We chartered a skippered boat for a week in August, 2014.The pre sailing preparations and liaison with us were excellent and very accommodating! They made every effort to cater for all our needs and patiently answered any and all questions.The boat was great, albeit not very new, but well maintained and supplied. Our skipper, Stuart, was fantastic! Thanks to him, all ran smoothly,very relaxed and friendly. This is important when a family is sharing limited (and intimate) space with a stranger! Would definitely sail with them again.
I had the opportunity to sail through the Sporades with SeaScape and it was an amazing experience. I am a solo traveler who wanted an adventure, and this trip was perfect. Although this was SeaScape's inaugural season sailing in the Sporades, Skipper Rob was very knowledgeable about the area. The trip starts and ends in Skiathos, one of the more popular islands in the Northern Aegean. The trip includes a mixture of less-populated islands, fun beaches and islands with more activities such as exploring the culture and shopping.Breakfast, lunch, snacks and beverages (including alcohol) are provided on the sailboat. Dinner is usually on the island of the day, and comes at the recommendation of Skipper Rob. Trust me, Skipper Rob knows where to eat and what to order (although you are always free to order what you prefer). You do not need to know how to sail in order to go on a SeaScape Sailing trip. Rob can teach you whatever it is you'd like to learn, too. If you want to experience the Grecian culture without the hustle and bustle of a busy city, this is an excellent way to do it. Not only do you get to experience the island life of Greece, but you get to do it in a way that's inexpensive but authentic. Each trip is very unique in that you sail with different people from different parts of the world, the route can change based on weather, schedule and passenger preference, and you make friends with other sailors and island residents. I will definitely sail with SeaScape and Skipper Rob again. This really was the best vacation I've ever taken.
I've taken two trips with Skippers Ray & Diane now, once through Turkey and Greece in 2013 and now Croatia (not a usual offering) in 2014. Ray and Diane have always been lovely, making sure that everyone knew what to expect upfront and the level of participation really is up to you. My husband and I really enjoy sailing and Ray was always ready to let us take the wheel or pull a line. However, for those in the group that were looking for a more relaxing trip were able to lay back and soak up the sun from the bow. And speaking of what people wanted, they were always willing to provide anything people requested within their means, whether it was helping scout out the closest shower on land at the various ports or hunt down a specific kind of biscuits for boat snacks.If you're looking for a cruise type experience complete with casinos and water slides, you should probably take a cruise. If you have a sense of adventure and are seeking lifelong friendships/memories and unique experiences on the salty sea, this is the trip for you!
I travelled for 3 weeks in Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket/Islands) and the 8 day trip with Diane and Ray was the absolute highlight. Nui's food is really amazing; the snorkeling and kayaking of the catamaran is great - especially since it is easy to avoid the crowds of tourists this way. And Diane and Ray are wonderful hosts!
I went sailing in Greece with Seascape sailing a few years ago, and this past July/August, I had the great fortune to sail with Seascape in Croatia. As many people have, I've been dreaming of sailing in Croatia for a very long time, and as soon as I met Skipper Ray Luxford at the marina in Trogir. I knew I was in for an excellent holiday. Since I sailed with Seascape before, I had high expectations and Ray exceeded all of them. I'd also like to call out Diane who was the skipper on the second sail boat (we had three in total in Croatia which made it all the more fun). She is also a gold standard skipper and warm, caring and super fun. Some times Ray's heavy British accent was a bit hard for me to understand (especially in the morning before coffee:)), but I enjoyed his charm and joie de vivre. I don't know how they do it, but Ray and Diane make each of the shipmates feel cared for. I have complete trust and faith in both of them and have recommended Seascape to friends who have gone and come back raving about the fun and adventure. I will write more about all of the beautiful islands we went to another time, but I wanted to post a short review for anyone considering a fall or winter sail with Seascape. Go for it! It'll be one of the best adventures you every have!
One of my best friends and I joined Seascape Sailing for the Leros-Bozburun itinerary this July to celebrate a benchmark birthday. It was a lifelong dream for both of us to sail in the Greek Islands and visit Istanbul. By an odd twist, we were the only two people on the Angelina with the wonderful skipper Ray. It was a magic week with laughter and great conversation and learning life on the sea. How could it be anything but fantastic when you are on a beautiful sailboat with Turkey on one side, Greek Islands on the other, with sunshine above and every shade of blue on the water? My friend wanted to learn everything and Ray was a great sailing instructor, showing her how to plot a course and explaining the intricacies of wind and sail. (I was happy to be deck fluff but did my share of sailing too). It's the most fantastic way to see a place. There's no better way to wake up in the morning than to be on a sailboat with the water slapping against the hull. Every day we would decide on a destination based on wind and itinerary, often dropping an anchor for lunch in a beautiful deserted bay. Ray would cook us up a delicious hot lunch and then we'd jump into the sea for some snorkeling. We traveled in a caravan with skipper Diane and a fun group of New Zealanders and they were great companions at dinner in the evenings when we would pull into our next port. I would sail with them again in a heartbeat. Ray and Diane are pros at these itineraries and do a lot of personal, homey touches (tomatoes and eggplant from their garden, making coffee for us in the am. On my birthday they took us out for dinner and the entire taverna sang me happy birthday when they brought in the cake). Truly it was an epic trip of a lifetime with so many laughs.
Traveling on Nyami was awesome. There were 11 people on the boat with passengers and crew and I never felt cramped. Diane & ray were great hosts and had lots of information and exciting things to do. Nui, the cook was fantastic and the meals that she made were the best Thai dishes I have ever eaten. The scenery on the trip was just unimaginably beautiful and mystic. Stopping at deserted islands and snorkeling where no one else was at was very relaxing. Kayaking, swimming & walking through hongs (caves) to Jurrasic Park like settings. Can't forget the island with all the fruit bats, amazing. Thank you SeaScape for an adventure I will never forget.
Had a wonderful sailing holiday with Skipper Ray and a good college buddy. The boat Angelina was clean, the food delicious, my cabin perfect--including fresh linens and terrific airflow--though I prefer sleeping up top and did as often as possible. Ray especially made our trip what it was. He was both funny and charming, an excellent teacher and clearly an experienced skipper. Each morning we woke up in a beautiful harbor, readied the boat and off we went. I wanted a lot of hands on work and Ray was quick to rope me in as first mate. My friend just wanted to lay around as deck fluff and Ray equally catered to her wishes. He cooked us dinner, made us afternoon tea, and was at the ready when the Ouzo needed to be poured. My stomach hurt from so many belly laughs and I was choking back tears when we had to say goodbye to our now dear friend. Diane is an amazing woman, who's knowledge and focus on her clients and the company have made Seascape sailing the success it is. If you want an excellent time on the Greek and Turkish waters, enjoy sailing as much as the logistics of putting into port and leaving each day, are comfortable seeing what the day brings and rolling with it--we at one point had to hug the coast at a distance of about 50 meters because of a freak fog and inch our way along to our next destination( very thrilling and eerie at the same time)--and most of all love to hang with a true sailor with a terrific backstory, then go spend some time with Seascape and ask to be on Ray's boat. You will not regret it. I will definitely be back.
Sailed with Seascape in Thailand over Christmas, great for parents and kids (from 8 - 14). Food was amazing, snorkeling and kayaking (and just playing on the beach) kept the kids entertained. Ray arranged a diving excursion for us out to Ko Haa which everyone loved also. Our second trip with Seascape (first was Greece/Turkey combo many years ago), just as much fun as the first. Can't wait to take the kids to Greece!
I have done a couple of sails with Seascape in Thailand which were fantastic. The on board chef Nui cooks amazing food, the catamaran is very spacious and comfortable and Ray and Diane are wonderful hosts. We avoided the crowds and went to some really beautiful places like Rok Nok, my favourite. These guys know what they are doing!This August, we had the pleasure of sailing in Greece with Seascape. As in Thailand, we managed to avoid the crowds and see some really lovely islands. We sailed from Leros to Kos for 10 days with perfect sunny skies. Artemis is a comfortable sailboat with ensuites in each cabin and a nice comfy bed.