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The Yacht
S/Y 'Velos'
 What
attracted us to S/Y Velos was not only its beautiful lines and dark blue
hull, but also its really spacious cabins, double salon and air-conditioning.
The most important thing
about a charter yacht is to be spacious
and comfortable, both on deck
and below, and Velos is exactly that!
She is a wonderful yacht,
designed and built in 2007 by a well known Greek boatyard (Ocean
Yachts) for the purpose of charter in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as
for long ocean passages.
The model is
the 'Ocean Star 56.1' and it can be found in a 5 or 6 cabin version,
but as space and comfort is a lot more important in our opinion
than a bigger number of guests, we decided to have the 5 cabin
version (4 guest cabins plus 1 crew cabin).
She is a sloop with two
large sails, a furling genoa and a furling
mainsail, that make it very easy to handle even by one person
alone.
With a total of 150 square meters of sail, «Velos» can offer some fast and
exciting sailing and its 25 tonnes
of displacement make it very stable in any sea state!
 But
she is not only a very seaworthy boat,
she is a luxurious one as well. Being a 56
footer, she has a large teak deck with plenty of room for sunbathing or just lying down with a book in the one
hand and a drink in the other!
A strong guard rail all
around, makes it a safe environment
for kids who always like to wonder
around and participate in the sailing of the yacht, during our
family cruises.
Of course the cockpit
is the heart of a boat and so it is designed to accommodate everyone
(for a meal or a drink) and still remain practical to do the 'sailing
stuff '. The table in the center of the cockpit, serves also as
a fridge for drinks, so you don't have to make the trip below
every time you want a drink.
Two steering wheels is
something usually seen on yachts racing around the world because
of the advantages in handling the boat and sails, but on cruising
yachts like Velos it has the added advantage of allowing
for a spacious cockpit.
The stern, with steps
down to sea level and then a ladder extending under the surface,
is designed for easy access in and out of the water.
There is a shower
installed at the stern which is one of the most practical features,
as you can rinse yourself from the salt when you come out of the
sea, or just cool yourself down if you get too hot while sunbathing.
Below decks
there is a large double salon,
the navigation area, the galley
and the cabins, all lying under the good insulation of the teak
deck, spacious and comfortable.
At the starboard area
of the salon (right side) there is a big table with couches all
around which makes it ideal for playing table games or having a more formal meal.
At the port area (left side) there is a coffee table with two
more sofas, where you can sit and read your book or your newspaper.
However in the summer
months it is so beautiful outside that people rarely stay inside.
The galley which is situated at the far left side of the
salon towards the stern, is very functional with big surfaces
to work, a large sink, gas cooker, two refrigerators, ice maker,
a blender for cocktails and all the cooking utensils that could
possibly be needed on a yacht.
That is where
Alicia's famous lunches are created!!!
The navigation area is
well equipped, with a GPS, VHF-DSC
radio, EPIRB, Electronic Chart Plotter, wind speed - depth
- boat speed meters, and weather forecast receiver, but as we
prefer the traditional ways, all the charts
and pilot books are there and in daily use.
On the recreation side
of things, there is a TV and DVD
player as well as a Radio and CD/MP3/IPOD
player with speakers in the salon and on deck. The collection
of films and music onboard is big, but you are always welcome
to bring your own.
Additionally, there is a computer and equipment to access the
Internet in case you want to keep
in touch with family and friends, or more important, use it for
your business.
There are computer
games, although there are always better things to do on
a yacht than get stuck in front of the screen! However, it is a great
thing if you want to forget your kids for a while!
The accommodation consists
of five cabins altogether. The four of them are situated around
the salon and the fifth which is the crew cabin is at the bow
with a separate entrance from the deck. They are all en
suite with a toilet, sink and a shower.
The two guest
cabins forward of the salon have a double bed and the bathroom
is situated at the far end towards the bow of the boat.
The two guest cabins aft
of the salon have a double bed (in size it is really a triple
bed), with a removable part in the center so it can be turned
into 2 single beds. However, because of the bigger size bed, the
bathroom is a bit smaller.
Access to all four cabins
is from the salon.
One of the most important
features of Velos is the air-conditioning which keeps the interior
in a very pleasant temperature during the hottest months of the
summer. Every cabin is air-conditioned, as well as the salon,
and although during the daytime we all cool down in the sea, the
air-conditioning makes all the difference for a good night sleep.
The engine is a powerful Yanmar 160HP, used to take the
yacht in and out of a harbor and take us to the destination when
there is no wind.
The diesel tanks have
a capacity of 750 liters which is enough to make long passages
across the Med, just with the engine alone and finaly, the water
tanks have a capacity of 1500 liters which is more than enough
for the needs of the boat.
Please
click here for a list of
Velos' Sepcifications &
Equipment
A
few words about our previous yacht!!!
We feel we should write a few words here about our previous boat
(the 50 foot sloop 'Alexandros') which had been our yacht and
home from 2004 until 2009, and with which we cruised all around
Greece and became well known for our yachting holidays.
We have some of the nicest memories from our cruises with her,
but in the winter of 2010 we decided it was time to upgrade to
something a lot bigger and more luxurious, the 56 foot yacht on
which we had set our eyes for quite a while!
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