In ancient Greece, the sea route between the Aegean and Ionian seas went south of the Peloponnese. Furthest south it rounded Cape Maleas, which was (and still is) notorious for its sudden and unpredictable storms. The area is known for its many shipwrecks and this was also where Odysseus was blown off course and sent on his 10-year Odyssey.
North of the Peloponnese, an isthmus blocked the connection between the two seas.
Periander – one of the seven wise men of antiquity and tyrant of the city-state of Corinth – is said to be the first to propose digging a canal in the isthmus, which is only 6 kilometers wide. But the technicians were skeptical. The water level in the Ionian Sea was higher than in the Aegean. With a canal, the water from the Ionian Sea would flow into the Aegean and flood Athens.
The oracle at nearby Delphi shared the technicians' concern.
»Don't dig the canal. Jupiter has created islands where he thought they should be« was the answer to Periander. According to legend, an unusually clear answer because the priests would leave out any doubt. They feared that the oracle would lose its importance because the new sea route would bypass Delphi.
The project was abandoned and revived several times. Among others, by the Roman emperor Nero, who managed to dig almost half of the canal before technical and financial problems stopped the construction work.
Was the oracle right?
When today's Greece arose, the project became relevant again. Now with the aim of establishing a shorter and safer connection between the Athens port city of Piraeus and Italy. Although the construction of the canal was a prestige project for the young nation, the construction was put on an indefinite hold several times – each time as a result of technical and/or financial problems.
But in the summer of 1893, the canal could finally be inaugurated.
But the problems were not over yet. Differences in the tides on the two sides of the channel created a current that made it difficult for ships to maneuver in the narrow channel. Several shipping companies opted out of the new route and 20 years after the inauguration, the traffic and thus also revenues were far below expectations . Added to this were frequent landslides. Until the start of World War II, the canal was closed several times. During World War II, it was closed again and was only opened in 2 after the Americans had removed the landslides the Germans had provoked when they retreated from Greece.
Now or never
At the beginning of 2021, the canal closed again – this time also as a result of a landslide. Many were of the opinion that it would remain closed. But at the end of the year it was announced that the canal would be repaired and temporarily open for a few months during the summer period.
If we were to sail on the Corinth Canal, it was now.
On the route north of the Peloponnese, we had only 135 nautical miles to go to the small island a little south of Athens, where we were invited to a wedding.
But the wedding was only in 4 weeks. So we still had plenty of time after an (as usual) unexpected start.
Take it easy
We took it easy. Because as the harbormaster in Maastricht had said in - what now seemed to be - an eternity ago.
"Like always when sailing: make sure you have a flexible planning that you can easily adapt to the circumstances".
After a few days in Lefkas, an hour's sail from Preveza, we sailed 20 nautical miles further south to the small island of Kalamos.
To anchor or not anchor
In Greece, few marinas have laid mooring lines. That is why you use the anchor when mooring.
Although there is plenty of information about local conditions on Navily and in Heikell's pilot books, it is nice to have local assistance when mooring in an unfamiliar place.
At Kalamos, George is synonymous with local assistance. With clear gestures, he draws attention to where there is a free spot, where and when to drop your anchor. If you get off course while reversing to the quay, George signals whether to correct to starboard or port or increase or decrease speed. When you get very close, he takes your lines and signals how far you should lie from the quay. When the boat is safely moored, he tells in a low, but also somewhat determined voice that he owns the tavern at the end of the pier and that you are welcome to have your dinner there.
We were happy to see George when we arrived in Kalamos. With his assistance we made a perfect approach to the vacant berth he found for us.
We have met several sailors who swear by anchoring rather than using a mooring line, which they say is difficult to get a hold of and can get caught in the propeller or bow thruster.
When we pulled up the anchor with ease the next morning and after another perfect maneuver left George and Kalamos, we had to admit that mooring with an anchor has its advantages.
Astakos
Today's goal was Astakos.
A small town on the mainland that, like many of the Ionian coastal towns, can trace its history back to antiquity.
Today's name Astakos is the Greek word for lobster, and fishing, along with tourism and agriculture, are the most important occupations for the town's 2.000 inhabitants.
Early in the afternoon we reached the 4 nautical mile deep bay at the bottom of which Astakos lies.
This must be where some Homer experts claim King Memes gathered a fleet to join the armada sailing to Troy to recapture the beautiful Helene. While other knowledgeable interpreters of Homer's epic poems claim it was here that Odysseus met the Cyclops.
The bay is protected by a few smaller islands, which, now that they had been warmed up, began to draw air from the slightly colder mainland.
The breeze started weak and increased in strength the further we entered the bay.
Exercise is everything
When we reached Astakos the breeze reached a strength of 10 m/s and blew along the harbor front. Farthest towards to windside was a motorboat. At leeward of a couple of sailboats. Between them there was plenty of space.
Two men came out and waved at us.
This must to Astakos' version of Kalamos's George.
As we got closer, we turned and sailed away from the quay. When we looked back, the men waved eagerly. We dropped the anchor and reversed in towards them.
We pointed the stern towards the windward, but the drift was stronger than we had anticipated and we ended up at a hopeless angle to the quay
There was nothing else to do but to sail out and reverse into the quay again.
This time it went better.
We were still too far to leeward, but no more that we could pull ourselves into the right angle. That is , if we could get the two men to understand the plan.
One put his line around a bollard at leeward. Then he reached out his hand to signal that it was time for us to pay. The other didn't know what to do with his line, which was the one we had to use to pull ourselves into place.
We made signs to him to put the line around a bollard.
But he stared at us bewildered, almost frightened, without the sligthtest hint to do what we asked.
Then he let out a few unintelligible sounds and only then did we understand that the poor guy was deaf and mute and, judging by its movements, also developmentally disabled.
We asked them both to release our lines
»What about my money?« shouted the man with the line around the leeward bollard.
»Later« shouted Pia as we pulled in the lines and sailed out to the anchor, which we dropped in another place and backed towards quay again.
This time we came in next to the motor boat.
… Whew.
But when we tightened the chain, we discovered that our anchor chain was on top of the motorboat's.
»No problem« explained the owner »I have problems with the engine and won't be leaving until a few days«
Cool, but the anchor didn't hold when we tightened the chain.
So out again, move the anchor and reverse towards the quay. Now for the fourth time. As we approached land, the handle to the throttle fell off. We got it on and miraculously avoided knocking into the quay's stone wall. But in the heat of the battle we had again been blown too far away from our goal.
Out again. Now for the fifth time.
This time we sailed out into the bay to relax a little.
While we were lying thinking about our next move, an English boat came.
They dropped the anchor twice as far out as we had. Then the helmsman went in front of the rudder with his back to the bow, gave throttle and steered with a constant speed perpendicular to the land by letting the propwalk point the stern considerably further to windward than we had dared to do. Meanwhile, a crewmember in the bow loosened the anchor chain so that it did not stop the boat at any time. As they neared the quay, another crewmember jumped ashore and got a line around the windward bollard. Then the crewmember in the bow tightened the anchor chain and finally they laid a mooring on the lee bollard.
That´s how you do it
So now it was just to do as the English did.
»This will be the last time« said Pia, as she let go of the anchor
And so it turned out to be. Now we came in and lay perpendicular to the quay. With the help of the English boat we got a line around the windward bollard. When Pia tightened the chain, the anchor held and we could put the last line around a leeward bollard.
The excerise had taken a long time, given a lot of sweat and had a fairly large entertainment value for the fortunately few guests at the taverns on the waterfront.
…Soooo
No doubt.
…We prefer laid out mooring lines
always nice to hear from those who enjoy life
Hi Heron, thanks for your report. Was at Kalamos before Georgs started his session. We can recognize the arrival of Atakos, The self-appointed harbor boy, also helped us, and got some €. It is a good way to distribute our "prosperity" to the locals. Nice quiet town.
Both educational and exciting. Maybe it's time to write a book?
Nice to hear from you again. Say hi to Pia.
Hi Pia and Carl
Nice to read a bit and the Ionian, where we will sail this year. We are leaving on April 26, 2023.
Hope to see you
Thank you both for the lovely report. More of them. Flying to the Caribbean on April 18th to pick up my brother's boat. Ank the Mediterranean d first week in June. Maybe we'll meet there.
Thanks and still a good trip
dbhe
I wish it was me…..
: )
well, that's just the way it is... know George from Kalamos...
Good wind onward
Carl & Pia,
Again a wonderful report, I always look forward to reading what you have now experienced and there is probably something the rest of us can learn. We ourselves have sailed quite a bit in the Ionian Sea with our friend's boat "Freedom". There are always challenges, but I guess that's also part of sailing beautifully!
Vh Bjarne & Conni Huusfeldt
Thanks for the continuation I can read that you have now learned to moor in Greek - the anchor is always dropped further from the dock than you think
Kh from Lise and Søren, currently in the tropics in a small car
Alas, yes, you have to learn all your life, - I have learned that I should not let myself be lured into the bottom of Agersø Harbor by well-meaning sailing colleagues who think that there is a perfect place for me. Are we getting a video from the Corinth Canal?
In my 82nd year, I sit here in Cuba and think back on my 15 years in Greece, Thank you for your films and writings.
such a lovely travelogue! Have to admit that we are in the wrong place right now🙃
continue to have a nice trip to you 🤗
Thank you for a good and instructive report, always exciting to hear about other people's experiences and how to deal with the given situation. As previously stated, sailing out. and wife with Keld Hummer in Freedom Moody 42 in the Greek island sea. and We also know the challenges that can be, so once again thank you for good entertainment !! wh Bjarne & Conni Huusfeldt, Thurø
Apparently it's only in Greece and superyachts. But with the anchor chain you can steer the bow so it is easier than with lines that have to be pulled up from the bottom, which they use in the rest of the Mediterranean.
31 years at anchor and mooring. Cruising yacht
Practice makes perfect. I hate slimelines, anchor is much better.
Luck is an anchor winch with free fall..
Prefers own anchor over mooring lines
The really big advantage of stern-to on anchor, as opposed to slime line, is that the chain tends to hold the boat closer to the wind. I find it far more tricky in marinas where I cannot anchor. Fortunately good marinas know this and offer a man in a RIB to push the boat upwind.
A lot of problems occur when the boat is stopped while dropping the anchor, as it will quickly blow off downwind: 1) you can't be sure where the anchor will hit the bottom, and 2) you can't be sure of the location and orientation of the boat when it does, so you may start reversing in the wrong direction. I prefer to go 3-4 boat lengths downwind of the drop point, and then reverse back into the wind, parallel to the dock with the anchor already near the bottom. Once at the anchor point, do a 90 degree turn and... Read more »
12/6/2023 Dear Heron, Thank you for taking me back to Graekenvand where I plus friends or family +- 40 years ago spent 15 long summer cruises. How simple it was back then and economically affordable compared to your reports.
Earlier. Dear both, Greetings from Viggo in Cuba. I enjoy reading your stories. And have just got over Sicily, where my daughter has a holiday home, but you think that Michael's daughter, as you write, was his young wife. When we occasionally don't have electricity here, which is sometimes up to 6 hours a day, I read e-books. Good wind from here.
In the first example you would need a lot of prop walk to bring the stern up against the wind. However, in both examples the boat is starting from a stand still without steerage. Would suggest pre dropping the anchor and being underway astern with steerage when you reach the point you want to drop anchor and continue astern using the steerage you have from being underway to keep you up in to the wind. Set the anchor before entering the berth and then motor forwards so that you can gain steerage whilst going astern again before dropping more chain... Read more »
Good write-up. Thanks for sharing
nice read!👍