Any opinions on Poseidon Charters flotilla?

[Desert Spray]

My wife and I are interested in the 2 week Aegean flotilla program offered through Poseidon Charters. This was the only company I could find offering a flotilla deep into the Cyclades. This is the type of adventure we seek. Most other flotilla programs are not very ambitious - typically only 1 week in duration, sailing sheltered waters, and sticking close to base. Reviews on the Poseidon Charters website are glowing (and self-serving). However, I have not found much in the way of unfiltered opinion, other than a few tidbits on Tripadvisor.

My intent is not to generate a discussion on the relative merits of flotilla sailing. I am simply seeking opinions regarding this company. Any red flags?

[slfaubion]

Hi, sorry I just saw this. We are sailors in Houston, Texas - we took a trip with Poseidon end of last August/beginning of September. Paul wanted to do the flotilla, but we are a bit rusty so just rented a cabin on the lead boat. Anything I can help you with? It was a fantastic trip.

[rseanj]

Curious if you booked and did a trip with them. We have out flights booked for Sep 2016 and were about to book but an acquaintance just told us that they sailed with them a few years ago and had negative things to say.

I agree that there are only a few reviews but they are all very positive.

I won't quote the negatives, but I am torn as to whether to book Poseidon.

[slfaubion]

We did the greece trip and thot it was fantastic, want to go again. We booked a cabin. The people worked incredibly hard to make sure everybody had a good time, and breakfast and lunch were fantastic. The captain was amazingly skilled and we learned a lot. Hard telling who you talked to... I know we had two couples that had never been on a sailboat in their life! But I think they had a good time. Also, perhaps some may think it is going to be more like a cruise on a big ship. Its not. It is a sailing adventure, and sailors (like my husband and I) understand that. Finally, I remember a review where the woman was complaining about the age of the boat and something about per person priced based on double occupancy. Anyway, we enjoyed the older boat, Margarita - ours is a 1983 catalina 36 - but regardless, Margarita was sold to a new owner shortly after we sailed, to be moved to europe or something, and the people hired to move her got caught in a wicked storm and she sank. :-( So that particular complaint is now moot.

[Desert Spray]

Yes, we did join the Poseidon Charters flotilla in September. It was an exciting trip, what with some heavy weather, one dismasting, and getting separated from the flotilla due to a faulty radio. This was adventurous sailing and things did not always go smoothly. Some cabin guests did not seem to understand what they were getting into. This was a lot of sailing, not a shopping or beach vacation. We loved it but do have some criticisms. This was a large group, with nine boats at the start, three of which larger boats rented by the cabin. We were one of six bare-boats. This was a large group of people and despite efforts of Poseidon, the group never became cohesive. Steven Parry, the leader of the flotilla, is exceptionally knowledgeable and capable, but he had his hands full juggling all of the boats and personalities. On a rough passage from Hydra to Kythnos one of the cabin rental boats was dismasted. Fortunately no one was significantly injured and the boat was intact after cutting the entire rig away. The professional captain and first mate on that boat did an admirable job keeping everyone safe. Steven Parry, with his large cabin rental boat, assisted in the rescue and stayed back with the damaged boat. This event effectively fractured the flotilla for the next couple of days. The dismasted boat completed the first week of the flotilla with no rig, which was a strange site, before it was replaced with a similar boat, but a new set of problems. There are other stories from this trip.

The main question is would I do the Poseidon Charter Aegean flotilla again? The answer is yes. This was an adventure with ambitious sailing that increased our confidence in our abilities. This was our goal. We visited 14 islands over the two weeks, including lunch stops, and loved the Greek people and historic sights. The size of the flotilla was a problem and some guests were very unhappy with seasickness and the long voyages, and inappropriate expectations. Steven Parry is a good leader but really had his hands full with the people and events during this flotilla. Yes, I would sail with him again, but I would hope for fewer boats, more sailors prepared for ambitious sailing, and better luck with weather and mechanical problems. Oh, and next time I'll bring a handheld VHF radio so I don't miss a change in plans after the morning skipper's meeting.


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[Raythesailor]

Hi
I have read this thread with interest.
I do not know anything about POSSEIDON but do know the Agean, my boat is presently ashore in Lavrion.
Heavy weather is normal out there and it can get quite hairy at times. The islands are normally well spaced out, and so if you have a route plan to complete it can be along and sometimes difficult passage. My personal preference is to keep up wind as much as possible( normally N in the Cycladies), and then you have the ability to run with it.

If they are based in Athens, getting back with head winds can be difficult.
The Saronic gulf is a nice area to cruise, with Navpolon and Epidourous well worth visiting.

Enjoy your trip.

[Madmax1a]

Don't. We did and regret it.

[jckb]

Flotilla sailing is not common in the Cyclades because the winds are (for periods in summer) very challenging, running northerly at F5 to F7 for days at a time.

Not many crews are prepared to beat north back to Athens when it's F6 or more. Experienced flotilla operators have discovered that in the Cyclades, many boats booking flotilla are unable to cope with conditions, in spite of big warnings in their brochures about the experience needed.

Bareboat is common instead, chartered by thrill seeking experienced sailors who know exactly what they're letting themselves in for. Sailing clubs from the southern hemisphere often charter fleets of yachts, creating their own rallies or flotillas.

Either that, or stick to the well sheltered areas of the west Peloponnese and the Saronic or Argolic gulfs. Many reliable flotilla operators operate there.

JimB

[rseanj]

We just returned a week ago from sailing with Poseidon Charters. You'll see I was asking for reviews about it a while back.

I would recommend the trip without reservation. The boat was in great shape and the captain was very capable. Where I would tend to overload the sails, the captain kept the sailing comfortable and safe. He was very knowledgeable of the island, spoke Greek and was a great guide to local restaurants.

We met some new friends and had a great time.

Highly recommended.
Sean

[Desert Spray]

Sean,

I glad you had a great time on your flotilla trip to Greece with Poseidon Charters. We had an amazing trip with them as well.

I hope that my previous post did not come off as negative or alarmist. We truly had an unforgettable experience with Poseidon Charters. So much so that we booked a two week flotilla to Croatia this past summer. Once again we had a wonderful experience. Croatia is beautiful and Steven Parry, owner of Poseidon Charters, knows the islands like the back of his hand. I give him high praise. Winds in Croatia were relatively calm, so sailing was less adventurous than in the Aegean.

We are so impressed with Steven Parry and Poseidon Charters that we have scheduled a return for the two week Aegean flotilla next September. This will be our third trip with Poseidon, so I think that says a lot.

I hope that others will consider signing on for a trip with Poseidon. I have no affiliations with this company, just an affinity for his unique program.

Paul


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[David Smith48]

Our experience with Poseidon has been excellent. We have chartered with them twice in Greece and once in Croatia always on their two-week programme. My wife and I are both sailors and enjoyed the combination of long and short sailing days in combination with the usual luncheon swim stop, the many onshore excursions, great food and the opportunity to meet folks from all over the planet. In 2000 we booked as a Greece cabin charter. In 2010 we booked Croatia as a cabin charter and most recently back to Greece in 2017 on a bareboat Lagoon 450 with three other couples as part of the two-week flotilla. The sailing this year was minimal due to very hot weather, even during the last two weeks in June, and almost no wind not even on the nose. Even without the sailing our entire group thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Steven and Sharron of Poseidon found us the perfect bareboat charter from Istion at a great price. The air conditioning was a lifesaver on our last night in Athens. The mooring assistance and advice throughout the trip was invaluable for our group. Finding a berth in the many crowded harbours can be quite a challenge, but Poseidon have the experience and contacts to make the process less daunting. Poseidon arranged our accommodation and 2-day land package in Santorini. The only thing I would do differently is perhaps not rent a 12-passenger van with manual transmission and start off by driving up the steep exit from the port to the top of the cliff. The accommodation in Oia was spectacular, but book early to get the best views of the caldera. Save some time to visit the many wineries and the Minoan settlement excavation site at Akrotiri. We spent one additional day in Greece to make the trip to Delphi, which was very interesting in spit of the 40+ Celsius afternoon. We would definitely book with Poseidon again.

[Subzer0]

My wife and I are reasonably experienced sailors but we had never sailed in Greece or in a flotilla before. I was very hesitant to be bound by a rigid flotilla itinerary but the cruising etiquette in Greek ports and getting around in island towns was foreign to us so we felt we needed some guidance and booked a flotilla bareboat with Poseidon. They found us the perfect sailboat out of Athens and took us through the mechanics of finding a spot in a port, doing the med mooring thing properly, and recommended must-see places everywhere we stopped. This was invaluable to us. We met some exceptional people in the flotilla and enjoyed their company immensely. There were some memorable meals with the group in some pretty exceptional places but there were a few nights where we just felt like being on our own and simply decided to have a nice quiet dinner away from the group. We also skipped a few lunch stops or chose a different stop from the rest of the group a couple of times. This gave us the perfect balance between the rigid flotilla schedule and our desire to do our own thing. It worked out beautifully for us.

In the end, this turned out to be one of our best sailing trips ever. Sailing conditions in early June varied from frustrating calms and shifting weak winds to exhilarating 30-35 knot winds, meaning this is not for beginners. We got reasonably adept at finding the good spots in ports and mooring the Mediterranean way.

Steeve's guidance throughout the trip was exactly what we were looking for when we booked the flotilla. His tips and tricks for entering ports, mooring, negotiating with officials and harbourmasters, etc. will serve us well on the many future bareboat trips we are already planning.

To sum it up, if you are an experienced sailor looking to sail the Cyclades for the first time, I would highly recommend a bareboat in one of Steeve's flotillas.