You may not call this a holiday

What boat should I select? What are the major factors you should consider before you rent a yacht in the Greek islands?

The answer to the above question depends on things such as the sailing area, the number of persons in party, desired level of comfort &
space, special extras needed like generator 220v or air-conditioning (A/C), cooking and galley equipment such as deep freezer, draft of the yacht, jet ski, water sports, scuba diving, less cabins in larger boat size, style & design. Other factors are the AGE of the yacht, the PRICE (OF COURSE), uncertainty of the final number in your party, if you need to hire a local skipper along  etc. etc.

Here you can see a few tips and examples that might help you out:

Choose the boat that fits to the sailing area you have decided to sail to.

For example if your plans are to sail the Cyclades islands, then you need to charter the bigger boat you can afford, because the Cyclades and the Aegean sea get windy and in a choppy sea the length and the displacement of the yacht is important for your safety and comfort. Another guiding example would be to avoid booking a boat that has no spray hood when your sailing destination is the Aegean Sea. No such precaution should be taken for sailing in the Ionian Sea or the Sporades islands.

Make sure you don?t get overcrowded onboard

Choose the yacht that is in accordance to the number of people in your party and to the comfort and volume of space you all need. The above determine the size of the charter yacht too.

Most charter yachts in Greece sleep X number of persons + another two (2) persons at the saloon / dinette, by converting the table to a double bed. For example, say you are a party of eight people and you decide to go sailing in Greece. You seem to opt for a yacht at the range of 39 feet that has three (3 double cabins) and a maximum number of eight (8) people onboard. This means that two (2) persons of your party (who two is another story) will be sleeping at the salon convertible settee / saloon (maybe rotate place every 2 days to come fair). The result will be that 2 people will be getting dressed and undressed at the saloon, they will also have their bags, stuff and luggage cramped and spread around the place, they will be upset if some want to stay longer and talk or listen to the music at the cockpit, and so on. Is this what you really want? Or it would be better to consider a charter boat with four (4) cabins? Same situation would apply if your party consists of 6 persons and you are to hire a local skipper.

Skipper or guest sleeping at the salon settee. Comfort and relaxation is in doubt

And then, are the four (4) cabins of the yacht good for everybody? If you are all couples, are there all the cabins in double beds that you probably wish? Or one couple is forced to use a cabin with twin bunk beds (up-down)?

What we always suggest is you charter a boat that has one more cabin that necessary and as many toilets you can afford. An additional cabin can always serve as storage room for all that extra gear & empty luggage or as an additional quarter if someone wants to sleep alone during the cruise. Our suggestion for the number of toilets / baths / WC / head compartments is that more than 4 or 5 people for one WC head/bath is really inconvenient.

The opposite side can argue that for sailing in Greece between June and September it is worth sleeping on deck since it can be an unforgettable experience. Indeed, the warm Greek nights and the spectacular view of the sky in the night are tempting enough - mostly to younger crews.