Nick will return from USA on the Saturday and thank you to Howard for arranging the taxi before we travel to LGW for our early morning flight.
To do list
Nick
To Do - I will call them from the US this week - to speak to charter co in early July to talk about the boat, her condition etc.
Howard
to submit the provisioning order to the Chart Co
to check for updates to flight times
book taxi for departure
New information & guidance
Personal Gear: here is what you should bring
Clothes
You won’t need much in the way of clothes! A couple of swimsuits, towels, some T-shirts and shorts and something casual for the evenings are all you need. It’s a good idea to include a windproof jacket in case of stronger winds. It is also good to have sailing gloves to protect your hands and office calluses. Marigolds for protecting your hands when handling anchor chains are useful.
Closed non-slip shoes (deck shoes/sports shoes) are a must for safety on board - I recently bought some Chatham deskshoes from here
Don’t forget to bring a sun hat, sunglasses and include plenty of sunscreen for protection from the sun. Reflection from the water means you soak up a lot of sun while sailing.
It is preferable to pack in soft bags rather than hard suitcases as hard cases are more difficult to stow away in lockers onboard. I recently bought two of these Crewsaver bags a 100 ltr and a 85 ltr on Amazon from Big Orange Watersports Ltd:
Crewsaver CREW Holdall Bag in RED/Black Large 100 Litres 6228-100 NEW 2012 £38.00
Crewsaver CREW Holdall Bag in RED/Black Medium 6228-75 £25.86
Toiletries and medication
Most brands of soap, shower gel, shampoo, sunscreen etc. are sold in Greece although they tend to be more expensive from the small harbour-side shops. If you take prescribed medicine, it is advisable to bring enough with you for the duration of your holiday. Although all our yachts have a basic first aid kit, it is a good idea to carry one of your own which should includes travel sickness pills, antiseptic cream, insect repellent, antihistamine cream/gel for insect bites and anything else you personally may need.
Documents & currency
You will of course need your passport. You should also bring your sailing certificates as they are sometimes requested by the Port Police. If you intend to hire a car, motorbike or other vehicle whilst on holiday you should also bring your driving licence. Your personal holiday insurance documents and if you are from a European Union member country, the EU medical card (EHIC) should be included in your hand luggage.
You can use credit cards in shops and restaurants Poros and the larger ports you may visit.
Remember that the smaller and more remote ports may have no banks; no ATMs and that in small tavernas credit cards may not be accepted. It’s therefore a good idea to carry enough cash to buy daily supplies and pay for dinner, especially if you are bareboat chartering and going further afield.
Useful Extras
You will need a continental 2 pin plug adapter for use on shore (charging cameras, phones, etc. in tavernas & cafes). As the yacht has 12v sockets it would convenient to bring the appropriate 12v charger (car plug) for your laptop, mobile phone, digital camera, etc.
Checklist
Swimsuits
beach towels for sunbathing
tea towels
towels for showering. Microfibre towels are excellent
T-shirts
Shorts
Casual evening wear
Windproof jacket
Sailing gloves / marigolds
Deck shoes
Sun hat
Sunglasses with lanyard
Sunscreen/sun cream
Lip salve/screen
Toiletries (all-in-one shampoo/shower gels can be handy)
First aid kit
Travel wash if you want to rinse things out in the evening
Music CDs if you want to take advantage of the boats’ CD player
Passport/ID card/visa
Your sailing log & certificates
Driving licence
Holiday insurance
EU medical card (EHIC)
Cash/traveller’s cheques/Euros/credit cards
Camera with batteries and 12v (car plug) charger
2 pin continental plug adapt
12v car-type charger for mobile phones, cameras etc.
The inventory of everything that comes with the boat is here together with some initial comments on personal clothing.
The first thing we will do on arriving at the boat is to check the entire inventory, both to ensure everything is as it should be but also so we, or someone, knows where anything we require can be found.
We will also need to deal with provisioning our boat, which Howard and Melanie have organised. See the comments here.
Done recently:
Meet in May & practice knots
Review and agree inventory between ourselves
Agree what else we need to take with us.
Ensure the Charter Co says all is ok
Ask Charter Co to confirm that the correct inventory will be available inc our special requirements.
Odysseus 44’ (1994) 3 cabins, 3 heads, max 8 people
Autopilot & Outboard engine complimentary
Charter Co say she is in very good condition cosmetically and mechanically - among many other things, the upholstery, the sails and standing rigging were renewed in 2014.