Oh my where do I begin. My S.O. and I sailed with Lisa and Flair in June 2017 for 7 days on a 4-Stateroom Catamaran in the Mediterranean Cyclades Island group of Greece with 3 other couples (none of which knew each other before the trip).
In a word – FANTASTIC! I’m no stranger to Greece, I have been a recurring visitor for the last 30 years, including this island group, but sailing the islands on a private charter was a first for me, and I was a bit nervous… Why did I wait so long to try this?!?!
First, Captain Lisa – this little Spitfire can handle ANYTHING and her confidence is very reassuring, especially if you’re not the most familiar with sailing or might have some first day jitters like I did. All you have to do is look towards her and know everything’s going to be fine. In our particular group, we were in a loose “Flotilla” of 3 yachts, and the first day of sailing we experienced some of the Mediterranean’s famous North Winds on the way to Mykonos – we were all a bit nervous, but Captain Lisa talked it through with us, got us all comfortable, and we all pressed on for an unbelievable first night on the flagship island! This set us up for a perfect itinerary for the remaining days of the cruise. As the days went on, Lisa’s other soft skills without a doubt gave OUR little boat the best experience of the group. It was an absolute pleasure to watch the way she subtly worked the Swarthy Greek Harbor Masters to ensure we had the best anchor at the different islands, or watching her parallel park her command against a daunting cross-current with such ease we were all enjoying cocktails long before the other boats could secure themselves. And I will never forget, when she found out I was a PADI Divemaster, she called in some favors to set up a NIGHT DIVE when we pulled into the legendary Island of Ios. And then joined me on it! What can’t this girl do? Totally personal and custom touch that is just priceless.
Let’s not forget Flair – without him on board this trip just would not have been what it was. This guy can do anything. Truly the host with the most. I’m talking tying knots like an old time sailor, working the sails, keeping lookout, managing the anchor (which is a super important thing I learned!!), even taking the helm at times; it was obvious he just knew what needed to be done. Very comforting. Apart from the mechanics of sailing – did I mention this guy can COOK?!? Here we are enjoying the sail, and 2 hours later it is announced that lunch is ready, and if I didn’t know better, I would been convinced that it was something someone would pay $200 for in the most exclusive French restaurant – but how does he do this with his 1 pan, on his 1 burner, and his 1 knife, in his tiny little galley, while underway?? Some things are more exciting when you don’t know. Just come on in from a nap on the trampoline when the lunch bell rings and enjoy. Feeling the need for some mental stimulation after a day or two on the high seas? Feel free to strike up a conversation about history, literature, mythology, politics, heck even welding! This guy can talk about anything with intelligence and open mindedness, and you’ll always walk away having learned something.
So in summary, these two are the real experience, I would book another trip with them on a life raft. Buuuut, having a nice yacht just makes it that much better. You can comfortably spend your days relaxing and being catered to, or learning about the boat and how to sail. Both Lisa and Flair love what they do, and love to give the opportunity to their guests to see for themselves. Personally, I became quite good at dropping anchor and did it every chance I got – super important job! Who would have thought!
