Istion Yachting Volos - Ogl 1

Equipe sur disponible et professionnelle.

We have a great sailing week in July 2021 on a new Oceanis 46.1 Esperanza. Great Base, very helpful team, great boat, comfortable and very easy to handle both under sails and motor. Easy and fast check-in and check-out.

"Crisis separates the wheat from the chaff" This is a little review on the experience we made with Istion in Volos. We have been on a charter trip from Volos to the northern Sporades and back from Oct 31st to Nov 7th. I do write Crisis in the header as traveling in the times of Covid-19 is traveling under special circumstances. From the start: Just having arrived from Munich in Thessaloniki Airport I get a call from Paris on my mobile - he is the base manager of Istion in Volos - asking if we arrived well and if everything is all right. That is what makes you feel comfy as a customer - being proactively asked. Leaves the feeling that somebody (in this case Paris & Team do care). And this feeling stays on the whole week - we have been taken care of - far more than we did expect or hope for. Helping us with the parking for our rental car, helping us with the luggage, extremely patient guy (Seb) doing the handover of the boat. Problems with the power plug in Skiathos (us being too dumb ? ) Paris is always available via his mobile/Whatsapp and he is PROACTIVE. I can not stop to emphasis this. We had the whole time the feeling "these guys are taking care of us". Locations to visit, restaurants, advice on anchoring places he knows. Always giving us a good feeling. What about the Covid-19 "crisis"? Now - one day after we had arrived Greece started to increase the Corona measures. I always got updates from Paris what we have to expect and what the situation on the islands on our way would be. Than our flight back got cancelled and we had to book flights from Athens back to Munich. Before we could get to Athens the curfew in Greece started. So Paris and his team talked to the police how we could get from Volos to Athens with the curfew at hand. They prepared declaration forms for us we could take with us on our way to Athens and other forms we would have to use when we have to leave our apartment in Athens (we had to stay for one two nights before our flight left). Paris even talked to the landlord and explained the special situation. Assessment: Arrival: ++ (a little bit tricky to find the right spot, but the base staff is very helpful) Shopping: +++ Plenty of grocery stores around Parking: ++ on week of guarded parking was around 40 EUR (need to take a taxi or get a ride with the motorbike from the base) Hand-Over of the Boat: +++ Professional and very patient with us Base staff/manager: +++ highly professional and extremely friendly Supportiveness: +++ (24/7 availability) Sailing area: +++ (we need to come again, stay longer) State of the boat: +++ (pretty new Hanse 458, well maintained) Check Out: +++ (very fair behavior and goodwill) Conclusion: We will definitely come again. The islands and beaches are really pretty and it is a nice sailing-beginners area. And we will do it via Istion - because of the outstanding experience we made with the staff of the Istion Base in Volos (Paris, Maria, Seb, Nikos ,..). Chartering at it's best! When things get difficult due to circumstances like the Covid-19 situation you just can be happy for a base taking care as we have experienced in Volos. Thanks to Paris, Maria, Nikos, Seb and the others of the Volos base.