My First Skippered Catamaran Charter
Rose and family set sail: Our first Greek charter in the Saronic Islands
Updated September 30, 2026
Meet Rose & family
The Client
My mum announced we were going sailing in Greece. None of us had ever done a sailing holiday before and if I’m honest, I wasn’t entirely sure what we’d signed ourselves up for.
There were 5 of us onboard, ranging in age from 20 to 60 and between us we virtually had no sailing experience.
Allow me to introduce myself; my name’s Rose and I have been working with the Anchor operations team this season and have recently moved over to the marketing side.
The funny thing is that my mum had booked the trip before I had even applied for my role at Anchor. I applied for a job here afterwards, partly because of it. The biggest question we had when booking the yacht charter was, where do we start? We had no knowledge on terms like; bareboat, skipper, hostess or even the different yacht charter types. The thing we did know was that we couldn’t sail ourselves.
For an experienced and qualified sailor, a bareboat charter gives you the freedom to take the helm for yourself. For us, that wasn’t really the point, none of us had experience to do it safely or confidently.
We had requested a knowledgeable and competent skipper. I’ve since learned that the skippers we work with in general are all brilliant, but we felt very lucky with our skipper Yiannis. Ultimately, the things we were confident on and knew we wanted were the exciting things, such as:
- beautiful beaches,
- authentic cuisine,
- and a boat that felt spacious and most importantly had great spaces to tan.
This is where our Anchor broker Tom Gallian, came in handy, presenting us with various options of yachts that all offered slightly different things. In the end he secured us the Bali 4.4 catamaran, Romar One from Yacht Society.
This choice turned out to be perfect for us, Romar One had 5 cabins and accommodated a maximum of 10 people. Considering we were a group of 5, it felt very spacious.
At €10,000 for a seven-day charter in Greece, it felt like excellent value for a week in Mediterranean during the height of summer.
Athens to Agia Marina
We boarded the boat at 5pm which is relatively standard for embarkation day and shortly after set sail heading from Athens to Agia marina, our first stop.
Suddenly we found ourselves on a strange boat with a stranger, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, thinking “what have we gotten ourselves into?”
However, as we eased into our first proper passage, that was when the holiday really started to feel like it was going to be an amazing new experience.
We covered 14 nautical miles on the first afternoon sailing, which took roughly 2 hours.
Very quickly everything fell into place and our duties for the week were naturally assigned. My boyfriend Theo was named ‘anchor boy’ and would handle the anchor with our skipper Yiannis every day, my dad and younger brother Sonny always assisted with the ropes and guiding the boat into the marina. Mine and my mums’ duties included sunbathing, drinking a cocktail and just admiring their hard work, ha!
Agia Marina on Aegina was an ideal place to moor up for our first evening onboard. It is a popular coastal village consisting of numerous local tavernas, a very lively waterfront and lots of small boutique shops – a picturesque bay perfect for finding our feet on the first night.
Agia Marina to Ermioni
Day two felt like paradise. We had gone into the week thinking we needed to know exactly where we’d be every night. In reality, some of our best moments came from changing plans once we were already afloat.
As we spent our first morning relaxing on the top deck with a cup of coffee and some traditional Greek pastries catching the last of the sunrise, the only thought in mind was where to go next.
For us, this is where having a skipper onboard was extremely useful. Along with the obvious part being none of us could sail – his recommendations and knowledge of Greece in general were impeccable. He knew all the best spots to snorkel, swim and anchor off to have lunch with a wonderful view.
We sailed for around 2 hours before stopping off for a morning dip and snorkel, this is when we made use of our extras onboard. My favourite part of each day was attaching the paddle board to the ladder on the catamaran and using it as a sunbed in the water, floating over each wave.
Yiannis decided to unfurl the sails on the last stretch to Ermioni, which was magical. The sound of the motor shutting off and the boat gently slicing through the water was the most peaceful feeling each day.
Ermioni is a stunning coastal town that offers the perfect blend of natural beauty, scenic ports and an authentic Greek town to wander around. We stumbled across Thanos coffee – all-day bar which turned out to be a hidden gem.
It transformed from a coffee shop to lively bar in the evenings, and sat right on the corner of Ermioni, the views were like nothing I had seen before.
Ermioni to Spetses
Having been to Spetses myself once before and absolutely loving it, I was excited for our time spent here.
The great thing about being easygoing during your charter is that you can genuinely wake up and make a last-minute decision on what the plan is for the day.
Romar One continuously impressed us during our charter – the layout made life onboard so easy. We could happily all be onboard but equally have our alone time, whether that be relaxing on the top deck reading or enjoying the spacious sunbeds on the front deck.
However, I can speak for everyone when I say our favourite feature on the boat and main selling point for us had to be the tilting, sliding door. This is completely unique to Balis and transformed the space massively, allowing what felt like a total blend of the indoor and outdoor spaces creating a much more sociable environment. No one felt isolated if they wanted a bit of shade and opted to sit ‘inside’. The panoramic views this set up offered were pretty amazing too.
We had worried about the vibe of including an unknown skipper on our holiday. But having Yiannis onboard felt seamless and to be honest normal. He slotted right in. As a family who have always booked a villa or hotel getaway with only our group, the thought of sharing a confined space with practically a stranger was a weird and daunting thought - but it was quite literally the opposite. Yiannis was polite, very personable and put us all at ease.
Spetses is the southernmost island in the Saronic Islands group. In my opinion it is one of the most beautiful Greek Islands. It is renowned for its breathtaking beaches, gorgeous Greek-style villas and the historic old town.
Akrogialia is one of my personal favourites, a traditional Greek taverna that sits right on the beach, just a little walk up from the old harbor – it’s not one to miss.
Spetses to Hydra
By the time we left Spetses for Hydra, we’d gone from five complete sailing novices to a crew who were beginning to understand the rhythm of life onboard.
For a first-time charterer, Hydra gave us a good lesson in why your skipper’s local knowledge matters. The harbour is small and hugely popular, particularly in summer, so timing your arrival can make a real difference. Yiannis suggested arriving before 11am, ensuring we got the best mooring spot. If you can’t get in, there is a nice little anchorage called Mandraki about 1nm away (and you can get a little water taxi to Hydra).
Stepping ashore was also a reminder of how different travelling by boat can feel. There were no cars waiting outside the harbour, just the waterfront, cobbled streets and the noise of the islands lively buzz.
We spent the day exploring the maze of winding streets, beautiful churches and shops.
Each evening, we tried and tested a different taverna which was a great way to explore different parts of the coast and try new foods.
One thing we were apprehensive about before the charter was what the meal dynamic would look like between us and our skipper.
As we got on with him so well, he joined us most evenings for meals. This was a lovely touch that suited our group, but don’t fear, this isn’t for everyone and each skipper is more than happy to give your group space for a small stipend of roughly 30 euros to cover their evening meals.
Hydra to Poros
Leaving Hydra, we had become much more comfortable with the fact a day on a yacht doesn’t have to revolve around getting from one destination to the next. The journey itself had become part of the holiday.
The passage to Poros spanned across 14 nautical miles and took roughly 2 hours, which gave us plenty of time to settle into the day. By this point we’d worked out our own little routines whilst sailing – some would keep Yiannis company at the helm, some would find a quiet shady spot, and there would always be someone making a coffee or playing cards.
One thing I would definitely recommend for a first-time charterer is not feeling like you must stay in one place whist you are underway. The boat has many different areas to enjoy, and moving around throughout the day made the longer passages feel much shorter. It also meant we were constantly seeing the scenery from a completely different perspective.
Arriving in Poros felt like a change of pace after the energy of Hydra. It had that small island feel we had started to love, but it was incredibly easy to explore once we were ashore. We spent time at Neorio Beach, and there were plenty of quieter spots along the coastline that were perfect for another swim.
Poros to Perdika
By the time we had reached Perdika, the week had completely flown by, what had started with five people who virtually knew nothing about sailing had somehow turned into a routine we were all completely comfortable with.
Our arrival into Perdika felt like a natural change of pace. There was something quite nice about knowing this was our final stop before heading back to Alimos Marina, and our last opportunity to simply enjoy being on the water without having to think too much about the next destination.
We dropped anchor, had a swim and made the most of the afternoon onboard. I had imagined we’d spend most of our time sailing between islands and then head ashore as soon as we arrived, but some of my favourite moments were the completely unplanned ones - swimming straight off the back of the boat, having lunch on deck, jumping on the paddleboard or simply lying in the sun with nowhere else to be.
Perdika was a beautiful final stop. It’s a quiet fishing village, and we enjoyed our last taverna meal with Yiannis, which felt like a lovely way to end our week sailing around the Saronic Islands.
Perdika to Alimos
The final sail back to Alimos was the perfect opportunity to reflect on the wonderful week we had.
As a standard process the base usually requires you to be back in the marina at roughly 5pm the evening before you disembark. I’ve since learnt that this is true almost everywhere in the Med, and is a useful thing to remember so you make sure you prioritise all of your must-see islands into the full days you do have sailing.
Arriving back at Alimos felt slightly bittersweet. After a week of waking up somewhere different, stepping straight into the sea each morning and watching the islands disappear behind us, returning to the marina felt like the end of something we’d only just got used to.
Farewell to the Saronic Islands
On the first day, everything felt new.
We didn’t know the difference between the different types of charter, had never stayed on a yacht for a week and wasn’t sure how having a skipper onboard would work when travelling as a family. By the end, waking up on the boat, helping with the lines, watching the anchor drop and deciding where we’d swim that day all felt completely normal.
No first time is likely to be perfect. There are things we as a family would change next time. We’d be tempted to have a hostess onboard, try a different location and make better use of some of the water toys, but that’s probably the best indication of how much we enjoyed it. These are each additional enhancements, rather than drastic changes.
Before the trip, we were not totally sure if sailing would be for us. By the time we reached Alimos, we were already thinking about where we could go next.
For five complete sailing novices, I think we did pretty well.
Yacht Charter Fee: €10,000 Fuel: €600 Mooring Fees (3 nights): €100
Total: €10,700
Need some help?
If you are unsure about charter or boat selection, contact us at Anchor to help you decide.
We only choose boats that are in excellent condition, and we are here to help you every step of the way and to make sure the whole process is as easy as possible.