Greece - Patras and Corinth Gulfs
Limnothalassa Mesolongíou (Mesolongi Lagoon) 25nm, 5hrs 30min, sailed (tacked)
Tuesday June 25 - Wednesday 26
Free anchorage
Tuesday June 25 - Wednesday 26
Free anchorage
This, let it be said, was a highly unpleasant sail even by the captain's standards! Predicted to be a 10kn headwind gusting to 20kns it was in fact mostly 25kns gusting to 35! It was too rough to motor into so we tacked. A lot of rolling and things falling to the floor, water through the hatches before we had time to close them, and all in all an uncomfortable time, all five and a half hours of it! Although we were happy to get into calmer waters entering the 3 mile channel into Mesolongi it was still blowing fiercely. We were relieved there was room to anchor so we didn't have to attempt berthing in those conditions!
Click images to enlarge
Click images to enlarge
Patras 20nm, 3hrs 30min, motored into a headwind
Wednesday June 26 - Friday 28
Old Harbour Pier, €52 for 2 nights (~AUD$83)
Wednesday June 26 - Friday 28
Old Harbour Pier, €52 for 2 nights (~AUD$83)
Dysfunction Junction!
We left Mesolongi super early to beat the strengthening wind, and though we were headed straight into it the ride was not as uncomfortable as yesterday given the waves were not as high. All was going according to plan we thought, until we arrived at Patras harbour and what Colin called 'Dysfunction Junction'. Apparently the visitor jetty at the marina was destroyed in the Medicane (Mediterranean hurricane) last year and so we were to be berthed in the old harbour. However, the guy sent to assist had NO IDEA how to. The usual procedure is to pull the slack out of the mooring line from shore so I can hook it from the water and get it on the bow cleat pronto before the wind catches the bow. However, this guy tried to pass me the end that ties the mooring line to the pier! Not only was it nearly impossible to get close enough to grab it but then I had to pull all the slack out of it myself whilst trying to get it to the bow. By this time the boat was blown sideways in the 25kn wind but the guy had hold of the stern line Colin had thrown him. We were both yelling at him to drop it before we smashed into not only the pier (which we missed by centimetres) but also the boat downwind of us. Finally he let go and we came around for another try. He just didn’t get it so I mimicked pulling the rope up. More, more, more I shouted, making the motions until he finally pulled some of the slack out and I was able to grab the mooring line with the boat hook. I had it on the cleat but needed to tighten it so I asked Colin to use the bow thruster, which immediately sucked in the thin connecting rope. Colin was in the water to check it before you could say knife, and then he said knife. I didn't dare look at the pier guy while I handed our yachting knife down to Colin. Meanwhile the downwind boat wanted help, so while Colin was waiting for me to take the line from him in the water so he could reconnect it the pier guy was asking me to take the other stern line, and everyone was getting a bit stressed, most of all me! And in the middle of all that the boat upwind of us decided they had to leave right that minute but they couldn’t release their bow line so they drifted onto us unable to get away. Lots of fending off ensued. Mooring up, it’s an excitement I could easily live without, and it can so easily go wrong if people don’t know what they’re doing. Of two boats that moored after us one had a fiasco like ours and the other was a breeze as Colin helped them instead of the pier guy, who incidentally was nowhere to be found. I’m not blaming him, he's obviously never been shown what to do. We don’t even know where he came from. Most boat traffic goes either to the marina (local boats) or the new harbour further south. Maybe that’s where all the trained staff are.
I regained my calm with a swim in the fantastically freezing water in the harbour. It looked clean enough. I then further regained my composure with a nap.
The next fiasco at dysfunction junction was with the Port Police. We walked to the nearby Port Authority office where we were directed to an 'inside' office. Here a man told us we had to go to the office at the New Harbour 3km south. I asked if they were open all hours and was then directed to ask a man in an office even further inside (behind a closed door I hadn't even noticed, and probably the one we were meant to go to in the first place). This man looked at our papers then picked up the phone and started shouting. Then he made another call and shouted louder. Then he shouted at the other men in the front offices. Then he went to another back office and shouted further. We don't know what went down but he asked us to wait 10 minutes. The first man we spoke to must have realised we might have been somewhat intimidated/traumatised by all the shouting and came in to say everything was fine and would we like some cold water. Anyway, after a while a man arrived in a car and took Colin to the Marina (he only had room for one passenger) where he got everything sorted out. All this for a stamp in the transit log! This was actually a courtesy Mr Shouty Pants had done for us as he said it was too hot to walk and the building at the marina was very hard to find. Sweet Mr Shouty Pants.
The heat was sweltering so I spent the afternoon in and out of the water, then we ate in town and found a fabulous “Sweet Shop” where we sat in air conditioning and ate ice-cream. They make an amazing dark chocolate ice-cream in Greece. Divine!
Heatwave in Europe!
To beat the heat we set off early(ish) on Thursday, walking up the main street lined with designer boutiques then climbing the 192 steps to the upper town and the Castle of Patras. Spectacular views and lots of Roman remains just lying about.
Leaving the castle we passed a man walking his dog, a big fat labrador who decided to follow me after I said hello. The man just raised his arms in the air as if to say “What can I do?” as I let the lab smell my hand.
Passing by the Pantokratoros Church we stopped in for a look and a rather agitated man showed me where to put my money when I asked to light a candle. He wandered up to the alter wringing his hands as I said a silent prayer, then I left. When I turned to look back he was watching from the door, which he then promptly closed. It reminded me of Riff Raff in the scene at the church in Rocky Horror Picture Show!
Still not quite hot enough we found our way to the Roman Odeon where they were setting up for a band. Built during the rule of Emperor Augustus at the turn of the 1st century AD, the Odeon was connected to Patras’ Roman Forum and was actually built some time before the Odeon in Athens. We then made our way through a funky part of town and stopped for sustenance at a bakery before tackling the Cosmote internet shop. I saw a pigeon hop right up onto the glass counter before being shoed away. Cheeky things.
Being strategic in our shopping quest we picked up meat and fish before heading back to the boat. The lady at the butcher shop asked where we were from and told us the story of how she was born in Sydney and her father and grandfather opened a fish and chip shop there in 1966. They eventually all returned to Greece and started the butcher shop. The men are since deceased, but her mother and her have taken on the business. They were delightful and chatted away telling us their produce was top quality, of which we had no doubt, and we told them we always try to buy from the local shops rather than supermarkets. They thanked us for this.
Back at the boat we were revived by the icy cold waters as we swam around the boat. Our french neighbours had left. Later we visited the The Agios Andreas Cathedral. This vast basilica, started in 1908 but not consecrated until 1974 because of the tumultuous events of the 20th century, is the largest church in Greece and the third largest Orthodox edifice in the Balkans. The church is a pilgrimage site for Christians the world over as it contains the purported relics of St Andrew, one of the 12 Apostles. I think we intercepted a pilgrimage in fact, either that or just loads of tourists making their way across the road from their tour buses to the church.
Wandering back we picked up some provisions and headed back to the boat to cool off before going into town for dinner. The main street that runs parallel to the waterfront is cut off to car traffic and we wandered the cafe strip soaking up the Patras vibe. The street was humming and I loved seeing groups of people gathered around coffees in the late afternoon/evening instead of beer! Unheard of at home, especially groups of men. To eat we went back up to the funky part of town we'd passed through earlier and found a great looking, perfectly situated restaurant. It turned out to be a little odd though in that it played the same song on repeat the whole time we were there, and Colin's meal came out about half an hour after mine. Now I'm a very slow eater and usually finish long after Colin, but I beat him that night, and I took breaks!
We really loved Patras. The Cruising Guide said it grows on you and it certainly did, especially as we discovered groovy pockets of the city here and there. The mooring wasn't great as we got bounced around a fair bit, but that's not unusual when you can't swing with the wind.
Photos by Nic and Colin. Click images to enlarge
We left Mesolongi super early to beat the strengthening wind, and though we were headed straight into it the ride was not as uncomfortable as yesterday given the waves were not as high. All was going according to plan we thought, until we arrived at Patras harbour and what Colin called 'Dysfunction Junction'. Apparently the visitor jetty at the marina was destroyed in the Medicane (Mediterranean hurricane) last year and so we were to be berthed in the old harbour. However, the guy sent to assist had NO IDEA how to. The usual procedure is to pull the slack out of the mooring line from shore so I can hook it from the water and get it on the bow cleat pronto before the wind catches the bow. However, this guy tried to pass me the end that ties the mooring line to the pier! Not only was it nearly impossible to get close enough to grab it but then I had to pull all the slack out of it myself whilst trying to get it to the bow. By this time the boat was blown sideways in the 25kn wind but the guy had hold of the stern line Colin had thrown him. We were both yelling at him to drop it before we smashed into not only the pier (which we missed by centimetres) but also the boat downwind of us. Finally he let go and we came around for another try. He just didn’t get it so I mimicked pulling the rope up. More, more, more I shouted, making the motions until he finally pulled some of the slack out and I was able to grab the mooring line with the boat hook. I had it on the cleat but needed to tighten it so I asked Colin to use the bow thruster, which immediately sucked in the thin connecting rope. Colin was in the water to check it before you could say knife, and then he said knife. I didn't dare look at the pier guy while I handed our yachting knife down to Colin. Meanwhile the downwind boat wanted help, so while Colin was waiting for me to take the line from him in the water so he could reconnect it the pier guy was asking me to take the other stern line, and everyone was getting a bit stressed, most of all me! And in the middle of all that the boat upwind of us decided they had to leave right that minute but they couldn’t release their bow line so they drifted onto us unable to get away. Lots of fending off ensued. Mooring up, it’s an excitement I could easily live without, and it can so easily go wrong if people don’t know what they’re doing. Of two boats that moored after us one had a fiasco like ours and the other was a breeze as Colin helped them instead of the pier guy, who incidentally was nowhere to be found. I’m not blaming him, he's obviously never been shown what to do. We don’t even know where he came from. Most boat traffic goes either to the marina (local boats) or the new harbour further south. Maybe that’s where all the trained staff are.
I regained my calm with a swim in the fantastically freezing water in the harbour. It looked clean enough. I then further regained my composure with a nap.
The next fiasco at dysfunction junction was with the Port Police. We walked to the nearby Port Authority office where we were directed to an 'inside' office. Here a man told us we had to go to the office at the New Harbour 3km south. I asked if they were open all hours and was then directed to ask a man in an office even further inside (behind a closed door I hadn't even noticed, and probably the one we were meant to go to in the first place). This man looked at our papers then picked up the phone and started shouting. Then he made another call and shouted louder. Then he shouted at the other men in the front offices. Then he went to another back office and shouted further. We don't know what went down but he asked us to wait 10 minutes. The first man we spoke to must have realised we might have been somewhat intimidated/traumatised by all the shouting and came in to say everything was fine and would we like some cold water. Anyway, after a while a man arrived in a car and took Colin to the Marina (he only had room for one passenger) where he got everything sorted out. All this for a stamp in the transit log! This was actually a courtesy Mr Shouty Pants had done for us as he said it was too hot to walk and the building at the marina was very hard to find. Sweet Mr Shouty Pants.
The heat was sweltering so I spent the afternoon in and out of the water, then we ate in town and found a fabulous “Sweet Shop” where we sat in air conditioning and ate ice-cream. They make an amazing dark chocolate ice-cream in Greece. Divine!
Heatwave in Europe!
To beat the heat we set off early(ish) on Thursday, walking up the main street lined with designer boutiques then climbing the 192 steps to the upper town and the Castle of Patras. Spectacular views and lots of Roman remains just lying about.
Leaving the castle we passed a man walking his dog, a big fat labrador who decided to follow me after I said hello. The man just raised his arms in the air as if to say “What can I do?” as I let the lab smell my hand.
Passing by the Pantokratoros Church we stopped in for a look and a rather agitated man showed me where to put my money when I asked to light a candle. He wandered up to the alter wringing his hands as I said a silent prayer, then I left. When I turned to look back he was watching from the door, which he then promptly closed. It reminded me of Riff Raff in the scene at the church in Rocky Horror Picture Show!
Still not quite hot enough we found our way to the Roman Odeon where they were setting up for a band. Built during the rule of Emperor Augustus at the turn of the 1st century AD, the Odeon was connected to Patras’ Roman Forum and was actually built some time before the Odeon in Athens. We then made our way through a funky part of town and stopped for sustenance at a bakery before tackling the Cosmote internet shop. I saw a pigeon hop right up onto the glass counter before being shoed away. Cheeky things.
Being strategic in our shopping quest we picked up meat and fish before heading back to the boat. The lady at the butcher shop asked where we were from and told us the story of how she was born in Sydney and her father and grandfather opened a fish and chip shop there in 1966. They eventually all returned to Greece and started the butcher shop. The men are since deceased, but her mother and her have taken on the business. They were delightful and chatted away telling us their produce was top quality, of which we had no doubt, and we told them we always try to buy from the local shops rather than supermarkets. They thanked us for this.
Back at the boat we were revived by the icy cold waters as we swam around the boat. Our french neighbours had left. Later we visited the The Agios Andreas Cathedral. This vast basilica, started in 1908 but not consecrated until 1974 because of the tumultuous events of the 20th century, is the largest church in Greece and the third largest Orthodox edifice in the Balkans. The church is a pilgrimage site for Christians the world over as it contains the purported relics of St Andrew, one of the 12 Apostles. I think we intercepted a pilgrimage in fact, either that or just loads of tourists making their way across the road from their tour buses to the church.
Wandering back we picked up some provisions and headed back to the boat to cool off before going into town for dinner. The main street that runs parallel to the waterfront is cut off to car traffic and we wandered the cafe strip soaking up the Patras vibe. The street was humming and I loved seeing groups of people gathered around coffees in the late afternoon/evening instead of beer! Unheard of at home, especially groups of men. To eat we went back up to the funky part of town we'd passed through earlier and found a great looking, perfectly situated restaurant. It turned out to be a little odd though in that it played the same song on repeat the whole time we were there, and Colin's meal came out about half an hour after mine. Now I'm a very slow eater and usually finish long after Colin, but I beat him that night, and I took breaks!
We really loved Patras. The Cruising Guide said it grows on you and it certainly did, especially as we discovered groovy pockets of the city here and there. The mooring wasn't great as we got bounced around a fair bit, but that's not unusual when you can't swing with the wind.
Photos by Nic and Colin. Click images to enlarge
Nisís Trizónia 21nm, 3hrs45min, motored
Friday June 28 - Tuesday July 2
Free anchorage
Friday June 28 - Tuesday July 2
Free anchorage
With a reasonable distance to cover and a fear of building winds we headed off from Patras around 0745hrs. After radioing ahead for permission we passed under the Rio-Antirrio Bridge and I took LOTS of photos, most of which I have posted below for your viewing pleasure. It's a nice looking bridge after all.
Arriving in Trizónia around 1130hrs after a painless motor we were pleased to find plenty of room to anchor. A friend had recently tried and found the place full to overflowing. We dropped the pick near the jetty and jumped into the ocean, so happy to be swinging free again and able to dip in and out of the clean water at will. I took a swim before bed and was enchanted once again by the bioluminescence lighting up my arms and legs as I moved, my feet kicking off showers of sparks below me. Magical stuff!
Saturday I managed a morning wake up swim before the wind picked up. As it built throughout the morning we contemplated moving into the marina but I didn't like our chances of doing that without incident, so we anchored out in the middle of the bay, further from shore. The other boats had gone so we were able to plonk ourselves right in the middle. It took three drops but the anchor finally held and we let out 40m of chain in 6m of water, just to be sure. We popped into the small town in the evening and were delighted to see a wedding party arriving, and eventually the groom party walk along the waterfront to the church, followed by the bridal party a short(ish) while later. Gorgeous!
We've been having guests for dinner - the European wasp. I love watching them chisel out a piece of meat half their body weight and take off with it. Clever little wasps. They're quite partial to BBQ chicken it would appear.
For bridge enthusiasts:
Spanning the western end of the Gulf of Corinth between Peloponnese and Western Mainland Greece, the Rio-Antirrio Bridge is among the world’s longest multi-span cable-stayed bridges, and at 2,880 metres is also definitively the longest bridge of its kind in the world to be fully suspended.
The bridge opened in August 2004 and crosses not far from Patras to the town of Antirrio on the mainland, overcoming both the gulf’s deep water and the constant seismic activity in the region.
The bridge has more than 100 sensors, measuring anything from seismic tremors to the deck’s thermal expansion.
Before this structure was completed the only way across was by ferry, and by road the Isthmus of Corinth 130 kilometres to the east added hours to journey times.
Only two bridges in the world have longer cable-stayed decks: China’s Jiaxing-Shaoxing Sea Bridge and the Millau Viaduct in France.
Click images to enlarge
Arriving in Trizónia around 1130hrs after a painless motor we were pleased to find plenty of room to anchor. A friend had recently tried and found the place full to overflowing. We dropped the pick near the jetty and jumped into the ocean, so happy to be swinging free again and able to dip in and out of the clean water at will. I took a swim before bed and was enchanted once again by the bioluminescence lighting up my arms and legs as I moved, my feet kicking off showers of sparks below me. Magical stuff!
Saturday I managed a morning wake up swim before the wind picked up. As it built throughout the morning we contemplated moving into the marina but I didn't like our chances of doing that without incident, so we anchored out in the middle of the bay, further from shore. The other boats had gone so we were able to plonk ourselves right in the middle. It took three drops but the anchor finally held and we let out 40m of chain in 6m of water, just to be sure. We popped into the small town in the evening and were delighted to see a wedding party arriving, and eventually the groom party walk along the waterfront to the church, followed by the bridal party a short(ish) while later. Gorgeous!
We've been having guests for dinner - the European wasp. I love watching them chisel out a piece of meat half their body weight and take off with it. Clever little wasps. They're quite partial to BBQ chicken it would appear.
For bridge enthusiasts:
Spanning the western end of the Gulf of Corinth between Peloponnese and Western Mainland Greece, the Rio-Antirrio Bridge is among the world’s longest multi-span cable-stayed bridges, and at 2,880 metres is also definitively the longest bridge of its kind in the world to be fully suspended.
The bridge opened in August 2004 and crosses not far from Patras to the town of Antirrio on the mainland, overcoming both the gulf’s deep water and the constant seismic activity in the region.
The bridge has more than 100 sensors, measuring anything from seismic tremors to the deck’s thermal expansion.
Before this structure was completed the only way across was by ferry, and by road the Isthmus of Corinth 130 kilometres to the east added hours to journey times.
Only two bridges in the world have longer cable-stayed decks: China’s Jiaxing-Shaoxing Sea Bridge and the Millau Viaduct in France.
Click images to enlarge
Corinth Canal West Entrance 49nm, 10hrs 45min, mostly sailed
Tuesday July 3 - Wednesday 3
Free anchorage
Tuesday July 3 - Wednesday 3
Free anchorage
Tuesday evening we anchored just outside the western entrance to the canal and listened to the canal zone authorities on channel 11. We got an idea for how things worked and Wednesday morning Colin was up before the crack of dawn calling in. Luckily we didn't have to wait long to start our pass through the canal. One boat waited over two hours the previous night until the boats coming from the east end had completed their passage. What a stunning feat of engineering! At the other end we were asked by the canal authorities to stop. It seems the €100 we paid an agent to be able to pass straight through was for nought as the receipt of payment had not reached the zone authorities. It didn't take long to moor up and prove payment but that was not the point! To our surprise a polite but strongly worded letter netted a refund of the €100! You'll never know if you don't ask.
A funny thing happened whilst mooring up. I jumped off the boat and tied the stern rope to a bollard and joking said to Colin "Is that your shoe?". There sat a Croc sandal next to the bollard that looked about the same size and colour as Colin's. Turns out it was his! He said it must have got caught in the stern rope as he tossed it. Lucky landing!
For canal enthusiasts:
The Corinth Canal cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland. It is 6.4 kilometres (4 mi) in length and only 21.4 metres (70 ft) wide at its base, making it impassable for most modern ships. Nowadays it has little economic importance and is mainly a tourist attraction.
The canal was initially proposed in classical times and a failed effort was made to build it in the 1st century AD. Construction started in 1881 but was hampered by geological and financial problems that bankrupted the original builders. It was completed in 1893 but, due to the canal's narrowness, navigational problems and periodic closures to repair landslides from its steep walls, it failed to attract the level of traffic expected by its operators.
Several rulers of antiquity dreamed of digging a cutting through the isthmus:
- The tyrant Periander in the 7th century BC who abandoned the project and instead constructed a simpler and less costly overland portage road along which ships could be towed from one side of the isthmus to the other.
- The Diadoch Demetrius Poliorcetes (336–283 BC) who dropped the plan after his surveyors, miscalculating the levels of the adjacent seas, feared heavy floods.
- The Roman dictator Julius Caesar considered digging a canal through the isthmus but was assassinated before he could begin the project.
- Caligula, the third Roman Emperor, commissioned a study in 40 AD from Egyptian experts who claimed incorrectly that the Corinthian Gulf was higher than the Saronic Gulf, and that if a canal were dug the island of Aegina would be inundated. Caligula's interest in the idea got no further as he too was assassinated before making any progress.
- The emperor Nero was the first to attempt to construct the canal, personally breaking the ground with a pickaxe and removing the first basket-load of soil in 67 AD, but the project was abandoned when he died shortly afterwards.
- The Greek philosopher and Roman senator Herodes Atticus is known to have considered digging a canal in the 2nd century AD, but did not get a project under way. The Venetians also considered it in 1687 after their conquest of the Peloponnese but likewise did not initiate a project
The idea of a canal was revived after Greece gained formal independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830 but numerous problems prevented its construction beginning until 1882.
Click images to enlarge
A funny thing happened whilst mooring up. I jumped off the boat and tied the stern rope to a bollard and joking said to Colin "Is that your shoe?". There sat a Croc sandal next to the bollard that looked about the same size and colour as Colin's. Turns out it was his! He said it must have got caught in the stern rope as he tossed it. Lucky landing!
For canal enthusiasts:
The Corinth Canal cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland. It is 6.4 kilometres (4 mi) in length and only 21.4 metres (70 ft) wide at its base, making it impassable for most modern ships. Nowadays it has little economic importance and is mainly a tourist attraction.
The canal was initially proposed in classical times and a failed effort was made to build it in the 1st century AD. Construction started in 1881 but was hampered by geological and financial problems that bankrupted the original builders. It was completed in 1893 but, due to the canal's narrowness, navigational problems and periodic closures to repair landslides from its steep walls, it failed to attract the level of traffic expected by its operators.
Several rulers of antiquity dreamed of digging a cutting through the isthmus:
- The tyrant Periander in the 7th century BC who abandoned the project and instead constructed a simpler and less costly overland portage road along which ships could be towed from one side of the isthmus to the other.
- The Diadoch Demetrius Poliorcetes (336–283 BC) who dropped the plan after his surveyors, miscalculating the levels of the adjacent seas, feared heavy floods.
- The Roman dictator Julius Caesar considered digging a canal through the isthmus but was assassinated before he could begin the project.
- Caligula, the third Roman Emperor, commissioned a study in 40 AD from Egyptian experts who claimed incorrectly that the Corinthian Gulf was higher than the Saronic Gulf, and that if a canal were dug the island of Aegina would be inundated. Caligula's interest in the idea got no further as he too was assassinated before making any progress.
- The emperor Nero was the first to attempt to construct the canal, personally breaking the ground with a pickaxe and removing the first basket-load of soil in 67 AD, but the project was abandoned when he died shortly afterwards.
- The Greek philosopher and Roman senator Herodes Atticus is known to have considered digging a canal in the 2nd century AD, but did not get a project under way. The Venetians also considered it in 1687 after their conquest of the Peloponnese but likewise did not initiate a project
The idea of a canal was revived after Greece gained formal independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830 but numerous problems prevented its construction beginning until 1882.
Click images to enlarge