Olympic sailors and running courses for commercial yacht skippers. RYA qualifications are known and respected world-wide. The ASA is US based and concentrates purely on recreational sailing, not commercial qualifications or racing. ASA is the standard for sailing education in the USA. Some of the training is very US-based and includes information that isn’t very relevant to those sailing mainly elsewhere. IYT is a relative newcomer, started in 2002. Unlike the RYA and ASA, IYT is a commercial organisation. One advantage of the IYT scheme is that IYT courses may be run in different languages. RYA and ASA courses are only taught in English. When the first IYT schools were established in the Med they weren’t monitored closely which led to poor standards at some centres. I’ve been told this has been rectified to some extent but it has tarnished the reputation of IYT. In 2004 when we decided to set up our sailing school we looked carefully at all three schemes before choosing to become an RYA training centre.

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The RYA scheme has several advantages over the others. Firstly, every single RYA school is very closely monitored. Every centre is inspected every year – even those in far-flung corners of the world. This ensures standards are met and monitored regularly. The RYA is the only one of the three organisations that checks standards of yachts and instruction annually in this way. The second advantage is that RYA courses are split into practical courses and shore-based courses. You study any necessary theory on-shore, so you can concentrate on the practical skills while on board the yacht, rather than having to spend time with your nose in a book. As well as practical courses you can take an RYA course to give you a licence to operate a marine radio, to use radar, to maintain a diesel engine, and to carry out First Aid at Sea. Another big advantage is that the scope and quality of RYA teaching materials is far superior to those of its rivals. They have specially designed practice charts, excellent course books with lots of full colour illustrations, instructional and activity books for chil- dren, and they publish materials on every sailing related subject. Finally, it’s possible to enter the RYA scheme at any suitable level so, if you already have several weeks of sailing under your belt, you don’t need to start at the beginning again. This is not always the case with the other schemes. In this guide I’m going to focus on RYA training as I firmly believe it’s the best training available for recreational sailors in Greece.

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Which Course to Take This guide will help you decide on the most appropriate level of course. It’s based on RYA courses as I think they are the best. You’ll find a comparison of RYA and ASA courses on page 14. Beginners’ Courses Beginners should start with an RYA Competent Crew course. It’s also suitable for those who have some boating experience – dinghy sailing, wind-surfing, motor-boating, or helping on a friend’s yacht. Children from around 12 can take a Competent Crew course. It’s a 5-day live-aboard course that is great fun. You’ll learn all the basics to become a competent member of the crew of a cruising yacht. The pace is relaxed with plenty of time for swimming and sight-seeing as well as learning to sail. You don’t need any previous experience or any theory to take this course. There’s no examination at the end either. Your instructor will award you with a Competent Crew certificate if he or she is satisfied that you have learnt the basic skills well enough to be a useful crew member. It’s extremely rare not to pass Competent Crew if you pay attention and join in the activities.

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After passing your Competent Crew course it’s a good idea to gain some more practical experience as soon as possible to consoli- date your skills. There are various ways to do this: ○ Take a mile-building trip - most schools offer these ○ Charter a yacht for a week with a skipper/instructor ○ Go on a share-a-yacht holiday with a flotilla company ○ Join your local Yacht Club and offer to crew ○ Take a Competent Crew Plus course ○ Take a package with Day Skipper Practical Most schools offer mile-building cruises and can arrange for you to take an instructor or skipper on a yacht you charter, letting you join in with sailing the boat. Some flotilla companies operate ‘share a boat’ schemes that you can join. If you have a local yacht club, you’ll find boat-owners who will be happy to let you crew for them and many people enjoy the social side of yacht clubs as well. Alternatively, if you want to progress as quickly as possible, some RYA schools offer special combined packages including Competent Crew immediately followed by one or more intermediate courses. Intermediate Courses If you’ve already passed a Competent Crew or equivalent course, or have at least a week’s experience sailing with friends, you may be ready to learn how to take command of a yacht yourself. The next level of RYA course leads to a certificate of competence that you can use to charter a yacht in any non-tidal waters. An advantage of the RYA scheme is that you can enter the it at any level; you don’t have to start from the beginning. However, those who have not had any formal instruction often underestimate the level of knowledge and competence required to pass RYA skippers courses. If you are in any doubt as to which level you should take, speak to an RYA training centre.

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RYA Day Skipper Non-Tidal The RYA Day Skipper Practical course will teach you to skipper a small yacht in familiar waters by day. As there are no tides, all sailing schools in Greece offer the Non-Tidal version of the Day Skipper course. This qualifies you to skipper in non-tidal areas such as the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Bal- tic, and can also be used where there are minimal tides such as the Caribbean. If you want to sail in northern Europe, America, or other parts of the world you should follow your non-tidal course with tidal theory. You can take a 2-day upgrade to a tidal certificate at RYA schools in tidal areas.

Practical Experience Required The RYA states that Day Skipper Practical candidates must have a minimum of five days previous experience as an active member of the crew of a cruising yacht. The RYA Competent Crew course is ideal training but it isn’t essential to do a Competent Crew course if you have enough experi- ence. Spending a week on a friend’s yacht is fine as long as you’ve been taught what to do. Bear in mind that five days is the minimum required; you may need more practice in the basic skills before you are ready to move on to taking charge of a yacht. If you’re a very experienced dinghy sailor with your own boat you may be able to manage without much yachting experience as many of the skills are transferable - but a few days dinghy sailing a couple of years ago won’t do! One of the most common reasons for failing a Day Skipper course is that students are not sufficiently competent sailors. Remember the old advice about not trying to run before you can walk properly. :) If you know that you need more experience you can book onto a sailing course just as an Experience Builder. Your instructor will help you practice what you know and start teaching you the Day

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Skipper syllabus but without the pressure of worrying whether you will pass the course.

Theory Required & How to Get It When you take a Day Skipper Practical course the instructor will expect you to carry out basic navigation and chart work. You should know what is involved in passage planning and pilotage and how to plot a fix using different methods. You must know the collision regulations as they apply to a skipper of a yacht and be familiar with buoyage, lights, anchoring, weather and safety.

It isn’t difficult to learn what you need to know, especially nowadays with information available online. Navigation is relatively simple in Greece – there are negligible tides and little magnetic variation, for instance.

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Essential Navigation and Seamanship (ENS) If you only intend to sail in the Med on charters or flotillas, you may not need to take a full RYA Day Skipper shore-based course. The RYA Essential Navigation and Seamanship course (ENS) covers most of what you need to know. The ENS course can be taken online before you come to Greece. It takes around 10 hours to complete. You can work at your own pace and do a couple of hours a day. Since the ENS course was introduced, we’ve found it to be adequate for providing theoretical background for potential Day Skippers in Greece, as long as there will not be too many Day Students on the practical course. The instructor can fill in any gaps in knowledge when on board. Although it doesn’t cover everything the fact that it’s shorter and is normally taken immediately prior to the practical means almost everyone finishes the course and remembers it. Your instructor should be able to cover the remaining elements but, if you’re on a boat with 4 or 5 Day Skipper candidates, there may be little spare time so bear this in mind when choosing where to do your course. Even if you already have enough theoretical knowledge, taking an online ENS course can be helpful if English isn’t your first language. It will help you become familiar with English nautical vocabulary. If you don’t like to work alone on a computer, look for a centre that offers the ENS course in a classroom, usually taught over two days. This gives time for the instructor to answer your questions and to cover additional material that isn’t in the online course. Competent Crew students may like to do the ENS course as well, although it is not essential for them. Some knowledge of navigation makes sailing more interesting and, if you intend to sail with just your partner, it’s advisable from a safety perspective if you can both navigate.

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It’s best to take the ENS course just before the start of your practical training so that everything is still fresh in your mind. Those who want to learn more theory will find both online and classroom courses covering the full RYA Day Skipper Shorebased syllabus. Not all schools offer a classroom option for this. Two of the best known distance learning courses are those offered by Navathome and Ocean Training. You’ll find details of these in the Useful Information section at the back of this booklet. A word of warning – the course takes around 40 hours to com- plete so you’ll need to be organised and persistent to do it online. Combined Packages Many schools now offer combined packages in which you sail for a couple of weeks during which time you take several RYA courses. The most common package includes RYA Competent Crew, RYA Essential Navigation & Seamanship, and RYA Day Skipper Practical. There are advantages in taking courses ‘back to back’ like this - you’ll be able to progress more quickly than if you take a Comp Crew course one year and then come back for Day Skipper the following year, by which time you’ll have forgotten some of your knots or what things are called! We’ve found increasing numbers of students prefer to take a package and to do as many courses as they can in a limited period of time. If you add a Marine Radio Operator’s course on as well it’s quite possible to complete four RYA courses in a fortnight’s holiday. This is probably symptomatic of the modern age. Bear in mind that, as with any sport, people vary enormously in their natural aptitude and speed of learning. Not everyone can get up to Day Skipper standard in a fortnight. Packages are best suited to those who already have some sailing experience but who may not have had formal tuition.

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Comparison of RYA and ASA Courses

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Advanced Courses You never really stop learning to sail. Those who can already skipper a yacht can improve their sailing skills and learn how to handle bigger boats and more adverse weather on an RYA Coastal Skipper course.

The Coastal Skipper Course The name of the RYA Coastal Skipper course causes some misunderstandings. People sometimes mistakenly think it is a course for learning to sail on the open sea, rather than on rivers or lakes. In fact Coastal Skipper is a more advanced skippering course than Day Skipper, which is the first level. It is designed for those who already have experience of skippering a yacht but who want to improve their skills. It involves longer passages, night sailing, and, depending on the school, may include spinnaker or cruising chute sailing. In order to gain the most from a Coastal Skipper course, and to stand a better chance of passing you should gain a few weeks experience of skippering a yacht before attempting the course. Don’t try to take Coastal Skipper immediately after passing Day Skipper and be wary of any school that will accept you to do that.

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Choosing a Sailing School I firmly believe RYA training is the best you can get. When you choose a sailing school recognised by the RYA you’ll know that the centre has been thoroughly inspected, not just once, but every year, to check its standards. The inspection covers everything - the boats and their equipment, the instructors’ teaching and First Aid qualifi- cations, the centre’s advertising, the information sent out to prospec- tive students, and feedback from students over the previous year. If a centre is recognised by the RYA it will display the ‘tick’ symbol in its advertising and on its website. Only recognised schools can use this logo, which guarantees you an adequate level of tuition and safety. Having said that, all RYA training centres are far from equal. Many are satisfied with meeting the standards required for recogni- tion. If you want the very best instruction look for a school that takes the RYA syllabus as a base level, and offers more than is required in terms of yacht, equipment, instruction, and syllabus. It’s a little like choosing an airline to fly with. All licensed airlines will get you there safely and the pilots and staff will all be qualified, but the experience you have on board will vary a lot depending on whether you choose a budget airline or fly Business Class on a regular carrier. Here are the main things you’ll take account of when choosing a sailing school or training centre.

Access Unless you live in Greece, you’ll first need to fly or drive here. The main airport at Athens has daily scheduled flights from many countries, plus a few budget airlines. There are smaller airports at other places including Corfu and Skiathos. These often have cheaper direct flights from certain countries.

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Some training centres are very close to an airport; others further away. As a rough guide, the greater the distance from the airport the more likely it is that you’ll start and end your sailing course in a beautiful location rather than in a busy marina. Transfer times from airport to schools vary a lot. For some you may be able to take an airport bus; for others you will need a taxi. You may prefer a school that is a little “off the beaten track” so that you can enjoy an authentic Greek feel when you arrive. Some schools can arrange your flight for you included in the price, they may have someone to meet you at the airport, and may also arrange a special bus to take clients to the school’s base in a group.

Dates and Days I only know of two centres that are open all year round – Aegean Sailing School and Corfu Sea School. The others operate on a seasonal basis, some in summer only, others from spring to autumn. The day of the week on which courses start varies from school to school and may depend in some cases upon the day on which incoming flights arrive. All RYA practical courses must be a minimum of five days. Some schools offer six day courses, although check that you actually get six days tuition – you’re not just allowed to stay on the yacht in port for another day. An extra day can be helpful if you feel you need more practice. It’s also a good idea if you will have children on board as it gives you more time to relax as well as learning to sail.

Comfort & Quality This is where you’ll find big differences in what schools offer. Quality comes from a huge variety of things from the size and newness of the training yacht to the attitude of the office staff. It includes the time and patience your instructor shows with you, the condition of the ropes and sails, whether you’ll find training books

21 Learning to Sail in Greece and teaching aids on the yacht, cushions in the cockpit, even the sort of food you’ll find on board ... It’s frequently the small things that make a big difference to your comfort and enjoyment. A survey a few years ago found that one of the biggest complaints customers had about charter yachts was the quality of the pillows provided! I can identify with this. I recently stayed at a hotel which was nicely decorated with a comfortable bed - but the experience was spoilt by lumpy pillows. While this may not be important to you perhaps it would be to your partner or family. Something to be aware of is that the majority of RYA ‘schools’ in Greece are side-lines of charter or flotilla companies, rather than specialist training companies. Although you’ll get adequate tuition at any RYA recognised centre, teaching you to sail well is not the main focus of these businesses. They want you to get qualified so you’ll charter boats from them. If you want really first-class tuition I recommend that you choose a dedicated school, where the focus is on teaching you to sail safely and as well as possible rather than taking you quickly through the syllabus and then handing you a certificate. If, on the other hand, you’re just interested in getting a certificate as quickly and cheaply as possible, then you may find a school attached to a charter company will provide what you are looking for.

Your Instructor Your instructor is probably the most important single element in your training. Many RYA schools employ seasonal sailing instructors, possibly different ones each year. New instructors take a while to really get to know the area, which might be a consideration if you want to come early in the season. I’d recommend asking any school you are interested in if the instructor has worked for them the previous year.

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The Other Students As the RYA is a British scheme, several RYA schools primarily advertise in the UK and will have mainly British clients. Others serve a wider client base and, if you join a group course, you could be sailing with people of any nationality. If you enjoy mixing with people of different nationalities and cultures this may be more attractive to you than sailing with those from just one country. An instructor who works for an internationally focussed school will be more used to teaching people for whom English is not a first language than a seasonal instructor. He or she will try to show clearly as well as tell when they are teaching.

Your Training Yacht Most RYA sailing schools in Greece run courses on yachts between 35 and 45 ft. You may find non-RYA schools with boats smaller or larger than that. A smaller yacht may be suitable for a couple but would be crowded and hot in the Greek climate with five people plus instruc- tor on board. You may see courses offered on much smaller yachts. These may have a tiller rather than a wheel so don’t prepare you for sailing a typically sized charter yacht. The RYA recommends 46 ft as the largest size for a centre to use for Day Skipper candidates. While bigger yachts are more spacious, it’s harder to handle a yacht over this size, and you may need to use a bow-thruster, so it’s best left until you are more experienced. Your boat-handling skills will develop better if you don’t try to sail too large a yacht until you can handle a slightly smaller one. You may want to have a course on a different yacht from those on offer. If you want to sail a brand-new boat or a catamaran, for instance, you may not find a school that has what you require. In this case can choose a charter yacht yourself and ask an RYA centre to provide you with an instructor to give you ‘own boat’ tuition.

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Price You’ll find a wide range of prices for what may appear to be very similar courses. The difference is in the detail of what you’ll get. Some things you’ll be able to spot, such as the size and age of the boat. As a rule of thumb, the bigger and newer the yacht you learn on, the more your course will cost you. Look carefully at what’s included in the price. You may need to pay extra for various items – including food, fuel, linen, towels, waterproof clothing, RYA course books, RYA Logbooks, and RYA certificates. Most schools will include at least some of these but possibly not all of them. The additional services offered will vary. Some schools can help you with accommodation, some can arrange flights, some will sell gloves, books, and other useful items ... sunglasses, seasickness bands etc. When comparing prices bear in mind that you will generally get what you pay for. If your priority is to find good quality training on comfortable, well equipped boats together with a high level of service from the staff, you’re unlikely to find these at a centre with very cheap prices. With the best will in the world, it’s impossible to offer both top quality and low prices so you need to decide what is most important to you.

Getting a Better Price If price is a major issue for you, consider coming early or later in the year, when courses are cheaper. The spring flowers are beautiful and you can usually still swim in October, sometimes later. If you’re on a tight budget it’s always worth contacting the better schools to see if they have any special offers or reduced prices off-season. You may be able to get a bargain! Schools often give discounts off-season and cancellations can lead to discounted last minute places. Signing up for regular emails or a newsletter will ensure that you don’t miss out on these.

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12 Most Frequently Asked Questions Here’s a dozen of the questions I’m most frequently asked. 1. What is the best time of year? This will depend upon what you’re looking for and the sort of weather and wind conditions you enjoy. The climate in Greece is typically Mediterranean, with hot dry summers and mild winters. Here’s what to expect at different times of year:

Spring The weather in Greece is mixed, with frequent sun but also cool weather and some rain. March and April can be windy, May normal- ly less so. Greek Orthodox Easter, Pashka, is usually the start of the tourist season (you can use the Internet to find the date, which differs from western Easter). Greek Easter is the main holiday of the year and can be an appealing time to visit if you are interested in local culture and traditions. Daytime temperatures during May are normally pleasantly warm, everywhere is relatively uncrowded, ferries and public transport operate good services, and the spring flowers are in bloom all over Greece. It’s often possible to get a good bargain in the spring as well. Sometimes May has less wind for sailing so it may be unsuitable for advanced courses.

Summer June is a popular time to sail. The sea becomes warm enough for most people to bathe from their yachts but temperatures are more comfortable than in mid-summer. July and August are high season. It is very hot with mainland temperatures over 40°C (100°F) al- though it will be cooler in the islands and out at sea. It’s rare to get temperatures higher than 38°C in the islands. The high temperatures mean you’ll nearly always find good winds in the afternoon due to cooler air rushing in to fill the space where heated air has risen.

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Autumn September is always a popular month for sailors, typically with good winds and pleasant temperatures. The sea is probably at its most pleasant. September is usually a busy month so it is as well to book early. The high season starts to wind down at the end of September. In October, rain is more frequent in the Ionian and occasionally else- where. At the end of October and early November there are often stronger winds. Experienced sailors often choose to visit at this time of year for more advanced instruction.

Winter Many hotels are closed and ferry services are reduced. Neverthe- less people who sail with us over this period usually get several warm sunny days. If you come from a cold northern climate, temperatures can still be pleasant in Greece. This is the wettest period and it can get surprisingly cold, especially in the Ionian. In the Saronic you’d be unlucky to get poor weather for a whole week - although you are equally unlikely to get nothing but sunshine! 2. Can I learn to sail in the Cyclades? The Cyclades islands include Mykonos and Santorini. These islands are well known and have the blue and white architecture many think of as typically Greek. Understandably many people visualise sailing around these is- lands but it may not be as you imagine. In summer there is a strong northerly wind called the meltemi, caused by air pressure differences between North Africa and the Balkans. The meltemi sweeps down the eastern coast of mainland Greece and across the central Aegean creating big uncomfortable seas around the Cyclades. Even with no meltemi the wind is usually much stronger in this area. Conditions can be challenging and it is not unusual to get stormbound for several days in the Cyclades.

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There are no RYA sailing schools in this area and sailing in the Cyclades is best left until you are more experienced - and definitely until you are sure that you don’t get seasick easily! For those who ski – the comparison would be taking ski lessons on a black run. If you are a novice it would be difficult and could put you off altogether! 3. Can I take Day Skipper right away? One of the advantages of the RYA scheme over some others is that you can enter it at whichever level is appropriate for your existing experience – you don’t have to start at the beginning if you can already sail. However, each course builds upon knowledge and skills gained at the preceding level and so you can only skip courses if you have an equivalent level of knowledge gained elsewhere. Before taking a Day Skipper course, you must have sufficient sailing experience to know how to crew a yacht, plus suitable theoretical knowledge. If you meet these requirements you can start at Day Skipper level without taking a Competent Crew course first.

What If I don’t have this knowledge? If you plan to take a private course for two people with one or both of you taking Day Skipper and you have some experience and knowledge but not quite sufficient, you should discuss your experi- ence with the school to see if they will accept you. On a small private course, for a couple for instance, your instruc- tor will be able to give you a lot of individual attention and addition- al help. If you are quick and practical you may be able to pass but please note that you must have some experience and knowledge, not none! If you’re going on a group course or a private course with four or five people there really isn’t any spare time for the instructor to teach

27 Learning to Sail in Greece you what you should already know. The Day Skipper syllabus is quite demanding so you must be adequately prepared. It’s disappointing to go on a Day Skipper Practical course and not pass. If you don’t have enough knowledge I strongly suggest that you book on a Competent Crew course first and attempt Day Skipper at a later date. From time to time we hear of students who have passed their Day Skipper course at another centre, supposedly without having any previous sailing experience and/or knowledge. If these stories are true, it reflects an unfortunate lack of quality control at the training centres concerned. Of course it is possible to cut corners, ignore weaknesses and lack of knowledge, and pass students who are not really up to scratch but any reputable school will not do this.

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4. Can my children come with me? Sailing is a great sport for all the family. Even quite young children can help to steer the yacht and tie on fenders. Children from 12 can take an RYA course (even younger if they are dinghy sailors). Greece is a very family-oriented society and you’ll find your kids are welcomed in tavernas ashore. You’ll need to check with individual sailing schools what their policy on children is. Some only accept children on private courses, some will mix adults and children on group courses, and some won’t take children at all. If you want to sail with younger children, I suggest that you choose a school that can offer your course over six days rather than the standard five days. Spreading the syllabus over a longer period means you can make shorter trips each day. There will be more time for your children to swim and explore ashore and they are less likely to get bored. If you’re planning a family Competent Crew course there are no special considerations, apart from trying to take an additional day. Taking a Day Skipper course with children on board requires a little more thought. Mixing a family holiday with a more demanding course, such as Day Skipper, is possible but it does need to be discussed carefully with your family and your sailing school.

Safety Issues Check whether the school supplies children’s lifejackets with crotch-straps or if you must bring your own. Young children should never be allowed to leave the cockpit unaccompanied and should always wear their life-jacket when above decks. You may want to ensure they are securely fastened to the yacht with a lifeline as well. If your children are very young you may want to arrange for netting to be put around the guard-rails for additional safety on deck.

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5. What if I’m coming alone? It’s natural to be a apprehensive about coming on a sailing course on your own. This is often especially the case if you are female. You’re going to be sharing a yacht with several people you don’t know and you may wonder how you’ll get on and what you’ll have in common. By the end of the first day, you will find your worries have disappeared and you no longer consider your fellow crew members as strangers. Sailing is an exhilarating and absorbing pastime. As the crew work together to sail the yacht you soon get to know each other and find you have plenty to talk about at the end of the day, when you relax in the cockpit or a friendly bar ashore. About a third of our students come alone and, according to feedback, they all thoroughly enjoy the experience. We have had several who have made friends with whom to sail in future. Oh, and there have been a couple of romances as well … Singles should check the relevant points in the ‘7 Additional Questions’. You need to know before you book whether you will be expected to share a cabin, sleep in the saloon, or pay for single occupancy. Some schools advertised prices are for a shared cabin so be sure to find out when you are comparing prices. The questions about whether you might be put on a boat with a family and whether the school will cancel if they don’t get enough students are also often particularly pertinent for you. 6. What will the other students be like? Unless you book private tuition, you’ll be taught on a group course with up to four other students. The RYA specifies a maximum of five students per instructor. You may find that there are less than five on board, especially if there are several single students, each in their own cabin.

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Students sometimes worry about the age of the other people who’ll be on board. If you particularly want to sail with people of a similar age the school may be able to advise you of dates when others are booked. They’re more likely to be able to do this later in the year once bookings are in. I think this often proves to be an unnecessary worry. Sailing is something that anyone can do, irrespective of gender, age, and strength. We have students of all ages and many nationalities and everyone normally gets along famously, despite any differences. Not everyone on board may be doing the same course. Many schools mix Day Skipper and Comp Crew candidates. This works well. The Competent Crew students benefit from seeing what the Day Skippers are doing and generally learn more than they would otherwise. The Day Skippers get more ‘hands on’ practice if there are fewer of them and they also gain valuable experience in manag- ing inexperienced crew.

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If you’re a couple with different levels of experience, one can take Day Skipper and the other Competent Crew on the same boat. As we usually have two or three training yachts sailing each week we try to make up crews that we think are likely to get on together and generally we’re pretty successful. We take into account age, nationality and native language, and level of sailing experience. We’ve been doing this for almost ten years now and usually achieve a good mix. We’ve had several crews who have continued to meet up to sail together for a few years after their course. Even if you choose to learn with a smaller school with just one training yacht I wouldn’t worry too much about whether you will get along. Learning a new sport together immediately gives you some- thing in common. The price you pay may also be a guideline as to whether your crew mates are likely to have the same values as you. 7. Am I likely to be sea-sick? I’m often asked about seasickness but it’s not common to be seasick on a yacht when under sail. The sails and keel act as giant stabilizers that help to reduce the motion. You are less likely to be affected than you might be on a motor boat or ferry. Nevertheless it can affect some students, especially if you have to go below to work at the chart-table or to make tea or coffee. Some people mistakenly think that the Aegean is always blue and calm. This is far from true. You can’t sail without wind and, if it is windy the waves will build up. Strong winds in Greece tend to form what sailors call ‘short seas’ where the waves, although not high, are short and irregular and can produce an uncomfortable tumbling motion. If you are prone to seasickness you should take motion sickness tablets for a couple of days until you have your sea-legs., and any

32 Learning to Sail in Greece time when the wind is forecast to be strong. RYA school yachts should always have motion sickness pills in their First Aid kit. It’s prudent not to drink too much alcohol in the evening and to avoid over-exposure to the sun as both of these can contribute to feeling ill Other preventative aids include pressure bands for your wrists and earplugs. They are supposed to help you avoid feeling sick but I can’t vouch for their efficiency. If you are affected, the only really reliable cure for sea-sickness is to sit underneath a tree … 8. Are special diets a problem? A surprisingly high percentage of people have special dietary needs nowadays, either from personal choice or due to food intoler- ance or allergies. As long as you notify the school you will sail with there should not be a problem. You are unlikely to find any specialist foods that you are used to in Greece but there should be sufficient fresh food to meet most needs. Greeks generally don’t understand the concept of vegetarianism. Many would not consider chicken to be meat for instance! Don’t worry about this as you will find plenty of dishes that are compatible with a vegetarian diet. Greece has always been a poor country and many older people only ate meat a few times a year in their youth so there are several traditional Greek recipes based on vegetables – for instance toma- toes and peppers stuffed with rice, spinach and cheese pies, cour- gette balls, fava (chick peas) and other beans, plus lots of cooked and raw types of salad. Those with a gluten or lactose allergy should be able to find rice cakes in major supermarkets and soya milk, both natural and fla- voured is widely available.

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I’ve never seen any labelling on nut allergies in Greece so you should take care when ordering as desserts such as walnut cake are widely served at the end of a meal. 9. What should I bring with me? The answer to this is – about a third of what you think you’ll need. Sailing in Greece is casual; you won’t need a vast wardrobe. Just bring a couple of changes of clothes, swimwear, and some extra layers to put on in the evening if required. Don’t forget the sunscreen and sunglasses, preferably with Polaroid lenses. We recommend everyone who sails with us to use sailing gloves, unless they regular use their hands during their job or sport. If you have ‘office hands’ you’re definitely at risk of getting blisters or perhaps even rope burns. Your instructor will teach you the correct way to handle ropes to avoid problems but large yachts with big sails have a lot of weight on the ropes and accidents can happen.

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It’s sensible to protect your hands. Half-fingered gloves are more suitable in Greece than full-fingered ones, which are a little warm to use in a hot climate. Some people use cycling gloves but these often do not have as much padding and the fingers may be a little short, not protecting the upper joint. Although the weather in Greece is typically warm and sunny during the main sailing season, we do get rainstorms and there will be cooler days in spring and autumn. You may need light waterproof clothing, especially if you do a night sail. If you are sailing early or late in the season, you should check whether the school can supply jackets or if you should bring something suitable with you. In summer you can go barefoot on board but you will need suitable shoes for anchor work and stepping ashore. It is important to protect your feet in case the anchor should slip. Your shoes should preferably have a light coloured non-slip sole and should protect your toes. You don’t need to buy expensive ‘boating shoes’ unless you want to – simple canvas slip on shoes will do just as well. You should pack all your belongings in a soft bag. There is rarely room to store a suitcase on a yacht. If you’re travelling before or after your course and need to bring a case, ask the school if you can leave it in their office while you are on board. The amount of luggage you need to bring will partly depend upon what the school provides. Towels and waterproof jackets are bulky items. If you don’t need to carry them you’ll probably be able to get away with just hand luggage for a 5-day course. 10. Will I be able to get email / Wi-Fi? It’s much better if you can forget about work and email while you come sailing, but in today’s world that isn’t always possible. If you run a business or have a key role in a fast moving organisation you may need to be in contact with your office while you’re away.

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Most ports now have either WiFi or an Internet cafe but thee are still one or two small out of the way places where you might not be able to go online. Greece has a good mobile telephone network and you’ll find lots of shops selling phones and SIM cards. They can also advise on attachments for laptops to give data access while you are in Greece. 11. Can I Sleep Ashore? RYA sail cruising courses are live-aboard courses. They are designed to introduce you to cruising and, as such, you learn what it’s like to live on a boat. You must spend at least 4 nights on board. Living on a yacht is a little like camping on water. There’s not a lot of room in most yacht cabins, rather like being in a tent. You’ll probably sit out in the cockpit and eat in the fresh air. Yachts are more comfortable and better equipped than most tents. You’ll have a proper cooker, a lot more storage space, and the bed will have a proper mattress. You’ll also have hot water on board so you can wash and shower and there will be at least one and probably two toilets. Marine toilets are one of the less attractive features of sailing - but better than having to cross a campsite to a toilet block! If you really cannot face sleeping on a boat, it may be possible to arrange for hotel accommodation at night but this will be an extra expense and you won’t be able to get an RYA certificate. 12. What Happens About Food? Your course price will normally include some food - typically breakfasts and lunches and possibly one or two evening meals. The ingredients will be provided by the school and the food will be prepared by all the crew. It’s part of the syllabus to be able to make meals and drinks and generally ‘house-keep’ while on the boat.

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You may need to adjust to some local customs. You’re unlikely to have a big meal in the middle of the day. Salads are the norm, with cold meats, fish or cheese. You’ll probably eat ashore in the evenings, possible later than you are used to. Sometimes food may be ordered for the whole table, with every- one sharing the bill, rather than individuals ordering a plate just for themselves.

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Questions You Should Ask 1. Will I have to share a cabin? RYA training centres can take up to five students on each course. With the instructor that’s six people on board. If the course is run on a yacht with only three cabins, you can tell from simple arithmetic that some people will have to share a cabin. Your instructor may sleep in the saloon or cockpit freeing up a cabin but, if there are four or five single people on board, you won’t have a cabin apiece. Yacht cabins are small and in Greece in summer they are also hot so you do have to be very friendly or very tolerant to share. It’s normally possible to pay extra to have a cabin to yourself but you could be asked for quite a substantial amount. If you’re on a budget you may choose to share to save money as it will be considerably cheaper. Rather than sharing you may be able to sleep in the saloon as many yachts have seating areas that convert to make quite a comfortable bed. Alternatively you can probably choose to sleep on deck. This can be lovely in the summer but it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Make sure you know what the position is with regard to sleeping arrangements. 2. Do you mix adults & families? This is an issue that is particularly relevant if you’re coming alone. I’ve heard of schools that have put a single person on board with a family with two young children. I understand why they do this – it’s in order to get five people on a course and thus maximise their income while keeping their price low for the family. I can’t imagine that it would be a situation that most people would enjoy. Ask the school what their policy is about mixing adults and families and about taking children on courses generally.

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3. Is it a dedicated teaching yacht? Every RYA training centre must have at least one yacht that is inspected annually to ensure that it comes up to the RYA/MCA standards. Larger schools will have several boats. At the time of the inspection each yacht must be fitted with everything that the RYA requires. This includes several items that you would not normally find on a Greek charter yacht. Examples are red lights for night sailing, safety lines for the deck, auto-inflating life-jackets, and a Dan buoy. If the yacht is not a dedicated teaching boat but is put out for bareboat charter some weeks, there is a danger that the items could be lost or damaged by charterers. To avoid this, many schools don’t keep this equipment permanently on board. It is put on and taken off the yacht before and after each course. Your instructor may have to spend the hours before you arrive chasing around in the heat getting all the equipment ready for you, instead of calmly preparing for your course. Dedicated teaching yachts will have all this equipment perma- nently fitted. They may also have a library of reference books to help you and some will have additional equipment, over and above that required by the RYA, to make your course safer and more enjoyable. 4. What can you tell me about my instructor? Some of the larger companies rely on a steady supply of young, freshly trained instructors, prepared to work for very low pay in order to gain experience. While some of these youngsters may be excellent instructors, I’ve heard that others appear more interested in chasing girls (or boys) who are sailing on flotillas that week. When we choose our instructors we choose people who are mature enough to have good people skills as well as good sailing skills. The ability to run a happy ship is important and part of this depends on the instructors skill in bonding the crew into a team who work well together.

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Ideally you want someone with a good few years training experi- ence under their belt. They will have found the best ways to put the information across and will have learned which areas students find most difficult so they can anticipate and avoid problems. You’ll also benefit if your instructor has plenty of experience of sailing in the area. He or she will know the prevailing wind and can often find good sailing wind when someone less knowledgeable about the area would have to resort to switching on the motor. 5. Do you supply RYA course books? The RYA is famous for is its training materials. They produce colourful well-illustrated course notes to accompany the Competent Crew and Day Skipper practical courses. These are particularly useful for learning nautical terminology and to revise things you have done during the day. Having access to the RYA course materials will be very useful to you. All reputable schools will ensure you have these but some may request that you buy them rather than supplying them as part of the course. If you’ll have children on board check whether the school can provide the excellent Go Cruising book and activity book for young sailors. (It’s great for adults too …) 6. Do you ever cancel courses? I’ve sometimes had phone calls from people anxiously looking for last minute places on our courses because the course that they were booked on elsewhere has been cancelled due to lack of numbers. This is something to check. It must be terrible to be looking forward to your course and then have it cancelled. Always read the company’s Terms & Conditions to find out what your position would be should you need to cancel due to illness or another problem. Most schools will find it difficult to fill last minute

40 Learning to Sail in Greece places so you may lose your course fee if you cancel within a few weeks of your course. Make sure you have travel insurance that will cover you in this eventuality. 7. Who decides the route to take? Sailing schools should be able to give you an idea of the likely places you will sail, but each week may be slightly different as, ideally, your instructor will plan the route to take advantage of good winds and avoid rough weather. If you’re sailing with a company that operates a flotilla you may find that the flotilla leader, rather than your instructor, will deter- mine the destination for the day and you’ll be obliged to go with the other boats. Some of the best sailing in Greece is late afternoon between about 16:00 and 18:00. This is due to winds caused by the difference in temperature between the land and the sea. Schools operated by flotilla companies may ask you to get into port early and you may be already tied up by the time the afternoon breeze kicks in! 8. What Happens if I Don’t Pass? This is really only relevant if you’re taking a Day Skipper or Coastal Skipper course, as it’s almost unheard of to fail the Compe- tent Crew course. It’s a different matter for potential skippers. When you are issued with an RYA certificate, you can go off and take your friends and family out to sea. A reputable school will ensure you safe and competent to take others to sea before giving you a certificate. Most people with a few weeks experience who take a theory course a short time before the practical should be able to reach the required level in 5 days, especially at a school that doesn’t try to teach 5 skipper students at once.

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However, as with all sports, people vary in their natural aptitude and speed of learning. Some people take longer to reach the level required. It’s a bit like a driving test – not everyone is going to pass first time. It’s as well to check what the procedure is if you don’t pass. And if the school says that they pass everyone – well, I’d consider what that says about the standards they set. You should have a mid-week briefing from your instructor and you’ll be warned if you are likely not to make the standard. If you don’t pass all parts of the syllabus your instructor will mark off those parts that you can do in your RYA Log Book and you can then concentrate on the remaining aspects another time. The school may offer you the opportunity to come back for a few days to complete the parts of the syllabus you failed or they may suggest you retake the whole course if they think you need more practice in everything. You can also redo the course at any other RYA school.

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A Day’s Sailing In Greece Finally, I want to give an overview of what your experience is likely to be. This is a description of a typical day on one of our teaching yachts; other schools will be similar. Let’s start with breakfast, taken sitting in the sun in the cockpit of your yacht. On an RYA course all the crew are involved in preparing meals and cleaning up afterwards. Breakfast typically consists of fresh fruit, Greek yogurt, cereal, freshly baked bread, honey or jam. After breakfast, you’ll get a briefing from your instructor. At first, you may find it a lot to take in but you’ll have your RYA course book to remind you of anything you forget. The briefing will cover your destination for the day, the route, and what you will be taught. You’ll normally leave port by about 10:00 and you’ll soon learn how to deal with the ropes, anchor, and fenders. Once away from port you’ll put out the sails, turn off the engine, and enjoy the wonderful experience of travelling by the natural force of the wind. An important skill is learning to use the winches safely and efficiently. All your senses will be involved with the sights, sounds and smell of the sea. Everyone on board takes turns steering the yacht. Skipper candidates will be responsible for plotting the passage and giving directions to the crew, under the watchful eye of your instructor. While on passage you’ll keep a note of your position in the Ship’s Log Book from time to time, and all crew will share tasks from trimming the sails to providing drinks and snacks. At lunch time you’ll anchor in a bay. For most of the year, you’ll be able to swim or snorkel before lunch. The colour of the water in Greece is one of the delights. Shallower water is a beautiful tur- quoise and you can see the sand below. There’s usually time to sun-bathe on deck to dry off. Lunch is a buffet - salads, cold meats or fish, cheese.

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In the afternoon you’ll continue to the port you’ll be staying in that night. The best sailing is often in the afternoon and you’ll find your everyday worries disappear as you concentrate on sailing. Generally you’ll arrive in port about 17:00 but, if the wind is particularly good you may stay out longer. Once your yacht is safely tied up you can go ashore to explore or have a cold drink. Your instructor will carry out a de-briefing, either on board or in a cafe. You can ask questions and comment on what has happened during the day. If you’re taking a skipper’s course you may have some homework to do in the evening. Your instructor could ask you to make a passage plan for the following day. Competent Crew students can relax, find a beach, or browse the local shops. You’ll be able to shower on board (and on shore in a few places) and get changed into casual clothes for the evening. Most crews arrange to meet for a cold drink before their evening meal. Greeks eat late. It’s not uncommon in August for them to have their evening meal at midnight! You won’t be going that far but you may eat later than you are used to, typically about 20:00 - 20:30. Our instructors know the best tavernas. Follow their recommendations to get good food and service. Everyone on board generally, but not always, eats together. You may also meet up with the crew of other boats who are sailing that week and you’ll have an opportunity to share experiences of the day or to discuss any topic under the sun. What you do after the meal is up to you. The cafe life and music bars in Greece stay open until late at night for those who want to party but after a day in the fresh air with plenty of exercise you may find you are just ready for bed!

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About The Author Melody and her husband, George, run Aegean Sailing School, based an island close to Athens. It’s the largest and most popular sailing school in Greece, with students from over 50 countries to date. Melody started dinghy sailing on the west coast of Wales, where she went to school. She stopped for several years when she went to university in Scotland, deciding the sea there was too cold for boats that can capsize! In her late 20s she discovered yachting and has been hooked ever since. Various members of her family have a connection with boats or the sea. Her grandfather taught navigation at Liverpool Nautical College. Her father bought one of the first Mirror dinghies, although she reports that he was a pretty hopeless sailor. Another relative, a double amputee, was proud to be the only ‘officially legless’ member of the Royal Northern Yacht Club. He sailed well into his 70s despite his handicap. Her oldest brother has run a luxury hotel barge on the French canals for over 20 years, and before that spent a number of years cruising the Med. Husband, George, spent 35 years in the Royal Navy. In 2001 George and Melody decided to follow her brother’s lead and spend some time cruising. They bought a yacht in Greece and planned to sail there for two years. When they decided to prolong their trip to take in the 2004 Athens Olympics, they had to find a way to support themselves. The yacht had a commercial licence and George was a Yachtmaster, so they started to offer skippered charter holidays. Everyone who sailed with them wanted to learn how to sail. Unlike many of her family, who are self-taught, Melody had completed several RYA courses. At that time there were no RYA schools in Greece so, after looking into various other schemes, they applied to become a recognised RYA training centre. They were one of the pioneers for what has now become a popular holiday – learning to sail in Greece. In this booklet, Melody shares her enthusiasm for sailing and what she has learned in ten years of advising people about learning to sail in the picturesque Greek islands. Whether you’re looking for top-notch training on big boats or you simply want to obtain an RYA certificate as quickly and cheaply as possible, the information she has provided will help you find a training centre that meets your needs.

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Useful Links & Resources

Royal Yachting Association - www.rya.org.uk RYA Interactive online courses - www.ryainteractive.org Navathome online courses - www.navathome.com Ocean Training online courses - www.oceantraining.com Aegean Sailing School - www.aegeansailingschool.com

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