Skippered Yacht Charter

 Rob is a relaxed and engaging host, quietly very competent and in full command of a well appointed and plentifully stocked boat. Our mixed ability crew was tested appropriately, with new skills absorbed. The runs out of Dubrovnik are beautiful, Rob's knowledge of the locale found us in plenty of picturesque moorings, and provided us with advice on extra activities such as walks, electric bike rides and swimming spots, during our mid October week. Highly recommended. 

Vernon Antcliff: October 2022

 We had an absolutely brilliant time onboard the beautiful Delphinus with Rob. He arranged absolutely everything for us, from tranquil lunch spots in secluded bays to dinner in stunning waterside restaurants. He really did take all the stress out of planning a trip and his local knowledge and contacts made it such a great experience. We had some of the best seafood we've ever eaten at the restaurants that Rob recommended and booked for us! The boat is stylish, comfortable and Robs super friendly demeanour meant we felt relaxed the minute we stepped on board. The islands and beaches he took us to were truly stunning..having travelled extensively across Europe and beyond this was without doubt one of the best trips we've ever had...we'll absolutely be back to explore more of beautiful Croatia with skipper Rob. 

Leanne & Gavin Goodwin: July 2022

 We have just returned from a wonderful holiday with friends on board Delphinus. Never having done a sailing holiday before, we weren’t sure what to expect but the Delphinus is beautiful and Rob is such a skilled yachtsman and the most marvellous host, it was perfect! Lunches on board moored alongside the Croatian coastline in the sun were memorable! He was full of information about the area and we even picked up a bit of sailing terminology! Definitely an experience to be repeated! 

Graham & Jan Shaw: September 2022

 "We chartered Delphinus for the second year running and once again Rob's professionalism, hard work and attention to detail was absolutely outstanding. We have in the past bare-boated but realistically you lose one day either side of your holiday when bare-boating due to handover times and having to arrange all your own victualling. Rob takes care of all that prior to your arrival saving at least a day of your holiday and it’s all included in the price! Rob is happy to sail Delphinus alone to let you sit back and relax or to let you get on with it yourselves and quietly be in the background ever ready to draw on his vast experience to calmly provide support if needed. Delphinus is an excellent, stable, beautifully appointed and maintained yacht of an entirely different class to the majority of 'plastic fantastic Ikea built' charter yachts we have encountered and she provided a real sense of stability to the non sailors in the party. All in all we had an excellent time again and I would have no hesitation in recommending Delphinus as your charter yacht choice in Croatia!" 

Collin & Helen Gibson: June 2022

 Our time on Delphinus yacht with Rob can be summed up as life-changing. Rob is nothing short of incredible, it is amazing that he is able to do it all and then some! Rob’s demeanor can be described as a calming presence always ready for fun and adventure. At any given time, Rob was willing to show Julia and I the ropes regarding sailing and mooring. We were able to explore Croatia in a way that only a native knows, finding secluded bays and good friends. To say this would be a once in a lifetime trip would be wrong, Rob has found life long customers in Julia and I. 

Julia & Sean Kennidy: July 2022

 Thanks very much for looking after us so well, we all had a great time. For me the highlight was to have a great sail without the responsibility of having to skipper the boat. I know everyone had tremendous confidence in your ability as a skipper which enabled us to sail on some pretty windy days knowing we were in your very capable hands. And your excellent lunches and the barbecue were probably better than the food we had onshore - well done! Your "complete package" including transfers, food, drinks, mooring fees etc was a step up from the flotilla sailing we have done on previous occasions, much appreciated. 

Richard & Denis Belton: September 2022

 Thanks Rob, for a rather special week cruising the Croatian coast from Dubrovnik. Delphinus is a lovely boat. I had no idea that two people could so easily sail a 50 footer – and I do not want to go on a big yacht again that does not have an electric winch ! As you came to quickly realise, Chris does not “do” sailing, but your calm and ultra competent approach meant that she felt safe and comfortable with just you and I doing the handling. A special thanks for all the lovely food, and for including collection to and from the airport, which was a wonderful touch. The supplementary informal theory advice was very welcome too. 

Tony & Chris Lewis

 For anyone who has never sailed, I can think of no better introduction than a week aboard Delphinus - you'll love it. For those that can sail but have yet to explore Southern Dalmatia - you'll love it. 

Mike Hobin

 Dear Rob, Thank you for an amazing holiday aboard Delphinus, we had such a varied, interesting and relaxed week sailing with you, every day just kept getting better! Matt especially loved crewing and helming in 20knots of wind, Ellie enjoyed the magical anchorage in quiet hidden coves and in contrast, her paddle board water ski - I never thought that was possible! I loved the early morning paddle boarding followed by one of many Chef Specials - Burcher Muesli. Delphinus is a boat with quarter and charm, loved and well cared for by Rob. We immediately felt welcomed and at home and appreciated Rob's calm and experienced helming. Totally flexible to our requests, willing to teach and involve us in sailing as much as we wanted but also happy for us to sit back and be crewed. If you want a holiday with variety, stunning landscapes, interesting towns, quiet coves and great food, I recommend Delphinus Yachting. 

Anna Hardy

 I would just like to thank you formally for the fabulous week my wife and I had on you beautiful yacht. To personally collect us from the airport was a nice touch. The boat has been fitted out really well and accommodated us in style. Your knowledge of the area, willingness to share your passion for the skills of navigation and boatmanship were very much appreciated. You took us to some very interesting places around the Dalmatian Isles. Korčula was a favourite and that seafood meal we had at the beautiful Bota Sare in Mali Ston was very special. Nice touch that not only did we drink the owner’s own wine but that he then drove us back to the boat! You seem to have thought of everything, including the weather. We hope to see you again next year, if not before. 

Paul & Mora Whitelock

 Thanks again for a great course a couple of weeks ago. Your instructing and hosting were both first class! 

Martin Newman

 I wish to say how great Rob is as an instructor. He has a wonderfully calm manner and is great fun. He has a real depth of knowledge and we were able to have really good conversations about different methods to approach a situation. He is an instructor who coaxes the best out of people, such that we stand a better chance of remembering the techniques he teaches. 

Ian Watson

 ... a big thank you for last weekend. Your calm, professional expert tuition was greatly appreciated. Plus you always went the extra mile from night sails, to sail reefing to ensuring we understood some of the finer points you were showing us. 

Dan Hatfield

 I have to say big thanks to Rob whose expertise as well as experience shared with me will put my future sailing to a whole new level. 

Djoka Janjusevic

 Probably one of the best experiences of my life. Rob our super Skipper was an amazing teacher and made the entire experience fun and educational. We had such a brilliant time. We felt incredibly safe. Laughed a great deal and also learnt so much! I'm hooked! Thank you 

Jacqueline Paul

 Fabulous time, learned Loads and Really sound people. Rob was very reactive to exactly what we wanted to learn and gave everyone a go - at the same time as remaining amazingly calm! Cannot recommend more highly. 

Sue McGuffie

 The Instructor was outstanding- helpful, practical with excellent communication skills, unflappable, approachable and social. Course was extremely well run with excellent range of visual aids, handouts and demo’s. A great week! 

Colin Gibson

 I must give you credit for the way you operate both as a skipper and a tutor and the immeasurable patience you demonstrate. I shall always look forward to a sail with you. 

Robbie Matthews

 Thanks for the great time we have had, and I have really enjoyed it and really appreciated your efforts! I really liked your teaching style and maybe I am not an expert in yachting lessons, but I have been professionally instructing kiteboarding, as well as advising, evaluating and training many instructors and as a manager dealing with other water related sports instructors and could place you among the top! 

Alex Kowalik

 I’m just writing to thank you for the amazing couple of days you gave us the week before last. My confidence in skippering Piper has soared and I am totally gobsmacked as to what you achieved with Ros. For someone who was frankly very nervous even about going out on the boat she is now enthusiastically talking about sailing and blocking out weekends on our calendar for going down to Shotley. This is entirely down to you making her feel comfortable in what to her was a totally alien environment and giving her the confidence, knowledge, tools and techniques to feel she was part of the boat. 

Stuart Robinson

 A big thank you for a fantastic course. As a novice, I really welcomed Rob’s approach. He instals confidence in you and pushes you on. Haven’t learnt so much or been so relaxed in ages! 

Christine McGuire

 Thank you for being such a good teacher. You have saved my life re three point turns. 

Mark Matthews

 Excellent instructor. Learned how to do things in a way my brain likes to learn! 

Cindy Schofield

 I had a great time with good company and first class instruction from Rob really made it an enjoyable learning experience, I learnt a lot and now much more confident when sailing. 

Alan Breakwell

 Having been on sail training courses before I was a little apprehensive because, in my view, the quality of instructors varies greatly. I needn’t have worried because not only is Rob a great instructor from a technical perspective he has exceptional interpersonal skills that enable him to juggle three students with vastly different backgrounds and learning objectives into a coherent, motivated and good-humoured team. 

Bob Stamp

 Huge praises to our Instructor Rob who’s energy and enthusiasm made the course informative and thoroughly enjoyable. He also has the patience and ability to communicate with all levels on board and through ingenious self-made props and sketches can demonstrate and explain even the unexplainable!!! Rob’s catering is not bad either! 

Mike Horn

 From the moment Rob collected us from the airport to the complimentary return transfer we were treated to five star service all the way. Having been used to bareboat charter and syndicate sailing the benefits of having everything organised, provisioned and preloaded onto the boat cannot be overestimated to provide for that immediate holiday feeling! Delphinus is a spacious and comfortable yacht and is large enough for it to never feel crowded. She sails beautifully and is very well equipped. The itinerary was flexible and varied between quayside and anchorage moorings in stunningly beautiful locations. Rob was there to assist and calmly advise when needed but allowed experienced sailors to get involved or to relax as desired. The overall package is great value and of extremely high quality. Overall we had a fabulous time, in a beautiful country on a stunning yacht with a relaxed, capable and personable host which we would 100% recommend - in fact we’ve already booked for next year! 

Colin & Helen Gibson

 Thank you Rob for a superb week on your beautiful yacht. We had a lovely week of weather for swimming and seeing the coast, even though the winds were either too strong, too weak or in the wrong direction some of the time. However, the sailing was great when the wind was favourable. Excellent lunches in wonderful bays, swimming and attempting to paddle board (not very successfully) were great fun. The overnight moorings were in very picturesque surroundings adjoining or near to restaurants with superb fresh fish and local produce. Your barbecue on one evening was great. The on-board catering was magnificent and you always seemed to anticipate when beer and wine were needed! Your refresher on knots was very helpful. Your company was very welcome but at the same time, you often kept a low profile allowing us to feel that there were only the four of us on board. Once again, many thanks for a first-class week, we all loved it. Nicky and Terry , Corrie and Clive. 

 Thank you Rob for a superb week on your beautiful yacht. We had a lovely week of weather for swimming and seeing the coast, even though the winds were either too strong, too weak or in the wrong direction some of the time. However, the sailing was great when the wind was favourable. Excellent lunches in wonderful bays, swimming and attempting to paddle board (not very successfully) were great fun. The overnight moorings were in very picturesque surroundings adjoining or near to restaurants with superb fresh fish and local produce. Your barbecue on one evening was great. The on-board catering was magnificent and you always seemed to anticipate when beer and wine were needed! Your refresher on knots was very helpful. Your company was very welcome but at the same time, you often kept a low profile allowing us to feel that there were only the four of us on board. Once again, many thanks for a first-class week, we all loved it. 

Nicky & Terry, Corrie & Clive: September 2023

 Rob, thank you so much for providing such an enjoyable, relaxed and fun-filled day out. We greatly enjoyed the swim stops, exploring islands and caves and a trip in the tender. Delphinus, your boat, was a wonderful platform for your gracious, generous and under-stated hospitality. 

Cordelia & Caleb Raywood: June 2024

 Myself and 3 friends had the pleasure of spending 3 nights on Rob's boat the Delphinus in Dubrovnik, Croatia. I could have forgiven Rob welcoming four guys onto his boat with a hint of trepidation beforehand, but he was the perfect host, maintaining a quiet professionalism whilst involving himself in much of the banter. Whilst on the boat, Rob offers the choice of relaxation on the boat or some yachting instruction and experience on the boat. I've been on a yacht before, and make no mistake, even for the most experienced skippers there are aspects of the journey which require quick thinking, calmness, and sharp decision making. Rob was extremely patient, and supportive where required and I really enjoyed refreshing my memory on tacking and gybing, bringing the boat into port and all activities on the boat. We were picked up at the airport and taken to a lovely restaurant for lunch and then driven to the boat. As others have pointed out, this enables you to make the very most of the time you have to spend enjoying the boat. Whilst on the yacht, the safety instructions are given to you just after boarding, and then you are given options as to the route that you'd like to take. Our route included a visit to Blue Caves, a lovely beach, a stunning little jetty and beach bar and a set of restaurants, one of which served us some of the freshest seabass I have tasted. That said, the food provided on Rob's Yacht is of a very high standard and is freshly made in the cabin. There were some lovely breakfast options and lunches which were substantial enough to take you through the day, but not large enough to prevent a spot of breakfast swimming! I highly recommend the experience for a group of friends, family or just a couple. The aspects of the trip that are already included make a trip with Rob very good value - but you also need a skipper with personality, and ability to join in the fun, which makes any trip much more memorable. I had a superb time and I would recommend this charter to anyone. Many thanks, James. 

James Scanlon: July 2025

 What a fantastic weeks' sailing! From the time we were picked up at the airport to the time we were dropped off It was all plain sailing, meticulous organisation , great food, and wonderful places to visit Rob had great local knowledge at every mooring which eased the pressure on the crew to find a suitable place to moor up in a safe heaven and a find a good restaurant. The Delphinus is a great boat both for accommodation and sailing. Our sailing experience varied from years of experience to just a few years, but Rob dealt with it all, as he has wonderful sailing experience and teaching skills. All the equipment is well maintained and up-to-date. Our safety was was foremost in all the activities and we always felt safe and in good hands. The only way the experience can be improved upon , is to go again and have another week of pleasure and enjoyment. The Crew: David Harding, Stuart Rowntree and Mike Rayner 

David Harding: June 2025