Bareboating the Greek Isles

If you’re like me, a day on the water beats any day on dry land. Therefore, it’s time to start planning an adventure to the Greek Islands.
The Destination
There are six different chains (clusters) that comprise the Greek Isles:

• the Argo-Saronic Islands in the Saronic gulf near Athens
• the Cyclades, a dense collection in the Aegean Sea
• the North Aegean Islands, off the west coast of Turkey
• the Dodecanese, a collection in the southeast between Crete and Turkey
• the Sporades, a small tight group off the coast of Euboea, and
• the Ionian Islands, located to the west of mainland Greece in the Ionian Sea.

So Many Options
Each cluster of islands offers a wide variety of culture, natural beauty, history and intrigue. Some are more secluded (Sporades and Ionian), some are influenced by different cultures (Dodecanese, and North Aegean) but they all are worth visiting. Since we only have a week to explore, I’ve chosen the Cyclades Islands. There are over 200 islands located in the Cyclades chain. The major ones include Amorgós, Anáfē, Ándros, Antíparos, Dēlos, Eschátē, Íos, Kéa, Kímōlos, Kýthnos, Mēlos, Mýkonos, Náxos, Páros, Folégandros, Sérifos, Sífnos, Síkinos, Sýros, Tēnos, and Santoríni. Most of the smaller islands are uninhabited, but are just as beautiful.

Preliminary Vacation Plans

Itinerary:
I’ve done some initial research and the plans will be finalized upon my return from St Martin. My hope is to do a one way charter, so we can get the most out of our sailing experience. We’ll either start in Athens (sailing south in the Cyclades) or start in Paros (sailing north to Athens). Either way, we’ll hit six or seven islands, depending on the schedule and winds.

Expected Costs:
My initial cost estimates are extremely rough! The price includes a one way charter, $100/day in food, hotel stay (day before and after) and a flight. The price is subject to change, but I wanted you each to have an opportunity to plan. Just like the BVI and St Martin, my hope is to keep the price under my estimate.

Anticipated Dates:
I’m leaning towards starting the trip during the 1st week in September because of the Labor Day holiday. You’ll have to leave the States on Thursday (September 2nd) in order to make boat call on Saturday morning. We’ll sail for a week (Sept 4th – 11th) and then some of us are planning to tear up Europe the following week (September 11th – 19th). September 18th is the start of Oktoberfest in Munich; this might be a great place for a closing celebration (plus flights are cheaper to-from Germany right now).

Limited Participants:

I will only be planning this trip for four boats. Therefore, this trip has a maximum of 40 sailors. Reserve your spot ASAP by sending me your first payment.  The $1000 is not refundable. If something happens once you’ve committed, I will work with you to find a replacement and determine a plan, but we’d much rather have you on the trip.

Geeky Greek History

“In Greek mythology, the Anemoi (in Greek, Ἄνεμοι — "winds") were wind gods who were each ascribed a cardinal direction, from which their respective winds came, and were each associated with various seasons and weather conditions. They were sometimes represented as mere gusts of wind, at other times were personified as winged men, and at still other times were depicted as horses kept in the stables of the storm god Aeolus, who provided Odysseus with the Anemoi in the Odyssey. Astraeus, the astrological deity sometimes associated with Aeolus, and Eos, the goddess of the dawn, were the parents of the Anemoi, according to the Greek poet Hesiod.
Of the four chief Anemoi, Boreas was the north wind and bringer of cold winter air, Notus was the south wind and bringer of the storms of late summer and autumn, and Zephyrus was the west wind and bringer of light spring and early summer breezes; Eurus, the east wind, was not associated with any of the three Greek seasons, and is the only one of these four Anemoi not mentioned in Hesiod's Theogony or in the Orphic Hymns. Additionally, four lesser Anemoi were sometimes referenced, representing the northeast, southeast, northwest, and southwest winds.” (Thank you, Wikipedia!)

Some of you know… I really really want a dog!! Maybe I’ll name him Zephyrus… the only problem is Zephyrus was kind of a player. Think that matters to the dog? Anyway…I’ll send more history on Greece as the planning gets underway. This is going to be a true adventure… Pack your bags and I’ll see you in the Med.