Passage to Croatia May 16, 2011

Passage to Croatia May 16, 2011
We had planned to sail directly from Corfu to Croatia, bypassing Albania and Montenegro, given our limited time. The route covers 220 nautical miles and goes through the open Adriatic Sea, so we were watching the weather carefully. A south wind behind our back would be nice. Failing that, motoring in flat calm would be alright too. With a full complement of crews, we were determined to sail whenever there’s wind. The forecast called for a strong south wind Monday and then it will clock around to north-west at 15 knots and more. We were ready for a rough sail.

The fresh north wind never materialized and both wind and wave calmed down by night, and we motored, under a full moon that lit up the sea behind shades of clouds. We passed by the dark coast of Albania, near a charted area identified to be ‘mined’, left over from the previous wars; although we’ve been told that those mines have long been cleared, but you never know.



Sunset. Heavy rain clouds to the right.

Onto Corfu May 14

Corfu harbor

Corfu town square

Achilleion Palace, summer home of Empress Elizabeth of Austria

Onto Corfu May 14
Corfu is our last stop in Greece before heading to Croatia. We have been stopping overnight at sheltered anchorages, sailing 40 to 60 miles by day, and dropping anchor by late afternoon at the usual picture-perfect Greek islands. Typically there’s no wind in the morning, so it’s time for the iron-sail (engine). Wind comes up enough to sail by early afternoon, and then by 4:00PM the wind screams at 15-20 knots. This is a beautiful sailing area, sheltered from the open Adriatic by groups of islands with tall mountains, which contributes to the thermal wind that builds up in the afternoon.

Lakka Ormos (Ormos means ‘bay’) on Paxoi is one of these beautiful anchorages we dropped our ‘hook’. We were motoring against the prevailing north-west head wind at late-afternoon. Once we turned into the bay, the wind and waves completely stopped. We were greeted by a calm bay surrounded by olive-clad hills. You can see the white sand in the bottom through 10 meters of wonderfully clear, turquoise water. We anchored next to several other sailboats, and took our dinghy to shore to explore the village. To end the day, we enjoyed a delicious meal of curry chicken on the boat, under a full moon shining on the sparkling water.

We reached Corfu the next day and checked into a large marina, as we needed to go through customs and port procedures to check out of Greece. We rented a car to explore this popular island. Over the centuries Corfu had been under the control of the Corinthians, Byzantine, the Romans, the Venetians, the Turks, the French, the English, and then finally Greece. Today Corfu reflects many of these cultures and architecture. We had an enjoyable walk through Corfu old town. The temperature was still at the cool side at around 20C, but very comfortable to us Canadians. Greek women were walking around in jackets and high boots in this weather. Flowers were blooming, vibrant colors. The tourist season has not quite started yet, and it’s mostly local people milling about the streets on this Sunday afternoon. One could see fashionable young couples strolling through ancient alleys and parents pushing baby strollers through the city square, which faces a 500 year-old Venetian fortress with shop keepers trying to entice passer-bys, politely and not overly aggressive. I think I will stay here for a while.

Delphi May 10, 2011

Delphi May 10, 2011
From Corinth Canal we reached Galaxidi by late afternoon. During the morning the wind was calm, but by noon it began to pick up, and soon we were sailing at full speed in white-cap condition. With our two new crews on board, we were happily sailing with full sails and experimented with different sail configurations. Reefing and dousing sails is so much easier when you have help, especially from experienced sailors! We pulled into Galaxidi harbor after a great day of exhilarating sailing.



Ancient inscriptions on stones at Delphi




The wonderful setting of the Delphi temple

Crossing the Corinth Canal May 9, 2011

Crossing the Corinth Canal May 9, 2011

Our friends Matt and Inga joined up with us at Poros on the 6th. After some sightseeing on the island, we were ready to continue with our trip. The next major point of interest was Corinth Canal. Providing a short cut between the Korinthiakos and the Saronic gulfs, the canal stretches 4 miles long and 60 ft wide, and was built in 1883. Cutting a narrow slice through vertical limestone cliffs, it is one of the most impressive canals in the world. On a per mile basis it is also one of the most expensive canals to cross.






Docking at the Canal entrance. A freighter went by.






A group picture. The lady on the left, Brenda, is from the boat docking next to us.

Hydra – one of the Saronic islands May 5, 2011

The 'Flying Dolpin' goes at about 25 knots...somewhat faster than our sailboat.

Hydra has no private vehicles. Donkeys are it.

Cats everywhere!

Hydra harbor

This is spring time in Greece. Lovely flowers!

Donkeys are the work 'horse', hauling constrution material here.

Hydra – one of the Saronic islands May 5, 2011
According to one of the guidebooks, if you can see only one Saronic island, let it be Hydra. So of course, we MUST go. We could sail there on our boat, but it’s a small harbor and we were concerned that it may be full. We boarded a hydro-foil ferry instead, the Flying Dolphin XVIII, and 30 minutes later, we’re at Hydra. The small harbor, in crescent shape with two ends flanked by stout cannons, was crowded with wooden trawlers, passenger ships, water taxis and sailing yachts. Similar to Poros, first glimpse of the island was the white homes with orange clay roofs, and waterfront lined with restaurants, cafes, jewelry, boutiques and souvenir shops. What set Hydra apart from other islands is that there are no cars at all on the island. You either walk or commission a donkey ’taxi’ to see anything. So we walked. Once away from the dock, the narrow back alleys was eerily quiet. We walked through some long and hilly ways, saw some three-story high mansions, with the Saronic Golf in full view.

Hydra was picturesque, but after seeing Simi, Thira, Poros ….. not sure the island was all that ‘impossibly picturesque’. The town at one point was home and retreat of many Greek artists. We therefore came with high expectations, and we must have been one of the few unfortunate ones that did not encounter any of the creative genius at work. There were no art galleries, as described, in the back streets --- perhaps it’s not tourist season yet?!

Beautiful town of Poros May 3, 2011

The waterway approach to Poros



Beautiful town of Poros May 3, 2011
Considered as one of the most beautiful areas in Greece, Poros certainly lives up to its reputation. The town is situated on a small volcanic peninsula, on the shores of the mountainous Peloponnese. There are no shortages of well-protected anchorages in this stunning emerald-green body of water.

Poros is also known as a haven for yachties, and boats with international flags (mainly charter boats) can be seen tied up along the waterfront. Other than the regulars (GER, UK, FR, NTH), there are also sailors from Russia, Czech, Austria, Croatia, Lithuania, Chad …. very international indeed.



Eliza happily test riding the buggy


- A wonderful view from driving around the island


To explore the island, we rented a 4-wheel buggy and visited the Temple of Poseidon, saw the ruins left by Demosthenes, and the stunning view of the Saronic Gulf. Putt putt down the scenic coastline, passed the Askeli beach and we came upon the Monastery of Zoodochos Pigis, which was used as early as 200 C.E. Going along NW of the coastline, there were numerous coves and bays and the one that impressed us the most was the Russian Bay. A secluded bay that would fit several yachts, with crystal-clear emerald green water, bordered by a small sandy beach, it’s postcard-perfect. We ended our day of expedition with coffee and ice cream.




A picture-perfect anchorage called Russian Bay

Good Sailing

Anchorage at Kithnos

Good Sailing May 1, 2011

Taking advantage of an unusual South-East wind, we are sailing from Sifnos to Kithnos, a distance of about 40 nautical miles to the north. The wind started out directly behind us, at 15 knots. We flew the genoa only on the dead run. The waves started to build by mid morning, and we were happily surfing at over 7 knots, although this sailing direction requires a lot of attention at the helm. I experimented with the auto-pilot to see how it handles. Occasionally a wave pushes the stern off; the auto pilot over-corrects, and the boat goes too much into the leeward side, causing the genoa to flop around. And then the boat eventually gets back to the right direction, and the sail fills, with a huge ‘boom’. That’s not good. I set the course to 10 degree off, and everything worked a lot better. I really should set the whisker pole, which in the case of this boat is the spinnaker pole; but I am too leery to go to the foredeck to man-handle the huge pole in this pitching sea, so…those are the compromises.

By mid afternoon the wind has veered to a beam reach, and we are simply enjoying the ride, the boat sailing at 7 to 8 knots in 15 knots of wind. And then the late-afternoon fresh breeze arrives, gusts of 25, the boat complaints of getting overpowered and heads up into wind, so we reef in the genoa, ease the main, and arrive at our anchorage by 4:00PM. We have sailed the entire 40 miles, which is highly unusual. We drop anchor in a deserted bay called Ormos Apokriosis. The bay is sheltered on three sides by rocky cliffs, ringed by a small strip of sandy beach, a tavern, a chapel, and some shuttered houses overlooking the bay. A light breeze still comes in from the sea, but inside the bay the water is calm, except for the sound of the constant surfs rolling over the beach.