Feedback | Flotilla sailing
Destination: Greece
Title: Lagoon 440 on flotilla June 2011
We had a great time and the support we received from the flotilla's lead ship made our holiday a delight. Steve the captain of the flotilla lead ship was a very professional sailor and gave us great advice about weather and local conditions. He was also a super help in making sure we had good spots to dock at each port. Our stress level was very low as the result of having such an experienced expert available to us for advice and assistance. Sharron our lead ship co-ordinator was outstanding, she made sure any shore activities were a fantastic success and helped us to find anything in the towns or villages that we might need - a lovely lady with a 'can do' attitude outstanding overall. I would recommend the flotilla service highly and all my crew would echo my sentiments.
From: Douglas Brown and friends
Location: Ontario Canada
Contact details: dpbrown@hdbrown.com
Destination: Greece
Title: 2 Week Cyclades Flotilla July/August 2011
My family of 8 have just returned from the most fabulous sailing experience that we could have hoped for. We sailed with a competitor last year around the Aegean Sea, but from now on whenever possible will always choose Poseidon. Steve, 'a legend', as my 2 teenage kids would say and Sharron were the perfect hosts, always putting our needs and safety first. They were great with the kids on the flotilla and were always entertaining us with stories and being available at all times for ideas on places to go to, best restaurants to eat in and literally putting all our needs first. The journeys were carefully planned and we all felt as if we were in very safe hands which is a relief when children are onboard. It's the little personal touches that I think make a holiday and we were definitely spoilt. Sailing was also great, calmer in the first week but the competiveness definitely began to develop between the men in the second!! Living in the UK we had not come across Poseidon Charters as they are based in Canada but they definitely are a well kept secret and I would encourage the British to seriously consider booking as you will not be disappointed!
From: Zara Lavery and family
Location: Northern Ireland and England
Contact details: zaralavery@gmail.com
Destination: Greece
Title: Wonderful Flotilla Trip in the Greek Isles June 2011
A group of friends and I were lucky enough to charter a boat and participate in a flotilla trip through the Greek Isles. We had 6 members of our crew with various amounts of sailing experience, but none in Greece. Having Sharron and Harris there to answer our questions and guide us through the various harbors was a huge help. Sharron was extremely helpful and knwledgable about all the islands we visited. I would defnitely consider another flotilla trip with Poseidon.
From: Celeste Hunt
Location: USA
Contact details: chhunt1@verizon.net
Destination: Greece June 2010
Title: If you want to see the best sights, go with the experts at Poseidon Charters
If you want to see the best attractions the Cyclades has to offer, go with the experienced crew at Poseidon Charters. My experienced sailing crew and I usually like to make our own sail plan, but when we chartered a Lagoon 38' catamaran with Poseidon we decided to go with the flotilla they had scheduled at that time. I was skeptical at first, but we definitely had a much better trip than we would have had on our own. Steve and first mate Sharron were fun, knowledgeable, easy going, and always on top of everything.
The flotilla plan was to sail from Athens for one week out to Ios/Santorini, and then one week back to Athens. We only had time to sail for one week to Ios and then take ferries to the other islands and back to Athens. First Steve arranged with the local charter company to upgrade us from a 38' catamaran with sleeping space for 8 to a 40' catamaran with sleeping space for 10, which made the trip very luxurious for us indeed. He made all the sail plans so we didn't have to worry about whether one of our sailing legs was too long, or the place we were going to wouldn't be that great. I can't express how invaluable this was, as it saved us lots of time planning and the possibility of wasting precious vacation time.
The stops we made were magnificent and the recommendations they gave us for activities and restaurants were always excellent, and the treatment we got from the proprietors at these places was very hospitable and sincere. We made lasting friends with the other boats on the charter, and even after we returned our boat we stayed with them for a few more islands. I could tell you all the places we went and what we did, but you're better off just going with Steve and trusting that you're in good hands.
From: Doug Jorgesen
Location: San Jose, USA
Contact details: Available upon request
Destination: Greece
Title: Paros-Athens, Jeanneau 42.2 Greece
Hello how are you Poseidon team? We hope that all the flotillas are going well. It seems like such a long time ago that we sailed but it was just last year -we miss it! I'm sending you a picture of Margarita so you can update the website! I've got many more images that bring back fond memories of our two flotilla years in a row! I'll put them in a cd and send you over by mail. I hope to speak to you soon. Cheers!
From: Paulo Freire de Oliveira & Crew
Location: Porto, Portugal
Contact details: available upon request
Destination: Greece
Title: Flotilla 2 weeks, Beneteau 473
We had an absolutely wonderful trip. As a flotilla boat we were on our own boat & schedule with our own crew yet had the fun and support of your team as well as getting to socialize with other like minded flotilla sailors. Great Job Poseidon! I have a CD with pictures from our sailing adventure that I would like to send you.
Flottille 2 semaines en Grece Quel beau voyage mes amis et moi avons fait.La température était a son meilleur.Nous avons passé 2 semaines de reve dans les Iles grecques.Nous avions loué un Beneteau 473, tres confortable et en parfait etat, et nous nous suivions en flottille de 4 bateaux. Le temps etait réparti de bonne facon, entre la voile,les visites et les bons repas. Nous avons beaucoup apprecié l' aide et les conseils des capitaines Steven Parry et George Konistis surtout pour les atterrissages. Nous avions meme l'avantage d'avoir toutes les instructions dans notre langue maternelle de la part du capitaine Parry qui s'exprime dans un francais impeccable. En un mot un des plus beaux voyages de ma vie! Un gros merci de ma part et de celle de mes amis.
From: Yvan Girard MD
Location: Quebec, Canada / Florida, USA
Contact details: available upon request
Destination: Greece
Title: Rented a Beneteau 361 on flotilla
We sailed IRINI V, a newer ('99 I think) Beneteau 361. For the 2 of us it was a terrific boat, and could have easily accommodated another couple. The amenities were great as well - GPS, Autohelm, CD Player, Extra water tanks (400lt. total I think) extra fuel in 10 lt. cans, bimini, excellent dinghy (Zodiac) and more - really very nicely outfitted. The boat handled he Saronic gulf very well, and could have taken care of us on passage to the Cyclades, but we opted to do that via ferry. I'd recommend adding a stern rail mounted BBQ grill for more cooking options. I would charter IRINI V again in a heartbeat. Jan and I simply loved the boat.
Jan and I split our 7 day charter by joining a flotilla led by Poseidon Charters for the first 4 days, then bareboating on our own the last 3 days. I can't say enough about the service and feeling of being part of the group that the flotilla experience provided. Having never sailed in the Med with it's unique challenges (and beauty!) the sense of security we had by being part of the flotilla was immensely valuable and gave us the confidence we needed to venture on our own for that last 3 days in the Aegean. I don't recall how many times we asked for Steve's help, from mooring on a wall, to freeing an anchor at Hydra, but it would have been much more difficult without his expert help. For anyone thinking about chartering in Greece, or any other waters with which they are not familiar, we strongly encourage joining a flotilla for at least part of the charter. By the way, the flexibility that Poseidon offers far exceeds any other charter company's ability to customize services to the degree we experienced. We looked at a number of competitors including The Moorings and Sunsail. Not one could match the total service program that Poseidon Charters did.
We would definitely do the flotilla again - even if only for part of the charter. The camaraderie is wonderful and we made friends - something which is hard to place a money value upon. The Poseidon Team: Steve, Gary and Sharon were terrific. We really appreciated the hospitality that was extended to join the Aegean Dream crew for dinner on the boat at St. Nicholas bay after a fun evening barbecue. At all times, we felt the comfort of the flotilla support, making our charter nearly effortless (except Med mooring!) and worry free. Great job!! I wish we could do this every year, and we definitely plan on coming back.
From: George and Jan Stecyk
Location: Chicago, USA
Contact details: GeorgeS@af.tv