com_2008

Our client comments speak for themselves .......
Thank you from the Exas Family !! SEASON 2008

A. Mellor and friends sail on Bavaria 50 Cruiser and friends on Bavaria 39 Cruiser from Venisce-Split (Croatia)
Thanks Al for your comments on all aspects of your charter. You know we wish we could be there in person to make sure every detail is perfect! The Exas Family and team thanks you for your THIRD year of sailing with us and We all look forward to Year 2009, 2010 and 2011! You started off with us in Athens in 2005 and we hope to see you in Greece again. Thalea and Nikos.

"The charter went very well with all transfers being on time. The yacht takeover was a bit sketchy (i.e. I was not informed that there were additional circuit breakers (for the mains power battery charger) located in the aft locker, nor was I informed that the GPS

Plotter electronic chart card had been deliberately inserted incorrectly (upside down) which took me a good few hours to find). Yacht equipment spares was very poor with no top-up oil for the engine, no spare diesel, no spare outboard fuel. Nor was there a deck brush and bucket for general cleaning. Apart from that, the charter was excellent with the base staff being very helpful.

The yacht itself was excellent and very comfortable and a pleasure to sail in all conditions, we encountered a gale on one day which did not cause any real problems at all! Croatia itself is a great place to sail with literally hundreds of destinations to choose from – This was our second visit and we have a lot more to see for future visits – Yes we will be back with Exas in the future.

We would recommend future charter skippers to venture up the Krka River to Skradin in order to visit the spectacular waterfalls but warn that the Prokljansko Jezero lake is very shallow in places (silt & mud) which makes this passage a little difficult but not impossible (please email me if you wish more details). Anyone wishing A. Mellor's email should contact us-thanks! 2009 will see us chartering in the Caribbean (with Exas) and 2010 looks like being Turkey returning to Croatia in early 2011 – Yes I like to plan ahead! With so many area to sail in, Exas continue to assist in providing perfect sailing for both my family and my friends. Thank you!"

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The Reeds enjoyed 10 wonderful days sailing the Cyclades islands from Paros on the new
Dufour 425 model with Giannis as their skipper. We are so pleased to receive your comments and indeed we had been in contact with Giannis during your charter so knew you were having a great time! Even so hearing from our guests makes it even more special. Thanks again for trusting your holiday to us and we can strive to make you next visit even better- Thalea, Nikos and Giannis.

Giannis, the captain, did an excellent job. He was flexible, listened to our needs and tried to accommodate
our priorities. Most importantly, he ensured that we were safe. Not only was Giannis knowledge of the area invaluable, his knowledge and ability to negotiate with people at the various ports was added value. For example, at one port, it was in the evening and we were pressed for time to get to the Hora. Many were waiting for the “occasional” bus. Giannis took the personal initiative to find someone with a car and negotiated transportation for us to the Hora. Without his efforts, we would have missed a very special dinner.

Thalea did an outstanding job coordinating the trip, keeping us fully informed and facilitating much of the detail. Her follow-up during the trip was also appreciated. She subtly reminded us of “to dos” as we finalized arrangements for the trip filling in those gaps that we missed in the instructions. Her focus on detail is commendable. She insured that we were fully informed and prepared for each step of the trip.

The boat was in good shape. It was clean and adequately outfitted. Giannis took the responsibility of working with the local company to make sure that the boat was ready for the trip.

And the Cyclades. What can one say. Each stop, each bay, each port was as perfect as the postcards. This is true paradise. The people were friendly, the food terrific, the experience – outstanding. " R. Reed

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Welcome Home everyone and we are glad to hear various stories of your 2 weeks in the Cyclades sailing with friends on the SY Erica (Bavaria 46 Cruiser). We knew you had the perfect itinerary and we have it saved to give as sample 2 week sail plans! Thank you for choosing Exas Yachts to sail in Greece- Thalea

We did stick pretty much to our plan and the Oslo did the same. We berthed most nights together.

We used the extra day to spend the last night out in Sounion to break up the trip back to Alimos from Kithnos.

The Erica was very good. We sailed regularly over 9 knots and over 10 many times in rough seas. She did the job without complaint.

There were some problems, water speed indicator, batteries not charging, windlass not working etc, but Kiriacoulis was good and got everything sorted out by the second week. We did have a few exciting incidents with the anchor problem. We turned her in in much better shape than when we took her out.

Photo attached as we are about to leave the boat.. L-R Fred, Carla (Cox), Famen, myself, Debbie.

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Yet another family enjoys a week of Greek cruising on the Lagoon 420 Catamaran with Alexandros as their skipper.

"Thalia, we had the most amazing time!! Everything was organized perfectly except for the provisions for the boat which had not been handled and created a long delay the day of departure. Easily fixed and only a minor setback but I would highly recommend the provisions be on the boat, as you suggested and you and I assumed was handled. The Lagoon 420 was the perfect boat for us. It was lovely and spacious and very stable. We were not sea sick at all! Alexandros is an amazing skipper. He is an extremely capable sailor,

but more importantly, we love him!! He became a part of our family and we hope to keep in touch with him over the years. Alexandros guided us to the most beautiful places, we changed course when the weather necessitated, and Alexandros knew the islands and inlets very well. I would recommend this trip to any family or group as THE way to experience Greece. All of our transfers and our guided tour were executed perfectly. Santorini was lovely, we were very impressed with the Enigma, great location and view and wonderful customer service! Chris was particularly helpful. While Santorini was beautiful and Athens was, of course, amazing, sailing for the week with Alexandros was by far the highlight of our trip. Thank you for all of your help and guidance. It truly was an amazing experience. Attached is a picture I thought you'd enjoy."

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Bothers Alex and Stephen sail with the EXAS Family for their 5th year and we welcome them to Croatia for the first time.
Yachts charted were 2x Bavaria 46 Cruiser from Vinisce.
Thanks guys for the photos and comments- looking forward to seeing everyone in Greece in due time and planning your Caribbean holiday once again- Thalea and Nikos!!

Holiday was excellent! The team in Vinisce were excellent, very helpful and surprisingly relaxed about check-in etc.
Boats were in good condition and neither of us had any problems.

How satisfied are you with your sailing charter? Excellent help from Exas and the crew in Croatia, extremely happy with everything.

Was your charter as expected? Yes, exactly as we hoped. Booking Procedure? As easy as ever, all options portrayed clearly and in detail.
Was enough information provided to you regarding your charter, checking in and out .What additional information would you have liked to have known. Would you consider sailing with us in the future: Your comments, please be specific.

Check-in and out was as described and there were no variances from the info provided to us. Perhaps a warning on the fact that there are no cash machines within 7 miles of the marina, but it was not a major issue!!

We will without doubt sail with you in the future. I am tempted to start arranging a Caribbean trip again through you.
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Thanks for sailing with us again in Greece ! We wish your memories last your family a lifetime. Thalea
Yacht chartered Bavaria 361 (2 cabins) Kos to Rhodes.

"The charter was fantastic. The boat was clean and charter ready. Staff at both bases in Kos and Rhodes were professional and courteous. I would highly recommend this trip to others. everything was great. thanks for your help" N. Bambakidis
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We welcome back our friends on board the ANASSA this year !! Thank you and we look forward to next year!!

"We Received True 5 * (five star) Treatment on Board of Anassa. The Boat is Excellent and the Crew is
Better!!. .....this Was Not Our First Visit To Greece And We Will Be Back For Sure! A. Aliev.
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The Paeske Family sail on the Lagoon 440 catamaran with Harri as their skipper.
"Thalea, Thank you so much for your note-we had such a wonderful time on the catamaran-everyone loved it!!!! I am so happy we picked the 44 ft-absolutely perfect. But I have to say you were the best part of picking up the boat-you made it so easy for us and we definitely appreciate all your help. The only thing I have to mention is the last night in the marina-which I am assuming is the same for all renters that bring the boat back to the marina on Friday night-the music from the cafe played till 2/3am and it was impossible to sleep which made Saturday hard for all of us since we did not get any sleep. I'm not sure that was usual or if anyone else has mentioned that but, is there anyway for people to be able to bring the boat back on Saturday morning and spend Friday night anchored outside the marina. Everything was wonderful, except Friday night. Thank you so much for all your attention to us-we really loved meeting you. Bonnie "
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P. Walker and friends sail with the Exas Yachts Family for the second time in the Dodekanesa islands of Greece.
How satisfied are you with your sailing charter?
"- Very good, thank you. We had excellent sailing (and motoring, as the wind seemed all too often to be coming from the wrong direction!). As before, the weather at the end of September was warm and mostly sunny, although we had very heavy rainstorms on two nights, and during one morning. - The yacht was good - things which we discovered to be broken or missing were mended or repaired swiftly before we left Rhodes.
- We are not sure why some basics are not left on the boat after each charter – for example we always have to buy kitchen and floor cleaning materials, salt and pepper, lavatory paper, kitchen towels – and always leave most of them behind when we leave the boat.
- When we had a problem during the week (our main services battery disintegrated, letting off an extremely bad smell) we called Rhodes and ‘Zorba’, from Kiriacoulis, arranged for an engineer and spare battery to join us in Simi town, where we were anyway headed. All done very efficiently. (Although we got the impression from ‘Zorba’s reaction that he had maybe expected the battery to fail – perhaps it should have been replaced before we set off??)
Was your charter as expected?
- Everything went well, and we were able to get away from Rhodes by lunchtime on the Saturday – mostly because our yacht had not been chartered the previous week and was therefore ready earlier than other boats. Thank you for your help in ensuring we did not have to wait from 7am through to 5pm as last time.
- It was great to find that, apart from sailing in and around the Greek islands, we could sail into Turkish villages and harbours so easily – this was a change from our experience in 2005, only three years ago.
Booking Procedure?
- Always a pleasure to do business with Thalea!
Your skipper services if applicable. - n/a
Was enough information provided to you regarding your charter, checking in and out .
- Yes, very good.
What additional information would you have liked to have known.
What a great guy ‘Zorba’ - the Kiriacoulis base manager at Rhodes – is. Helpful, amusing, and very professional. He got things sorted quickly and calmly, he was very laid-back, but also very competent both on and off the water. (Seems we never met him in 2005 when we arrived in Rhodes, but as we were sailing a yacht based in Kos, I guess ‘Zorba’ had no reason to get involved with us)
Would you consider sailing with us in the future:
- Yes, certainly."
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Dear Thalea!
Thank you very much for your great work!
Every thing was perfectly organized. Me and all my crew, we are very satisfied.
You and your team in Martinique are the best! Caribbean was wonderful!.....................
Best Regards, Alex R.
Alex and friends sailed the Christmas and New Year Holidays in Sunny Caribbean!
Yacht chartered was the Belize 43 catamaran- Thank you!!! Thalea and associates.

Exas Worldwide Yacht Charters Inc
Tel: (919) 237-1607 eFax: (919) 287-2390
Email: info@exasyachts.com

Athens: Greece Tel: (011 30 213) 036 4948 Mobile: (011 30) 6949 839910
Fax: (011 30 213) 032 0160