Lugger Sailing in the Greek Ionian
“Finally found time to email and thank you for your instruction and patience as we learnt to sail a Lugger, Ionian style, so to speak !
I could definitely handle one on my own now in light winds – thanks again.”
Mike came on his own to sail a Drascombe Lugger but found himself integrated with 2 others to learn to sail. Good instruction and patience are key to someone learing most things. It sounds like Mike had a great time and came away with more skills and more confidence sailing.
If I hadn’t have been a member of the Drascombe Association and read the Dan I would never have discovered this little Gem of a holiday…..
Uniquely put together by Phil, who has a wealth of experience in Drascombe’s and of the inner Ionian islands of Greece. Many UK Airlines from a variety of airports fly to Previso and Nidri is about an hours taxi drive away. My friend Mike and myself stayed at the Geni Garden apartments, a family run set up of about 9 apartments set in lovely gardens, there is a swimming pool, tables, chairs, sun loungers etc and flowering pot plants..
Our apartment consisted of one large room with basic kitchen facilities and a small shower room….the main plus factor was a large covered balcony overlooking the gardens with a wonderful view of the lagoon and Nydri town on the opposite side.
The even more main plus factor of course being the sight of our Drascombe, Clara, moored up at the garden pontoon. The balcony faces West on the quiet East side of the lagoon, in fact the sound of a car was a rare occurrence. The lagoon narrows as it passes Geni garden and the sight of boats passing by whilst we were having breakfast was delightful.
If ordered the day before breakfast could be delivered to ones apartment. We chose to have coffee and croissants on a daily basis and also ordered milk and bread when we needed it. There are 3 tavernas further into the lagoon just 10 mins walk away or easily accessed from the water.
Now for the boating !!!!!!
On the first day Phil got us up to speed with the Drascombe, both using the motor and rigging the sails etc all in the lagoon and when he felt happy with us we were encouraged to venture out into the open sea. The first time we followed him in his boat. We were provided with maps, a book on the area, the daily weather forecast, lots of advice on where to go, and Phil’s phone number, (he also liked to know roughly where we were going) the winds were light and at times we relied on the motor.
There are beaches to moor up at and tavernas on the nearby islands to eat and drink in.
After the day on the boat we were encouraged to meet up with the others staying at Geni Gardens at the Isis Hotel’s terrace bar ( “Phil’s office”) just 5 mins motor across the lagoon. Nearby was a supermarket and a short walk along the lagoon takes you to the busy part of Nidri where bars/restaurants/marinas/shops etc provide the bustling atmosphere of an island port.
We were there the third week of May when the area was quiet, the temperature in the 20’s, the winds light and the sun shone a lot of the time.
We met some lovely like minded souls, enjoyed the sailing and the area. If we had wanted to hire bikes, cars, paddle boards etc Phil could arrange it. We learnt a lot about Drascombe’s and came home with lots of tips on how to improve ours !!!!!!
Compared to some holidays a week with Dragon Drascombe might appear a bit on the expensive side but when everything was taken into consideration we thought it was extremely good value.
We found the Euro went a long way when eating out and were pleasantly surprised when presented with our bills…
Would we go again?…DEFINITELY and maybe even this September.
Beginning the season with a couple of groups was a great way to start. It helps to bring a more social atmosphere to the whole experience. Each group was met personally on arrival and we started off with a Meza lunch and then a full introduction to the boat and the various equipment. The introduction, although comprehensive, is also a good time to get an idea of previous experience and skill level. This, along with an accompanied afternoon of sailing, helps to tailor the training to the individual groups so everyone gets the best support for them.
For groups that need more practice or tuition I extend the on board support into the second morning. Being a smaller company allows me to really look at the needs of my customers and provide the support as necessary. Providing a progressive structure and having a couple of groups really does help encourage progression. A slightly competitive feel emerges but at the same time the groupls arnt just learning from myself but from each other, either through mistakes they make or through previous experience that gets passed around. Sometimes I even pick up the odd handy trick.
Once the groups feel confident enough they are remotely supervised by myself, either by following in my safety boat or by text. Again due to the personal approach I can have with each group I can tailor the support to the needs of the group. If the group is just topping up skills before they go it alone or if they are complete beginners the level of support can be quite dynamic.
The bay on which the groups are in is ideal for both beginner and top up level groups. It is confined with no tides and no big waves so great to start sailing without having to worry about the behaviour of the sea so much so full concentration on the sailing and enjoying yourself in the beatuful setting. Even advanced sailors will enjoy Luggering about in the sun within the bay. There is always opportunity to extend yourselves and go further. The boats themselves are also perfect for both levels of group being extremely stable but at the same time very capable.
Pre planned days and briefings are held daily at the Iris pool bar, affectionately getting known as “The Office”, taking place at the end of the days. This really helps to foster not only the social side whilst out sailing but also the social side in the evenings. This also gives everyone the opportunity to share their experiences from the day and even pass around the wealth of information that collectively the groups have.
The Iris is also conveniently located near the supermarket which is great for picking up supplies for picnic lunches when heading out.
To begin with we are sailing here on Jib and Mizen. This is a great step towards gaining confidence and also useful if it is still quite gusty. Pushing the groups too hard is not only detrimental to their success but can be unsafe in some conditions.
This is why the smaller setup works so well for the groups. Tailoring to individual needs helps to build confidence, raise skill level and ensure that everyone is having a good time. If a group has a wobble then as I don’t operate a strict structure this gives the opportunity to take a step back and ensure that the training and knowledge are sufficient for the group to raise their confidence back again. Even simple things like the correct way to embark or disembark the boats is shown right up to the best way to position yourselves on the boat whilst sailing. Assuming knowledge is not something we do. This helps us assess and support our groups in the best way for them.
A perfect beginning, sailing and end to a day. Liz was brave to take a swim this early on in the season A great end to a day.
By the end of the week we can see from these pictures that not only is everyone smiling but a good connection has been made between the groups. After sharing their experiences with each other and all learning and bouncing ideas around has really helped to bring these sailors to a higher level of competency. Also they have made some new friends within the Drascombe community. Here are the groups at the perfect end to a weeks sailing in the sun. A birthday evening celebration for Rob at the Iris Pool bar. They also all loved their Drascombe T-Shirts.
This is Helen and Michael sailing on their final day. After heading back home I was delighted to receive a message from them.
“We’re back watching concrete being poured!! Many Thanks for our lovely week which we really enjoyed. You have a great setup there and we appreciate all your hard work making it all run smoothly.“
Although they are Drascombe owners who live and sail in Pembrokeshire, sailing in such a wonderful and beautiful setting as the Ionian sea can really help you recharge your batteries and improve your mental health amongst other benefits. Especially if your going home to watch concrete being poured.
We also have a Drascombe Longboat in Corfu and Phil kindly helped us get reacquainted with sailing it using one of his Luggers. Invaluable experience, and I cannot commend Phil’s patience and teaching skills enough. Also the accommodation he arranged for us. He showed us some of the other places he uses for accommodation and they looked great too.
What he offers is excellent value, with or without lunch – strongly recommended.
We had a great week with Phil in the last week of September, staying in Geni Garden apartments, with the additional benefit of three days’ tuition from Phil to get us going as it had been a good few years since we’d done any sailing.
Geni Garden apartments are very convenient and comfortable and Franz and his wife and daughter look after everything including providing croissants and other bakery items for the next day’s breakfast. The boats are moored at the bottom of their big garden on a pontoon which is very convenient for starting out each day at a time to suit yourselves. And they have a lovely swimming pool and garden if you’re not heading out for the day.
We concentrated on rediscovering sailing and learning about the Lugger, which is a super boat, perfect for local conditions, and hope to be back to sail further afield next year as well as enjoying some walking and more of the local tavernas.
The boats are all top notch, in excellent condition, thanks to all Phil’s hard work and dedication in setting them up. I’ve now read the whole of his blog and would recommend it to anyone interested in sailing and travel that wants to know what it takes to set up an operation like Dragon Drascombe with all the potential it offers for such a great holiday there.
