What is a flotilla?
Flotilla’s have been popular in charter yacht areas like the Caribbean, Turkey and Croatia for years. It is essentially a group of chartered yachts that sail together on the same route. Usually headed up by a lead yacht and Lead Skipper, flotilla’s were made popular by companies such as Sunsail and Sail Croatia because they offer more security and socialisation than one yacht crew and Skipper travelling alone. You can skipper yourself if you have the required qualifications or you can hire a Skipper, and you follow the lead yacht around a set itinerary with most marina and docking reservations made for you. Logistics are taken care of. Your kids get to hang out with the kids from the other boats. You get to kick back and have a beer once you’re docked with like-minded people. And everyone is happy!
Party flotilla’s have popped up too. Think ‘Yacht Week’, ‘Med Sailors’ and the like. Again, you can skipper your own yacht, but more often the Skippers on these party flotilla’s tend to be hired. Just like the flotilla’s above, the itinerary is set and the group follows the lead yacht. But there are no children and where you dock/anchor/moor depends on how much your crew is willing to shell out. There are parties. Lots of parties. Organised parties and impromptu parties. And LOTS of alcohol.
What makes the 45D Sharpen Up Flotilla different?
‘Sharpen Up’ started out as a series on our YouTube channel. Pinpointing a specific manoeuvre in each video, these instructional pieces were designed to break down common pain points that many Skippers encountered when they chartered and sailed here in Croatia. Things like ‘Docking Stern-To’, a manoeuvre that seems to be very unique in this part of the world, ‘Anchoring with a line to shore’ and ‘How to Come Alongside the Fuel Dock Single Handed’ seemed to be very popular content that lots of people were interested in. Practical, useful guides on these kinds of moves still doesn’t seem to be common. And we have observed how the tight marina’s, lazy bow lines and Croatian charter industry has bested some of the best sailors in our time here!
We got such a huge response to these videos. The gap between doing a basic yacht handling course and getting the certification that qualifies you to skipper a yacht still leaves a lot of room for learning. Many walk away from those courses feeling ill-prepared and the thought of being the Skipper of a yacht and the sole person in-charge can seem VERY daunting. And nothing really exists as an in-between.
So we thought we would create something…
We created the 45D Sharpen Up flotilla!
A stepping stone from getting your Skipper’s ticket, and going out to charter solo without any support. The whole flotilla is tailor-made to help participants learn and grow their yacht handling skills. From practising manoeuvres with guidance and assistance, to rubbing shoulders with people at all stages of their sailing journey. And it’s about so much more than sailing. We demystify the whole process, including why we time our days as we do, how we provision and cook on-board, how we make local contacts, what is involved in chartering your own yacht and so much more. Our lofty aim was to create a supportive constructive environment where both Skippers and crew can ask questions, learn, talk amongst themselves and compare stories. And so thats what we did!
Why only in the shoulder-season?
In summer, the Dalmatian islands are chocka full of yachts, all vying for the best spots, all heading to the same places. The days are often hot and still, with little wind. And the occasions for learning are greatly reduced. More boats in ports and bays mean less time and room to practise the kinds of manoeuvres that make Skippers really nervous. And more crowds mean more eyes watching you as you practise… Not exactly a constructive learning environment.
In contrast, the shoulder-season is quieter, with far fewer people and boats around. Often we have entire docks to ourselves, giving us plenty of room to repeat manoeuvres as many times as is needed. Winds are better and weather systems are more unsettled, meaning that Skippers and crew are able to also learn about how to read the weather, how to glean useful information from weather forecasts and then apply it to where they are and where they want to go. Something that we do every morning on a flotilla, because we think it is THAT important. Even though some places are closed up in the shoulder-season, we can often still use certain places to dock/moor/anchor because we visit them all summer long and they trust us. Overall, we find that the shoulder-season provides the best learning conditions for Skipper’s and crew wanting to expand their practical knowledge and skills.
How many yachts is the 45D Sharpen Up Flotilla made up of?
The Sharpen Up Flotilla is generally limited to FIVE boats, including Mila Felice. And we keep it small on purpose. This way, Nick can make time to personally assist each yacht if and when they need it. I am on-board every flotilla, offering advice and support in regard to provisioning, stacking/stowing the galley and crewing. We also have a third (and sometimes fourth!) crew member on-board Mila Felice who have worked and sailed with us for years, so are able to also offer support and guidance to a certain level. And of course, they help us to keep Mila Felice in tip top shape, because keeping the lead yacht in good order is important too!
The MK Yacht Explorer fleet
For this flotilla, we use the fleet we know best. The charter company that we prefer to work with, after ten years of working here in Croatia with MANY charter companies. They have a range of yacht sizes available, mostly Hanse yachts. And they have been involved in our flotilla’s since the beginning, so they know what to expect when we rock up with a bunch of people all looking to check-in! Through working with them, our flotilla participants can learn how to manage any damage or issues that may crop up during the week. Because let’s face it, no yacht is in perfect condition and it’s always better to know how to handle it than to be caught out. And as a huge vote of confidence from us, they are the charter company that we have chosen to run our yacht Mila Felice through. So that counts for a lot!
Sidenote: Sorry, no catamarans on our flotilla’s… Yet! Now that’s a whole other conversation.
You can choose to join the Sharpen Up Flotilla in two ways:
Mariners Way
Charter your own yacht through us with MK Yacht Explorer
Limited to four premium charter yachts per flotilla
An amazing opportunity for anyone looking to upskill
MUST HAVE
>> Valid Skipper Licence
>> VHF Licence
>> Up to 5 crew on-board (including Skipper)
Admirals Passage
Jump on-board Mila Felice with the 45D crew
An exclusive opportunity for anyone on their yacht buying journey
Limited to three people
MUST HAVE
>> Valid Skipper Licence
>> VHF Licence
>> Serious yacht buyer
If you are interested in joining one of the 45D Sharpen Up flotilla’s, check out our webpage for more information. We have profiles of the yachts available for charter, reviews from previous flotilla participants and plenty of footage so you can see what you would be getting yourself in for. And if it all sounds like something you want to do, get in contact with us TODAY!
