Excellent new boat, superb modern marina, great welcome from the team at the marina. Extra costs at the base were higher than expected.
Boat was small but great for 2/3 people or single handed. Really new equipment and well maintained. Sailing area accessible from lavrio marina is perfect to explore the Greek culture and some of the most beautiful islands
We rented a 51ft Oceania from Cala dei Sardi Marina. The whole marina was run by the charter company which was excellent. They had air conditioned reception for check in and then areas with chairs and loungers to relax and swim whilst waiting for the boat. The boat was very diligently cleaned inside and out before boarding and the charter company were available via WhatsApp for any questions during the week. The only negatives were the toilet facilities at the marina were very small (1 toilet and 2 showers) and you may not get the boats till 6pm. The food at the restaurant at the marina was excellent for dinner , highly recommend Booking. The food shop that the shuttle goes to is limited and small, it is better to get a taxi to the large Conad
Pros: - the boat has more powerful engines than usual, which is a plus Cons: - the boat has manual toilettes - had no passarelle - had no big round fenders for the front, neither fenders to protect the back of the transom, which is a weird combination with no passarelle - the tender lift is from 20 years ago - if the inverter is on, the port side battery is not charged, attention is needed
Taking in consideration that we chartered a 2020 Dufour 520, the boat wasn't exactly what we expected. I wish I could post here the pic of the freezer that they wanted us to take sailing with us, lets say it would be like having another passenger on board. The office people got a home freezer, yes, a home freezer in the boat similar to my home extra freezer about 3.0 CU, 33.9" x 19.7" x 18.5". At first it was in the galley between starboard seat and the dinning table, we would have to REALLY squeeze ourselves to pass by it, I told them that it was not practical at all, not mentioning safety on an emergency situation. Then they put the freezer on the top of the seat, let me tell you that we had an unexpected hurricane and thank goodness it turned down into a tropical storm when it finally hit us. That freezer on the top of the seat would NOT have survived. Then (are you guys ready for a good laugh?) it was suggested to tie the freezer on the deck, perhaps on the main mast. I know right, I'm actually laughing here as I type this, I'm picturing instead of Kate Winslet in the Titanic, our freezer at the bowsprit of the Dufour 520 California Promises. Anyway, we decided to leave the freezer on the dock, and for that we lost most of our meat, but hey, thank goodness we caught some AWESOME Tuna and Dorado. OK, Enough with the freezer. No sprayhood as advertised, but when we returned the boat to the office they said: "here is the sprayhood, it has just arrived", a bit too late for us though. The fresh water tank pump would turn off automatically only when tank # 1 was in usage, for tanks number 2 and 3 we needed to turn it on and off each time we needed water so the pump wouldn't keep running. The tough time was when we were naked in the shower (I know, shocking, I don't shower in my long gala gowns!!!) and realized I forgot to turn it on, Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy!!!! Precious moments. The Genset, air conditioning and watermaker all worked well and were greatly appreciated to make the trip more enjoyable this time of year (August). The second anchor helped to secure the boat one night in the high winds. Pick your anchorages carefully.
It is very difficult to describe the transformation we went through, during our week with Captain Stephane, our french-english skipper. We arrived with our souls filled with Covid/Corona anxiety frightening the world of tomorrow. We left with new hope, tranquilized for not only the global fright, but also our private everydays challenges - reinforced with the love we, as a married couple, have had since the beginning of our romancing. Our Skipper took us by our hand from the first second and day by day let us into the world of islanding with beautiful mornings, astonishing private lunchspots, amazing harbours with elegant sailorskills, letting us become a reliable crew, which first of all were our hopes for the trip. But most important and surprisingly he showed and tought us, by practice, theory and shared experience - Money has no value on the Sea - survival on the sea is based on comradeship - and anchoring is the most challenging and dangerous part of sailing - and anchoring provokes all the worst in fellow untrained sailors untill Captain Barlow with his superior tranqulity sets the standard of good sailorship - not only in The Ilionan Sea, but also as a way of behavouring in our everyday work & private life in Copenhagen. We have already booked Captain Barlow & Harvester III same week, next year with our grandchildren and family - a project that will continue year after year - this is the way we we have earned to live... Lene & Henrik, both hard working professionals, 45 years of loving, 3 children, 3 grandchildren, Copenhagen, Denmark
Very good tour of the boat and contact with the local marina. We were three couples and glasses and cutlery were not available for six people. Plates were worn. The inflatable boat did not hold the air. Handles for the cabins came loose and fell loose.
+ Brand new boat + cushions outside + lots of coast books and maps + huge bimini + ancre snober + very fast answer when asked for advice / help - Soft and small dinghy - we expected a solid hull for 10 people boat… - little trouble with the water pump. - no space for the fenders - we had to "sacrify" the shower space Inside
Amalfi and the Capri area offers some Stunning scenery, a great welcome and some steep prices! Things were quieter than usual this year due to C19, but still some harbours and marinas were pretty full. By looking around you can find v good anchorages - we anchored 3 nights from 6 - but even Buoy moorings cost €120-140 a night. Marinas are €150 a night (and can be double this In capri, so avoid the marina there and anchor in the bay on south coast of the island). For a normal year, plan for it to be super busy and hard to get a berth/ mooring. Suck up the high costs and you will have a Great time!
My first experience with Hanse boat, very happy.