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I have sailed Greece and Turkey on some 9 occasions over this period covering some 1400 Nmiles with YOSC members and friends as crew and sometimes as many as 5 yachts. My part on these events was to arrange crew for the boats, Skipper my own and passage plan for our ‘fleet’.
I started Med sailing in June 1993 in the Saronic Gulf (Kalimaki Marina at Athens on an Apollo 12) returning in November that year with the YOSC contingent for the Blue Cup race on a Beneteau First 45F5 where we forwarded two 40 foot and two 45 foot yachts. The "Blue Cup" race is a fun race for 30 to 50 yachts from the Vernicos Yachts Charter Fleet run at the end of the normal Charter season. It is open to crews from France, USA, Britain (plus other countries) and of course locals. The race is over 3 to 4 days starting and returning at Athens. One of our 40 foot yachts Skippered by Barry Mead (with a little help from the other YOSC yachts where we could) won the Cup.
My first impression was that one could charter a yacht without any experience (albeit an hours tuition with the Charter agent) but soon realised that the more experience you had the more you ventured. The following year I sailed further afield to the Cyclades starting again in Kalimaki on the same Apollo 12, the owners personal yacht, had a 6 foot extension to the Sugar-scoop and carpeted throughout. Following on to what I consider the best area in Greece, the Southern Ionian on several occasions (starting at Lefkas and Nidri on a Voyage 1120 and a Beneteau Oceanis 40).
Then a change to Turkey starting at Marmaris returning the following year for a one-way passage from Orhaniye to the Gulf of Fethiye both years on a Beneteau Oceanis 351. Turkey being completely unspoilt was certainly in a class of its own on for both value and quality and well worth visiting again. At the end of our first week we celebrated in a restaurant high up in the hills in Glossa but during our meal the heavens opened and all staff had to close the roof shutters. With our second crew we started with the same venue only for the heavens to open again this time far worse and even the side shutters had to be closed. One of our yachts had left a roof light open resulting in a waterlogged camera. The Skipper attempted to make a mile dash but the road was just running with rain and there were no taxis.
My last visit to the Med was a return to Greece on a Bavaria 40 and the Northern Sporades Islands (Skiathos, Skopelos, etc.) where the wind really does blow and one can get “neaped” by the 3 ft high tide. Yes, neaped even in Greece. By this time there was a downside and that was the price. It seemed there was a charge for everything and anything and meal sizes became noticeably smaller.
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