Travel and Booking Information

What’s Included With Your Yacht?

• Fully equipped charter yacht.
• Fully equipped galley with each boat
• All sailing, navigation & safety eqt on board
• A free Paddleboard (SUP) with your yacht (in line with promotions)
• Return Flights & Transfers (for travel inclusive bookings)
• Ocean Elements Meet & Greet at marina 
• Ocean Elements welcome & technical briefings
• Full Yacht handover with systems training
• The services of our experienced flotilla skipper and crew all week* 
• A Welcome punch party
• Two or three social nights (Flexi Flotilla or Bareboats can join us!)
• Yacht Base support team
• Charter Pack: Starter Pack with basic groceries, bedding, tea towels, end stay yacht clean*
• First fill of diesel, gas, water tanks (pay for used diesel at end of week)
• Mooring fees (first and last night). Very few harbours will require fees thereafter.
• Ocean Elements Cruising Notes
• Bedlinen & tea towels*
• Bath towels are not included, unless requested (extra charge)

End of stay cleaning of your yacht*

*Not Included with Bareboat charters, but included within Mandatory Charter Pack

What's Not Included With Your yacht?

• Security Deposit 
• Food and drink for your week
• Bareboat charters don’t include our mandatory Charter Pack £79 
• Outboard engine for dinghy is £69 extra
• A skipper (if required)

What Does my Mandatory Charter Pack Include?

(£79 for Bareboat | £Included for Flotilla)

End of stay yacht cleaning, welcome grocery pack, bed linen, tea towels

Basic Grocery Packs contain things like:  Washing up liquid, sponge, rubbish bags, matches, toilet & kitchen rolls, bottled water, orange juice, packet of biscuits, tea, coffee, milk, sugar

All Yachts come with*

• Cruising charts and cruising guide (pilot book) for your area • Boat Speed, (log), Wind, Depth sounder • Basic chart plotter • Roller furling genoa • Furling mainsail • Electric anchor windlass • Main Anchor & spare Anchor • Autopilot • Inflatable Dinghy • CD player • VHF radio • Bathing platform, swim ladder • Hot water • Electric refrigerator • Bimini (Sun-top) • Spray hood • Inflatable Dinghy • Cockpit table • Cockpit Speakers • Cockpit cushions • Cockpit table • Holding tank • Boat hook • Gas bottles • Swimming ladder

This spec may change from boat to boat. Some of the (less-essential) items above may not be included in all boats. If any particular item is required, please call our reservations team to request.

Useful Extras

• Flights and transfers – from £295 per person (please call)
• Paddle Board - £75 p/wk (Free if you book early*)
• Outboard engine - £69 per week
• Extra bed linen & tea towels - £10 per set (p/pers)
• Skipper - from £120 per day
• Bath towels - £4 per pers.

Licences & Qualifications

To charter a yacht anywhere in Greece it is required that two persons aboard are age 18 or over and at least one person has had several days active experience of being in charge of a yacht, and holds either one of these qualifications:

1. An International Certificate of Competence, (ICC), or equivalent qualification. The ICC assessment can be can be done as a half-day session quite easily in the UK (prior to departure) at your local RYA Training centre. Alternatively, we offer an ICC assessment day in May/June, so do ask our sales team for details. The ICC is equivalent to a Day Skipper and suits those with sailing experience but no formal qualifications that want to hire boats abroad. The certificate is valid for 5 years.

2. RYA Day Skipper or Coastal Skipper or Keelboat 2 qualification.    

3. Any other skipper certificate issued by a national body or yachting association will be acceptable.

Experience

As a general guide, skippers and co-skippers should have plenty of yacht experience at handling a yacht in close quarters, anchoring and mooring in a variety of conditions whilst being able to use navigation and pilotage skills to plan the day’s sailing and know their position at any time.

Documentation

Please bring original copies of certificates with you, so that Ocean Elements and yacht base staff can check them. In the absence of such documentation or qualifications, then co-skippers may be asked to sign a self-declaration for the Port Authority stating his or her sailing experience. In all instances, the Yacht Supplier reserves the right to insist a charterer hires a professional skipper, (see below), if their sailing skills are not judged to be sufficiently adequate by yacht base staff.

Ocean Elements cannot be responsible for expenses incurred by you, or any liability, should a person in authority, (flotilla skipper, yacht base or port authorities), deem it necessary to provide a professional skipper for safety reasons to assist you in sailing/motoring the chartered vessel during your holiday.

Skippers

Skipper from £120 per day, excl meals

Skipper from £800 per week, excl meals

Skippers can be booked for 2 or more days and are in strong demand so please book yours in advance. Our skippers are friendly, qualified and experienced and will be with you all day, helping you grasp the finer points of sailing. They are not instructors but they can provide local knowledge and sailing expertise to help you understand the basics of sailing

The skipper’s fee does not include food or beverages for the skipper and is your responsibility to provide these. It is suggested that you discuss this on the first day with the skipper and establish whether you give the skipper cash for meals, or whether you have included him in your provisioning, or whether you will accommodate him as part of the group for meals ashore.

Generally, a skipper stays on board your yacht and will require their own cabin. It can be arranged for the skipper to sleep on board the lead yacht, but he/she may have to sleep on board your yacht at certain anchorages.

We always recommend skippers for our larger yachts (50 ft plus) as a capable pair of hands to help and assist you with all aspects of sailing.

How to Book

You may book or reserve your boat online or by calling our sales team on 0844 770 40 70. At the time of reservation, it will be necessary to pay a non-refundable deposit for the yacht charter. Remaining balances are due 10 weeks prior to departure, or on receipt of your Holiday Confirmation Invoice if the booking is made within 10 weeks of departure date.

• Boats up to 45 feet - £500 deposit (per yacht)
• Boats 46 feet plus - £1000 deposit (per yacht)
• Plus the flight costs, if flights are booked.
• Plus an additional £150pp for the Stay Sail Beach Club

Yacht Security Deposits

Although all yachts are comprehensively insured, a refundable security deposit will be required on arrival to cover the first part of any damage caused to the yacht and/or her equipment.

38 ft or less = €2000

39 ft or more = €3000

Credit/debit cards can be ‘swiped’ by the Yacht Base for the refundable deposit required. Alternatively, clients may bring cash to the Charter Base to settle the deposit and receive the cash back after successful handback.

Deposit Waiver

For some yachts, an option to pay a non-refundable deposit waiver is offered, so you don’t have to hand over a credit/debit card for the €2,000-3,000 deposit. This premium is typically €25 per day, or €175 per week and is non-refundable. Please ask the Yacht Base for their terms and conditions on arrival as all yacht condition and handover reports are handled by them.

Yacht Boarding (arrivals & departures)

On arrival at the marina, Ocean Elements staff will be on hand to welcome you as you get off the transfer coach or taxi. They will help you through every step of the paperwork and assist with all aspects of yacht handover to include systems training, inventory checks and technical sailing briefings, weather, routing, pilotage etc, (for flotilla’s).

The Yacht Base will require a caution deposit to be paid and for their own yacht rental terms and conditions to be agreed. You may ask our UK reservations team for a copy of their terms in advance of your holiday.

Guide itinerary - Arrival day

Sunday

0630: Flight departs Gatwick

1130: Flight arrives Preveza (local time)

1200: Ocean Elements Meet & Greet at airport

1230 – 1300: Transfer coach/taxi departs

1330 – 13.45: Transfer arrives at Lefkas Marina, Yacht Crew Meet and Greet

1400 – 1400:  Welcome briefing (short intro’ to the team and the day’s plans)

1400 – 1700: Wait for yachts to be made ready, and your flotilla briefing to start. During this time, we advise waiting in one of the comfortable marina bars/restaurants which all have free Wi-fi whilst we get around the group to complete paperwork. You can also take the afternoon to provision at local supermarkets, visit Lefkas town, or visit the marina hotel swimming pool. (€5 entry)

1700 – 1900: Yacht Briefing (onboard): We always aim to have clients on board as early as possible to unpack and get comfortable and generally by no later than 1700. At this time we run our yacht briefing on the boat’s systems with a general handover and inventory check. Bareboats will tend to get priority slots as some like to depart the marina on changeover day.

1930 – 2000: Dinner at local restaurant

Monday

0800 – 0830: Yacht handover continues for late arrivals or handovers.

0900 – 1000: Main Flotilla briefing: technical, safety, navigation, mooring, week’s itinerary, the day’s sailing, weather, pilotage and routeing (as a group, ashore).

1000 – 1100: Yachts depart, assisted by lead boat crew

Free sail: Yachts then sail off to the next stopover (some boats go in convoy!) which is often an easy 3-4 hour, line-of-sight sail. Most yachts will tend to stop off along the way at an anchorage for lunch and a swim at some recommended spots from our lead crew. Remember, our lead crew are never more than a VHF radio call away!

1500 – 1800: Yachts start to arrive in our new stop over harbour. We ask that boats are all in before 1800 so our lead crew can relax! They will be on hand in the destination port before you arrive, from 1500 onwards.

Please understand that changeover day and the first day of sailing are busy days for us as we turn yachts around. Unforeseen events or breakages (perhaps caused by previous clients) can alter or delay plans, but as a guide, the above plan is generally how we would expect these two days to run.

Getting Aboard and Familiarisation With Your Yacht

Your yacht will generally be ready between 1700 and 1800 hrs for boarding. At this time (or earlier) full familiarisation-training with be given on the yacht’s systems to include domestic facilities, navigation gear and deck gear including operation of sails and reefing. We will also impart some local cruising knowledge. We always advise clients to ask as many questions as they can at handover about how the boat systems work, whether any sailing hazards exist in the local area and other navigational questions such as planned anchorages, recommended stopovers etc.

After Hour’s Arrival Procedure

For arrivals after 20:00hrs you will either find an information sign at the reception office with a message indicating your yacht's berth, or our lead crew will endeavour to meet you. Your boat will be open and her equipment will be ready for the night. Our crew will be available the next day from 08.30hrs to check you in.

End of Stay Inventory and Cleaning

You will need to run through inventory forms and a yacht hand back check with Ocean Elements staff and/or the Yacht Base staff so that you may be refunded your deposit. We also require you to bag dirty laundry and leave in the cockpit, empty all cupboards and fridges of food and throw away old food or give to the lead crew. Please also return any snorkel gear and lifejackets borrowed from the Yacht Base and ensure that the boat is handed back to the charter base in a clean and tidy state.  We reserve the right to charge you for boats left in a less than orderly or shipshape fashion.

On Departure

At the end of your charter, we ask that all yachts are returned to base the afternoon before departure (changeover day), between 1500 and 1600hrs so that we can cover inventory checks, re-fuel the yacht and cover all the yacht base check-out procedures. Check-in/out procedure-time is considered to be part of the charter period. Your yacht will need to be vacated by (no later than) 0900hrs on the day of departure.

Damages and Losses

We always encourage you to report damages or losses to the boat and/or her equipment as they occur, whether you have caused them or not. This way, we can ensure a higher level of safety and enjoyment of your holiday.

Furthermore, it is more expensive to organise repairs or replacements on changeover day and at the last minute, than it is to do so with advance warning. A full hand back inventory will be done, so in the interests of finding a cheaper solution please tell us immediately if something is broken or not working correctly and we will act on it there and then, when we can.

The Yacht Base will not look to penalise for every small loss and breakage, and we all prefer an open admission of any faults, no matter how small, so cheaper solutions can be found in good time before changeover day.

Cruising Permits & Taxes

In Greece, it is essential that we have all of the following details in advance: Full name, date of birth, place of birth, nationality and passport no. /ID card no for every member of your crew so that your boat papers can be prepared. You will not be able to sail without these papers, and failure to supply information in advance could delay your departure from the base.

Safety

All yachts are equipped with adult life jackets and harnesses. It is your decision as to when such safety equipment should be worn.

Children’s life jackets (age 4+) are in limited supply so we suggest you bring along an adequate life jacket for your child.

It is recommended that children who are not strong swimmers should not be allowed in a dinghy without a life jacket and that they wear a life jacket or harness on deck.

Children under the age of 16yrs should not operate an outboard engine and should be supervised at all times when in the dinghy.

Night Sailing 

Night Sailing is not permitted; you must be moored at least one hour before sunset at all of our locations for both Bareboat and Flotilla charter

Flotilla Itineraries / Routes

The Flotilla itineraries shown in our brochure or website are intended as a general guide. Our flotilla skippers are responsible for the safety of all persons, yachts and equipment on flotilla and as such, they are permitted to vary the itinerary sailed if, in their opinion, the weather or operating conditions make this necessary.

Marina Information

Yacht base opening hours:

Monday to Thursday: 9am-6pm / Friday to  Sunday: 9am-8:30pm

Marina Address:

Lefkas Marina, East Shore Lefkada, 311 00 Greece

Time difference:

GMT + 2 hrs (GMT + 3 hrs from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October

Marina facilities include:

Fuel  •  Electricity  •  Water  •  Supermarket & shops  •  Chandlery  •  Restaurants, cafes and bars    • Toilets and showers - open 24 hours  •  Laundry and dryers  •  Postal services  •  Wi-Fi Internet  •  ATM  /  Banks

Passport and Visas

Please ensure your passport is valid for the period of travel and for six months after you return.  Your passport name must match the name on the flight ticket otherwise you may not be able to travel. If your child is not already included on a valid British Passport they are required to hold their own passport. EU Passport holders do not require a visa. Non-British passport holders should check with their local Consulate direct.

100% Financial Protection

Holidays sold with flights are 100% financially protected. Alpine Elements, trading as Ocean Elements, is ATOL bonded (number 6435) and ABTA bonded (Y3374)

Ocean Elements Travel Inclusive Itinerary

Flights depart from London or Manchester to Preveza (Sundays)

For flight inclusive holidays, door-to-door transfers are included. Both ways.

On arrival at Preveza Airport, an Ocean Elements rep will meet you after you pick up your bags and show you to your transfer coach.

Transfers will depart shortly after arrival and run directly from Preveza airport to Lefkas marina and the transfer takes approx. 35 mins. Stay Sails will go to the Surf Hotel beach club for week one and the transfer time is approx. 1 hr 10.

On arrival at the marina, you will be met by Ocean Elements lead crew and you may take the afternoon to do paperwork and provision your yacht before Yacht Handover at around 17:00.

Full training on the Yacht systems, sails, navigation gear and local cruising knowledge will be given by a trained professional at our Yacht base on Yacht Handover.

Self Travel Information

You can self-travel and purchase your own flights and transfers, or we can organise flights, transfers and a meet and greet service at the airport and as part of our package. Our travel prices are not marked up and offered at public prices which start at £295pp.

You will need to fly into Preveza (PVK) on a Sunday which is served from London, Birmingham and Manchester.

Transfers: Taxis can be picked up on arrival at the airport to get to the marina or Surf Hotel in Vassiliki, (for Stay Sails guests), but a short wait may be required. Approx cost €50 each way for the marina, €80 for the Beach Club.

Luggage Allowance - Ocean Elements Charter Flights

Luggage allowance is generally 20kg per person. Only one item of hand luggage per person is allowed and this must not weigh more than 5kg. For storage aboard, we recommend travelling light and using folding luggage. Please check with airline for any changes to allowance.

Airport Procedure - UK

Please ensure that you check in at least 2 to 2½ hours prior to departure. Check-in desks are now open 2½ to 3 hours prior to departure times in busy or peak periods. Remember to allow enough time for parking and any airport shuttles. We do not have a representative at the UK departure airport for guests using our flights. It is our guests’ responsibility to ensure that they make their outbound flight departure from the UK and so we ask you to be at the airport at least 2 hours prior to departure and 3 hours in peak periods. If you fail to check in on time then the airline may refuse to allow you to board the flight. Please inform our Greek office as soon as possible if you have missed your flights.

Airport Arrival Procedure - Greece

After you arrive at the destination airport and pick up your baggage, please make your way through to the arrivals hall. Our uniformed reps should be standing in a prominent place with signage. If you cannot find one of our reps then please wait in the restaurant for them to come and find you. They will be holding an Ocean Elements sign.