Spring Sail: Greece

Our first trip across the Atlantic and our biggest flotilla yet.  After a fall of contemplating Med-mooring and learning the essential Greek dances, we are ready to adjust to the slower speed of life in Greece. We kick off the trip with a reunion in true YachtXP fashion with a meetup at the hotel.  It is great to see the crew on dry land before we set sail.

Saturday morning, we wake up to the yearly excitement of the YachtXP swag handout. The Greece sweatshirts do not disappoint!  Everyone quickly hops aboard the buses and takes off towards the marina.

Once everyone is at the marina, the provisioning begins.  Finding boat snacks in a new country is always a real treat, especially the Greek pastries.

Excited to be sailing crews don their PFDs for a sporty day on the water! Nothing like a little heel to lift the spirits and firmly solidify that vacation has finally started!

Our 10 boats split up to find the coziest mooring to block the breeze and ensure a warm night. The first day always allows a crew to bond and this trip is no exception.

We end the day with some wine and a Greek feast at a local restaurant on the island of Syros.

The second day we awake to a beautiful sunrise over the  Mediterranean sea.  It is the stuff of Greek mythology.

We Med moor in Ermoupoli, Syros; a beautiful place which perfectly captures the elusive real Greece which so many seek and so few seldom find.  We explore the winding streets, through the various shops and eventually end relaxing on a swim dock being served a few glasses of wine.  At night we gather the group for a few beverages and dance the night away.

Just a quick jaunt through the Aegean Sea with a gentle breeze lands us in Koufonisi where the anchors drop and the Polaroids are pulled out.

Boats quickly head ashore to hike the remote shores, snorkeling in the blue waters.  The night brings a few "Roxane" songs and a sunset over the island.  

Some boats haven’t gotten enough of the Koufonisi shores and opt to spend the day hiking to swimming holes.

Other boats sail around to a small town on the other part of the island.  After either hiking, relaxing or shopping, we sail to Los for a night on shore.  All 100 YachtXP crew members dine together! The restaurant arranges the patio with long table and classic dishes. Everyone is digging in when a YachtXP couple saunters in and announces their engagement to roaring applause.

We sail through the Aegean Sea with ease, remarking on the color of the water every chance we get, “It’s just so blue!“.

We arrive in Paros, our final port. Everyone lingers on the dock swapping stories, phone numbers, and post-trip plans. A bunch of people head to the same hotel because you just never want a YachtXP trip to end.