Where do I sit?
Two places, and most people use both. The bench across the stern under the canopy, and the open sunpad across the bow. People move between them through the day as the sun moves.
The boat · Technohull GT7 · Marina Gouvia
Your luxury RIB experience, aboard the Technohull GT7.
A fast, open 7.8-metre boat with a solid hull and an inflatable collar. Every cruise is private and skippered, with the boat reserved for your group. No cabin or saloon.
- 4.9 · 51 Google reviews
- Up to 7 guests, always private
- Skipper, fuel & taxes included
- Marina Gouvia, Corfu
- Free cancellation up to 5 days
What the Technohull means on the water.
The GT7 has a deep-V hull: its shape gives stability and a smooth ride in choppy conditions. For you, that means support through the waves on an open crossing. It does not make the sea flat. Your skipper chooses the route and pace for the conditions and your group.
Its pace makes full-day island routes such as Paxos, Sivota and the Diapontia possible from Gouvia. The crossing is part of the day, and every route still depends on the weather.
The boat is noisy, and long runs with the engines up are tiring. Expect wind and movement on an open deck. The four- to six-hour northeast cruises have frequent stops, giving you breaks between runs. Tell us how your group feels about open water before choosing a full day.
The luxury is in the service: one group at a time, a route planned with you, and Christos handling the navigation, anchoring and decisions on the water. Skipper, fuel, taxes, refreshments and water equipment are included. Restaurant meals and transfers are separate.
Before anything else
The three questions everybody asks.
Answered in photographs, before any of the writing.
Where is the shade?
Over the helm and the rear seating, and nowhere else. The bow is open sun on purpose. That is not a shortcoming - it is why the boat gives you a bright end and a shaded end, and in a Corfu August you will want both.
How do I get in and out of the water?
There is a teak bathing platform at the stern with stainless grab handles, and your skipper is there to help you back aboard. If anyone in your group is not a confident swimmer, or would find getting back in harder than the rest, tell us when you enquire and we will answer it specifically for them before you book.
A photograph, marked up
Where everything is.
One photograph of the actual boat from directly above, with the four places you will spend the day marked on it.
The bathing platform
The teak platform across the stern is where the day actually happens: where you go in from, where the snorkelling gear is handed down, and where the paddleboard and the sea scooter come off. Your skipper is there to help you back aboard.
The rear seating
Bench seating across the back of the boat, under the canopy. This is the shaded end, and it is the part people underestimate when they book and appreciate by the middle of the afternoon.
The helm
Where your skipper spends the day. You do not drive, and you do not need a licence. The seat beside him is a place to sit if you like watching where you are going.
The forward sunpad
A padded pad running across the bow, ahead of the console. The flattest, largest surface on the boat, fully open to the sun by design - the shade is at the other end.
Photographed aboard this boat
Part by part.
Not a wake and a slogan. The actual parts of the actual boat, photographed close enough to judge. The WC, the freshwater shower, the refrigerator and the life jackets are aboard too; those are described in words, here and in the specification below, rather than shown.
Where you sit
Two places, and most people use both through the day: the bench across the stern under the canopy, and the open pad across the bow. The canopy covers the helm and the rear seating. The bow is open sun by design.
The stern, and getting in and out of the water
Almost everything people book this boat for happens over the side of it. There is a teak bathing platform at the stern with stainless grab handles, and your skipper is there to help you back aboard. If a child, a nervous swimmer or anyone else in your group would find getting back in harder than the rest, tell us before you book and we will go through it with you.
The helm, and why it matters to you
Your skipper's end of the boat. You do not drive and you do not need a licence. What is worth seeing is that the boat is properly equipped for the open crossings, and that the seat beside him is a place to watch the coast as you travel.
Under way, and at rest
A rigid inflatable has a solid hull with a thick inflatable collar around the outside. This is an open deck, with a forward sunpad and rear seating beneath the canopy. On long crossings, up to seven guests are welcome; six fit comfortably.
The specification
The specification in full.
These are the figures we publish. The right-hand column is what each one actually means for your day.
| Specification | What it means on the day | |
|---|---|---|
| Vessel | Technohull GT7 | One boat, taking one group at a time. Not a fleet average, not a representative vessel. |
| Type | High-performance RIB | A solid hull with a thick inflatable collar around the outside. |
| Hull design | High-performance Deep V | The hull shape we credit for stability and a smooth ride in more demanding conditions. |
| Length | Approximately 7.8 metres | One open space, bow to stern. No cabin, no saloon, nowhere to shut a door. |
| Capacity | Up to 7 guests, plus your skipper | The price is for the boat. Two of you pay what seven would pay. |
| Shade | A central canopy over the helm and the rear seating | A shaded end and a bright end. The bow is open sun by design. |
| At the helm | Chartplotter, VHF radio, engine instruments | Proper navigation equipment, and a skipper whose job it is to use it. |
| Facilities | Onboard WC and a freshwater shower | The two things that decide whether a full day on the water is comfortable rather than endured. |
| Refreshments | Refrigerator — water, soft drinks, wine, fruit and snacks | Included, within reach of the rear seating. Not a bar list and not an extra. |
| Carried aboard | Snorkelling equipment, a stand-up paddleboard, a sea scooter | Standard on every cruise, for up to seven. |
| Sound | Sound system aboard | Music all day, and Wi-Fi. |
| Base | Marina Gouvia, Corfu | You leave from and return to the same pontoon. |
| Engines and speed | We do not publish figures | The engines are in the photographs above. We would rather you asked us than read a number we have not confirmed. |
| Getting back aboard | Your skipper is there to help you back aboard | Tell us in advance if anyone in your group would find that harder than the rest. |
Fitted to the boat
Equipment aboard.
What is fitted to the boat, as distinct from what is included in the price. Both lists are short and neither has an asterisk.
WC
Aboard, and the reason an eight-hour day is realistic.
Fresh water shower
To rinse the salt off before you head back.
Refrigerator
Within reach of the rear seating, kept cold all day.
Sound system
Music aboard throughout.
Sunshade
The central canopy, over the helm and the rear seating.
Relaxation areas
The forward sunpad and the rear bench — the bright end and the shaded end.
Our case for it
A private day, handled for you.
The boat is open. The service is personal.
A route planned with you
Your skipper shapes the day around your group and the sea conditions.
Time together
One group at a time, with the boat reserved for you throughout the cruise.
Included from the start
Skipper, fuel, taxes, drinks, fruit, snacks and water equipment are included in your group price.
The honest version
Is this boat right for your group?
The honest version, by who is actually coming. If your group is not described below, tell us who is and we will answer for them specifically.
A lot of room
Two of you
- The price does not change
- You pay the same total as a group of seven, so the boat is entirely yours.
- Both ends to yourselves
- The sunpad forward and the shaded bench aft, without negotiating for either.
The easy number
Four or five friends
- Everyone has a place
- The two-ends arrangement works without anyone taking turns.
- Your route, your order
- Stops and their order are planned with you rather than fixed by a timetable.
Worth a conversation
Six or seven adults
- Seven fit
- The boat carries up to seven guests plus your skipper, and a group of seven fits.
- Seven identical seats do not
- We will not pretend everyone gets the same seat in the same shade at the same moment. People move around and swap ends. Tell us your group and we will describe how it works for your party.
Tell us first
Children, or a nervous swimmer
- Child life jackets
- Child life jackets for all ages; an appropriate one is provided for every child aboard. There is no minimum age.
- Which length suits
- For children aged two to six, we recommend four to six hours. Non-swimmers must be declared in advance and do not enter the sea without a life jacket and supervision.
Parents remain responsible for their children during the trip. When you enquire, tell us how many children are coming and their ages, and we will answer for your group specifically.
Your skipper
Christos handles the boat. You do not.
Every cruise is run by Christos Batralis, Emerald’s skipper. He speaks English and German as well as Greek. He has over 5,000 hours at the wheel.
He handles the navigation, the anchoring and the weather for the whole day, and he is the person who will tell you honestly on the morning which bays are worth doing and which to leave for another day. You do not drive, you do not need a licence, and you do not need to think about the sea.
Included in your private price
More than the boat.
Everything below is part of the group price. You are not assembling a day out of extras.
Your skipper, Christos
Handles the boat and the navigation all day. Experienced, and speaks English and German as well as Greek.
Fuel and all taxes
Included in the price you see. There is no fuel surcharge and no hidden extra at the dock.
Drinks and refreshments
Water, soft drinks, wine, fruit and snacks are aboard and included.
Snorkelling equipment
Masks and snorkels for up to seven, ready at every swimming stop.
A stand-up paddleboard
Aboard as standard, for the quieter bays where you want to explore.
A sea scooter
Carried aboard. Use follows the conditions and your skipper’s guidance.
Onboard WC and freshwater shower
A full day on the water stays comfortable, and you can rinse the salt off before heading back.
Shade beneath the canopy
A central canopy over the helm and the seating behind it, and an open sunpad forward for whoever wants the sun.
A refrigerator aboard
Drinks and fruit stay cold from Gouvia to the last stop.
Music
Music aboard throughout the day.
Wi-Fi aboard
Useful for the photographs you will want to send before you are back on land.
A route agreed with you
Your stops and their order are planned with you, not fixed by a timetable.
Not included: towels (bring your own), restaurant meals, transfers and any special arrangements — these are agreed with you separately before booking. Stops and their order follow your agreed route, the available time and the conditions on the day.
Every cruise runs on this boat — six routes, one vessel, one skipper, and only the water changes.
Before you enquire
Questions about the boat
Is there a cabin, or anywhere to go indoors?
No. The Technohull GT7 is an open rigid inflatable — one deck, in the open air, from bow to stern. There is a canopy over the helm and the rear seating for shade, and an onboard WC, but there is no cabin, no saloon and nowhere below decks. If your group needs indoor space, this is not the right boat and we would say so before you book.
How do we get back on the boat after swimming?
Your skipper is there to help you back aboard. Rather than describe it in the abstract, tell us when you enquire if anyone in your group would find getting back aboard harder than the rest, and we will go through it with you properly. The exact arrangement is confirmed when you enquire. If anyone in your group is not a confident swimmer, is elderly, or has limited mobility, tell us their situation and we will answer it specifically for them rather than in general terms.
Is there a toilet on board?
Yes — there is an onboard WC, and a freshwater shower for rinsing the salt off after a swim. Between them they are the reason an eight-hour day on a boat this size is practical rather than something to endure.
Where does everyone sit, and does seven really fit?
There is bench seating across the stern, beneath the canopy, and a large padded sunpad across the bow in the open sun. The boat carries up to seven guests plus your skipper, and seven fits. What we will not claim is that seven people occupy seven identical shaded seats for eight hours — on a boat of this size people move between the two ends, swap places and take turns with the shade. If you are six or seven and want that described precisely for your group, ask when you enquire.
Is there shade, or are we in the sun all day?
There is a central canopy covering the helm and the rear seating. The forward sunpad is open to the sun on purpose. In practice the boat gives you a bright end and a shaded end and you move between them through the day. Bring a hat and sunscreen regardless — on the water the sun arrives from above and from the sea at the same time.
Are there life jackets, including for children?
Yes. There are life jackets for adults and child life jackets for every age, and each child gets one that fits. There is no minimum age. Tell us how many children are coming and their ages when you enquire.
How fast is it, and what engines does it have?
The boat gets you to clear water quickly — the northeast bays are close to the marina. We do not publish engine specifications, horsepower or speed figures here — an invented number would be worse than no number, and it is not what decides whether a day suits you. If it matters to you, ask when you enquire and it will be confirmed then. What we can say is that your skipper sets the speed to the sea and to the people aboard, not to a schedule.
If something about the boat is still unclear — the seating, the shade, the stern, how you get back aboard — ask before you decide anything. A question is not a booking.