Built by the Basimakopoulos Shipyard in 2004 and comprehensively refitted in 2025, ARKTOS is a 42-metre gaff-rigged topsail schooner that belongs to a vanishing tradition of wooden sailing vessels built to be lived aboard. Her dark green hull, carved timber interiors and over 9,000 square feet of canvas overhead set her apart from every fibreglass motor yacht in the anchorage, while a thorough modernisation beneath the planking ensures she meets every contemporary expectation of comfort, safety and reliability.
Under sail she is a revelation. The twin masts carry a full wardrobe of working canvas, and when the Meltemi obliges, the crew sheet in and the engines fall silent, leaving only the creak of the rigging and the hiss of the bow wave. Under power she cruises at ten knots with a top speed of twelve, delivered by reliable Cummins diesels that keep passages short when the wind refuses to cooperate. An 8.5-metre beam provides the stability needed to dine, sleep and sunbathe in comfort at any point of sail.
On deck, the layout is generous for a vessel of classic proportions. The aft cockpit serves as the social heart of the yacht, with a large dining table shaded by a traditional awning and surrounded by built-in seating that invites guests to linger long after the last course is cleared. The long foredeck stretches forward beneath the bowsprit, offering sun loungers, stowage for the tender and water toys, and a perspective on the sailing rig that no flybridge can match. An outdoor cinema completes the evening entertainment, screening films against the Aegean sky.
Below decks, five en-suite cabins accommodate up to eleven guests in surroundings that balance maritime heritage with modern expectations. The master cabin spans the full beam aft, with rich timber panelling, porthole windows and a private head and shower. Two further double cabins and two twin-berth cabins share the accommodation deck, each finished in the same hand-crafted joinery and soft furnishings. A crew of six manages every aspect of the voyage, from provisioning and galley service to sail handling and tender operations.
The interior is defined by a craftsmanship rarely seen on modern production yachts. The main salon is panelled in warm hardwood, fitted with deep settees, brass lamps and shelves of nautical books that invite an afternoon of quiet reading. A separate formal dining salon seats all eleven guests around a polished table set with crystal, making candlelit suppers aboard ARKTOS one of the defining experiences of a Greek charter. Antique navigational instruments, maritime artworks and a display of traditional knot work remind guests at every turn that this is a living, working ship with a story to tell.
Available from EUR 38,000 per week in the summer low season and EUR 42,000 at peak, ARKTOS is based year-round in Greece, the waters she was built to sail. Whether the itinerary winds through the pine-clad Saronic Gulf, the volcanic Cyclades or the quiet anchorages of the northern Sporades, this Basimakopoulos schooner offers something that no modern yacht can replicate: the visceral pleasure of travelling under canvas on a vessel that was designed, from keel to topmast, to honour the sea.
