Yacht charter takes many forms, but to many people the words still speak only of something they cannot afford to do and which they never expect to experience.
But a British couple are intent on changing that with their small, family-owned company.
The aim is to have even total novices out on the water and sailing safely, confidently and independently in the fastest possible time, with the minimum of effort and at a surprisingly affordable cost.
Eight years ago, Neil and Di Bingham were living in land-locked Leicestershire and looked upon sailing as nothing more than an enjoyable hobby that provided some much-needed relaxation from the stresses of running their two businesses: in engineering and corporate entertainment.
But then a classified advertisement in a yachting magazine set them off on a whole new tack.
“We had been looking for a change of lifestyle and had decided to try our hand at yacht charter, so we ordered two Bavaria 38 yachts with a view to setting up a small business on the south coast of England,” recalls 54-year-old Mrs Bingham.
“But then I spotted this advertisement for a charter company that was for sale on the Greek island of Lefkas. There wasn’t much to it – just five run-down boats that needed a great deal of work.”
Undeterred, the Binghams bought the company, diverted the two Bavarias to Lefkas and, in the spring of 2003, established Sail Ionian.
At first they worked from the back of their car, lived in a small rented apartment and took bookings by mobile telephone.
Now, however, the Binghams have sold their Leicestershire house, set up home in Greece and increased the fleet to 23 boats.
Their daughter Katy, 26, runs the firm’s Royal Yacht Association-approved training school and their son Chris, 24, oversees the engineering side, while the couple look after the logistics of taking bookings and running the business.
“We set out to create a family-friendly charter service that catered for people of all levels, even total beginners,” says Mrs Bingham
“We realised many people wanted to try a sailing holiday but didn’t because they thought they needed at least some sort of experience.
“All charter companies have different ways of getting novices out on the water, sometimes using class-based instruction, providing them with a skipper or only allowing them to sail as part of a flotilla.
“Our aim is to provide basic, hands-on tuition and quickly get people to ‘competent crew’ level ,so they can be sailing independently in the minimum time and with the minimum of stress.”
Mrs Bingham says many families simply use the yachts as floating hotel rooms, taking advantage of the Ionian’s famously friendly and predictable winds to potter gently from bay to bay between the islands of Meganissi, Ithaka and Cephalonia, stopping to swim and enjoy long, leisurely lunches.
The company offers free tuition from a qualified skipper every Sunday afternoon and free mooring classes on Monday mornings.
All yachts have GPS navigation equipment, sea charts, safety and emergency gear, bedding, catering equipment and basic provisions.
If anything does go wrong, Sail Ionian’s 300 horsepower rigid-inflatable boat promises to be on the scene in minutes.
The firm’s inclusive approach has resulted in a large amount of repeat business and this winter, having gained the licence and coding required to make trans-Atlantic charter crossings, it is expanding its remit to the Caribbean.
Two 46ft Bavarias will make the crossing in about five legs, with places available on each leg to people who want to use the journey as a mile-building trip to gain experience.
A few clients have even embraced sailing to such an extent that they have entered the company’s part-ownership scheme, which enables them to purchase a new Bavaria at a discounted rate, provided it remains on the charter fleet for five years.
