Crews Letter #2004 03 The Aegean and Saronic Seas

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Rule Number 1: Never sail by schedule; only sail by weather.

Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen:

We are sailing.

The recommissioning is complete for another year.

The planned “Shakedown” was cancelled for bad weather. 30 – 40 knot winds and rain are not the right conditions for verifying that the rigging is correctly rove and functional. So, we will shakedown along the way, conditions permitting.

The checkout from Turkey was more painful than expected. Many of the people of Yat Marine Marina, Anker, and other yachties acted as if we were permanent fixtures and not permitted to leave. Saying “good byes” is painful. Telling them we did not plan to come back until the fall of 2005 even worse. How quick we grow roots.

The objective was now to cross the Aegean, Saronic, Gulf of Corinth and Ionian, and to be in Corfu by the end of May. Along the way, there was time for new sights and new experiences.

For those of you who have followed our journeys during the previous three years, you know that the theme for the year is seldom obvious at the start of the season. The web site has forced us to admit this. On the various pages where the year appears, the theme is currently “To Be Determined”. Until the theme finds us, it will have to remain unknown.

The first two legs were paths we had traveled several times before: Marmaris to Ay Marina on Symi and Symi to Kos Marina on Kos. Ay Marina is not a marina. Literal translation: Holy Mary. The anchorage is a small bay protected by an even smaller island. On the island is a monastery dedicated to Ay Marina. On the other hand, the Kos Marina is one of the best equipped and operated marinas that we have found.

Our first night in Kos, a gale blew through. Before, when we have been at this marina the meltem, strong summer north winds, were in full swing. The marina pilot warned us of a gale from the south as we tied up. This gale with strong south winds was a real test. This really is a good marina. The next day we cleared Greek customs, immigration and port authorities. This year, Fred is taking the chicken way out and hiring an agent. For just a few euros more, you can let someone who speaks the language, has a car go from place to place to place in the right order and navigate the confusion of bureaucracy. The relief is it gets done. The agent in Turkey was the painless part of checking out. The agent in Greece provided a painless entry.

We did some provisioning and revisited a favorite grill house. Greek food is as good as we remembered.

A check of the weather forecast put the next day on hold as well. “Waiting for Weather” is the theme song for cruising this time of year in the Aegean.

From Kos we had three good days: Levitha, Appollion on Naxos and then Ermoupolis on Siros. Appollion is a small town and harbor on the northeast corner of Naxos. Perception was the only boat anchored in the bay. We were there on Sunday morning. The call to worship was church bells and the service was the Greek Orthodox equivalent of a choral Eucharist. The priests had superb voices. The quality of the music was concert level. The Holy Spirit was evident. Even though we didn’t understand a word of the service, there was no misunderstanding.

In Ermoupolis we are again pinned down by weather. In the cruising guide, there is a marina in Ermoupolis that is scheduled to be completed in 1999. Completed, yes; operational, no.

To hear the Brits tell it, there is a lot of profit to be made by taking EU money and building stuff in Greece. Construction costs are low and EU grants are large. Operating a marina on the other hand is work intensive and is a get paid as you go situation. We have seen several well built, not yet operational, marinas in Greece. The one in Ermoupolis is just one more example: “To be completed in 1999”.

We stayed in that marina for 2 days and 3 nights. Open to the east wind but well protected from the waves and swell. Ermoupolis is a very busy ferry port and the wash from ferries is a threat on the town quay day and night. The first day winds were predicted from the east then northeast in force 6 and 7. If you don’t remember your Beaufort scale, click here. They held east 5 and 6 during the day with some rain but found the 7 that night. The morning of the second day they started to move north and stayed in the 6 and 7 range until 2200.

From Ermoupolis, we sailed to Loutra on Kythnos, Perdika on Aegina, Aegina town and then the Corinth Canal. Loutra was a real joy. The town harbor has been improved as we were told to accommodate yachts in a secure way. There was a tangle in the anchor locker as we set our anchor and backed up to the quay. After Perception was secure, Fred unloaded the locker by handing the chain overboard. After that it was a matter of putting the extra anchors where they belong and then lifting the chain out of the sea and back into the locker. It was good exercise. When completed, he and Phyl went for a walk to find a beer. What they found was a beer, Yannis, the proprietor of The Yachting Club, and a lamb on a spit roasting over coals. There was the promise of Internet access as well. They drank their beer and booked their evening meal.

The dinner was excellent. A really good Greek salad, roast lamb and fries. Where do they get garden ripened, real tomatoes, this time of year? The Internet access fell short. The system administrator and Norton Symantic were struggling with a virus and the virus was winning.

On the trip from Loutra to Perdikas, we had two major events: the log turned 5,000 miles and we saw a submarine. The log is an electromechanical device that reports speed and distance through the water. Since we started sailing Perception in July, 2001, we have logged 5,000 miles.

Only a 0.1 mile after we celebrated the log event, Phyl noted that a sailboat on our starboard beam had two much wake. Closer observation revealed that she was a submarine traveling with all but the tower submerged. She passed 1.5 miles to our stern.

Perdika holds a special significance for us. In 1998 when we joined a charter organized by friends from Dallas, our last night afloat was in Perdika. In 2000 when we came to Greece to evaluate a boat that we might buy our last night afloat was in Perdika. We are happy to report that Perdika was several nights past at the time of this posting, we and Perception are still afloat.

The Corinth canal is amazing. A simple ditch: 88 metres deep, 8 of them are underwater, 25 metres wide and 6,000 metres (3.2 miles) long. First started by the Greeks, Emperor Nero was the first to take the task seriously and apply significant resources. With little progress he lost interest in the project and put his efforts elsewhere. After liberation from Ottoman Empire, the Greek government renewed the effort in 1882. It was completed in 1893 and opened to navigation. It has been closed only twice. Both times were during World War II. First by the retreating British army. They blew up the only bridge across it. The Germans rebuilt the bridge and then blew it up when they retreated. This canal is truly amazing. For pictures, click here.

Between Marmaris and the Corinth Canal, there are 265 miles as the Crow flies, 285 as the Albatross flies and Perception logged 332. Please remember, the Crow flies a straight line, the Albatross flies straight lines only over navigable water and Perception sails from harbor to harbor in one day increments.

Having reached the Gulf of Corinth, the travel mode changed to slow cruising and serious sightseeing. Here we should find the old city of Corinth, the Oracle of Delphi and who knows? Maybe the Oracle will tell us.

Ease the sheet, please,

Phyl & Fred

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