Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese islands, anchored at the south-eastern corner of the Aegean, and one of Greece's most rewarding charter bases for crews who want history and open-water sailing in the same week. The fleet here is built around bareboat sailing monohulls and catamarans, with ski...
Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese islands, anchored at the south-eastern corner of the Aegean, and one of Greece's most rewarding charter bases for crews who want history and open-water sailing in the same week. The fleet here is built around bareboat sailing monohulls and catamarans, with skippered and crewed yachts, motor catamarans and day-charter boats filling out the offer. Most modern bareboat and catamaran charters start from New Rhodes Marina (Rodos Marina) on the island's north-eastern tip — a full-service base around 18-22 km from Diagoras Airport and only a couple of kilometres from Rhodes Town, with shopping and dining close by. Smaller privately owned and charter sailing yachts also use historic Mandraki Harbour beside the Old Town, on the former site of the Colossus of Rhodes and within walking distance of the UNESCO Medieval Old Town, while Kolona and other secondary moorings serve skippered and day departures.
The cruising ground is the southern Dodecanese, best sailed as a southern loop in peak season to stay downwind of the prevailing wind. Symi, the most photographed harbour in the chain with its neoclassical Gialos waterfront, Panormitis Monastery and sponge divers, lies about 20-24 NM from Rhodes — an easy first leg. From there the islands fall into place: tiny, untouched Halki for a quiet first or last night; Tilos with its seafood tavernas at Livadia; Nisyros and its 300-metre Stefanos volcanic crater with bubbling sulphur springs, berthing at Mandraki or Pali; and Kos, the largest charter base in the Dodecanese and the usual northern turnaround. A realistic seven-day loop runs Rhodes - Symi - Nisyros - Kos - Tilos - Halki - Rhodes, with options to push north to Kalymnos, Leros, Patmos and Astypalaia, or east to Kastellorizo.
The defining wind is the Meltemi, blowing from the north and north-west. In July and August it typically sits at Force 4-6 (15-30 knots), occasionally gusting Force 7-8 (32-40 knots) during peak events and building short, steep seas that make windward passages tiring. Rhodes sits at the southern end of the chain, so the Meltemi is generally a touch lighter here than in the northern Aegean. The sound strategy in high summer is to run south with the wind behind you and keep it astern on the way home. Spring and autumn are calmer, with lighter south-easterlies around Force 2-4 and many protected bays. Overall this is best for intermediate-to-experienced crews, and bareboat skippers should be confident in Force 5-6.
The season runs roughly April to October. The shoulder months — late April to June and September to October — bring warmer, calmer, less crowded sailing, while July and August are hot, busy and the windiest. Sea temperatures sit around 20-21°C in May and October and climb to 24-27°C between June and September, peaking near 26°C in late August. The SE Aegean is among the warmest of Greek waters, with comfortable swimming from May right through to October.
Provisioning is straightforward from Rhodes Town and the marina, with shops and tavernas close to both bases. Bareboat charter requires the skipper to hold valid qualifications — ICC plus VHF, with a sailing CV expected for this Force 5-6 area — while skippered and crewed yachts make the islands open to everyone; catamarans are the popular choice for Meltemi stability and shoal-draft anchoring. Crossing to the Turkish coast at Marmaris, Datca or Bozburun is possible only with the charter company's written permission and full border paperwork, and most crews are happy to leave that for another trip — the medieval ramparts of the Old Town and the sponge-divers' quay at Symi are reason enough to stay among the Greek islands.
