Guide for Skippers & Boat Camp Organizers

You're Organizing a Boat — What Does That Mean?

A "boat camp" is Pyraegea's equivalent of a theme camp at a land burn. Your boat is both your home for the week and your contribution to the fleet.

You do not need to be captain to organize

Organizing a boat involves two distinct roles that may or may not be the same person:

The skipper (aka captain) is responsible for safety, seamanship, legal accountability, and passage planning in coordination with the other boats' skippers. They have final authority on all decisions relating to the safety of the vessel and crew and whether a given route is safe.
The boat camp organizer is responsible for crew assembly, budgeting and payments, helping resolve conflicts, splitting up tasks among crew (like cooking and meal planning), and coordination with the wider event. It is crucial that crew members step in and share the load.

Timeline: What to Do When

When	What
6+ months out	Decide to bring a boat. Research charter options in the announced region. Express interest in the Telegram group.
4–5 months out	Start crew recruitment. Post in Boats-Crew Recruitment topic. Get in contact with potential crew members. Create a recruiting committee. Perform interviews
3–4 months out	Get a core crew to commit to a price range. Book the charter.
2–3 months out	Fill remaining spots (set a deadline). Identify a first mate / logistics lead. Start a crew group chat.
1–2 months out	First crew video call. Discuss expectations, dietary needs, cost-splitting, sleeping arrangements. Plan provisioning. Coordinate art/gifting plans.
2–4 weeks out	Finalize crew list (late commitment is normal — expect it). Confirm charter paperwork and qualifications. Create a shared shopping list. Agree on shared vs. personal expenses. Set up Splitwise or equivalent. The charter company will require a crew list with passport numbers at least a few days before charter begins
Build week	Optional: arrive early for art construction. Coordinate cargo capacity with art committee.
Check-in day (Saturday)	Boat walkthrough with charter company. Provisioning run. Stow gear. Safety briefing for crew. Attend skippers' briefing.
Sunday	Sunday afternoon is our first rendezvous with the entire flotilla. The location will be within one day of sailing from the starting marina.
Tuesday and Wednesday	Arrival at the sink bay. We will choose a large bay where we can organize our main event, and we will stay here for two nights. Because of forest fire risk, we will not burn anything; instead, we will sink the effigy. The event may be delayed by a day in case of bad weather.
During the event	Daily check-ins with crew. Daily skippers' meeting. Manage holding tanks. Coordinate with fleet via VHF/WhatsApp. Expect short notice changes. Collect Art & Activities Fund contribution.
Return day (Friday)	Clean boat, refuel, return to charter base. Settle shared expenses while everyone is still there.

Tip: Don't wait for a full crew before booking — it rarely happens that early. Start with a committed core and build from there.

This schedule is not the only way to do it. You can also book a cheap last minute boat and find crew just a few weeks before the event.

Chartering a Boat

Skipper Certification & Licensing

Greek port authorities require at least one valid offshore sailing license plus one experienced (not necessarily licensed) co-skipper on board. The license must cover offshore, open-sea sailing (beyond 12 nm) during day and night. Certificates limited to daylight sailing (e.g., RYA Day Skipper) or to a specific region (e.g., Croatian B license) or without explicit endorsement for sailing (German "SBF See" for motor boats (CWM)) may be rejected.

Widely accepted certifications include ICC, RYA certificates with night/offshore validity, ASA 104 or higher, NauticEd SLC, and most national EU sailing licenses, provided they cover sailing yachts and are not limited to daylight or a specific region.

Check with your charter company early — acceptance can vary, and the local port authority has final say on departure day.

For a detailed overview of accepted and rejected certifications, see charter-greece.com — Sailing Licenses Greece.

Charter Check-In

Charter check-in is typically on Saturday afternoon (the day before the event officially starts):

Most charter companies hand over boats between 14:00–17:00 on the check-in day
Plan to arrive at the charter base by early afternoon at the latest
The charter company will walk you through the boat, demonstrate systems, and complete paperwork
Depending on experience of the skipper and how quickly the crew gets ready, boats will leave port Saturday evening or stay in port on the check-in day, and only sail on Sunday. You can try to arrange an early pickup with the charter company.

What to do on check-in day:

Arrive at the charter base — meet your crew, collect keys, do the boat walkthrough
Provisioning run — this is your main chance to stock up on food, water, and supplies
Stow gear and settle in — organize cabins, stow personal bags, set up the galley. If you haven't decided on who sleeps in which cabin, let the crew decide after everyone got to know each other a little.
Safety briefing — do a full safety briefing for the crew (see checklist below)
Attend the skippers' briefing — usually held on the evening of check-in day; covers route plans, weather, communication channels, and event logistics

Charter Return

Charter boats need to be back at the charter base on Friday afternoon, but you can stay on board one more night until Saturday morning.
You'll need to clean the boat and refuel. The charter company will do their final inspection, including a diver checking the hull, most likely on Friday afternoon.
Plan your last evening (Thursday night) accordingly — don't anchor too far from the return port.

Tip: The first and last days are largely consumed by logistics. The actual sailing and event time is the days in between (Sunday morning to Friday morning).

Private (Non-Charter) Boats at Charter Ports

If you're bringing your own boat to a port that primarily serves charter fleets, expect some friction:

Mooring priority: Port authorities may give charter boats priority for quay berths. In Skiathos (2024), a private boat was asked to leave after just 30 minutes — the crew negotiated on 2 hours to take on water and supplies.
Diesel: Don't assume there's a fuel dock. At some charter ports, you may need to call a local gas station and ask them to send a fuel truck to the quay. With a charter boat, the charter company may arrange the fuel truck for you.
Water: Taking on water can be difficult on charter turnover days (typically Saturdays), when the quay is full of boats being cleaned and handed over. Plan to fill tanks on a different day if possible.
General advice: Arrive early in the day, be polite but assertive with port staff, and plan your fuel/water/provisioning logistics around the charter turnover schedule rather than fighting it.

There is no need to start at the charter marina, when you're bringing a private boat. You can start in a cheap or free public marina in the region and join the fleet on the first day. Just arrange the starting and drop off location with your crew.

Recruiting and Assembling Your Crew

Where to Find Crew

The Roster Spreadsheet — the primary tool for boat and crew matching (link available in Telegram and on the website). Add your boat with: boat name and type, length and capacity, available spots, departure point and dates, cost expectations, and contact information.
Boats-Crew Recruitment topic in the Telegram group — announce available spots and connect with potential crew. Describe the vibe, you'd like to create on your boat and potential art projects or gifts to the event.
Cross-event networking — the Burner Sailors Telegram group (~110 members) is a cross-event network. Sailors' meetups at other regionals like ~~Nowhere~~ Elsewhere and Borderland are also good recruitment channels.

Step-by-Step Crew Assembly

Collect potential crew — Share a signup form or post in the recruitment channels to build a pool of interested people
Get a minimal crew to commit to a price range — You need at least a core group willing to commit before you can book
Book the yacht — Once you have enough commitment, lock in the charter
Give new recruits a limited time to commit — Set a clear deadline for remaining spots to avoid endless uncertainty
Find a dedicated first mate — Identify someone willing to share the organisational workload (provisioning, communications, logistics)

Late Commitment Is Normal (But Stressful)

Crew often don't commit until 2–4 weeks before the event, not months in advance. Skippers describe this as one of the most stressful parts of organising a boat. Expect this and plan for it.

"Last year I filled my boat two weeks before the event." — This is typical, not exceptional.

Vetting — In Both Directions

Pyraegea is built on trust, care, and shared responsibility. Every boat is different, every crew is different, and there is no official selection committee checking who joins. That freedom is beautiful, and it also means everyone needs to do their homework.

Please do your own research before committing to a boat.

Anyone with a boat can join, and there is no ballotage commission or central approval process. Sometimes it is a captain or crew joining for the first time, and that means there may be no track record yet.

Both captains and crew should actively reach out to people who participated before: other skippers, former crew members, and trusted community contacts such as the consent or safety team. This is not someone else’s task. It is your own responsibility.

Setting Expectations with Your Crew

Before You Leave

Get on a video call together — even once, briefly
Discuss dietary needs, sleep habits, and expectations — cabin allocation, quiet hours, personal space
Talk through how decisions are made on board and how you'll handle friction
Agree on cost-splitting before you leave — what counts as shared vs. personal, how to track it (Splitwise, shared spreadsheet, appointed "cashier")

Skipper Cost Contribution

There is no single rule.

Skippers carry legal and practical responsibility 24/7 and cannot experience the event with the same carefree freedom as other participants, while enjoying the status of being the skipper.

For that reason, it is debatable whether skipper should be excluded from shared costs.

Each boat and skipper should decide together what feels fair.

About Hired Skippers

In general, the community is not a big fan of hired skippers. We have seen both good and bad experiences. Sometimes hired skippers don't really understand Pyraegea culture, may keep strict professional boundaries, or can unintentionally create a colder vibe.

If you hire a skipper:

Make sure you know this person well and that they are genuinely aligned with burner values
Ensure they understand the 10 Principles, consent culture, and the participatory nature of the event
Clarify roles: the skipper has final authority for safety, seamanship, and legal compliance, while the crew shares responsibility for cooking, cleaning and contributing to the culture
Avoid treating the skipper as personal staff
Describe the arrangement clearly in the roster spreadsheet so crew can make an informed choice

Cautionary tale — "Human Resources" (2018, Kos): A participant once hired a fully staffed luxury yacht and brought non-burner friends and crew. The paid staff and guests were uncomfortable with the participatory burn culture, the boat anchored separately from the fleet, and the group left mid-event. The lesson: everyone on a boat needs to understand and embrace the 10 Principles. A luxury charter with a service-oriented crew dynamic is fundamentally incompatible with what Pyraegea is trying to create.

Communication on Board

Consider running a short Non-violent Communication (NVC) workshop on day one or two. At least one boat has done this and found it meaningfully improved crew dynamics for the rest of the event. Even a 30-minute facilitated conversation about communication styles and needs can make a significant difference in a small, confined crew.

Budgeting and Costs

Typical Cost Structure

Boat charter/ownership:

Charter fees (if rented)
Fuel and water
Insurance
Security deposit or damage waiver
Marina/mooring fees (usually not needed, since we'll be on anchor most nights and the first and last night in the charter base is free)

Rough benchmark (2024 data): Crew members have typically paid ~€500 per person for their share of boat charter + insurance costs (excluding provisioning). This varies significantly depending on boat size, charter cost and number of crew. Treat this as a rough planning figure, not a guarantee.

Provisioning:

Food and beverages
Bottled drinking water
Cleaning supplies

Anchorage & park fees:

Most anchorages in Greece are free, but national marine parks and nature reserves may charge a per-person fee
Example: Kira Panagia (Sporades national marine park) charged ~€10 per person in 2024

Charter deposit & damage:

Charter companies require a security deposit (often €2,000–€5,000). Agree before the trip how damage costs would be split among crew if something happens.
A damage waiver / deposit insurance is a good investment — it's relatively cheap and removes a major source of post-event conflict. Even minor incidents (scratched hull, broken winch handle) can lead to disputes about who pays.

Keeping costs transparent:

Use a shared app or method (e.g., Splitwise or a shared spreadsheet)
Appoint a "cashier" / expense tracker
Keep records clear, so disputes can easily be solved. For example don't use the Splitwise "simplify payments" feature.
Settle up at the end — agree what counts as shared vs. personal before you start

Art & Activities Fund

Suggested voluntary contribution per participant — typically in the €20–€25 range; the exact amount is set by the fund coordinator each year
Collected at boat level: one designated person per boat gathers the crew's donations in cash and hands over the total to the fund coordinator
Supports shared community art projects (effigy, flags, stickers, website, and other shared infrastructure)
After the event, a public income/expense breakdown is shared with the community

Provisioning

Shopping on Check-In Day

Most crews do their shopping on Saturday morning before charter check-in. Some supermarkets offer free delivery to the yacht. If you are price-conscious, do a bit of research first — consider different super markets. An option is to take a taxi from a larger, cheaper supermarket.

Planning What to Buy

Discuss with your crew whether you'll reprovision halfway through the week or buy supplies for the full duration - keep in mind that going to a port or super market mid-event will take you out of the bubble.
Create a shared shopping list in advance — coordinate via your crew group chat. Decide whether purchases of anything not on the list is acceptable and up to what amount.
Be flexible as you might not be able to get all the products you planned to buy. So be prepared to improvise on the spot.
Account for limited refrigeration — plan meals and drinks that don't require huge amounts of ice or refrigerated produce.
Water: You'll probably get your boat with full tanks. Resupply opportunities during the week may be limited
Specialty dietary items: Crew members with specific dietary needs should bring their own
Don't forget: Bin bags (or recycle shopping bags), cleaning supplies (dish soap), sunscreen

Cooking Arrangements

Approaches vary by boat — discuss early:

Communal cooking (everyone contributes)
Rotating cook duty
Shared provisioning costs with dietary restrictions accommodated
Plan simple, one-pot meals where possible — galley space is small

Safety Briefing Checklist

Before departure, the skipper should walk the entire crew through the following. This is not optional.

[ ] Life jackets — location, how to put on, when to wear (rough conditions, if desired)
[ ] Fire extinguishers — location and type
[ ] First aid kit — location
[ ] VHF radio — location, how to make a call, Channel 16 for emergencies
[ ] Man overboard procedure — shout, throw, point, recover
[ ] Engine start/stop — how to start and kill the engine
[ ] Holding tank valves — when to close (at anchor), when to empty (underway in deep water). See Toilets and Holding Tanks for details.
[ ] Swimming rules — buddy system, inform the boat, stay away from the propeller while engine is running
[ ] Seasickness — remind crew that seasickness is common, even for experienced sailors. Remedies (such as Dramamine, Stugeron, ginger, or acupressure wristbands) should be bought before boarding — they work best when taken preventively, not after symptoms start. Crew members who are unsure should bring something just in case.
[ ] Emergency contacts — Greek emergency services: 112, Coast Guard: VHF Channel 16

Fleet Coordination During the Event

Communication Channels

VHF radio — the primary tool for boat-to-boat communication. A working channel for the fleet is agreed at the skippers' briefing (probably channel 69). Channel 16 is for emergencies only.
Telegram — the General topic is used for coordination, but don't rely on cell coverage at remote anchorages. Some bays in the Dodecanese have no signal at all.
Skippers' briefing — happens on the evening of check-in day and then every day. Covers the planned route, weather forecast, VHF working channel, and event logistics. Attend this.

Daily Coordination

Route decisions may change based on weather — the fleet doesn't always stay together, and some boats may split off and rejoin
Skippers must be prepared to change plans at short notice. This includes returning to port, changing anchorage, or delaying departure.
No schedule or social pressure should override a skipper's weather judgement. Crew should always support conservative weather decisions without complaint.

Real example (2024, Sporades): During the first night of the event, a thunderstorm warning prompted one boat to abandon its anchorage and motor back to Skiathos port for shelter. This is exactly the right call.

Raft-Ups and Anchor Etiquette

Raft-ups (tying boats together) is how we usually spend the nights at anchor. Coordinate with neighbouring boats before rafting
Watch for chafe on fenders and lines during raft-ups. Ensure proper position of the fenders.
Consider surprise rogue waves from ferries. This has caused damage on boats in the past! Position boats so that masts and spreaders are staggered.
Set your anchor properly and check it's holding

Moving Between Boats

If crew want to spend time on a different boat for a day sail — be aware that in Greece, officially sailing as crew on another boat may require being added to that boat's crew list, filed with the harbour police. However this may not be checked by authorities. So decide for yourself.

Leave No Trace on Water — Your Responsibilities

The anchorage is the equivalent of the playa. LNT applies just as strictly on the water as on land — and in some ways more so, because the sea is a living ecosystem and your neighbours are swimming in it. You are responsible for briefing your crew on all of this.

Sewage / holding tanks:

Always close your holding tank valves when anchored in a bay with other boats
Do not discharge sewage into a shared anchorage, regardless of wind or current direction
Empty tanks while underway in deep water
This was a real problem at Pyraegea 2023 — boats in the anchorage were discharging sewage into water where others were swimming

Food waste:

Do not throw food waste into the anchorage — dump it in deep water.

Washing dishes and grey water:

Use reason when washing dishes and using dish soap in the anchorage.

MOOP on water:

Nothing loose on deck that can blow into the sea. Wind can be surprisingly strong.
No glitter, confetti, balloons, or anything that sheds
Art installations must be fully recoverable — nothing left in the water
Don't accidentally drop dishes or other objects into the water while on anchor.

Your Boat's Contribution to the Fleet

Your boat is a camp. Think about what you're offering the fleet:

Boat decoration — lights, flags, banners, painted canvas. Must be secure in wind, and stowed while sailing.
Themed gifting boats — some boats adopt a gifting identity. The 2025 boat "Edible Complex" offered Greek wine tastings, a hangover brunch, grilled cheese in costume, and Boat Burner Bingo.
Hosting workshops, music, or performances on your boat — announce offerings in the Art & Activities Telegram topic and at the event
The Cabaret — your boat could host it (needs a mic + portable speaker; aft deck of a catamaran works well, and can take place on another boat)
Art & Activities Fund — collect the voluntary contribution from your crew and hand it to the fund coordinator

Tips for running a gifting boat: Pick a theme that plays to your crew's strengths (food, drinks, music, wellness, games). Plan 2–4 offerings you can deliver flexibly around the sailing schedule. Announce in Telegram so people know what to expect. Remind guests to BYO cups/plates.

What Can Go Wrong — Lessons from Past Years

Situation	What happened	Lesson
Crew drops out late	Common — boats often fill 2–4 weeks before the event	Have a plan; post in recruitment channels immediately
Boat gets cancelled	Charter issues, skipper illness, or not enough crew	Inform organizers immediately; help rehome your crew. In 2023, a cancelled boat's entire crew was redistributed.
Thunderstorm at anchor	2024: one boat motored back to port for shelter	Safety overrides schedule — always
Sewage at anchor	2023: boats discharged into swimming water	Brief your crew on holding tanks on day one
Effigy sank during construction	2023: design flaws caused accidental sinking	Design for "graceful failure" — it's part of the tradition
"Human Resources"	2018: luxury yacht with paid staff left mid-event	Everyone on board must understand and embrace the 10 Principles
Turkish cell networks	Dodecanese islands near Turkey	Warn crew: EU free roaming doesn't apply to Turkish carriers