Reviews

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What a way to be introduced to a catamaran holiday...sailing around part of the Tahitian Islands from the 14th to the 30th of October this year! It was an amazing experience, and swimming in the incredibly clear waters definitely a highlight. Like all holidays, there were a few hiccups, but that always adds to the experience, and definitely gives you things to smile about when remembering your experience down the track! We felt taking advantage of the sensational facility of being on a boat in this stunning location could be improved with maybe a little less time venturing to land based locations for meals.... where possible..., and maybe remaining at locations where being able to dive into crystal clear waters and take in the stunning views as part of the morning wake-up ritual, were maximised. Having local skippers also proved invaluable, because as with many things, local knowledge is good to have! Many thanks to the wonderful group of people on our vessel, the trip was fabulous, and many fine memories were made! Thank you Maggie and Trevor on location, and also to Sarah in the 'nerve centre' for the work done to put this together.

Mark Coleman

Turkey 2022. Yet another amazingly wonderful sailing experience. This one was a perfect meld of lazy days, casual races and interesting local tours. 10 points Sarah.
Simon and Tilly

Value for money: 10 out of 10 Fun: 10 out of 10 Organisation & Research: 10 out of 10 Destinations: 10 out of 10 I have participated in 3 Mariner Boating holidays and cannot find fault - Can't wait to join you again!
Shaaron Walsh

Hi Laura, the whole trip (to Turkey) was great. We had five nights in Istanbul and despite some unrest in the streets at certain times we never felt unsafe. There are just too many tourists. Fethiye was fun and the sailing was great. We did not sail long distances as the skipper knew a number of local bays/restaurants which were great. The skipper let me do most of the sailing and mooring with him managing the anchor as we reversed into most spots. They use a lot of stern lines, shore lines and lazy lines which are not used in Australia so I learnt a lot about their techniques. I still have lots to learn but will get my ICC certificate before going again. Thanks for your assistance!
Geoff Pilley


What a wonderful experience, the Italians are so warm and friendly, beautiful islands and coast line. A holiday which will stay with me for ever as my number one holiday. Great tour guides, very friendly and answered all our questions giving an insight into how people lived in the ancient times. I enjoyed the inclusion of guided tours.
Vanda Whitworth

All your work, knowledge and friendly personalities make your trips such a happy experience for everyone who has the good fortune to be part of your fabulous boating trips. We will always remember these happy days and look forward to the next time we can join you in your adventures. To Trevor, Maggie and all the team, your hard work make these trips unforgettable, here's to the next time we can join you, somewhere, sometime. Billy and Margaret
Margaret Lockhart


Hi Emma, Just to let you know 4 days in, boat, crew and particularly food brilliant.Your feedback re the chef was spot on, have not eaten food of this quality on 3 previous trips to Turkey, one dinner ashore with the captain at a seafood restaurant was also outstanding (his usual eatery in this Greek port)
Alan S


We had a wonderful experience sailing the Dodecanese islands with our family in July 2014. The captain and crew were fantastic and the food phenomenal! The gulet was so spacious and comfortable. We were able to plan our trip exactly as we wanted. Whether it be docking in tiny bays and heading into picture postcard tavernas, or jumping into crystal clear water this was one of the best holidays we have ever had. Mariner Boating gave us the reassurance we were dealing with a professional outfit especially when we got to Turkey. Everything was in order. Thank you so much for helping make this trip so special! Jane Rob and family
Jane


Ahoy Lauren, Maggie and Trevor. I have had time to recover my strength after two fabulous weeks in Croatia…and thought it time to thank you all very much for making our holiday such a happy one. Venus 1 crew assembled for the first time in Split, and thanks to your attention to planning and detail and friendly hosting, our sailing rally was a lifetime highlight. It all went smoothly from our first email contact and we appreciate how much effort you have all put into organizing such an event-packed and interesting trip. And we even survived the meteo-tsunami….which we have since “googled”….happened exactly as we watched the sea rise and fall at the back of our boats early in the day while docked at Polace. We have now had time to browse our many photos and relive the excitement and enjoyment. Thanks to you we have seen some beautiful places ….small island harbours and villages, swimming bays and marinas, hilltop forts and villages, Roman roads, walled cities, wonderful live musicians and exceptional restaurants. Our fellow travelers were all friendly and Maggie and Trevor the perfect hosts (much more patient than me, especially with the more boisterous crews!!) The racing was more challenging than I expected, but with skipper Bruce at the helm and your calm voice on the radio Maggie, we soon got down to business and learned a lot about hauling sheets, putting out poles, setting sails, hanging over the edge and generally looking like sailors to a casual observer. And we departed good friends…. Hopefully you too have had a quiet week Maggie and Trevor to recharge batteries and enjoy Croatia at your leisure. You are a class act. Thank you again for your kind hospitality and constant support for all in our fleet. It has been a sailing trip to remember….what a way to discover Croatia. May the seas stay smooth for your next journey…..with best wishes, Julie (and Graham)
Julie Stanley

Our Amalfi Rally was a magnificent, extraordinary and life changing adventure. And didn’t we have fun!  Thankyou for your expertise and organisation Sarah.  
Andrea


It was a long time between charters but I was really glad to have come along on this one organised by mariner with Trevor and Maggie. It all went really smoothly and our skipper was fantastic. The holiday was a real treat and just a thing to recharge the batteries. Can’t suggest a better way to spend a couple of weeks lounging around sailing swimming snorkelling and generally enjoying yourself. Thank you Marina boating and thanks for all of your organising.
Chris

Hi Sarah, I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the Amalfi sail which was made all the better by your great organisational skills and delivery. Sincere thanks.
Sue Gray

Hi Lauren, Hope you're well, I just had to tell you myself what an AMAZING time we had aboard Why Not 11. The Crew were SUPERB !!!! We had the time of our lives. All 6 of us agree it was the best holiday we've ever had. Can't wait to plan the next one. Thanks for everything !!!!
Adrienne Sender


A dream come true to see it all from the water looking back to the coast. Great team & so easy to holiday with. Would have loved to get my hands on the recipe for our first course (at Tenuta Vannulo Eco Buffalo Farm - Agropoli, Italy), and how good was that chocolate ice cream?! Still trying to talk my husband into giving our cows a big roller back scratcher!!
Dianne Richardson


In a word 'Fantastic'! Every aspect of the gulet trip was better than we had ever thought, with the crew on the boat being the highlight. We had 4 crew for 8 of us, and they could not do enough to make out trip enjoyable. The food was a highlight, we could not ask for more , or for better. We had great weather, visited great places, and i would absolutely recommend this holiday to anyone.
Jon Harris


When every aspect of a journey rates at eleven out of ten, its hard to imagine how a holiday will ever be the same again.
Despite being back into my "normal" routine I'm still floating on (Turkish) clouds.
Thanks to all of you for providing an incredibly memorable and convivial experience which will be fondly recalled until the rum re-assigns those brain cells.
James


I returned to Oz about 8 pm last night. All luggage lost but not to worry , I'm sure it will turn up eventually.
I had such a wonderful time and can't express enough the joy of meeting such a diverse and delightful group of people to share a holiday with. Your organisation provided a holiday of a life time, highlighted by the inclusion of a Turkish Gulet with its guests and crew.  ( haha) We all got along famously as you would be aware.
I have a feeling Mariner will be seeing me again in the not too distant future !!!
Thanks again to you , Maggie and Laura,
Love Ruth R xxx
Ruth Rehfisch


Back at work wearing a coat and tie, 'Blue Eyes', Sardinia and Corsica already seem a long way away. Thanks for all your hard work and organization . Please pass on my thanks to Trevor and Maggie. They are amazing how they make one feel like a special friend when they deal with so many people. Needless to say I really enjoyed myself and hope to do another charter sometime in the future. All the best.
Rod S.


We have returned from 10 days on the gulet "Ya Selam" in the area of Turkey's Turquoise Coast between Gocek and Kekova Roads. From our initial contact with the Agent's representative to watching "our" gulet depart for its home port in Bodrum after we disembarked in Fethiye we reflected that there was not one thing that could have been done better. The crew were so helpful that it was embarrassing yet they remained unobtrusive. We had expected to average one meal ashore each day, in fact we had none! Meals on board were too good to miss. Ya Selam was the prettiest vessel wherever we anchored and we spent hours admiring her from sea and land. The crew seemingly always had a cloth in hand polishing varnish and removing any spray from windows and obviously had great pride in their gulet. Accommodation was attractive, comfortable and spotless. Our party of 13 ranged in age from 3 to 75 years but our captain always provided a schedule to meet our needs as if we had programmed it ourselves. He was a very kind man who seemed to anticipate our every need. The trip was wonderful and I can't speak highly enough of the captain and crew of the Ya Selam.
Bob Bean


It really was fantastic to meet you lovely people - you made us feel so welcome - you are the best hosts in the world

Thank you, Thank You, Thank you again to Trevor and yourself for giving us this opportunity to sail the beautiful islands and to get to meet you and all the other interesting people in the rally.
Margaret and Billy

Value for money: 10 out of 10 Fun: 10 out of 10 Organisation & Research: 10 out of 10 Destinations: 10 out of 10 I have participated in 3 Mariner Boating holidays and cannot find fault - Can't wait to join you again!
Shaaron Walsh


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