When and where do we embark on the yacht ?
During high season -July & August-, embarkation take place at noon on Fridays, at the yacht port of Parikia, in Paros (300 yards from the ferry dock) or in Mykonos. This allows you to arrive by plane or ferry during the morning and weigh anchor early in the afternoon. Thus, you do not loiter in harbour. You sail as soon as you are ready!
What would be a typical day onboard the yacht ?
Breakfast, fresh food provisioning if needed, sailing (average of 2 to 4 hours per day), lunch onboard and swimming, arrival in a Greek island around 3 pm, visit of the island or relaxing on the yacht, dinner ashore, evening leisure time.
Why do your charters last 7 days and 6 nights ?
You get more sailing time and less loitering! To be specific, most charter companies check their guests in at 5 pm on Saturdays constraining ing you to stay put till the next day. Likewise the same companies will check you out on Friday afternoon and allow you to spend the last night on board till you disembark on Staturday at 9 am. In all you will get 6 sailing days and 5 islands to visit. On the other hand with Archipel Club, you embark Fridays at noon and sail as soon as possible. No evening spent waiting. You disembark Thursdays at 6 pm and still make the last ferries back to Athens. Again no loitering. In total you will enjoy 7 sailing days and visited 6 islands. Thus you also benefit from a hectic free harbour by avoiding weekends. In the mean time we have a whole evening (and even a night) to sort out maintenance and carry out eventual repairs in order to warrant our guests a hassle free sailing vacation in Greece.
What happens if the wind blows hard ?
Specifically designed for sailing charter in the Greek islands under Meltemi conditions, our Pahi catamaran sails to her destination every day, providing safety and comfort to everyone onboard. However, rough weather sailing is not every one’s cup of tea. This is why our skippers daily monitor long term forecasts, anticipating a blow and tailoring your itinerary according to your preferences. You may rest assured that whatever happens, you will not be stuck in port if you do not wish to!
Are there any risks associated with the Greek debt crisis and our yacht charter ?
The turmoil occurs in Athens and the large towns of Greece. On the other hand transportation strikes, industrial action or riots have never been experienced in the tight knit island communities, where people depend too much on tourism to jeopardize their income. To the contrary, all the islanders complain about the disorder in Athens, which prevents tourists from enjoying themselves and travel freely. To be sure to steer away from potential trouble, keep clear from Athens city center and prefer hotels in the ports of Piraeus or Rafina. If you really want to visit the historical center, prefer the Plaka area and avoid Omonia and Sintagma areas. When possible, book your flights directly to Santorini, Mykonos or Herakleion which are holiday destinations close from Paros with international airports and ferry connections. Also, remember that disaster sells: media have a tendency always to exagerate things for the worst. So far none of our charters was ever canceled or even bothered by disturbances occuring on the mainland, to the contrary everyone on board had a great time!
What is the attendance time to be expected from our crew ?
Your skipper is in charge of the yacht and of everyone’s safety on board, 24h per day: this implies a great responsibility and commitment. Outside from sailing, docking, weather analysing, managing and maintaining the boat, the skipper may schedule his time pretty much at his own will. As a courtesy he may ferry you ashore by dinghy, but you cannot expect him to do it all night as he needs his rest, otherwise your own safety may be jeopardized. You may invite him to join you for dinner.
Your steward is in charge of breakfasts and lunches onboard, provisioning, cabins and cockpits cleaning. He also assists the skipper. His daily work schedule is from 7 am to 6 pm.
Is there air conditioning aboard ?
Yes, there is air conditioning in each double cabin as well as in the settee. The yacht is also equiped with fans in each cabin.
Do you have a sound system on the catamaran ?
Yes, there is waterproof Sony CD & MP3 player, fitted with two waterproof 60W loud speakers on long wires so that one may have music in almost everypart of the boat and regular loud speakers inside the settee. There is also a LCD screen with a DVD player available.
Are there any electric plugs on board ?
Yes, our yacht is equipped with an inverter, meaning that we have 2 AC plugs for recharging mobile phones, cameras or Ipods and operating small household appliances like a fruitblender, they are standard continental european plugs (France, Germany, Italy etc). The yacht also has DC cigarette lighter plugs like in a car.
Do you carry snorkeling gear on board ?
Yes, we do have a score of masks & snorkels as well as flippers of various sizes, in a deck locker.
Is scuba an available activity for certified divers ?
Regarding Scuba diving: because of the large number of antiquities on the sea floor and the amount of damage and theft occurred in the past, scuba diving is very strictly regulated in the Eastern Mediterranean (Greece & Turkey). One may only dive in areas cleared by the archeological authorities and is required to register with Coast Guard for each dive.
Should a reasonnable amount of poeple on board be interested in diving we can prearrange dive sessions with dive clubs in the following islands: Paros, Syros, Mykonos, Milos, Santorini.
Do we always have dinner ashore ? What should we expect ?
Unlike the Carribean were dinners are typically taken on board, taverna dinners are part of the Greek lifestyle experience. We run a constantly updated list of the best tavernas and since we systematically patronize local businesses, that are open all-year-around, authenticity is very often synonymous with reasonnable prices! There is at least one good taverna in each port and we know everytime what are the unique specials that you should not miss. We find so apalling when visitors to our country condemn themselves to the banality of the tourist fare usually on offer on harbour front establishments!
You provide a complimentary provisioning service, how does it work ?
We can shop for you, so that you will find your groceries onboard upon arrival. Please ask for our standard shopping list when you book and send it back to us latest 10 days prior to your arrival in Paros. The bill will be settled in cash, upon boarding.
How much do I tip the crew ?
Tips are not mandatory, they are just a sign of recognition for a job well done. A crew member is usually tipped between 50 Euros & 100 Euros by a group of 8 guests.
How do I figure costs and expenses ?
Your cruise expenses will be around 220 Euros per person per week (based on a party of 8 persons + skipper), that should take care of breakfasts and lunches on board, dinners ashore (including wine), skipper' meals, port dues, water, fuel and the yacht’s end cleaning. Of course, this amount can be slightly lower or higher depending on your needs and tastes.
What are the steward's duties ?
Along with the skipper, the steward carries out all the duties: navigating, cleaning, cooking breakfast and lunches, maintaining and operating the yacht as well as entertaining the guests. Dinners are usually taken ashore unless you anchor in a bay.
Note: Typically, in the Greek islands, breakfasts and lunches are taken onboard and, contrary to the Carribean, dinners are savoured ashore in a traditional local restaurant (on the beach, in a small pretty harbour or in a splendid scenery) where our guests can sample reasonnably priced, varied, genuine Greek food.
How do I get to Paros ?
You can get to Paros either by fast ferry or by plane.
A. If you're landing in Athens:
1. Catch a flight (1 or 2 flights per day) for Paros with Olympic Air (www.olympicair.com). Make sure you book well in advance as there are only few seats available. Flight duration: 25 minutes. One way fare: around 80 Euros.
2. Catch a ferry from either Piraeus harbour (45 minutes by cab or 1 hour and 15 minutes by shuttle bus from the airport) or Rafina harbour (35 minutes by cab from the airport).
Booking & Timetables on www.greekferries.gr Click on ‘Ferries to Greek Islands’ at the top of the page. Trip duration: between 2 hours and 45 minutes to 4 hours, depending on the ferry. One way fare: between 25 Euros & 40 Euros, depending on the company.
Note: if you spend a night down town Athens, the port of Piraeus is 30 minutes away by subway by cab.
If you're looking for accomodation in Athens, do avoid Omonia area and prefer the safe and lively area of Plaka.
B. If you're landing in Mykonos or Santorini: catch a fast ferry for Paros. Booking & Timetables on www.greekferries.gr
C. If you're landing in Crete: a super fast ferry (Flyingcat 4) sails daily at 09:30 from Heraklion to Santorini, Ios, Paros, Mykonos, return. Booking & Timetables on www.greekferries.gr
How do I get from Athens airport to the port of Piraeus ?
By shuttle bus, taxi, subway train.
A. Direct express shuttle n° 96 will take you to Piraeus in around 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on the traffic. Ticket costs approximately 3 Euros at the booth in front of the bus, right outside the airport.
B. Taxi cab will take you to Piraeus in around 45mn, depending on the traffic.
C. The airport is connected to and from the airport and Piraeus (change at Monastiraki station to Metro Line 1) by Metro Line 3. Trains operate every 30 minutes (:00 and :30)to and from the airport. The journey time to Piraeus is 60 minutes. Tickets are 8 Euros single fare.
Note: apart from the obvious port of Piraeus, ferries also sail from Rafina, barely 35 minutes away from the airport.
Do I need to book my ferry ticket in advance ?
Yes, it is necessary at peak vacation times like Easter, Whitsunday and during July & August. Outside these dates, you may purchase them at the ticket booth, on the ferry dock.
Are Greek islands ferry timetables available online ?
Yes you may access them on the website www.greekferries.gr. Click on ‘ Ferries to Greek Islands ’ then on ‘Reservation Type’. Online booking available.
How far is the aiport in Paros from the yacht harbour in Parikia ?
15 minutes by cab.
I'm looking for accomodation in Paros. Do you have any recommandation ?
Websites like
www.paros-online.com (contact: Martina Blair) and
www.parosweb.com are an excellent source of information about Paros hotels & activities.
Why do our charters last 7 days and 6 nights ?You get more sailing time and less loitering! To be specific, most charter companies check their guests in at 5 pm on Saturdays constraining ing you to stay put till the next day. Likewise the same companies will check you out on Friday afternoon and allow you to spend the last night on board till you disembark on Staturday at 9 am. In all you will get 6 sailing days and 5 islands to visit. On the other hand with Archipel Club, you embark Fridays at noon and sail as soon as possible. No evening spent waiting. You disembark Thursdays at 6 pm and still make the last ferries back to Athens. Again no loitering. In total you will enjoy 7 sailing days and visited 6 islands. Thus you also benefit from a hectic free harbour by avoiding weekends. In the mean time we have a whole evening (and even a night) to sort out maintenance and carry out eventual repairs in order to warrant our guests a hassle free vacation. 
