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tp12 · 18-02-2016, 17:43

Hello!

I am in the process of agreeing a charter for a Bene 34 which I'll pick up in Rhodes in Sept. It's with Odyssey Sailing. Before I go ahead I thought I'd check in with the forum to understand if there's anything I should be aware of with this, and any other in the region, charter company. Any gotchas, things to look out for for a 7-10 day charter in the Dodecanese departing Rhodes in mid Sept.

I've seen a bunch of info links in previous threads about the area, which I'll read, so no need to repeat those. I'm more after any specific experienced a forum member has.

On board will be myself, my 20yo son and my partner.

Thanks in advance 😎

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MarkJ · 18-02-2016, 18:12

Lovely area. Easy sailing. Great ports.
Its late in the season I think the Meltemi can pop up. Check options if you have 30 knots for a few days so you can get nice sheltered ports.

tp12 · 18-02-2016, 18:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Lovely area. Easy sailing. Great ports.
Its late in the season I think the Meltemi can pop up. Check options if you have 30 knots for a few days so you can get nice sheltered ports.

Thanks Mark. I've read the Meltemi can rip through from the NE so a few bolt holes would be nice. I'll pour over the chart when I get there and come up with a plan. I'll also make sure I put a reef or two in to get used to the Bene's systems before we go too far.

Palarran · 18-02-2016, 20:21

By far the best person to ask in a member named Yeloya who owns a charter company in Marmaris. He has a lot of connections in Rhodes and sails the area constantly. As an FYI, you might check with him about chartering out of Marmaris. They do one ways and also can easily arrange for agents to clear you in/out of Greece. I used the Rhodes agent two years ago and it was worth double the 80 euro I paid to do all the paper work. I had a premium spot right in Mandraki harbor. Very cool spot and I'll be back in May for at least 4 days.

If you do charter from Rhodes, how long will you be sailing. The meltemi doesn't really blow strongly in that area. I'd suggest going up to Symi, over to Nisyros, then a long sail to Astypalya, then up to Amorgos, then Levitha, then a sled ride down to Tilos, and back to Rhodes. That's probably more than a week sailing but a good time. You want to try to make general east/west as it's a PITA to head NW to NE due to the Meltemi.

There's also a good chance I'll be passing by that area in September so keep a look out or send me a PM.

Palarran · 18-02-2016, 20:27

Sorry, I should have read your post better. You have time to go wherever but I'd suggest at least making it to Astypalya and Amorgos. The Dodecanese are nice, especially Symi and Rhodes, skip Kos, but the Cyclades are better IMO. Tilos is awesome.

You know who really knows this area also - Seaworthy Lass and Noelex. Send them a PM because I'm sure they would be happy to give you some advice.

tp12 · 18-02-2016, 20:59

Some excellent tips there Palarran, thank you. I'll PM Seaworthy Lass and Yeloya as well.

I might send you one a bit closer to the time as well to see where you are. I'm sure a nice, quiet anchorage with some 7 star Metaxa would go down well.

yeloya · 19-02-2016, 01:05

I'll second Palarran's view; skip Kos. Simi, Halki & Nsiros are not to be missed. Meltemi rarely hit 30 kts mark, otherwise leave early as it gets its max power around 2-3 PM. Rhodes-Simi will be close hauled maybe couple of tacking, From Simi towards Knidos it will be on yr nose and pretty strong..
If you want to combine Turkish coast + Dodacanese send to me a PM. That could give you better sailing options and more flexibity with better sheltered anchorages in case meltemi goes crazy

Cheers

Yeloya

Palarran · 19-02-2016, 04:08

The other reason to mix Turkey and Greece is to get a little bit of greenery into the trip. All the Dodecanese Islands are pretty arid. The Turkish breakfast is pretty enjoyable also.