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BAREBOAT YACHT CHARTER: Explore one of these glorious holiday destinations in your own sailing yacht.
FLOTILLA SAILING HOLIDAYS: Sail your own yacht with the added support of a lead boat crew.
LEARN TO SAIL HOLIDAYS: Start from scratch or brush up your skills.
MOTORYACHT CHARTER: Do you prefer power to sail?
CREWED YACHTS: Relax, let the crew do the work.
SAIL AND STAY HOLIDAYS: Why not add a few days ashore in a hotel?
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BAREBOAT YACHT CHARTER: Sail your yacht in any one of our glorious holiday destinations and explore at your own pace.
MOTORYACHT CHARTER: Do you prefer power to sail?
CREWED YACHTS: Relax, let the crew do the work.
SAIL AND STAY HOLIDAYS: Why not add a few days ashore in a hotel?
- PLAN YOUR TRIP
AIRPORT PARKING & HOTELS: Save up to 60% when you book airport parking & hotels in advance.
BOOKING CONDITIONS: Check our Booking Conditions.
CAR RENTAL: Rent a car instead of an airport transfer or if you add a week ashore.
CRUISING GUIDES: Start planning before you travel with a cruising guide or chart to your sailing destination.
PASSPORTS & VISAS: Check the passport & visa requirements of your sailing destination.
SAILING LOGS: Read our reports on sailing holidays we've been on.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: Don't travel without adequate insurance. We offer single trip or Annual multi-trip travel insurance.
TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN: Read our handy hints on taking small children on a sailing holiday.
USEFUL LINKS: Check these websites for more information on your sailing destination.
WHAT'S ONBOARD: Standard inventory for all charter yachts.
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Are you thinking of buying a new yacht and putting her with a charter fleet? Speak to us about the best deal for you. Nautilus Yachting has been arranging sailing holidays throughout the Mediterranean & Caribbean since 1992 so we are ideally qualified to advise you on yacht charter management. Find out more
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Yacht Charter from Kos & Rhodes in the Dodecanese
Lying off the coast of Turkey, the 12 Dodecanese islands offer a wonderful variety for sailing holidays in Greece.
This sailing area in the south-east Aegean stretches along the coast of Turkey and is a wonderful sailing destination for bareboat yacht charter. It suits sailors looking for stronger winds and longer passages between unspoilt islands. Kos and Rhodes are popular tourist destinations but they both have smaller harbours and bays undiscovered by the masses. Don't miss the Old Town in Rhodes and the Harbour, the entry to which was once straddled by the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.
Once you set sail you will discover islands which have completely escaped tourism - Lipsos, Leros, Kalymnos, Niseros, Simi and Tilos. Here you'll find traditional fishing ports and quiet waterfront restaurants. The swimming and snorkelling is superb in many locations and Kalymnos, once the centre of sea sponge fishing in the Med, has many interesting dive sites.
Sailing in the Dodecanese
The longer passages between the Dodecanese islands and stronger winds offer more challenging sailing itineraries for keen sailors. Start your yacht charter from the new marina at Kos and head south to Rhodes or north to the unspoilt islands of Kalymnos and Leros. Or charter from Rhodes and visit the beautiful harbour of Symi, the dormant volcano on Niseros and Tilos, relatively untouched by tourism. This sailing area is a great choice for keen sailors who want to explore some lesser known Greek islands.
DAY 1 : Embark at Rhodes, where once the ancient Colossus stood astride the entrance. Explore the medieval walled town.
DAY 2 : Symi (23nm) has one of the most beautiful, serene harbours in Greece. The day trip boats from Rhodes leave in the late afternoon and the yachtsmen have the harbour front to themselves.
DAY 3 : Niseros (21nm). Take a bus trip from the harbour to visit the dormant volcano crater. Many of you rate this as the high spot of the trip.
DAY 4 : Kos Marina (15nm) is in the centre of Kos Town. The local architecture is a mixture of Venetian, Ottoman and modern style and there is an impressive Castle at the port. Convenient market for provisioning. Home of Hippocrates and his famous Oath.
DAY 5 : Kamares (40m) on the south-west corner of Kos, is a pleasant spot for swimming and relaxing on the beach.
DAY 6 : Tilos (30nm) is an island off the tourist track. It is a small and remote island which hasn't lost its traditional and picturesque character. Livadia is the main harbour on the island.
DAY 7 : Return to Rhodes (32nm).
DAY 1 : Embark at Kos. The marina is in the centre of town.
DAY 2 : Lakki, Leros (27nm). Leros is a small island that remains untouched by mass tourism, so has an unspoiled and authentic character. Lakki is the main port of the island and one of the largest ports in Dodecanese.
DAY 3 : Lipsi (11nm). Lipsi is a small island with sandy beaches and translucent water. Lipsi Town is the only town and main harbour of the island. A lovely place with traditional architecture, this is where most activities and services are concentrated.
DAY 4 : Skala Harbour, Patmos (12nm). Skala Harbour is a lively place with white houses, flowered courtyards, tavernas and shops. Patmos is often known as 'The Jerusalem of the Aegean' and the famous monastery of St. John dates from the 11th century and houses illuminated manuscripts, rare old books and frescoes dating back to 1210.
DAY 5 : Levitha (20nm). The deep bay on the south coast affords good shelter. Only a lighthouse keeper and some fishermen inhabit the island. There is a taverna in a farmhouse 15 minutes walk up the hill from the quay.
DAY 6 : Kalimnos (27nm) is the centre of sponge-fishing in Greece since ancient time. Moor in the pleasant harbour of Kalimnos Town or overnight at the attractive fjord of Vathi with a small hamlet ashore.
DAY 7 : Return to Kos (10nm).
Sailing conditions
Steady afternoon breezes averaging Force 4-6 becoming stronger in July and August. The best times to sail here are May-June and September-October when you are less likely to be affected by the meltemi wind which blows July-August from the north at Force 5-6 and may reach Force 7-8. Experience level 3.
Yacht charter from Kos & Rhodes
Yachts are based at the new marina at Kos and Rhodes Mandaki Harbour and charters can start and finish any day of the week, giving you total flexibility over your holiday dates.
Click on the yacht names below to view yacht layout & specification
3 cabin
4+ cabin
Catamarans
Check availability of Kiriacoulis yachts in Kos & Rhodes online
Yacht charter rates are shown WITHOUT flights giving you the flexibility to book your own flights.
If you want a flight-inclusive holiday Nautilus Yachting is a fully bonded ATOL tour operator and can book flights from the UK to fit your sailing holiday. Choose from a wide choice of airlines - we are not tied to any particular airline. All flight-inclusive holidays are fully bonded for your financial protection under our ATOL 3016. Airport transfers can also be pre-arranged.
FLIGHTS TO RHODES:
easyJet have flights from Gatwick and Liverpool to Rhodes, including Saturdays. Thomson, Thomas Cook and Monarch have flights to Rhodes from most UK airports on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Transfer time to Rhodes Harbour 30 minutes.
FLIGHTS TO KOS:
easyJet have flights from Gatwick to Kos, including Saturdays. Thomson and Thomas Cook have flights to Kos from most UK airports, including Saturdays. Transfer time to Kos Marina 30 minutes.
To charter a yacht bareboat or on flotilla you should be Day Skipper standard and be assisted by at least one competent crew.
At present you need an RYA Day Skipper qualification or RYA International Certificate of Competence (ICC) for charters in Croatia, Montenegro, Mallorca, Tenerife and Malta.
The RYA ICC will be ever more required by overseas port authorities but if you have skipper experience it is easily obtained in a day from RYA sailing schools in the UK such as Hamilton Sailing or Brixham Sea School
Whether you are an experienced sailor or setting foot on a yacht for the first time, we can offer you a holiday afloat to suit you. We have given all the sailing areas a level with 'Experience Level 1' suitable for less experienced crews and 'Experience Level 3' for the experts.
This takes into account the wind strength, tidal range and currents, distances between stops and ease of mooring. Of course even experts may choose to sail in Level 1 areas as they still offer stunning scenery and great sailing.
Experience Level 1: Ionian
Generally light winds Force 2-4, line of sight navigation, shorter sailing distances under 20nm. You will be Day Skipper standard having sailed at least 1 week or 100nm as skipper
Experience Level 2: Saronic Gulf & Sporades
Stronger winds up to Force 3-5 with some longer passages up to 30nm. You will be Day Skipper standard having sailed at least 2 weeks or 200nm as skipper
Experience Level 3: Aegean & Dodecanese
Stronger winds up to Force 4-7 which can lead to bigger seas on long passages between the islands. You will be Coastal Skipper standard with experience to a higher level having sailed at least 4 weeks or 400nm as skipper
Sponge diving is the main source of income on the barren island of Kalymnos where sponges have been harvested since Ancient times bringing wealth on the island and making it famous in the Mediterranean. In the mid-80’s a disease decimated sponges in the eastern Mediterranean and destroyed the sponge-fishing industry. Sponge diving with all its traditions and history still forms the very soul of this island. You find a wide range of the sponges on sale in local shops - about 40 tons of sponges are sold every year.
Niseros is Greece's only active volcano but the most recent eruption was in 1888. Today there are five craters in the caldera and a path descends into the largest one, Stefanos, where you can examine the multicoloured fumaroles, listen to their hissing and smell their sulphurous vapours. The surface is soft and hot enough to fry an egg and melt flip-flops. Take the bus from the harbour - a touristy morning trip but well worth the visit!
Gailos, the main harbour on Symi, is one of the most beautiful harbours in the Dodecanese, with mellow neo-Classic mansions flowing up the hillside. A peaceful evening calm descends as the noisy day trip boats return to Rhodes and the yachts sail in to moor up for the night. The many waterfront restaurants serve excellent food and the setting is idyllic. Symi is a jewel not to be missed.
"We all had a fantastic time and really enjoyed it. The area is a great sail. Coral reefs to snorkel on and just beautiful weather. Just idyllic. All the travel and organising went smoothly, thank you."
BVI 2012 - J.R.
