Tahiti Special 

“My friend and I (ladies in our 50s) just completed the 5 day Competent Crew training with Sunsail in Croatia. There were 5 students on board – 2 doing their Day Skipper and 3 of us doing Competent Crew.
The setup at Sunsail is wonderful. We were arriving late on the Saturday and concerned about getting on board for our 8.30 start on Sunday but it was all very easy. Arrived at the marina to find a note for us on the reception door with instructions on how to find our boat. On arriving at the boat we found the bedroom ready with an en-suite toilet and a surprisingly comfortable bed. One learning if you are getting an uber let the driver see the actual location as per your joining instructions as we had an interesting diversion and were finally dropped off at the opposite side of the marina.
The next morning we woke to the sound of the lapping waves and to meet our crew mates and our instructor Tadek. He spent the morning going through the extensive safety briefing with us and then we were ready to set sail.
Our first day at sea involved a demonstration of the man over board drill, explanations of points of sail and a bit of helming. We then returned to Agana and had our dinner together at a lovely pizzeria in the marina.
Monday morning we set off again – learned some knots, did a lot of sailing, learned stern to and side to mooring and moored up for the evening at Milna a really beautiful little town. Had a couple of beers on the boat and then went into Milan for dinner.
Tuesday was the day of the night sail – we practised the man over board drill a number of times in the day and then anchored up for dinner cooked on board (by the crew) before putting on all the warm gear for our night sail. We set off about 8pm and navigated by waypoints using the hand held compass and even by the North Star! We moored up at anchor in a beautiful calm bay and went to sleep about 1am. Bring warm clothes, a snood for your neck and a woolly hat!
Wednesday we were allowed a bit of a lie/in and set off sailing at about 10am following the obligatory coffee on board. We sailed in the morning and then anchored up at Blue Lagoon for lunch. Had a little swim in the bay – pretty chilly in April and then set off sailing again. Our stop on Wednesday night was in a beautiful bay called Sesula where you can moor for free if you eat at the restaurant – easy decision!!
Thursday was the last day and for us the blowiest one. Lots of fast fun sailing and we learned how to reef the sails (make them smaller) to ensure safe sailing on high winds. We arrived back at the Marina around 6pm on Thursday having learned so much about sailing to discover we had all passed and celebrated with a beer provided by Sunsail.
This review would not be complete without explaining how amazing our captain Tadek was on board. Some people are born to teach and Tadek is one of them. His patience, good humour, knowledge and experience made learning so pleasurable for 5 of us. At our age we have met lots of teacher and I can honestly say Tadek is the best. His focus was safety and ensuring we understood the why of what he was teaching us not just the what and if we didn’t get it the first (second or third) time he explained it he would find a new way to demonstrate. He also provided instruction on a few things outside the syllabus – winching somebody out of the sea – because we asked. I doubt you can specifically request Tadek as your instructor but if you are lucky enough to get him you will have hit the jackpot!”

“An absolutely unforgettable experience with Sunsail Athens!”

“We chartered a Dufour 44.4 for a week with our five children, and everything was perfect from start to finish. The Sunsail team was simply wonderful—kind, attentive, and always available when needed. A special thank you to Mike for his invaluable advice: thanks to him, we discovered beautiful islands perfectly suited to our family itinerary.”

“The sailing area of the Saronic Islands is truly incredible, offering a wide variety of stunning landscapes and charming stops along the way.”

“The boat itself was impeccable: extremely well equipped, very comfortable, and impressively stable under sail, even in rough seas. We felt safe and confident throughout the entire trip, which is essential when sailing with children.”

“An experience we wholeheartedly recommend, and one we hope to enjoy again very soon!”

“The Martin family”

“We went on a sailing trip with Sunsail last week. We left out of Roadtown, Tortola. Our captain Gilson Melo met us at the boat and the adventure began. Gilson could tell that we were eager to get going and helped us expedite our trip ASAP.”

“We took off mid-day, paying the extra fee to leave around noon, which I highly recommend. Gilson was always receptive to our requests in terms of where to go, however ambitious. “

“Gilson felt more like an onboard friend that could drive the boat versus just a captain. He constantly engaged/hung out with us and was a gem with our children. He snorkeled with us, played beach games and even played guitar one night with my son, who also plays. He also accompanied us on excursions, which was awesome. You need to invite him, as it’s not expected.”

“His captaining skills were amazing! He loved to put up the sails and we loved that. He was also always planning ahead with securing mooring balls for the night and even helping us with restaurant reservations. Again, not expected, but most amazingly welcome.”

“He also was amazing at reading “the boat.” He could tell when the kids were getting squirrelly and would suggest a snorkeling side quest en route to another destination. This was a life saver for everyone.”

“If you’re considering a Sunsail charter, we cannot recommend Gilson enough. He turned a great trip into one we will never forget. I hope that we can sail with him again in the future!”

“What an amazing experience. Well organised with friendly staff who were easy to reach and quick to help when needed. The boat was modern, spacious, spotless, and well equipped, which all added up to a fantastic sail and a really memorable holiday.”

“We chartered a 45 sail cat with Captain Paul Gaetan, who proved to be the best decision ever for our charter. He was a great, natural sailor, helped plan great and off the beaten track bays and destinations, and took care of everything for us. Was a fantastic charter thanks to captain Paul!”