Bareboat catamaran
charter in Greece.
What the Greek port police check, what the deposit covers, how check-in runs, and where a bareboat crew should — and should not — sail in high summer.
Greece hands a catamaran to a qualified amateur crew more readily than most charter countries — and checks the paperwork more thoroughly at the dock. Get the documents right and check-in takes an hour; get them wrong and the boat stays on the quay.
This guide comes from a broker desk, not a fleet's marketing team. We have arranged catamaran charter Greece bookings since 2013 as part of a Split-based group covering every major Greek base — Alimos and Lavrion by Athens, Lefkas, Kos and Rhodes. Booking is inquiry-based, with boat, licence requirements and deposit terms confirmed in writing before you commit, and 72-hour free cancellation on every booking.
What the Greek port police actually require
Two things, on paper. First, the skipper's qualification: an ICC (International Certificate of Competence) or a recognised national sailing licence — RYA Day Skipper or higher — plus, at most bases, a VHF certificate. Second, Greece requires a competent second crew member. If they hold a licence too, done. If not, they sign a declaration of sailing experience — a one-page statement that they can assist the skipper. The base prepares the form; you both sign at check-in.
The port police supervise departures at every Greek base; the operator files your crew list and licence copies before you cast off. Bring the original licence; if it has no English text, tell us at booking — some documents need an ICC or a translation to pass.
American sailors: the United States does not issue the ICC. The accepted route is the International Proficiency Certificate (IPC), issued through US Sailing or ASA on bareboat-level certification such as ASA 104. A state boating card will not pass. Order the IPC weeks before you fly — no base can produce one at the dock.
The deposit, and how to stop thinking about it
Every bareboat carries a refundable security deposit equal to the yacht's insurance excess — the most you can be liable for in an insured incident. On a 40 to 46 ft catamaran in Greece that is a low-to-mid four-figure amount in euros, printed on the listing and contract, quoted before you book. It is blocked on a credit card at check-in, not charged, and released after a clean check-out.
Three ways to handle it: block the full amount and sail carefully; buy the operator's damage waiver where offered — a smaller, non-refundable premium replacing most of the block, usually with a modest excess left; or arrange charter-deposit insurance from a specialist insurer, often cheaper for the same cover. Read the exclusions: most waivers exclude the dinghy, outboard and sails — exactly where careless weeks get expensive.
Check-in at a Greek base, hour by hour
Greek charters run Saturday to Saturday. Boarding is typically from 17:00; the boat is back in its home berth by Friday evening for Saturday-morning check-out — you sleep aboard the last night. Outside peak months some Greek bases flex to Sunday or mid-week changeovers; get it in writing before booking flights.
From the US, fly into Athens (ATH): Alimos marina is a 30 to 40 minute taxi ride, and Lavrion — closer to the airport than the city — is the smarter start for a Cyclades route. Skip ferrying the crew to an island to charter there: Athens bases have the deepest fleets and simplest logistics for a first Greek week.
At the base: paperwork and deposit, then the technical briefing — engines, tankage, windlass, dinghy — then a chart briefing, from VHF channels to which bays hold in a northerly. The transit log, the boat's official document folder, stays aboard for any port-authority check. Greece also levies TEPAI, a cruising tax on boats over seven metres; charter operators file it, and it belongs in your charter terms, not as a surprise at the base. Supermarkets near both Athens bases deliver to the dock.
The meltemi, honestly
The meltemi is the dry northerly of the Aegean high summer, peaking in July and August, and the Cyclades take it head-on: a normal week runs force 5 to 6 with days gusting 7 and short, steep seas between islands. Experienced crew, well-reefed catamaran: fast, exhilarating sailing. Crew at the edge of its qualifications: the most common way a Greek bareboat week goes wrong. If your logbook is thin, do not book a July bareboat through the central Cyclades.
The Saronic sails in the meltemi's shadow — shorter legs, flatter water, shelter within an hour from almost anywhere. The Ionian misses it entirely; the afternoon maestro dies at sunset. Or move the dates: June and September keep the Cyclades open with a softer meltemi and emptier quays — September especially, with rates below July for near-identical conditions.
A seven-day Saronic loop that works bareboat
Our most-recommended first-timer route out of Athens — real distances, no heroics:
- Saturday — Alimos to Aegina, about 17 nm. Late-afternoon start; dinner on the harbour front or at anchor off Agia Marina.
- Sunday — Aegina to Poros, about 15 nm. Town quay stern-to, or anchor in Russian Bay across the channel.
- Monday — Poros to Hydra, about 12 nm. Hydra's harbour fills by early afternoon; arrive by 14:00 or take Mandraki Bay next door.
- Tuesday — Hydra to Ermioni or Dokos, about 10 nm. Dokos is the quiet-anchorage night of the week.
- Wednesday — Ermioni to Palaia Epidavros, about 25 nm. The longest leg; start early, motor-sail if the breeze is late.
- Thursday — Epidavros to Perdika on Aegina, about 15 nm. Fish tavernas on the quay; swim at the Moni islet anchorage.
- Friday — Perdika to Alimos, about 18 nm. Be berthed by evening; check-out is Saturday at 09:00.
Swim stops, wind notes and each night's fallback harbour are what we tailor per crew — the itinerary library holds the Cyclades, Ionian, Dodecanese and Sporades versions.
When to take a skipper instead
Take a skipper when the crew's miles are thin for the area, when nobody wants to own the 06:00 weather decision, or when the group wants the Cyclades in peak meltemi anyway. A skipper costs a published daily rate plus meals, takes one cabin, and turns marginal days into good ones. Our skippered catamaran charter guide covers cost, cabins and how much say you keep over the route. If the question is budget, the catamaran charter price guide breaks down what a Greek week costs with fuel, moorings and extras counted.
Booking it
Set your dates on the catamaran fleet to see live availability and weekly prices, or send your plan through the inquiry wizard and let a broker shortlist boats that match your licence and experience. Nothing is charged until boat, paperwork and deposit terms are confirmed in writing — and every booking keeps 72-hour free cancellation.
Bareboat questions, answered
What licence do I need to bareboat a catamaran in Greece?
An ICC or a recognised national licence — RYA Day Skipper or higher — plus, at most bases, a VHF certificate. Greece also requires a second competent crew member: a second licence holder, or a signed declaration of sailing experience at check-in. Americans should order the IPC through US Sailing or ASA; a state boating card is not accepted.
How big is the security deposit on a bareboat catamaran?
It equals the yacht's insurance excess — typically a low-to-mid four-figure euro amount on a 40 to 46 ft catamaran, stated on each listing. It is blocked on a credit card, not charged, and released after a clean check-out. Damage-waiver options replace the block with a non-refundable premium; check whether dinghy, outboard and sails are excluded.
Is the meltemi dangerous for a bareboat charter?
Not for an experienced, well-prepared crew — forecasts are reliable and a reefed catamaran handles it well. It is risky for crews sailing beyond their experience: in July and August the central Cyclades routinely see force 5 to 7 northerlies with steep seas. If that is not your crew, sail the Saronic or Ionian, shift to June or September, or take a skipper.
Do Greek bareboat charters have to start on a Saturday?
Saturday to Saturday is the norm and peak-season weeks rarely flex. Outside July and August some Greek bases accept Sunday starts or mid-week changeovers on request; get the changeover day in writing before booking flights.
Ready to skipper Greece? Send your sailing CV.
Dates, base, crew size and the licences aboard — a broker replies with catamarans that match your experience and a final price, usually within the same business day.