Amarea

Amarea is a new catamaran, and she has the clean, unfussy feel of a yacht only just out of the yard. Her interiors are pared back and calm, and the whole boat is air-conditioned, so the heat of a Greek afternoon stays outside. Her generous width gives a family or a group of friends room to spread out: someone reading in the shade of the bimini, someone else stretched out on deck, nobody in anyone's way. In Greek waters that matters, because the days are long and spent largely outdoors, moving between islands and quiet bays.

The cabin most guests will want is the owner's. It opens straight onto the deck, so the first view of the morning is the sea itself. It has its own desk and TV, useful for anyone who must keep in touch with the office, and enough privacy to feel like a separate retreat. The other guest cabins have queen beds and their own bathrooms, finished in the same restrained style. Small things are thought through: a hairdryer and an iron steamer in each cabin, WiFi aboard, even a printer and laptop for the guest who cannot quite leave work behind.

Much of the day drifts up to the flybridge. Lunch is laid out there in the open air, and an evening drink there tends to stretch into dinner, with the view running all the way round. Below, the BBQ, deck shower, sun awning and bimini make the aft deck just as easy to live on. A captain and attentive crew look after the sailing, the meals and the many small requests of a crewed charter. Guests are left to decide only where to swim next and when to eat.

Once she is at anchor, the hydraulic swimming platform lowers to the water and the Sur Marine ST Prestige tender is ready for trips ashore. The toy store is well stocked. The SeaNxt and Sea Scooter are for gliding below the surface. Water skis for adults and children, a wakeboard, a tube and a towable sofa suit those who like speed. A Kayak, SUP Paddle Boards, Snorkel Gear and Fishing Gear fill the slower hours. Yoga Mats and exercise equipment take care of the morning routine, so island-hopping in Greece can be as active or as idle as each day suggests.