Peloponnese to Crete Aug 7'12

Hi All:

Today we are in eastern Crete, and as usual awaiting for the winds to ease so we can make the next island hop. The Meltimi has been is good form this summer blowing a constant NW 15 to 20 knots. I heard someone say it feels like he’s standing on the deck in front of a huge hair dryer which is turned on high.

Fortunately we have been sailing down wind since leaving the north part of the Aegean Sea. This has taken us down the west coast of the Aegean, inside a long straight by the Island of Evia, down past the east side of the Peloponnese and to Crete where we are now.

We have thoroughly enjoyed this area because the mainland has been mountains covered with evergreens and olive trees, This is a refreshing departure from the Greek islands which are basically rock, with scrub vegetation at best.

Evia Channel-Khalkis Bridge:

In order to escape the winds and inhospitable east shoreline of Evia, we opted to sail down through the Evia Channel – a very wide straight sided by large mountains. Half way down, the channel narrows to 39 meters at a bridge (Khalkis), where apparently it has been forded for over two thousand years. Because the town around the crossing is a major thoroughfare, this low level bridge is opened only once a day in the wee hours of the morning to minimize traffic disruption. Furthermore, unlike the rest of the Med, the bridge is tidal where the current passes under the bridge at around 7 knots. As a result, they only allow passage through at slack water. Our tidal tables, which have served us faithfully througout Europe, showed slack water at 12:30 pm. This timing we thought was very civilized, so we tied up at the town quay mid afternoon and prepared to wait. The quay is lined with tavernas, which are packed with vacationers ready to party. Which they did starting about seven pm and peaked about two am when the tavernas closed. We were still waiting. We finally got the call to transit the bridge at 3:30 am.

The cursed bridge

We have since inquired into the delay and have been told that the waters through the bridge are called “crazy waters” by the locals. Whereas you normally have two tides a day, here there have been as many as seven. The Port Police who operate the bridge will not (can not?) give you a time when passage may occur. They wait and watch to see when slack water is in effect. We had waited over 12 hours for a five minute transit.

Rumour has it is that Aristotle flung himself into the current in order to try and explain the complex tides and died in the process.

This bridge also carries a fee for passage. We were expecting to pay about 20 euros, which in itself is a little pricey. We were absolutely staggered when we were told 95 euros. Upon enquiry we learned that there is an obscure treaty in place since 2002 which applies only to this bridge. Apparently Canada and a couple of other countries (Albania, Peru and Brazil) have not signed. Hence there was a five times multiple levied on the non-signatories. Our first reaction was retreat, but after reconsidering the headwinds we’d be fighting going back, plus the inhospitable coastline we’d be passing and the 175 miles being added to our voyage, we reluctantly coughed up.

Although we were annoyed with this diplomatic nonsense, there was a good outcome to this. While waiting for the bridge an ex Canadian, now living in Khalkis, stopped at the boat. He tried to assist us in understanding the background and basis of this treaty and afterward was our host in touring the area for the next couple of days. The nonsense was quickly forgotten.

Heading south we visited a few harbours/marinas, but our preference is to anchor off. Since we were still in the shadow of Athens, these ports were crowded with charter boats, tripper boats and huge gin palaces.

Eastern Peloponnese – Hydra

This is one of those islands you don’t want to miss and at the same time you can’t wait to leave. Vehicles are prohibited and transport of choice is the donkey. The tiny natural harbour moors boats three deep and it is generally very hectic. Crossed anchors are a common occurrence. We had a brief visit, enjoyed the views and then left the crowds behind as we continued on our way.

The cramped harbour of Hydra



The only means of transport or haulage around Hydra



Monemvasia:

Three quarters of the way down the east coast of the Peloponnese is Monemvasisa, a rock island just off the mainland connected by a causeway.  Often called the Greek Gibraltar, the walled city on the island thrives and is constantly being rejuvenated. The medieval city had once withstood a three year siege.

Monemvasia from the rear

The medievia town on the other side of the island

The town square within the walls

The town

The town

While here we witnessed a 200 year old celebration of when the Greeks destroyed the dominant Turkish navy by sending fire ships amongst the anchored fleet. Each year they build a replica of a Turkish ship which is set on fire. Following a lengthy buildup, the replica was ignited. We didn’t realize beforehand but it was full of fireworks which went off vertically and horizontally passing though the fleet of boats anchored off to watch. It was quite the spectacle. Following the burning a second fireworks display occurred. All was quite an elaborate spectacle. Did somebody say there was a serious financial crunch occurring somewhere?

Attacking the Turkish vessel

End of the Turkish vessel

 Crete:

Still going south with the Meltimi winds we arrived on the western tip of Crete in Gramvousa. We anchored in the shadow of a mountain top castle, with waves breaking over a reef half a mile away. A more grand setting was hard to imagine. While sitting there for three days, we watched a herd of goats climb up and down a nearby sheer faced cliff, which we estimate to have been ten stories high. It would take them, young and old, an hour or more leaping from one tiny ledge to another. The anchorage is very desolate, but the peace was broken daily by the arrival of hundreds of tourists, who would climb to the fortress, have a swim and be gone before the next tour boat arrived.



Gramvousa-NWtip of Crete



  



Clouds over the mountain fortell strongt winds

 

 Since then we have port hopped along Crete’s north shore trying to negotiate the steady 20 knot wind. As we have remarked before, passing head lands or islands can be treacherous because of the katabtic winds swooping down the lea side. Winds will go from 10 knots to 40 in the blink of an eye. Many of the anchorages have lead to sleepless nights because apart from the anchorage funneling the winds, it also seems to increase around 3:00 am. Our cruising guide tells us not to visit any south port in Crete in the summer because of the katabatic wind effect. But in conversation with a local, where we remarked that we have seen so very few cruising boats along the north shore. His reply was that no one sails here in the summer, only fall and spring. It is much too windy in the summer.

Goat mountain climbing territory



Our tranquility is broken



We now have a deadline approaching, which we can’t miss. In 10 days we have to leave Greece (Schenigan Group) and check into Turkey, where we will again winter Two Moons. The Meltimi is supposed to ease towards September and we don’t have a long way to go, but the seas in this area are reported to be confused and violent so it could be a rough passage if it doesn’t start to abate soon. Never mind, we have a good supply of Stugeron (our sea sick pills of choice) aboard.

Next time we write we should hopefully be somewhere along Turkey’s south coast, where we hope to visit Cappadocia and grab a hot air balloon ride – but not if the Meltimi is still blowing.

Till then........cheers  Mike and Grace