If you have decided to spend your summer vacation in Greece and you are ready to charter a yacht, are you familiar with the different types of yacht charter available? In Greece, you can charter a motor yacht, a motor sailer, and a sailing yacht.
Different Types of Yacht Charter in Greece
Motor Yachts
Motor yachts are the vessels that can run only under their motor power. Smaller motor yachts i.e. up to 14m can go on bareboat charters, bigger ones go only for fully crewed charters.
In general the bigger the motor yachts are the more luxury one can find onboard. In the motor yachts there is more space in the cabins, the saloon and on deck and they offer various facilities (Ski water sports equipment, DVDs, Hi-Fi, sunbathing areas, etc)
They have a cruising speed of 13-25 knots (lets say miles per hour), and with this speed they are in position to visit quite many of places during a short period of charter time.
The fuel (diesel) consumption is an extra considerable cost for the guests and varies a lot from one yacht to another. Smaller ones consume 60-140 litres per hour and bigger ones 360 to 650 litres / hour.
Here is an example for a long-weekend charter on a fully crewed motor yacht of 22m for 8 guests:
The distance from Athens (Alimos marina) to Aegina Island is 18 miles and the cost of a bigger motor yacht for this single route will be from 450 to 700 Euros. The charterer-client should calculate for his long weekend about 8 times the above distance of 18 miles – arriving to a fuel cost ca. EURO 4800, so that he will visit Poros Isl., Hydra Isl. and some swim or light-meal stops on the way.
Needless to say that the smaller the motor yachts are the less fuel they consume (in most of the cases).
It is really important we mention that when strong winds (5 + Beaufort scale) are blowing at the cruising area (it often happens in the Cyclades area) all motor yachts are to stay in port, as they can hardly sail in rough weather conditions or they are not permitted so by the marine authorities.
The Saronic Gulf and the Peloponnese coast near Athens is always a calm area and a nice place to sail with bigger or smaller motor yachts.
Motor Sailer
Since the motor sailers are mostly traditional wooden yachts, their sails can provide reduced cruising speeds making the simultaneous use of their engines necessary on the way.
Charters on motor sailers & on bigger motor yachts are both on a “fully crewed” basis and consequently the level of service, the living space, the comfort and the charter conditions offered onboard the motor sailers are all similar to the fully crewed motor yachts.
Τheιr big and obvious difference of a motor sailer is that everything one can see & do onboard such a yacht is characterized by unique style – a true, traditional, old-fashioned classic style where technology -although present- is not “showed-off”. They accommodate 6-12 guests, have a crew of 3 to 7 or more persons and gain a cruising speed of 9-16 knots.
The fuel consumption is also much less compared to the bigger crewed motor yachts. In case the weather is rough, then sailing restrictions –as said for the motor yachts- equally apply to the motor sailers.
Sailing Yachts
Sailing yachts for charter can sail using their sails only (and/or their auxiliary motor) & achieve a cruising speed of 6-14 knots (almost equal to miles per hour). Smaller sailing yachts that are offered for bareboat charters in Greece as well, are up to 18 meters (60 feet) long, can accommodate 4-12 guests and into their the cabins only the necessary space for sleeping is found. Bigger sailing yachts perform charters on a fully crewed basis and they accommodate 6 to 10 guests, since luxury & room demands are increased compared to the smaller ones.
Sailing yachts offer a sense of freedom and a feeling of direct touch to the sea and nature especially in Greece where beauty and seclusion is abundant. The sailing yachts can sail away no matter if the winds blow with force of 6 Beaufort or more (from November 2005 permission to sail can be given with 9 beauforts of wind at the sole -given in written- responsibility of the captain of the yacht), and thus the sailing yachts are considered to be safer than the motor yachts.
People who rent sailing yachts like to cruise under sails (usually without the noise of the motors) and their standards about luxury and service onboard are different compared to the motor yachts. Sailing yachts are not as fast as the motor yachts are, but they offer other advantages. The real value and most important on sailing charters is that someone, can really relax, swim, snorkel, sunbath, etc. no matter the duration of the charter or how many islands you will visit.