So, you have chosen the yacht of your dreams for your long-awaited charter in Greece, you have agreed the perfect itinerary with your broker and the captain, and the sun-screen is packed. What could possibly go wrong ? Well, whilst we advise clients there is generally no cause for alarm, there is nevertheless a factor we make sure all our clients are aware of – the possibility of strong winds disrupting your cruise!
The majority of Greek yacht charters are thankfully not interrupted by unfriendly weather conditions, but it can happen, and it’s all down to the wind. Or more specifically, the Meltemi Wind (sometimes known as Meltemia). So let’s bring you up to speed with what you need to know before you slip on your deck shoes and hop aboard..
An ancient weather pattern with origins in the monsoons of the Indian subcontinent
The Meltemi are the (sometimes strong) winds which can blow from northern Greece down through the Aegean Gulf and across the Aegean Sea. This wind is the characteristic summer weather pattern in the Eagean basin, and blows intermittently mainly in July and August across the waters which are host to many Greek islands, sometimes to the great chagrin of un-prepared and inexperienced sailors. These winds can whip up quickly, even in clear weather, and can exceptionally reach as high as 7 or 8 on the Beaufort Scale, with disrupting effects on leisure and commercial marine traffic alike.
OK, so my charter has been affected by bad weather, what do I do ?
The captains and crews on the yachts we represent have long-standing tenure and vast experience when it comes to dealing with the vagaries of the summer winds; after all this weather pattern has been extensively documented in Greece and even discovered in written documents dating back to 350 BC! Your captain will have advance notification of forecast weather conditions, and the highly-trained crew will be quick to ‘batten down the hatches’ in the case of choppy weather.
However, it is generally known that anything beyond a force six wind is dangerously navigable; the commercial ferries shuttling holiday-makers between the islands are pulled into port and the many leisure craft will quickly seek the shelter of one of the many marinas or protected bays. We once had a client who was forced to spend three consecutive days stuck in port on Symi island waiting for the bad weather to pass (he and the family were remarkably jolly about the whole mis-adventure as Symi happens to be one of the most beautiful ports in the Mediterranean with wall-to-wall seafood restaurants).
Consider the problem from a philosophical viewpoint, like the locals..
On the whole, we do assure guests that their dream cruise is extremely unlikely to fall foul of the weather; we advise those with a particular desire to minimise the risk of disruption to travel during June or September. However, in the eventuality of bad weather conditions the trick is to remain flexible. The Captain will be quick to propose a tweak to the itinerary to maximise use of the remaining time on your charter, always with safety of the guests and crew foremost in mind.
And remember – it is often the case that a day or two stuck in port can be a blessing in disguise as it will free up time to stroll a medieval walled town or visit more of the delightful local tavernas or historical monuments than you originally planned on the beautiful island where you find yourself marooned.
Finally, to assist with your preparedness, it is helpful to recall the ancient Greek proverb which is tailor-made for this type of situation: “It is sometimes sweet to view the sea whilst standing on the shore.” How true.
