ATHENS SAILING SCHOOL - Esperou ST

Very rude on the phone.

The 10 day Bare-boat course is excellent and gave my self and family a wonderful experience and finally qualifications to charter a yacht on our own. We still want to progress so we will be back to get more sea time with the school. Highly recommended...

My wife and I have sailed several times with Captain Chandler and each and every trip we had a wonderful time. We'd love to sail with him again this summer, time permitting. We just read Bernard Monahan's 'review' and just had to write our own findings as they are so different from our experience and what EVERYBODY has told us. We also know now Monahan is a vengeful man, because we found out he conned the ASA in an investigation, that in the end exonerated Captain Chandler completely. Anyway, we've know Captain Chandler for over fifteen years and sailing with him is a delight. He knows the best spots on any island and is one of the most seasoned captains we know. He doesn't just teach you the ropes, he learns you to understand sailing is about fun and the independence that comes with it. If you board his vessel, you get all the comfort and safety needed for a great week on the waters of Greece. For us there is no better way or person to spend our time with sailing around the Greek islands. We anchor in small bays where we dive for oysters, which we then bbq on deck. We sail long stretches learning how to sail hands on. Captain Chandler is also a favorite among those who were in the navy or sail professionally themselves. Make this your first choice if you decide to go sailing in Greece or want to learn how to sail if you intend to charter a bareboat in the future. Captain Chandler is what you really want, if you want to learn how to sail or just have a great time.

My wife and I went on a 10 day trip with another couple. The experience was very bad. We complained. The owner / operator of this boat tries to make people go along with his agenda; which in our case had little to do with teaching. More like drinking and eating. Our complaints lead to the following from ASA "After 2 hours of deliberation, Chandler was re-affiliated w/ ASA subject to his agreeing to the following conditions: [1] Athens Chandler would operate under a 2-year probationary period which means that during that interval, he and his academy will be under heightened scrutiny by ASA. [2] Athens Chandler will pay for the reasonable travel expenses of an ASA representative who will visit him and his academy, observe his teaching methods, and provide him with advice regarding instruction and customer relations. [3] That same ASA representative will conduct a full site re-evaluation. [4] If not already in place, Athens Chandler has been instructed to develop a strategy to prepare his clients/students, well in advance of their arrival, as to the full nature of his ASA 101/103 classes, and especially as to the full nature of his 104/106 cruises over multiple days and nights. This preparation will include not only sending books and materials to students early, but also the development of a syllabus and a structured lesson plan that embraces and adheres tightly to the ASA curriculum, and not maligning it. [5] Athens Chandler will make known to his students, well in advance of their arrival, the nature of the general sailing, wind, and weather conditions in that area, the living arrangements aboard his yacht, particularly if any of his students will live aboard during any of their time at his academy, and his specific expectations and requirements of the behavior of students as their instructor, skipper, and after-hours host. Students will be required to sign this document as having read it. [6] Athens Chandler will develop a protocol to handle difficult, disruptive, or dis-satisfied students and have procedures in place to mitigate any misunderstanding or undesirable behavior as soon as possible and available by the time our ASA representative arrives. These protocols should include how to handle failing students and the option of re-funding students immediately for the cost of their course/s and having them dis-embark at the nearest convenient port. [7] Athens Chandler will take adequate measures to improve his behavior, demeanor, and general conduct in a way that is favorable to himself, his academy, and his affiliation with ASA. These stipulations were the recommendations of the entire ASA Standards Committee and were not negotiable by Athens Chandler in any way. On 30 Oct 2017 Athens Chandler agreed to these seven conditions and was re-affiliated w/ ASA w/ immediate effect." This is sorry. ASA has let us down. Rich people with sailboats in California protecting their money cow.

Having sailed with ASA several times I would happily recommend this experience to those who seriously want to learn. Jonathan Chandler has a wealth of rugged and fascinating experience which he gladly shares and he gives students plenty of practical opportunities to outwork the excellent classroom teaching. The one thing he and many of us have little patience for is time wasters who think they know it all and spend the whole trip moaning and talking about themselves.

I found this school some years ago and have since returned to advance my sailing knowledge . The principle is Mr. Chandler he is a very experienced sailor, with most of of his sailing having been done in the 70-90's. He has sailed around the world twice, once with the Whitbread round the world race and once as a Captain of a very exclusive racing yacht. He has 2 trans Pacific's and countless trans Atlantic experience. To say he is qualified to teach sailing would be an understatement. It seems to me that Mr.Monahan has little or no experience of this individual. The internet being what it is, one can make up any FAKE review just for spite. The school has been in business for over 14 years, and regularly certifies over 100 new students into sailing.... I am returning again for my 5th trip in September 2018 to sail with Mr.Chandler and other crew, it will be a wonderful experience and I look forward to it.. this is a great school with great instructors and wonderful support staff... do not let a spiteful, untrue,fake review steer you away from a life long ambition of learning how to sail