SeaScape Sailing

Adventure sailing trips in Greece, Turkey and the British Virgin Islands

Can I rent an e-bike, scooter or car?

by

E-bikes

On some of the smaller islands they’re the best way to get about, a lot about islands now haveEbike rental shops www.greenbikeme.gr

Scooter

The little 50cc scooters on the islands are a very popular way of getting around, for locals and visitors alike. However – we have been scolded by our legal advisor for “recommending” scooters; in the event that someone should have an accident and claim that it is our crew’s fault for suggesting them. It is a sad thing that one has to take this approach these days, but personal responsibility seems to be unfashionable of late. So we will say here – in writing – that we do NOT recommend scooters.

However – should you make the personal decision that you would still like to do this, then yes, our skippers can help you organise them, point out the fun spots to go, etc.

Update July 2022: It used to be that a regular driving licence was fine for renting scooters or ATVs….apparently in 2022, the authorities tightened up the regs, and insisting that motorbikes must be specifically named on your licence. Some of the “international driver’s licences” that one can get online for $20 do have a clause which includes scooter (and ATV) rental. There are a few different ones available, so check the small print. If you have thoughts of any vehicle rental, it would be worth your while getting an international licence anyway; in theory they are also required for car rental, but no-one around our islands is concerned about this. Yet. The Greeks change their minds like chameleons on which laws they are going to apply & when, so may as well cover all eventualities!

Car

Apparently, it is still OK to recommend this! Seriously, this IS a great alternative, and the cost shared between a few people is less than renting a scooter too. Of late, there are an increasing number of ATVs (quad bikes) or beach buggies available to rent too – also a lot of fun!

What is the sailing season in the Med?

by

The best time to sail in Greece and Turkey is between late May and late Oct.

Earlier in the season is possible, but those glorious sunny-all-day Med conditions are not guaranteed; we can still get some dodgy weather early in May. The Turkish season tends to extend a little later than Greece; it stays warm and calm longer, the “lights-off” time for most tourist businesses in Turkey is Oct 30. In Greece, conditions can be a little unpredictable late in Oct (but it can still be a great time to sail, for those who hate crowds!)

Winds – the typical meltemi pattern of summer winds tends to follow the temperature. It blows the strongest in mid-summer, and is calmer in early and late season. In some parts of Greece (notably the Ionian), it’s a nice, predictable afternoon breeze; anywhere mid-Aegean or further east, forget any such reliability – the meltemi will blow when it feels like it!

How do I get to your home base in Greece?

by

We’re now based on the island of Kos. We either dock the boat in the main marina, or in the old town city pier a 10-minute walk further. For the old salts that have sailed with SeaScape Sailing down through the years, Yes you’re right, we’ve changed our base location!

Kos is a super easy island to fly in and out of with flights from Kos main airport to most European cities all summer. Also we’ve also a fantastic new Greek islands south route which is very easily accessed from Kos.

You’ll see on the itinerary that we commence our charters on Friday mornings at 9 am for your briefing and familiarising yourself with the boat. So you may need to arrive to Kos the day before on Thursday afternoon, check into a nice hotel, order a cocktail and relax by the pool or explore Kos old town. There’s an array of hotels to choose from in Kos town. For those That think Kos many be a little too commercial, don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of the smaller Greek island experiences as soon as we get sailing.

Getting to the boat from the airport

We’d recommend a taxi from the airport to your hotel. There is also a local bus service, but as the taxi ride is only approx. 40 euros in total, we think it’s worth it.

Do we sail every day?

by

A question which frequently has our skippers grinding their teeth! :). We will always sail when it is logistically possible; it’s what we love too, after all.

But at times, when sitting in a calm harbour, it’s hard to tell what the conditions are like outside; so sometimes, we just plain don’t know until we get out there.

There are other factors which influence the decision too; eg, if the wind happens to be coming from exactly where we want to go….. it could take an age to get there, tacking backwards and forwards. If there’s no time constraints, and the distance isn’t too long – then sure, let’s get that team-tacking on! But if, for example, someone is getting miserably seasick – we’re not hanging around taking twice the time to get there; we’ll motor-sail as the fastest way to get to port.

Luckily, that’s actually rare; what is common however, is that we DO need to get a good dock space at our next destination. In most places, it’s first-come, first-served; there’s no reserving spaces. With just a few little spots, where the local families have say over who gets space on their dock / buoy; they’ll keep us space. But in most places, docks are public property and if we want to be sure of a spot, we can’t arrive too late.

Plus – this isn’t a full-on sail training trip; it’s a vacation where people also want to explore the islands, to experience the culture and meet the locals. If you’re a die-hard sailor who wants to sail from dawn till dusk, we’re not the right outfit for you. We keep the best balance we can with what each group /individual wants to do – our itineraries are not set in stone, and our skippers always go with the flow of what suits the group best. We sail when it’s practical and fun to do so; when other factors kick in, then sometimes we’ll need to motor.

Can I do laundry?

by

Before contemplating washing your undies out on the boat – please check on the water situation first! You’re likely to become considerably unpopular with your crewmates if we run out of water for showers ‘cos someone’s done laundry at an inappropriate time. The best laundry day is obviously when we’re on a dock with water at hand. Check in with your skipper when the next watering place will be.

There are services along the way in both Greece and Turkey where you can have your laundry done for you. Prices are reasonable. Again, your skipper can let you know where.

What’s life on board like?

by

We think it’s great if people want to get involved, learn about the boat, sailing, and generally be part of an active team. If one of your objectives coming on this trip is to learn about or improve your sailing – we’re more than happy to teach you.

But, we realise it’s not everyone’s goal… so, if spreading your towel on deck and lying out with a good book is your plan – that’s fine too. Our skippers will need some extra pairs of hands to help dock the boat, but you don’t need to be full-on tweaking sails if that doesn’t float your boat.

We do, however, expect that everyone will contribute in some way to the team spirit – if you wanted to just lie by a pool and have cocktails served to you, we assume you’d be on a cruise ship.

 

Contact us

Send us a message

Site Map