Joining Instructions Corfu

• Passport (s)
• Flight Tickets (Check names shown on the flight ticket match those shown on the individual passports)
• Travel insurance documents (make sure you have coverage for sailing)
• The skipper must bring original copies of sailing certificates/licences
• Credit Cards/Debit Cards and local currency (euros). You must bring a VISA or MASTERCARD credit card with you for the yacht security deposit
• Mobile phone set up for roaming in Greece and charger – it is very important that you can keep in contact in case of emergency as VHF signal is only line of sight
• Beach towel (yacht towels are provided for use on the yacht). If you have a late flight home we recommend bringing another towel if you wish as yacht towels cannot be kept after you disembark on the last day
• Snorkels, mask and flippers if you have them, or you can buy them when you arrive in Greece. 
• Soft soled shoes, ideally with non-marking soles &/or deck shoes. Waterproof swim shoes can also be useful.
• Light jumper or light fleece
• Waterproof jacket (especially in early and late summer in case of a shower)
• Sea sickness pills if required
• Insect Repellent 
• Anti-histamine ointment and tablets (for insect bites/stings) & any essential medication
• Camera, batteries & spare memory cards
• Your choice of device for playing music on board + lead with a 3.5mm jack plug at each end and a USB connection lead
• Two-pin European travel adapter for charging phones etc. (at marinas or even in restaurants)
• 12 volt adapter / car charger for charging phones, etc. on-board (onboard with a car type cigarette lighter socket)

Before your charter begins a security pre-authorisation 'hold' deposit is taken from the Party Leader which will be processed by the owner/operator at base by VISA or Mastercard credit card (Debit cards and American Express are NOT accepted). Make sure you have a large enough limit to cover the deposit for the yacht you have booked. If you do not possess a VISA or MASTERCARD credit card you must inform us BEFORE you travel to Greece as your charter can't commence without the completed credit card security deposit. On successful completion of post charter inspection the pre-authorisation 'hold' deposit charge will not be completed and the 'hold' will elapse. The time it takes for the ‘hold’ to elapse depends on your card provider.

You will more than likely already have travel insurance set up but if not you can get specialist yacht travel insurance which includes some coverage for yacht security deposits from a number of companies.

Details for the security deposit amounts and non-refundable Yacht Damage Waivers for your yacht charter will be listed on your Booking Statement. Please ask us if you need to check.

Option One - Yacht Damage Waiver (YDW) and Reduced Security Deposit: Mandatory for skippered charters. The YDW is a non-refundable fee, the amount is dependent on length overall of yacht which reduces your liability per incident which will be taken as a pre-authorisation 'hold' deposit (Security Deposit).

Option Two - Security Deposit Only: Available for bareboat sailing only.

Yes, you will need to complete your flight information on the Crew List form at least 14 days prior to your arrival that we will have emailed to you. When you depart the airport terminal there will be a driver waiting holding a card bearing your name who will drive you directly to the marina.

Please pay the driver directly in euros (currently €25 per car up to 3 adults & 1 child, €45 for mini bus between 4-8 people, €55 for 8-10 people). We will advise of prices for larger families and groups requiring a mini coach. Prices and capacity per vehicle is subject to change depending on the regulations at the time.

If you require a transfer at the end of your charter please speak to your driver on your arrival journey and provide them with the details of the date and time you require a pick-up and where you want to go (e.g. airport or other accomodation etc.) and your contact telephone number. If you need any further information or assistance please let us know. If you have requested a transfer at the end of your charter please make sure you are on time at the pre-agreed pick-up point for your driver. If you wish to make any changes to your plans or to cancel please contact the driver straight away, ideally providing at least 24 hours notice of any changes.

Your yacht will be ready to board by 17:00 on the first day of your charter. If your flight gets you to Corfu earlier than this you will be able to enjoy the cafe bars and restaurants in the marina. If the yacht is ready earlier the base team will get you on board sooner.

When you are on board you will be given a full safety brief and a chart brief if required by one of the knowledgable base team.

If you arrive after 20.00 we will let you know where your yacht is berthed and it will be open and ready for you to board. If you have booked a skipper they will be at the marina for your arrival. You will receive your yacht brief and handover the following morning after the base office re-opens at 09.00.

Yes, you will receive a thorough handover of your yacht upon boarding as well as a chart/sailing area briefing if requested and you can familiarise yourself with the yacht and its equipment before setting sail. The base staff will be on hand to answer any questions you may have as well as offering any advice you may need about the sailing area. If you arrive close to or after the base office closes you will receive your yacht handover the following morning.

For those on a Skippered yacht charter you will meet your skipper, they will show you around your yacht and chat about where you would like to sail.

If you have a late flight home you can relax at the marina, relax by the marina pool or head to Corfu old town which is en-ruote back to the airport. Hire cars, bikes and mopeds are all available in Corfu if you wanted to explore. You are welcome to use all of the facilities at Gouvia marina before or at the end of your yacht charter which include showers, bathroom facilities, a laundry, supermarkets and cafes.

Dassia Ski Club has lots of watersports and activities on the beach and just 11 minutes’ taxi from Gouvia marina and just 25 minutes’ to the airport.  You can even book activities in advance online.

You will need to return to Gouvia marina by 17:00 on the penultimate day of your charter. When entering the bay of Gouvia, keep to the north side to avoid the shallows. The shallows are buoyed, stay into the separation system (buoys).

There is a fuel station at the northern side of the marina. When returning to the base, please refuel your boat and fill up your outboard engine can before you go to your berth. Please pay the marina fuel staff directly by cash or card.

Yacht berths are situated on the right of the first floating pier (Pier A) on the left opposite Dream Yacht Hellas office. When returning, go stern to and do not use your anchor, there are mooring lines. The base support staff make every effort to help you moor safely, therefore please call them 1 hour prior your arrival back to Gouvia Marina to receive your berth guidance.

You will be able to stay on the yacht on your final night and enjoy relaxing in the marina or take a taxi ride into Corfu Old Town.

 

Please disembark by 09:00 on the last morning.

 

Yes, bed sheets, linen and pillows are provided on the boat. If you are chartering for two weeks a change of linen for the second week can be provided. Towels are provided for use on the yacht but we recommend bringing your own beach towel. If you have a late flight home we recommend bringing another towel if you wish as yacht towels cannot be kept after you disembark on the last day.

All the boats have car stereo style music systems with speakers below deck and in the cockpit. They will either have a 3.5mm jack or a USB connection. We advise you to bring a jack lead as sometimes there may be compatability issues in connecting your device.

All plug sockets on the boats are the European 2 pin type however these are only usable when the yacht is plugged in to mains power (230V) which is mainly at Gouvia marina. If your devices or equipment do not have 2 pin European plugs you'll need to bring a travel adaptor with you. During the week there is a 12v socket, similar to a car cigarette lighter, which can be used to charge phones and other electronic devices if you bring a car charger with you.

Masks, snorkels or flippers are not provided. You may wish to bring your own or they are readily available and reasonably priced in Gouvia marina and at many places around the islands where you will visit.

Most of our customers spend 50€ - 120€ per week on fuel for the yacht depending on the size of the yacht and the amount of motoring they do and to top up the fuel for the outboard engine if they have one.

If you have chartered one of the larger yachts or catamarans with generators and air-conditioning, you will use more fuel depending on how much you use the air con!

There is a fuel station inside the marina. When returning to the base, please refuel your boat and fill up your outboard engine can before you go to your berth. Please pay the marina fuel staff directly by cash or card.

Mooring fees at Gouvia marina for your first and last day are FREE. Most harbours are run by the local municipalities/Greek coastguard and are free to moor in. There are a small number of harbours and small marinas who will charge you a mooring fee of around 10-70 euros per night depending on yacht size. If there is bad weather forecast it may occasionally be necessary to use a protected harbour with laid moorings which will charge around 30-70 euros per night depending on the size of your boat and more for catamarans.

Some quays where there is water and power available a small fee will be charged if you wish to use it.

Almost all the harbours have shower and toilet facilities, usually attached to a taverna or convenience store. Even when there is a charge it is usually a few euros. Water for the yacht is usually available in most of the popular ports. We advise you to fill your boat with water towards, or at the end of your charter where it is available before arriving back at Gouvia marina as the cost outside of the marina will be cheaper for you.

Every yacht has its own dinghy/tender and outboard engine provided. An outboard engine for your dinghy/tender can be very useful, with no mooring fees in most harbours some of them can be busy so it is likely that, particularly in peak season, you will be occasionally anchored away from the quay. They are also great for exploring caves and some of the quieter snorkelling spots. However, some people prefer to row!

 is £85 per week plus fuel and we will ask you before your arrival if you wish to have one or not.

There is a provisioning/shopping service available so you can order your things before you travel to Greece and have them delivered for free directly to your yacht. If you have any special requests you can also ask and they will be happy to help wherever they can. Please ask us for the shooping list and return directly to info@breezy-provisioning.com They require the list at least 3 days prior to delivery, or preferably earlier. The prices on the attached shopping list are as from April 2021, and are valid throughout the season. All prices include tax and delivery.

Payments up to €200 are payable by cash only (euros) upon delivery of the shopping and your receipt. Card payments can be accepted over this amount at base. Payment for late night arrivals will be collected early the next morning.

There is also a well-stocked supermarket on the marina who will deliver your provisions to your yacht free of charge, let them know your yacht berth letter/number. There are further mini markets offering a wide choice of provisions within 5-10 minutes’ walk from the marina open 7 days a week. There will be many opportunities to shop at many of the ports and harbours you visit around the Ionian islands so you do not have to purchase eveything when you arrive. 

Most restaurants, café bars and shops around the islands only take cash (euros). There is a cash machine at Gouvia marina. However, over the course of the week, you will probably only visit one or two towns with cash machines so it is advisable to have enough cash before you leave port.

The marina fuel station accepts major credit cards when you re-fuel at the end of the week and you will need to bring a VISA or MASTERCARD with you for your yacht security deposit. Please make sure you have a large enough limit to cover the deposit for the yacht you have booked.

There are a number of cash/ATM machines on the larger Ionian islands but not on the smaller ones. There is a cash machine at Gouvia marina and lots in Corfu Town. We would recommend bringing a reasonable amount of local currency (Euros) with you as quite a few traditional Greek tavernas, cafe and small shops on the islands usually only accept euros.

The yachts are not equipped with Wi-Fi as standard, however virtually every café, bar and restaurant in the marina, in Corfu town and around the islands has free Wi-Fi for their customers.

Mobile phone reception is usually very good throughout the Ionian. You must bring a mobile phone and charger with you for use around the islands and keep your phone available and charged at all times. Whilst VHF is used, you will not always be in range. We also monitor an emergency phone 24 hours a day, should you need to contact us as VHF signal only works in line of sight.

The skippers are of mixed nationalities, many are Greek, some are half Greek, half English or Italian and there are also skippers from across Europe but all of them speak excellent English.

That’s up to you and your skipper. When you provision for food remember to get enough for your skipper, generally they are happy to have whatever you are having.  In the evening you can choose to invite them out with you or cover their evening meal if you prefer to dine alone (30 euro per day is recommended). If you invite your skipper to join you in the evening they may accept or choose to meet up with fellow skippers or stay on the yacht and wait for your return. It often works best to agree and pay an amount at the start for your skipper to cover their food for the duration of the charter. All the skippers are extremely professional and personable and provide discreet and unobtrusive assistance throughout your yacht charter.  Our customers find that their skipper makes their charter something really extra special as they become welcome additions on the yachts they sail.  

 

It is customary that you tip your skipper. A guideline amount would be around 5-10% of the base yacht charter price, though as this could encompass quite a range we leave it at your discretion and ask that you offer gratuity you think your skipper deserves. We’re sure they’ll add immense value to your charter experience.