Moana Yachtcharter

(15)

All expectations of the trip, the skipper and the boat were far exceeded.
Oliver Schiller is an incredibly pleasant and relaxed skipper and 'tour guide'. The entire trip was carried out in consultation with the crew and individual wishes were accommodated at all times. The hygiene on board is impeccable. Oliver responds to every 'silly' question and takes time to explain everything to everyone. I would sail with him and the Moana again any time.
Many thanks again for a great and above all very relaxed time.
Julia and Stephan

My partner and I did not have a good start with Oliver, which was certainly also down to me, as I had not transferred the costs on time and the money only reached him on the day of departure.
He made it quite clear to us that we would only be welcome on board once the money was there.
I can definitely understand this attitude, but it created quite a lot of pressure for us.
But the money arrived, all good.
During the trip, however, there were several odd or, for my partner and me, uncomfortable situations in which Oliver behaved inappropriately towards her, puffed himself up in front of her and tried to embarrass me in front of her.
This pathetic behaviour, in my view, was actually topped after the trip when he sent my partner a photo at New Year in which he posed for her in a manner that she and certainly I did not find funny or in any way appropriate.
He may be a good sailor, but in my opinion he still has a few miles to go as a person.

Canary Islands trip with Moana and Oliver

A bit about us.
Susanne and I are a couple in our early 60s who have gained quite a bit of experience as crew over the years.
The best of those experiences have been with Moana Yachtcharter.
This was our second trip with Moana and Oliver.
But certainly not our last.
Our high expectations, born from the experiences of our first Canary Islands trip, were not only met but exceeded.

In detail:

Anyone expecting a highly polished yacht and a skipper dressed to match the season will be disappointed.
Both Moana and Oliver happily do without any frills.
Like ourselves, boat and skipper show slight signs of use, which in no way diminishes their value or capability.
Both offer unpretentiously, but without compromise, everything needed for a relaxed yet exciting sailing holiday.
Moana provides a comfortable atmosphere with cosy fittings and ample space.
As well as perfected technical equipment and an immaculately maintained rig.
Crucially, though, she sails superbly.
It was pure pleasure for me to steer her for hours through four-metre Atlantic swells.

That we never once felt uneasy is not only down to the characteristics of the vessel.
But above all to Oliver's abilities as skipper and host.
It's important to distinguish carefully between these two personalities.

With his experience acquired over decades, he can not only manoeuvre Moana single-handed, he has also developed excellent judgement of the capabilities and wishes of his constantly changing crews. This results in confident encouragement and challenge of each individual and the crew as a whole, whilst Oliver always retains overview and command during manoeuvres. And if necessary, casually and without disapproval, provides assistance.
Exploring one's own limits without emotional stress, collecting lovely impressions and successes – that's genuinely enjoyable with him. And develops collective sporting ambition. So it was our daily pleasure to execute the evening berthing according to the motto 'approach and secure' – in other words, bringing Moana smoothly alongside the pontoon in a single approach and making fast as if we'd been doing nothing else for years.
As firmly as Oliver rules out any discussion during manoeuvres, he is just as open to conversation before and afterwards.
Provided you don't seek it before his first morning coffee.
Manoeuvre debriefs and planning are a matter of course, as is reconciling the possibilities offered by wind and waves with the crew's wishes. Here Oliver shows his sociable side, very much along the lines of 'the main thing is having a good time together'. The guests' wish is his command, though he cannot resist pointing out the cosiest bars and tastiest kitchens in this sailing paradise.
Suggestions we were only too happy to follow after the first samples, as he knows his sailing area extremely well in that respect too.

Conclusion:
Moana Yachtcharter is a real insider tip for sailors seeking an individual sailing experience.
In a self-determined, balanced mixture of sporting challenge and relaxed enjoyment of life.

Thanks for the good time, Oliver.
And hopefully see you again soon.
Susanne and Peter

My husband and I were on the same trip as Jörg and another couple. We had a lovely week's sailing together, and we all got on very well from the start.
Oliver—the skipper—is very competent and he has a calm manner; he explains and optimises until everything is as he sees fit. I always felt safe. Oliver says he has been sailing with the Moana for more than 15 years and has continuously improved her, and also keeps the equipment on board in working order and constantly tries to bring it up to date, so the Moana is still fit for offshore sailing.
He knows his Moana inside out. We too were very careful not to break anything and tried to stick to his rules.
We also slept very well, and it was great that everyone had their own bathroom.
Oliver is very experienced and was happy to share his tips with us, whether on sailing or on food. We were always well advised. Ashore we also had plenty of time.
La Graciosa is a special little island next to Lanzarote and there was something about having dinner with your feet in the sand.
He also knows Lanzarote very well and we got great tips from him for our further three days' holiday ashore.

We had actually booked a trip with another provider that could not take place.
As an alternative we were offered the trip on SY Moana from La Graciosa.
It should be noted that La Graciosa is a beautiful island near Lanzarote and is easily reached by ferry.
SY Moana lies not far from the ferry landing in the small harbour there.
The trip then set off on Sunday morning after a thorough safety briefing and introduction to the boat's particular features, round La Graciosa, and we reached the harbour again in the late afternoon.
During the week we went on towards Arrecife, Marina Puerto Calero and Marina Rubicon.
All in all it was a safe and lovely trip. You can learn a great deal from skipper Oliver and I felt in good hands. Highly recommended.

We had a dreamlike week aboard the Moana in the waters off Lanzarote. The yacht is spacious and in good condition. It is also nice that skipper Oliver as a rule fills a maximum of three cabins (all with their own bathroom).
The atmosphere on board is relaxed, as is the skipper. Oliver is very experienced and you feel safe at all times. The crew's wishes are gladly taken into account. Everything is possible, nothing is compulsory. And his restaurant tips made the trip a culinary highlight as well.
It was a great experience for my son and me to be out in this somewhat more challenging sea area and to be able to actively lend a hand.
Let's see where we meet again – in any case, I'll gladly return to Oliver on the Moana.

I was on the trip with Christian and his sons Alex and Jan.
There's nothing to add to Christian's account. It was an all-round brilliant week, with wind conditions that weren't entirely straightforward for landlubbers. But Oliver always had it under control.
This was my third time aboard with him and it certainly won't be the last.
I can recommend his trips without reservation.

For me it was the second trip on the Moana. On board were Reiner, who was sailing with Oliver for the third time, and my sons Jan and Alex. I wanted to show the lads how much fun sailing is.
So we set off on the Moana in plenty of wind and waves and had great fun.
Oliver's simply got what it takes – with him we felt safe and well looked after despite some rough conditions at times. We saw a lot and the lads got a realistic impression of sailing: not a pleasure cruise but proper action.
That's possible when the skipper knows the boat and has a feel for what the crew can handle. We started small: 3 hours' sailing off La Graciosa. Once it was clear no one was feeling seasick, we discussed how to continue. The following legs took us to Arrecife, Rubicon and Puerto Calero.
We also had the option of a day off sailing, when we explored Lanzarote with a hire car. Oliver's flexible about that too.
My verdict: any time again, and doable for beginners too!

A skipper who understands his craft to the highest degree. Oliver maintains his Moana and keeps her technically up to date. If you want to enjoy the advantage of owner and skipper in one, I recommend Oliver. Anyone who lends a hand will learn a great deal about the art of sailing, and anyone who asks will always receive a comprehensible answer.
If you want to soak up stories from around the world, listen to Oliver's tales. The Moana is spacious and comfortable, with plenty of room to stretch out and have fun. The Moana sails in a relaxed and easy manner. I had fun, joy and unforgettable experiences!

Jochen

This September the three of us were out for a week in La Graciosa and Lanzarote on the sailing yacht Moana with her skipper Oliver. The Moana and Oliver are a well-practised team who know each other inside out. You notice that, and you immediately feel very safe and welcome. As a 'high seas captain still in the starting blocks', despite various trips I was able to learn a great deal more about sailing and seamanship. The trip was packed with lots of sailing, pleasant temperatures and very good food. Oliver knows the right restaurants, in the right place at the right time 😉 The Moana is a sailing yacht that deserves her name. Superb sailing characteristics and loads of space on board. (Every cabin with its own bathroom – what more could you want...) All in all a wonderful week, in which we as a mixed group with and without much sailing experience completely got our money's worth.
We'll very gladly be back.

In June 2023, I spent a week on the Moana together with a friend.
We have been active sailors for several years.
Previously, we mostly hired yachts in the Netherlands and sailed in the IJsselmeer around the West Frisian Islands.
The aim of our trip to Lanzarote was to sail with an experienced sailor once, to improve our skills and learn. So we didn't want a pure relaxation trip but a sailing school. And that's what we got.
Oliver was a real stroke of luck for us, it couldn't have been better.
The chemistry was right from the first evening. We laughed a lot and had a fantastic time.
Oliver made a great effort, noticed where we struggled and gave us specific tasks and patiently answered all our questions (no matter how silly).
We received tremendous input in terms of sailing practice, but also legal matters. He challenged and supported us. We spent the evenings together as well. As a three-person team, we each had our own cabin. I would recommend that to people like us (over 1.90m and 110kg). Otherwise it gets too cosy! If I were booking with my wife, the cabin would be fine for two as well.
The Moana is in top condition, everything works, everything is there. There is a sun lounger on deck. I cooked on board twice. Cabins, toilets and saloon are clean and well maintained. The Moana runs like on rails and it's really fun even in strong winds and seas. Oliver is calm and competent, explains and optimises, so I always felt safe. When it comes to improving technique, as we wanted, work is constantly being done on the boat's optimal performance. Otherwise I agree with the comments here. We'd love to come back! Christian Vennemann

Dear Oliver,
Thank you once again for the wonderful sailing week at the beginning of this month. I can only recommend this to everyone
who is interested in a trip on the Moana. The Moana is a good, safe and well-maintained yacht. The sailing area and the islands are spectacular. Oliver is a skipper with decades of experience and a pleasant person who knows how to give his guests the feeling of safety at all times, even when the sea gets rough. I was in a group of 5 guests with little or no experience of sailing at sea. We had a good time with a good atmosphere and we all learned something as well. The trip is suitable for beginners and at night we go to one of the marinas on Lanzarote... and last but not least... the price is really fair!!
Best regards from Nuremberg.
Ansgar

Dear Olli, it's already a few weeks since we sailed around Lanzarote with you. Thank you for the wonderful time on the Moana, your patience in teaching us newcomers the sailing alphabet on deck and for the relaxed atmosphere on board. We felt safe and well looked after at all times and the Moana became our home away from home. Ahoy and always a hand's breadth of water under the keel, Paula and Julian

The week-long sailing trip around Lanzarote was the absolute highlight of my sailing career so far, the yacht Moana, a beautiful Beneteau 50, is superbly maintained and sails like a dream.
The equipment leaves nothing to be desired, I slept very well in my bunk and it was very comfortable inside and out.
The captain, our skipper is very experienced and masters every situation with great calm and care. Safety comes first, after the briefing we felt prepared for any eventuality. You could really get into the sailing and learn a lot or just relax and enjoy, whatever you preferred.
The culinary recommendations and great tips for activities on land were particularly brilliant, the skipper knows the area really well and always finds the perfect insider tip for everyone.
The atmosphere on board was great and even in strong winds and higher waves we always had a perfect time! Any time again!

Superbly organised skipper with an absolutely clean and high-quality equipped yacht.
Travel arrangements and trip planning went smoothly. Individual wishes (route/shore excursions etc.) are taken into account.
Best culinary recommendations.
Have already booked the trip for the second time and certainly not the last.