Memories of The Dodecanese, 2023

Sat 24th June – Sat 1st July 2023

We join our Marketing Officer, Ben, and the 3 boats who took part in our sailing adventure to The Dodecanese Islands, Greece.

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The idyllic harbour of Simi provided one of the most picturesque stops on the trip.

Setting out in the morning and taking a bit of time for a cup of tea before the real sailing commences.. a very Sundowners way of doing things.
Who can’t turn down Greek food culture!.. we certainly couldn’t, with some incredible meals when we found ourselves on dry land. This restaurant brings back particular memories having served me the now infamous meze platter containing seemingly every type of cheese-based starter on the menu?!
Rafted up in Sesklio bay ready to enjoy a spot of lunch and some swimming.. just look at that water!
Enjoying another beautiful sunset, this time in Chalki, together, of course, with the traditional Sundowners G&T. Taking it all in.
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We took an unforgettable trip to an active Volcano on Nisiros, where we actually got to walk within the Stefanos crater, gushing with steam and yellow sulphur. Very surreal, very awe inspiring. This is where part of Moonraker was filmed but there was no sign of Mr Bond when we visited.

The waters in this part of the world were like nothing else – as crystal clear as can be. This picture was captured just in advance of the inaugural Sundowners Watermelon racing competition, and you can see the serious players already getting some practice in.
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A personal highlight of the trip for me was swimming ashore after anchoring in a deserted bay for lunch only to find a turtle nesting area on the beach carefully roped off by the locals.. I had no idea that we could be sailing so close to this type of Blue Planet level event.

A passage between Tilos and Chalki saw us running downwind for most of the day just on our headsails, catching some perfect winds and having a bit of friendly jostling between the boats.

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Fresh produce from the friendly local shops in the harbours was a great way to top up on lunch options as we went through the week.
Taking some time to visit the incredibly preserved architecture in the medival part of Rhodes.
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Final night celebrations with some lucky members showing off their prize winning medals.

Thank you everybody, it was so much fun sailing with you all!

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Our trips to lands afar

Port Cross © Richard Gertis

THE CÔTE D'AZUR

Departing from Marseille, join us as we explore some of the unspoiled and less visited islands and inlets of France’s oldest national marine parks.

DESTINATION VENICE

Departing from Pula, Croatia, join us for a round trip sail to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Venice, with a two night stop to take in the cultural highlights.

Kas Amphitheatre © Vladimeer Agafonkin

EXPLORE TURKEY

Departing from Fethiye, Turkey, join us as we head south on a less travelled passage through the crystal clear waters and ancient history of the Lycian Coast.

PREVIOUS EVENTS

Some of our previous events.

SCOTLAND
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
MENORCA