Searadar arranges weekly yacht charter in Rhodes, in the Dodecanese on the eastern edge of the Aegean Sea. Charters run Saturday to Saturday, skippered or bareboat. As of 7 September 2026 the live Rhodes list holds 2 sailing yachts (refreshed on publish): the larger, Hellenic Sky, is a Bavaria 44 for up to 9 guests in 4 cabins; the smaller, Rhodes Yachting, is a Cyclades 39.3 for up to 7 guests in 3 cabins. Both hand over at Rhodes Marina, Mandraki, the Rhodes commercial port or Faliraki.
TL;DR: is Rhodes good for a sailing week, and is it calmer than the Cyclades?
Yes. The Dodecanese sails gentler than the central Cyclades, so a Rhodes week is more reliably sailable through the summer. Charter a sailing yacht by the week from Rhodes Marina, skippered or bareboat, and cruise to Lindos and Symi. On this snapshot yachts run from €2,174 to €2,375 per week online (as of 7 September 2026), plus TEPAI, Greek charter VAT and a security deposit. You pay Searadar no booking commission. Trustpilot rating: 4.2 out of 5 from 1,054 reviews (as of 27 August 2026).
The Dodecanese: the Aegean's gentler-wind week
The wind is the reason to sail from Rhodes rather than the Cyclades. The Dodecanese sits along the Turkish coast in the southeast Aegean, and it takes the northerly summer meltemi softer than the exposed central islands around Mykonos and Santorini. A Rhodes week is more often sailable as a result, and the classic legs, Lindos and Symi, are cruised over a day each rather than crossed in a dash.
Gentler does not mean calm everywhere. The south and southwest coast around Prasonisi is exposed and turns rough when the wind swings to the south, while the sheltered east side around Lindos and Rhodes Marina stays workable. The skill of a Rhodes week is reading which coast to sail on which day.
| Cruising leg | Wind character | Best for | Avoid in wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lindos and the east coast | Sheltered on most summer days | Calm horseshoe bay under the acropolis, swimming, an easy first day | Usually the fallback in a south wind |
| Symi | Open Aegean passage, plan a weather margin | A full cruise day to a Dodecanese harbour town | Not a fixed daysail; reshape it if the wind builds |
| Prasonisi and the south tip | Exposed at south and southwest wind | Experienced crews, windsurfing conditions | Leave for the east side when the wind is south or southwest |
| The wider Dodecanese line | Gentler than the central Cyclades | An unhurried week of island hops | Still check the forecast leg by leg |
Choosing between Greek sailing areas before you settle on Rhodes? Start with yacht charter in Greece and compare all five.
The yachts you charter in Rhodes
The Rhodes fleet on this snapshot is small and named, which means you book a specific vessel with its own cabins, guests, year and price, not a stock photo of the class. As of 7 September 2026 two sailing yachts are open for the week (refreshed on publish), both monohulls.
| Yacht | Type | Cabins / guests | Year | From (per week, online) | On top |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hellenic Sky | Bavaria 44 (45 ft) sailing yacht | 4 cabins / up to 9 guests | 2002 | €2,174 (listed €2,600) | €150 to €250 extras; deposit; TEPAI; VAT |
| Rhodes Yachting | Cyclades 39.3 (39 ft) sailing yacht | 3 cabins / up to 7 guests | 2007 | €2,375 (listed €2,500) | €150 to €250 extras; deposit; TEPAI; VAT |
Two boats is a live count, not a catalogue total, and it changes with the dates you search. In practice it means the peak summer weeks go early, so book ahead rather than expecting a wide choice in July or August.
Skippered or bareboat, and what Greece asks of a bareboat skipper
You can take a Rhodes yacht two ways. Put a professional skipper aboard and the licence question disappears, because their qualification covers the boat; your crew can be complete beginners. Take it bareboat, self-skippered, and you carry the responsibility yourself, which Greece gates more tightly than Spain does.
For bareboat, Greek rules ask for more than a single certificate. You need a recognised skipper qualification (ICC, RYA Coastal or Yachtmaster, ASA 104 or IPC), plus a short sailing CV or logbook showing real experience, plus a second competent crew member who can take the helm, plus a VHF radio operator's certificate. Without the full set the base can refuse the handover or put a paid skipper aboard. If you do not hold the papers, charter it skippered from the start. The exact certificates are confirmed with your Rhodes base when you book.
Where a week takes you: Lindos, Symi and the Dodecanese line
A Rhodes week usually starts and finishes at Mandraki, the old harbour at Rhodes Town, or at Rhodes Marina next to it. From there the natural run is up the sheltered east coast to Lindos, then out to Symi, a Dodecanese harbour town of neoclassical houses a full cruise day north of Rhodes across open Aegean water. Beyond Symi the Dodecanese line carries on toward the smaller islands for crews with a week to spend. The wind, not a fixed schedule, sets the order you take these in.
How the week works and what it costs: extras, TEPAI and VAT
Rhodes charter runs Saturday to Saturday, the standard weekly turnaround. The headline is never the whole figure, so read the total. On this snapshot the two yachts run from €2,174 to €2,375 per week online, inside a filter range of €2,200 to €2,400, with €150 to €250 of mandatory extras per listing on top (as of 7 September 2026, refreshed on publish). Searadar lists these on-top costs before you pay, and you pay Searadar no commission or booking fee: the yacht owner pays the commission, so booking through the broker costs the same as going direct (see how Searadar works).
Two Greek charter taxes sit on top of the base rate. Greek charter VAT is 24% as standard and drops to 13% on a crewed charter over 48 hours that starts and runs in Greece (Law 5073/2023); the effective invoice rate depends on the certified boat, so confirm it on your quote rather than reading a fixed figure (dated 7 September 2026). Greece also charges TEPAI, a monthly cruising tax on boats over 7 metres, paid in advance through the eTEPAI portal: €16 a month for 7 to 8 m, €25 for 8 to 10 m, €33 for 10 to 12 m, and €8 per metre a month above 12 m (verify against AADE before publishing; dated 7 September 2026). On a skippered charter the company handles TEPAI; on a bareboat, confirm whether it falls to you.
Two different deposits sit on a booking, and they are easy to confuse. The first is Searadar's booking deposit, 20% of the total paid online to confirm the charter (25% if you book within 30 days of the start). The second is a separate, larger refundable damage deposit that the charter company pre-authorises on your card at handover and returns after the yacht comes back undamaged; its size is set per boat and shown on each boat's listing. If you would rather not lock that full sum on your card, you can add the Free Deposit Pack, a paid Searadar option that costs 20% of the deposit and is not refunded. Across all bookings, Searadar offers free cancellation when you pay 100% upfront; on a standard booking the charter company may keep up to 50% if you cancel later than three months before the charter, which varies by company and is not a Searadar term.
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly charter, from | €2,174 to €2,375 online | Two yachts on this snapshot, Saturday to Saturday (as of 7 Sep 2026, refreshed on publish) |
| Mandatory extras | €150 to €250 per listing | Composition varies by boat; shown before you pay |
| Booking deposit (Searadar) | 20% of the total, paid online (25% if you book within 30 days of the start) | Confirms the booking. Add the Free Deposit Pack so you do not lock the full refundable damage deposit on your card. |
| Refundable damage deposit | Shown on each boat's listing | A separate, larger sum the charter company holds (pre-authorised) on your card and returns if the yacht comes back undamaged. |
| TEPAI cruising tax | €8 per metre a month for boats over 12 m (bands from €16) | Handled by the company on a skippered charter; verify against AADE at publish |
| Greek charter VAT | 24% standard, 13% crewed over 48 h | Effective rate depends on the boat (Law 5073/2023) |
| One-way / relocation fee | Available on some boats for a fee, quoted on request | Applies only if you do not return to the departure base |
Before you book: the limits
These are the points where a Rhodes week goes wrong. They are honest limits, not disclaimers.
The live fleet is small, so book ahead. Two yachts on this snapshot is a live, date-filtered count, and the peak summer weeks sell out well in advance. If you want a specific yacht for July or August, treat it as a book-early charter, not a last-minute one.
The south and southwest coast is exposed. Even in the gentler Dodecanese, Prasonisi and the south tip get rough when the wind comes from the south or southwest, while the east coast around Lindos stays workable. On those days you sail the east side or you wait.
Symi is an open passage, not a guaranteed daysail. The channel north to Symi is real Aegean water that the wind can reshape. Plan it as a cruise day with a weather margin, and keep the itinerary flexible rather than fixed to a date.
A low "from" price is not the price you pay. The €150 to €250 extras, the deposits, TEPAI and Greek charter VAT all stack on top of the weekly headline. Searadar lists these before you pay, but on any listing you should read the total, not the headline.
Bareboat needs the paperwork Greece asks for. A recognised skipper certificate, a sailing CV, a second competent crew member and a VHF certificate are the price of a bareboat handover here. No papers, no handover. If you do not hold them, you charter it skippered instead.
Weather reschedules are set per boat. When a day is genuinely unsafe, the reschedule or refund terms are set by the operator for each yacht. The boat's cancellation and weather terms are shown before you book.
FAQ
Is the Dodecanese calmer than the Cyclades for sailing?
Yes. Rhodes and the Dodecanese take the summer meltemi milder than the central Cyclades around Mykonos and Santorini, so a Rhodes week is more reliably sailable. The exception is the south coast around Prasonisi, which still exposes when the wind swings to the south, so you keep to the sheltered east side on those days.
Can I charter a Rhodes yacht bareboat, or do I need a skipper?
You can charter bareboat if you hold a recognised skipper certificate (ICC, RYA Coastal or Yachtmaster, ASA 104 or IPC), plus a short sailing CV, a second competent crew member and a VHF certificate, which is the Greek rule. Without the full set, take a skipper; their qualification covers the boat and your crew can be beginners.
Can I book a single cabin on a Rhodes yacht, or only the whole boat?
These are whole-boat charters: you take the entire yacht for the week, not a cabin at a time, so you and your group sail it to yourselves. Match the boat to your numbers first, up to 9 guests on Hellenic Sky or up to 7 on Rhodes Yachting, because you pay for and sail the whole yacht.
Can I sail from Rhodes to Symi in a week?
Yes, as a cruise leg with a weather margin. Symi is a real open-Aegean passage north of Rhodes, not a fixed daysail, so plan it as a full cruise day and keep the timing flexible in case the wind builds.
Can I pick the yacht up in Rhodes and leave it at another base?
The standard week is Saturday to Saturday, starting and finishing at the same Rhodes base, so you normally bring the yacht back where you collected it. A one-way charter that ends at a different island or base is not the standard product; it depends on the operator agreeing it, usually for a relocation fee shown on your quote.
About this page
Searadar is a yacht charter broker that connects clients with charter companies in Rhodes and across Greece and the wider Mediterranean. The company says it was founded in 2017, has assisted more than 500 clients, and sees more than 70% of them return for another charter (all stated by Searadar, as of 27 August 2026). Among its partner charter companies it names Kiriacoulis, Dream Yacht Charter and Sunsail (stated by Searadar). Its Trustpilot rating is 4.2 out of 5 from 1,054 reviews, and it replies to 98% of negative reviews, typically within 24 hours (confirmed by Trustpilot, as of 27 August 2026).
Operated by UAB SEARADAR (company code 305242131), Vilkpėdės g. 22, LT-03151, Vilnius, Lithuania. Contact: +44 20 4577 1577, hello@searadar.com. As a broker, Searadar has no charter office in Rhodes; it arranges yachts at Rhodes Marina, Mandraki, the Rhodes commercial port and Faliraki (base list stable).