Skippered catamaran
charter in Greece.
No licence, no sailing CV, no meltemi anxiety. A licensed Greek skipper runs the boat while you own the week — here is what it costs, how it works, and who will actually be at the helm.
There is a middle path between running your own boat and boarding a cruise ship with three thousand strangers. A skippered catamaran charter Greece week gives you a private boat, your own route and your own pace, with a professional handling wind, moorings and paperwork. This guide covers what that costs, the conventions Greek fleets follow, and the crews our guests keep naming in reviews.
What a Greek skipper actually does
Three things justify the fee on their own. First, meltemi judgement: the dry northerly that sweeps the Cyclades in July and August is a fact of Aegean summer, and the difference between a great week and a grim one is a skipper who reads the forecast, reorders the stops and crosses open water in the morning before the wind fills in. Second, anchorages: knowing which Cycladic bay holds in sand, which funnels gusts off the hills, and where a catamaran's shallow draft lets you tuck in closer than the monohulls. Third, town quays: most Greek island harbours have no marina berths and no laid lines — you moor stern-to on your own anchor, chains crossing, a crowd watching. Your skipper backs a seven-metre beam onto that quay, keeps the port-police paperwork and the TEPAI cruising-tax receipt in order, and knows which taverna still takes a table of eight at nine in the evening.
The cost: €1,200–1,600 a week, plus two conventions
Budget €1,200–1,600 per week for a professional skipper on a Greek catamaran, on top of the charter fee — the exact figure depends on boat size and season and is confirmed in writing on your quote, never sprung on you at the base. Two conventions surprise American guests. The skipper's food is on you: he eats what your crew eats, on board and ashore, so provision for one more. And running costs stay guest expenses exactly as on bareboat — fuel, water, mooring and harbour fees. On most boats the skipper sleeps in a bow skipper cabin, not a guest cabin — see the FAQ below. For the full budget maths, see our Greece catamaran price guide.
The hostess add-on — one more crew, twice the holiday
A hostess turns the galley from a chore into a feature: breakfast and lunch cooked on board, provisioning arranged before you land, cabins and dishes reset while you swim. Dinner stays ashore in tavernas, which is the Greek way and the best part of the day. It is not a theoretical upgrade: guests who sailed the Sporades with skipper Apostolos and hostess Christina in July 2025 wrote that her cooking amazed them — "her creation in a floating kitchen", as the review puts it. Hostess pricing is quoted per boat alongside the skipper fee, and the same food convention applies.
Who should book skippered — and who should not
Book a skipper if nobody in your group holds a licence, if the one person who does would rather not stand every watch, or if your first Aegean season should not double as your first meltemi exam. The paperwork points the same way: Greek port police expect a certified skipper plus a second crew member signing a declaration of sailing experience before any bareboat leaves the dock. Hire a professional and both requirements disappear for your whole group. If you hold an ICC or an accepted national licence and have a competent second to declare, bareboat is cheaper and entirely realistic — our bareboat catamaran charter Greece guide walks through the licence practice in detail.
How the week actually flows
Changeover is Saturday to Saturday — the standard across Greek fleets, with some flexibility at Greek bases outside July and August. Fly into Athens (ATH): Alimos marina and Lavrion, the main starting bases for the Saronic Gulf and the Cyclades, are a direct transfer from the airport, no ferry or connecting flight needed. Lefkas serves the Ionian; Kos and Rhodes open the Dodecanese. A typical day runs: swim before breakfast, a three-to-four-hour hop while the wind is friendly, a long lunch at anchor, stern-to on a town quay by late afternoon before it fills, taverna in the evening. Every night the skipper checks the forecast and adjusts tomorrow. Start from our itinerary library and treat any route as a first draft, not a contract.
Booking it: inquiry first, 72 hours to change your mind
We are a broker desk, not a fleet, and booking is inquiry-based on purpose: you send dates, base and group size, and a broker replies with catamarans that are genuinely available, skipper fee written into the quote. The desk sits in Split and has covered Greece within our group since 2013. Every booking carries a 72-hour free cancellation window, so you can hold a boat while flights firm up. Charters are billed in euros — bring a card without foreign-transaction fees, and expect to settle the skipper fee at the base, often in cash. If you are hunting value, look at September: the meltemi eases, the sea is at its warmest and rates step down from the August peak. Browse the catamaran fleet, or answer a few questions in the charter wizard and we will shortlist boats and crews for you.
Crews our guests thank by name.
Most charter reviews thank a company. Ours keep thanking people. Both crews below appear in real guest reviews on the Europe Yachts Charter group profile on TripAdvisor — rated 4.9/5 across 146 reviews. Crews are assigned by availability, so if you want us to request one by name, say so early.
"An amazing skipper" is how their guests put it: Apostolos handled the swim spots, the local recommendations and the restaurant reservations, while Christina ran the galley so well the same review marvels at "her creation in a floating kitchen".
"100% focused" on their guests, the review says: water-skiing and tubing supported every day, cabins turned around daily, and a closing verdict any broker would frame — "best we have experienced to date".
Asked every week, answered straight.
How much does a skipper cost on a catamaran charter in Greece?
Plan on €1,200–1,600 per week on top of the charter fee, depending on boat size and season. By Greek charter convention you also cover the skipper's meals, and running costs such as fuel, water and mooring fees stay guest expenses. The exact fee is confirmed in writing on your quote before you commit.
Do I need a sailing licence if I hire a skipper?
No. Licence requirements apply to bareboat charter only, where Greek port police expect a certified skipper holding an ICC or an accepted national licence plus a second crew member who signs a declaration of sailing experience. With a professional skipper on board, nobody in your group needs any qualification.
Where does the skipper sleep?
Most charter catamarans in Greece have a dedicated skipper cabin in one of the bows, so every guest cabin stays yours. On boats without one, the skipper takes the saloon berth or one guest cabin. We flag which arrangement applies before you book — it matters if you plan to fill every cabin.
Does the skipper cook, or do we need a hostess?
Cooking is not part of a skipper's job. Some will help at breakfast, but if you want meals prepared on board, add a hostess: she cooks, provisions and keeps the boat in order. The Sporades review of hostess Christina above shows what that looks like in practice.
Who decides the route — us or the skipper?
You do. Agree a draft before departure, then let the skipper adjust it day by day; his only vetoes are weather and safety, and in the Cyclades in July and August you want him to use them. Tell him what your group cares about — beaches, tavernas, ruins, quiet anchorages — and he will improve your plan.
Should we tip the skipper and hostess?
Tipping is customary but never obligatory. A common Mediterranean benchmark is around 5–10% of the charter fee for a crew that made the week, handed over in cash on the last evening. A named mention in your review means at least as much to them.
Your boat. Their helm.
Send dates, base and group size — a broker replies with available catamarans, skipper fee already in the quote, usually within the same business day.