Mykonos was a very long sail. We knew it would be about 12 hours so we left before the sun was up. Upon arriving in Mykonos we went to the marina, not expected it to be busy mid-week and pre-season but we were turned away. We then determined our best bet would be to sail on to the next island, Tinos. From Tinos we could still visit Mykonos and it was only another 1.5 hours sail.
Although tired, we made way to Tinos and ended up on the eastern side of the harbor in a fairly uncomfortable spot. Wash from ferries goes in the harbor and we were against the wall. The concrete wall was covered in old tires which seemed nearly as hard as concrete. They made some very dark rings on the side of the boat which we knew were going to take some work to wash off. Nevertheless, we put lines ashore and settled in to eat and sleep.
While on facebook we shared some comments within a Med sailing group and met some people at the next restaurant who had been to Mykonos by ferry. They provided some great advice and we followed their lead the next day, taking the ferry and seeing scenic Mykonos for a few hours.
Mykonos is extraordinarily pretty, quite expensive, and has many, many tourist shops. We walked the town taking in the sights. A highlight was the bakery which has been there for several hundred years. The bread apparently is triple baked and the crust is made to absorb salt water so that the bread alone becomes a meal. It was certainly robust bread!
In Tinos we moved to a more convenient location that had power (but no water) and we stayed there comfortably for a few days. The town was very pretty, relaxed, and luckily we had a great supermarket nearby. We left on the Saturday morning to make our way to Kea, a few hours sail from Athens.
Kea was a great spot right on a quay with many taverns. There was a beach a few hundred meters away and we all cooled off with a relaxing swim. There was still no fresh water (potable) so we rationed what we had knowing we’d be in Athens soon.
Kea filled up with boats very quickly and we learned that as the night progressed, we were parked in the party district. The booming from the dance music beats went until around 3am. Tired and groggy we departed round 9am to make our way to Athens.
An interesting point about berthing in the Med. You typically berth “stern-to” which means you back in to the parking spot. The anchor is dropped a few 10s of meters in front of the boat and holds the front and you tie to the quay with lines at the back. As we were going into Kea, the harbor master said we needed to leave plenty of anchor line due to get the best holding further out so we had nearly 50 meters of rode (anchor chain) out. In the morning a boat appeared to be over top of our anchor. We waited and watched and figured that if the boat moved with the wind, we could likely get out. We then saw that the captain was on deck so with favourable boat position, captain’s awareness, and the right wind, we started to move. Sure enough the boat was almost on top of our anchor. We got within a few meters before we were free from the bottom. All was well but a bit tense as we were making sure we could leave without incident.
Sailing onwards to Athens the next morning was forecast to be uneventful. We got an unexpected beam wind (the best) and got out sails, turned off motor and were making great progress at 7 knots and more. We thought it was great until the wind kept growing and gusts kept getting stronger. We shortened sail to cope (and keep the boat from being overpowered) but eventually it was too much and we had some awkward times getting the sails in. Since we are relatively new to sailing and were heading for a channel between islands we wanted more predictable control so we returned to motor.
The forecast showed winds decreasing as we approached Athens however this was again eronous. We had much more wind than expected so we put out a scap of sail largely to stabilize the boat a bit and kept going under motor. It was a rough ride but mostly uneventful. Our crew felt a bit seasick but overall we made out fine.
Approaching Athens from the sea you really get a sense of a sprawling city. The buildings are largely low rise and roll over the hills on the approach. It can be a bit difficult to spot the marinas but we had a pilot guide which roughly described the approach and skyline. That combined with GPS on the plotter made it pretty routine. I really can’t imagine sailing without technology support. We’ve done all the courses and have paper maps. We practice at spotting things on shore just to supplement the tech but it would be difficult to have only paper.
Athens Marina was a welcome sight. We had to wait to dock while a super-yacht was berthing but were soon moored in and off to a very welcome shower – just in time before the thunderstorms began.
Athens
We wanted to be in Athens to ensure Margaret could make her flight to Canada. I need to digress about airlines. We bought return tickets when we went to Cyprus because it is cheaper than one way. We figured we just wouldn’t use the return part and change fees are so high that it was best to let them lapse and not use them (this is why airlines overbook because people like us have a better economic incentive not to show up).
There was one ticket of four that we could use and that was Margaret’s. However to use it she had to go to Cyprus to catch the flight, even though it stops in Athens on the return. So Margaret flew to Cyprus from Athens, a few hours later caught a flight from Cyprus back to Athens and then a few hours later a flight to Toronto. A flight from Athens to Cyprus was much, much cheaper than paying a change fee. I have to know, how it is possible that changing a booking costs less than just booking then taking a whole new flight?! Change fees are out of hand.
Ok there’s the rant. Now on to Athens.
We stayed at the Athens Marina for convenient access to transit, diesel, showers, and shelter from the winds. All those were available. The Marina had not much else to offer however. That said, Athens is a pretty cool city to visit.
Athens transit makes it easy to get around. If you’ve used Toronto transit, it is a bit similar – overcrowded and noisy but generally effective.
Margaret and Theo were both a bit under the weather – Theo with a cold and Margaret getting over being sea sick so Monday was a very low energy day. We went into Athens proper for a nice lunch and some light shopping in the flea market district. Margaret found an awesome leather jacket.
Before Margaret’s flight on Tuesday we went to the Parthenon. The kids missed this the last time because they wanted to swim at the hotel pool rather than site see. We braved the long ticket lines (40 min) to enter the site and walk to the top. I’m always blown away by the magnitude and magnificence of the build. The history of the build and destruction cycle is incredible.
To really understand the Parthenon one must visit the museum of the Acropolis nearby. You can see the history as well as original carvings from the structure that have been recovered. We went on Wednesday to see the museum after we bought some boat parts. I think I’m one of the few people who have walked through the museum carrying a boat fender.
We wanted to be in Athens while Margaret was in transit in case any issues surfaced. We stayed an extra day because Theo took a while to get over his cold. We used the time to thoroughly clean the boat in and out. Salt water really takes its toll on everything and we scrubbed a layer or two off to reveal a pretty nice boat underneath. Inside we did a very thorough cleaning of the heads (washrooms) and finally did a few buckets of laundry (literally soap and water in a bucket). These are the parts of cruising life that you will not find in the magazines. You can get laundry service in Athens Marina but it was 3Euro a kilo. Weigh your laundry sometime and see how much it would cost! I often wonder, but not for long, what the superyachts make of us sailors hanging our laundry on the boat lines.
At Athens Marina they have a helipad and we probably saw a half dozen delivery and pickups. We were told the one evening that pictures in the Marina were not allowed. We never did find out who the glitteratzi was that was picture shy.
Finally, we new it was time to move on. We set our sights on the Corinth Canal and set sail.
Corinth
We set off to the Corinth Canal which is a 6km stretch
It cost us around 235 Euro to pass through making the canal the most expensive per km in the world! It is a landmark place. First envisioned a couple thousand years ago when Corinths were dragging triremes over land, it actually didn’t get completed until the late 1800s. Repairs had to be made after WWII to make it serviceable. Now the canal is shut down to traffic every Tuesdayto repair the sides and dredge. At about 7 meters depth, it must get a lot of debris and silt going in.
Passing through was a special experience. In some places a wall has been constructed and other places, it is stone. There are 3 bridges overhead as you go through and tourists are looking down at the boats passing through. Birds nest in holes in the cliff. It is a narrow passage at 25 meters and we went through at around 5 knots as part of a parade of boats. The canal only permits traffic in one direction so you must wait your turn. We waited just over 3 hours for our passage through.
As a result of the wait we decided to stay in Corinth overnight which was not our plan. The habour there is OK but there is no power, no water, and it is at risk of swell. We were well stocked with water, have a generator, and the weather was forecast calm so we stayed and we were pleased we did.
Corinth has so much history to offer. As the birthplace of Tiremes (oared ships) it was a huge commercial enterprise and due to capability on water, an expanding society. They had trade across several islands all the way to Corfu and into the Agean as well. Ancient Corinth has been excavated since the 1930s and had one of the most fabulous ruins both Greek (temple of Apollo) and Roman. The magnitude of the site is awe inspiring. You can feel the city streets and shops around you as you wander down the main boulevard. Visiting these places I’m reminded that economics, entrepreneurship and ego have driven mankind for as long as we can trace recorded history.
Another contribution of the area is the Corinthian column. We saw samples of several
Protestants will know Corinth from the New Testament (first and second Cornithians) and the letters from St Paul. St Paul had a big influence in the area and many people visit the area to experience some of his footsteps.
We explored the museum and site for 1.5 hours (we had arranged a ride) and then went to the top of the mountain where a fortification with 2km of walls was built. We arrived to late to enter but it was impressive from the outside.
Corinth is a bit run down in places and more people approached us for money/support than in other places. One innovative woman struck up a robust friendly conversation before asking for support due to “economic issues.”
Corinth is not a touristy place and everything was closed on Sunday. We had phone problems so we decided to stay until Monday morning, fix the phone issue and then head out. On then to Itea so we can visit the Oracle at Delphi.
Kevin
Stunning! The passage through Corinth looked amazing. Cheers to the Theodoric monument 😀
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