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Bareboat yacht charters in Greece

When you charter a bareboat - a yacht without hired crew (captain, cook or hostess) - you yourself will act as skipper and be responsible for both your crew members and yacht.

Officially, since 2004, the harbour authorities/port police require that 1 crew member (it used to be 2) has at least a RYA day skipper, International Certificate of Competence (ICC) or national equivalent.
Kefallonia - Assos port If your sailing license is issued by a country outside the European Union, it must be accompanied by a translation English. The port police also recognizes any official paper from a sailing school, a yacht club or any relative organization, that has tested and can verify your ability to handle a sailing yacht.

Since these “official papers” can be anything, a lot of yacht charter companies follow their own rules. Yet, often the start is the only time when you have to overlay the documents. Together with the boat's documents the local port police needs a sailing license to give you permission to leave port. When entering a new port, the Port Police may check your sailing licenses but in most, if not all, cases they will only check the ship's papers.

If it is impossible to get an official paper from - for instance - your club, there is a waiver you can sign which accepts that you are responsible for the well-being of the crew, and it is at the owner's discretion whether he will allow you to sail his yacht alone.

Bareboat certificates

The British certificate of RYA practical day skipper is in most cases sufficient, moreover the non tidal version is enough since there are hardly any tidal influences in the eastern Mediterranean Basin. An International Certificate of Competence or RYA coastal skipper & yachtmaster offshore or higher certificates are almost always accepted.
Likewise the American US Sailing bareboat cruising or ASA bareboat chartering (104) -intermediate coastal cruising licenses should suffice.

Corfu - Ayios Stefanos Port Note, that sometimes the Greek port authorities erroneously still require two of these sailing licenses - also one for a crew member - but this second license should just be on the level of competent crew or up.

Most countries issue equivalent licenses, which are not always recognized due to language and cultural barriers. Although it might take many months, it is always wise to obtain an ICC.

Reliable bareboat yacht charter companies will always cover for you in case of an accident and when your experience or certification is somehow not recognized by the Greek Law.

Please, be aware that bareboat chartering in the Cyclades and Dodecanese can be much more demanding than the Argosaronic Gulf and the Ionian Sea. Especially the southern Aegean (Paros, Naxos, Amorgos, Melos, Ios, Santorini, Astypalea, Karpathos, Kasos) and also Andros, Tinos, Samos and Ikaria are rather notorious for their windswept character and even more so when the Meltemi wreaks havoc.

Also, have a look at my navigation course and my anchoring & Mediterranean mooring course before considering to sail Greece without a skipper.
 

Sailing resources
 Charter guide :

 Assisted bareboats
 Bareboat requirements
 Choosing a charter yacht
 Catamarans & monohulls
 Prevent seasickness
 Greek sailing areas
 When to sail in Greece
 Yacht charter provisioning
 Itineraries Ionian
 Itineraries Argo-Saronic
 Itineraries Cyclades
 Itineraries Dodecanese
 One-way itineraries
 Flights & ferries
 Last minutes & budget
 Sailing between Greece & Turkey
 Greek chart terms
 Greek fishing techniques
Greece :

Ionian Islands
Dodecanese Islands
Cyclades Islands
Northern Sporades
Peloponnese – Athens
Top 10 islands

Yacht charter companies
 
Tower of winds
Acropolis
Turkey :

Izmir – Bodrum
Bodrum – Marmaris
Marmaris – Fethiye
Fethiye – Antalya
10 Nov 2009
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