Argentous

The Story

The idea of super-yacht holidays was a collaboration between Alisdair Luxmoore of the tour operator “Fleewinter” and Barrie Neilson from the flotilla company “Sailing Holidays”. With a few decades of providing holidays both on land and on the water between them and a love of sailing they believed that more people could be persuaded to take to the water if there was no compromise on comfort and little or no sailing experience was needed. People are wanting more from their holidays nowadays than a simple stay on a beach and the idea of a yacht with the facilities of a luxury villa was born. Finding a boat that ticked all the “super-yacht” boxes yet meant we could keep prices affordable was a challenge, but in 2015 Argentous was launched to a fabulous reception.  Aurous joins the fleet in 2016 to offer even more space and comfort – a beautiful boat with a raft of special features and superb comfort. But don’t take our word for it, come and see for yourself!

Reviews

Heather N. June 2018: ‘Doesn’t get any better than floating around the Ionian Sea on a beautiful yacht like Argentous, total luxury (and great bed linen & pillows!).  Left the sailing route, and taverna recommendations in the hands of Dal & Kate. Their local knowledge to find us perfect mooring positions, and great restaurants was first class. Cuisine on the boat was fabulous too, Kate is a marvel in the galley, couldn’t believe all the wonderful dishes she created, and different everyday – a real treat!’

Gary S. July 2017: ‘We just wanted to thank you for a fantastic week on the Argentous, one of our best ever family vacations. Obviously it’s a great boat, but what really made the week so special was Jason and Shannon, who provided us and our family with truly 1^st class service 24/7. They worked tirelessly, were always diligent, positive, enthusiastic, professional, and courteous, plus made us always feel safe – Jason is an incredibly diligent and professional captain, and  literally spent the whole night on deck when wind gusts reached 40-50 knots, at one point touching 60 knots, just to make certain everything was ok. Nothing we asked was ever too much, and they were always offering us more, be it smoothies or snacks. Shannon provided us with amazing meals, plus helped Jason on deck, and together they kept the boat neat and tidy at all times. They chose great locations to drop anchor for water sports or to anchor at night. We were truly fortunate to have had them as our crew and can’t say enough positive things about them.’

Antonio T. June 2017: ‘Our week on Argentous was fantastic.

The boat is very confortable and it was always clean and in order. We did use some water sport equipment and the crew was always ready to help us in this subject. Nacho and Andrea are great. It was a pleasure to spend a week with them. The food was amazing, the service was fantastic and also was the hospitality. Nacho and Andrea made an excellent job being always at our service but giving us privacy when necessary. We did love the places we did visit. It has been a great experience, just unforgettable. ‘

Claire B. June 2017: ‘Overall a fantastic experience. The boat was beautiful and immaculate. The itinerary was excellent and suited us perfectly. Our crew Nacho and Andrea were superb and couldn’t have made us feel more welcome. Nothing was too much trouble for either of them. Nacho was extremely knowledgeable and competent and Andrea’s cooking was fantastic (we wish we had eaten on board more to make the most of her excellent food)! They were a very good fit for our family and it wouldn’t have been the same without them.

We moored towards the south of Corfu on the first evening – an excellent choice. We moored out in a beautiful, scenic bay. We then sailed to Paxos which again was a charming island. We didn’t expect to feel seasick but some of us did, so next time I would pack seasickness tablets just in case! We spent most of our time on the boat, although in Paxos Gaios harbour was very charming.’

Fiona M. May 2017: ‘We are back after a truly wonderful weekend on Argentous – I am sure you don’t want to see holiday shots from your guests, but this one sums up the style and attention to detail that was provided by Alice and Adam.

They really are the perfect team, hugely professional, experienced and personable. Nothing was too much trouble (although I doubt that we were the most demanding clients that they will have this summer!) The food was outstanding, with numerable little touches that made all the difference – so much thought and care had gone into each table setting, and every meal was a delight. 

Alice is a very competent skipper and nothing escapes her notice. How she had time to make homemade shortbread or carrot cake while doing all her other tasks was beyond us – and her napkin folding expertise is hugely impressive!

I hope they have a very successful season on Argentous. You are very lucky to have found them and your clients will be very lucky to be on board with them this summer.’

Pamela G July 2016: ‘Quite honestly this was one of the best holidays I have ever had! (It made up for all the bad ones I have had). Beautiful and very well appointed catamaran which created quite a stir coming into ports. I felt proud to be aboard. The skipper inspired confidence and the daily briefing was good and allowed for alternative plans if we wanted to do something else. The food was really good, so well done to the chef. The crew were always helpful and good to get along with, great technical info from Olly. Robert who had sailed on Argentous said how great this yacht was – so I might investigate coming next year if the sailing area is different from what we did this time round for more of a sailing experience. I was glad really that I didn’t have to get involved in the sailing as was recovering from an operation which might have made it difficult.

Just really impressed with the overall holiday experience 🙂 and will try and post on your facebook page.’

Sally W. July 2016: ‘I just wanted to say personally how absolutely amazing we thought the Argentous was. We had such a fantastic holiday. Tim & Pippa were so lovely & very attentive, but not overbearing. Pippa’s lunches were the best food we ate all holiday. Tim kept us all entertained with the water sports & made us all very good wake boarders & skiers. They are definitely ones to keep! The boat had everything we could wish for & more. The islands we visited were stunning, although we didn’t get to many of them, Paxos & anti Paxos were very impressive.

We have been on some amazing holidays over the years with the children but they have both come home saying it was their favourite one yet, so thanks again for the wonderful memories.’

John G. June 2016: ‘I wanted to thank you on behalf of our party for the outstanding week we enjoyed on Argentous last week and to provide you with some quick feedback that I hope you will find helpful.

Tim and Pippa were excellent hosts and the fact that they are close in age to our children made for good chemistry on board. By the end of the week it felt like one big family rather than a guest/host relationship. Tim and Pippa worked tirelessly to ensure that we enjoyed a high quality experience. Well done to them both.

We were blessed with excellent sailing conditions throughout the week and the itinerary that we jointly developed took us to a variety of very beautiful places. Upon reflection I don’t think I can suggest any improvement to the route we followed.  I spent most of the week on the helm brushing up my sailing skills whilst the rest of the group really enjoyed their water-sport opportunities.

The idea of finishing the week in the Corfu town marina was a great one and enabled us to enjoy a night in the main town whilst having a shorter journey to the airport in the morning. ‘

Helen T May 2016: ‘Had a fabulous holiday – thank you. Food was delicious, watersports fun and a great mix of beautiful bays, quaint Greek harbourside towns and slightly more unusual spots / sights that we weren’t expecting. Mark knew how to avoid the crowds and the whole experience felt very personal – he had also done his research well/ A thoroughly relaxing, enjoyable and fun week with great hosts.

All in all a good balance of watersports, sights, adventure (exploring the west coast of Paxos was fun and different), different places to stay each night was great. Corfu old town was a nice thing to throw into the mix although the boys only lasted a few hours in the town but were happy to hang out down by the marina. Staying in Sivota in the bay and at Emerald Bay was special as it was only us and 1 other boat in the bay each night. Liked being taken ashore by the rib in the evenings.’

Dee S. May 2016: ‘ All 5 of us got to see just how beautiful the Greek Islands were, and loved the accommodation on your luxury yacht. Tim our Skipper and Pippa our Chef were a charismatic couple and NOTHING was too much trouble for us, with either of them. The saying “they bent over backwards” comes to mind!! And the food that Pippa served up for breakfast and lunch was original, plentiful, and absolutely delicious !!! She has the makings of a top class chef ! So much so, that we all wanted her recipes! 

Returned home safe and sound yesterday, but just to say we ALL had a wonderful time.  Your yacht was just amazing and brought many people to look and take photos of it.  The Islands were just breathtaking and the Ionian Sea (if a little too cold to go swimming in) was beautiful.  Tim and Pippa were just unbelievable . . . . nothing was too much trouble for them !  Tim was there when we needed him and NOT when we didn’t, and he was full of knowledge when asked many inane questions by us old biddies!!!!   And boy, did he have a great sense of humour.  And Pippa’s cooking was just to die for.  Every morning we were offered a different choice of breakfast and it was ALL good, but the lunches were just stupendous!!  For a 26 year old girl, she sure has the abilities of a top class chef. They are charismatic as a pair. They are both a huge asset to your Company Alisdair !!

I accidentally left their email address on board and I wanted a particular recipe from Pippa, so could I ask you to give me their email address please.

We will certainly be recommending your luxury yacht trips around the Greek Isles!’

Christopher J. May 2016: ‘I am writing a short note to thank you for a fabulous week on board Argentous. The boat is a delight-very comfortable and easily handled, a wonderfully designed and well finished craft. And to complement the magnificent boat, our skipper Tim is an outstandingly efficient and talented mariner. (My son Charles who has sailed a 70ft sloop around the world says that Tim is the best skipper he has ever sailed with). Added to which Tim is very charming and helpful (I am lame and need a lot of help!).  And finally and not least our cook Pippa was a delight, a wonderful and unhurried lass, a tremendous support for Tim on deck, below deck and in the galley.  Her cooking was inspired. 

Many congratulations to you for putting together such a great combination of talent and quality.  the family join us in this well deserved praise and thanks.’

Allan M. November 2015: ‘A very relaxing break on a very special yacht. Mungo and Georgie were superb hosts. They were not only extremely competent but struck a great balance between being attentive and giving us space. They were great company and great fun. Both were fabulous with the children and have acquired a small following! Georgie’s food was excellent. Mungo is a very talented skipper and we all felt very safe under his watch. Thank You. Corfu was very welcoming and we enjoyed visiting new places. Being able to visit remote coves and bays was great fun and the kids loved the morning we spent at the caves. Paddle boarding was a good new sport for us all. The restaurants we all fine and loved Taka Taka in Gaios.’

George B. September 2015: ‘ We had fantastic week on ‘Argentous’ which was entirely due to Charlie and Joy who put so much energy into ensuring everyone got what they wanted from the holiday.

You don’t need me to tell you that you are extremely fortunate to have them run your boat and look after the guests. Their experience in running a charter boat is very evident and they look after Argentous as though she was their own.

Charlie’s energy in making sure the girls got maximum enjoyment from the waters sports toys was unbounded and he is an excellent tutor on windsurfing and water skiing. As all four girls are ‘water babies’ they loved being involved with mooring the boat and swimming the lines ashore.

If there was a Michelin star for on-board catering then Joy should have one. Whether it was breakfast, lunch or supper every meal was beautifully prepared with a different choice every day. We were all thoroughly spoilt and looked after to a fault.

As you might have gathered from the crew questionnaire Barbara and I have done a lot of sailing over the past 50-60 years and we very much enjoyed being on-board with Charlie and Joy and planing the itinerary each day. With their experience and knowledge of the area everybody got the maximum enjoyment from every minute of the trip.

I haven’t forgotten the boat which is extremely well equipped and very comfortable in every respect. A lot of thought had gone into fitting her out from the air con’ to the Williams tender and everything worked.

We will all remember the week with a lot of happy memories.’

Alison T. September 2015: ‘No sailing experience other than previous gulet holidays, but loved every minute. Cabin charter worked well and we enjoyed the company of other guests. Crew ensured we were all able to achieve what we wanted from the holiday, though a bigger disparity in ages might have made this different. A few teething problems with the boat, but only minor and didn’t impact on our enjoyment. Felt very safe with the capable crew, especially after the electric storm mayday experience. Would have ;like to get to anti Paxos as well as the other places, so would book a one way trip next time.

We had the master cabin, so no complaints at all. Very spacious. Shower panel leaked each use and the door fastening needs attention. Remembering to secure the drawer and wardrobe fasteners when sailing caused some problems for other guests ( fortunately we remembered). Public areas excellent, with plenty of space for all. Air con excellent. Food was fabulous with great variety and ample portions. Last evening meal was particularly delicious. Equipment for watersports also excellent. Tender great, but on occasions a bigger one to take us all ashore might have been easier. Great not to have to take towels etc.

Absolutely loved the destinations. Reminded me how much I love Greece. The ability to go ashore to eat was also fab and particularly enjoyed Longos and Fiskardo. Would like to do more of this type of holiday around other Greek Islands. I would also have loved an itinerary of our destinations after we returned as I am already forgetting the names of the bays and the order in which we visited them.’

Katharine R. August 2015:  ‘Joy & Charlie are clearly pros at crewing as well as very experienced sailors.  They struck a good balance of interacting with us and leaving us to our own devices – impressive in a confined space.  They were genial hosts and extremely knowledgeable on myriad aspects of sailing & yachting life.  It was a pleasure to spend a week with them. Food exceeded expectations.  Joy’s lunches in particular.’

Lee B. May 2015: ‘On behalf of the family I would like to very much thank you and your team for what can only be described as a premium holiday experience. Argentous is truly finding a niche away from any old standard flotilla bare boat in terms of the facilities and luxury fittings on board. This level of quality on board mixed with a great host and skipper makes for a completely different experience. Joy & Charlie really do offer a unique personalised service in terms of everything! Whether it may be Charlie yet again down in the stern garage clearing up or putting out all the toys in a lovely private bay for everyone, to Joy surprising us all yet another day wondering what great delights of canapés and cocktails will be served. They are both a great asset to your business and like any business it’s the people that matter. The holiday catered for all needs and that can be quite difficult when you have ages ranging from grandparents, to two children and one eight month old baby on board. I certainly think you should add to your Facebook page the picture of baby max swimming around in his baby inflatable Disney paddling pool, whilst Charlie is trying to delicately not trip over him man handling the jib and main sheets – it certainly proves you can cater for all sorts. Please send on my regards to them both and yet again thank them so much for putting up with such a diverse mix whilst we were on board’

Latest News

In April 2015 Argentous arrived in Corfu ready for her guests over the summer. The “delivery” trip from the south of France to the Ionian gave us ample to test out all of her features and you can see photos and reports on the facebook page.

About Us

Argentous is owned by Super Yacht Holidays Ltd, A UK company with registration number 9286021. The company was formed by Alisdair Luxmoore, the founder of the tour operator Fleewinter Ltd and has a number of private shareholders. We hope that Argentous will be a great success and the company can expand the fleet to have yachts dotted all over some of the beautiful parts of our planet, thereby introducing the pleasure of sailing in to be people would not normally think of themselves as “yachties” For more information please contact Thea or Anna on the phone or by using the contact form.