Greece

Cruising Log of Greece - Summer 1999

Saturday, Day Zero

We arrived at the Moorings welcome center in Kalamaki-Alimos at 3:30 PM. It was an easy 10-minute ride from the airport, I would learn later, but our cab driver made it a half hour ride with an inflated fare. Not a good omen for starting off. This really turned out to be the exception rather than the rule, however, as all other cab drivers were very honest. Curiously, to go from point A to point B in Athens, then back again, always resulted in a different fare, by as much as 50% but all were reasonable.

I call this day zero because we first checked in, then had to shop for provisions, then have dinner, and finally sleep on the boat for a morning departure. Considering all charters in the Med must be Saturday to Saturday, and you cannot leave until Sunday and must return at 5PM on Friday, you really get a 6-day charter for the price of seven. Then, owners time is free so who's complaining.

There is an upscale grocery store across the street from the harbor but the Moorings staff recommend another market about 6 blocks away which will provide a driver to take both you and your groceries back to the dock, just inches from your boat. That is what we did and found the prices reasonable, the variety acceptable, and the store owner a delight to talk to and deal with. We purchased just what we thought we would need for breakfast and lunch, wine, beer, water and juice.

Originally, I intended to sail and skipper myself. My two sons, ages 34 and 36 would be my mates. Together, we have over 12 years of sailing experience. My daughter age 30 was also sailing along with a daughter-in-law and my wife.

Three weeks before the departure, my two sons had to cancel and that left my wife, daughter and me. We invited another woman, a friend from Norway. With three women and myself, I became a bit apprehensive about the trip because my wife has a disability that prevents her from judging distances properly. I decided to hire a skipper. On day zero, we met our captain and I must confess I liked him the minute we were introduced. His name is Pietro Palumbo. He is Italian but has lived in Greece for 12 years and speaks both Greek and Italian fluently. Our Norwegian friend speaks Italian very well so we had some interesting 3-way conversations during our week together. He planned to stay the night at his apartment and we would meet at the boat at 8 AM to depart. It was a pleasant evening sleeping on the Jeanneau 46 even though the configuration is 4 cabins, two heads in comparison to our Beneteau 446, which is 3 cabins, 3 heads. I will add that the entire country of Greece seems to be a party town and the local disco played music until 5 AM, which could be clearly heard on board in the harbor.

Sunday, Day 1: Leave Kalamaki

We needed to add some last minute provisions so our departure did not occur until 9 AM. It is easy to purchase things at 8 AM however because vendors drive their trucks up and down the dock selling everything you could want. Finally we shoved off.

Around 1 PM we arrived at a quiet bay on the northwest side of Poros. Winds were moderate, 8 to 12 knots so we had a nice early morning sail. Lunch consisted of a great salad, bread with taramousolata, and tdziki. After a swim and some photos, we set sail for Hydra. About this time I realized that there is an English spelling and pronunciation for Islands and harbors as well as the Greek spelling and pronunciation. In order to communicate, I had to adopt the Greek for both spelling and pronunciation. Hence Hydra becomes Idra. Leaving Poros and sailing to Idra is a simple task, dead reckoning using the Peloponese coastline and then heading for the north center of the island. We arrived about 3 PM.

The first thing you will notice about boats in the Med. is the addition of a gangplank. These are attached to the stern and are raised and lowered with a block at the top of a rear stanchion. When mooring, the boat is backed up to a harbor wall, the Quay, which has steel rings at about 12 foot intervals. While approaching the Quay, the first mate lets out the anchor chain as the boat approaches. When in close proximity, the helmsman tosses a line to someone on the quay that will put it through the ring and toss it back. A second line it secured the same way. Sounds simple enough until you arrive in Idra. The space available for sailboats was about 10 boats wide but there were already 15 boats there. Obviously you need to tie up to the existing boats, a process that produces a lot of discussion. As I would learn in the morning, leaving is not so easy either.

Nevertheless, we moored successfully and I offered a Rum and Coke to the captain off our stern port side. We were instant friends.

Idra is an absolutely perfect harbor town. The entire city surrounds the dock and abounds with little shops and quaint narrow streets. No cars are allowed on this island but you can hire a donkey to go for a ride if you choose. Large outdoor restaurant/bars with awning roofs abound although the best restaurants were found up the narrow streets. Try Christine's for an excellent meal but go early because when the food is gone, they stop serving. After a wonderful dinner, the captain from the adjacent boat, Pietro and myself went out to several nightclubs hidden away up the narrow streets while the girls went to bed early. My first party town island really had a lot going on.

Monday, Day 2

We wanted to get an early start but because there was such an entanglement of boats. We did not leave, however, until about 10:30. One boat on or starboard side which was a French group decided to leave about 9:30 and after releasing their stern lines, proceeded to draw up the anchor line only to end up hooking two additional anchor chains. It is somewhat tricky to get the chains off your hook but possible. They wrestled with the chains for a half hour. We hooked one chain but got it off in a minute and set sail for a quiet bay for lunch on south side of Spetses. Winds again were moderate at 8 to 12 knots. Day one and day two were both 88 degrees F and the barometer was steady at 30.65 in. hg. As the trip progressed, the temperature and barometer remained steady and the same.

After lunch, we motor/sailed to the Peloponese coast to a small Ancient Harbor at Lakos near the city of Leonidio arriving about 4 PM. This harbor is truly the clearest and cleanest water I have ever seen. At 8 to 10 feet, the visibility was perfect. Many fish could be seen swimming in small schools. We ate at the one and only Taverna at the marina which was typical Greek food. They do not use menus but invite you into the kitchen to see what Mom is making for that evening.

Unlike the Caribbean, gray water from showers and discharge from heads may not be left in harbor. We all knew this but someone flushed in the morning at Lakos. A local fisherman sitting on the pier became upset and started shouting at us in fast paced Greek. Next, he went to the harbormaster and made a report. The result: we had to wait two hours for the "harbor police" to arrive and then received a ticket which cost $9.00 American. After the delay, we took a cab for a half hour up to an ancient monastery which had been converted to a convent. It was in the mountains in the direction of Sparta, giving us an idea of the terrain the ancient city occupied. The convent literally hung on the side of a mountain and was an interesting tour.

Tuesday, Day 3

After the poo poo police and the convent, we left the harbor about 2 PM. Light winds brought us to Spetses where we arrived around 4 PM. We were surprised by the beauty, charm, and sophistication of this beautiful city. The district near the marina is quite nice. We had a light meal and early to bed. Susan, my wife and our other sailor Kirsten are both artists so they went off into the town to sketch and paint the next morning. My daughter, Marsi, our captain, Pietro and myself rented bicycles and rode around the island. This is not for you if you are out of shape. There are lots of hills but it is worth it because the road travels through a pine forest that is very fragrant. We stopped at the highest point and went down to the beach to a restaurant and had a drink and rest. Going back was a breeze because it was all down hill.

Wednesday, Day 4

Left at 3 PM. We headed for a bay on Dokos for a refreshing swim. From there we headed for Poros Town. The passage was interesting because we came in after dark. The navigation lights in Greece leave a lot to be desired and I saw many boats without lights at all. The harbor on Poros is in a narrow channel of water where the mainland is on the other side and no more than a half-mile wide. Fortunately, we found an open spot on the quay and then went on shore for dinner. In comparison to Spetsis, Poros town was a bit tacky. I was told that is because it is so close to the mainland.

Thursday, Day 5: Leave Poros Town, 10AM

We next sailed for the mainland to a city called Methana. We had lunch there and then took a taxi to Epidavros and Mycenae. These are two archeological sites that are a must see for anyone interested in ancient history. We sang "O Solo Mio" in the amphitheater for my wife and daughter. Later, at Mycenae, we visited the palace of Agamemnon and the treasury of Atreus. Back to Methana, the water in the harbor has a terrible smell of rotten eggs. I learned that it was due to a hot spring, which comes out in the harbor mouth. Across from the marina is a building with private rooms and bathtubs that fill with the hot water. Every morning, people from the town come to take the waters, believed to be a cure for aches and pains.  You can also jump in the water at the mouth of the harbor and get a stronger dose of the hot water.

I learned an interesting fact. Several years ago, the town's people came for their morning baths but the water was red. Someone said the water must be the blood of Christ and all were afraid to go into the water. In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus leaves the Island of Calypso to head home. Calypso tells him how to go but warns him of hazards along the way. One of these is the whirlpool called Charybdis. It is in between Sicily and mainland Italy. It turns out to be a real place today and the Italian government wanted to know just where the water went when it whirled down into the sea. They dumped hundreds of pounds of red dye into it and guess what? It came out in Methana.

Perhaps most of Homer was indeed based on fact.

Friday, Day 6

We Leave Methana at 9 AM for Egina, Arrive for Lunch at Perdika. After lunch, we took a cab ride to the temple area. This is another impressive archeological spot located in the center of the island at the highest point. We left about 3:30 for Kalamaki to end our journey at about 6 PM. Quite interestingly, we had no inspection, no hassle whatsoever when returning whereas other charters had to have a diver check the bottom, and a very thorough checkout of the boat. This, I believe, was due to the fact that we had hired a Moorings captain and, he suggested I give a tip to the dock manager, a very businesslike woman named Sophia. We did, however, have to pay for fuel, cleaning, as well as ice and water. After returning to the states I called Ann Beck on this because that is what the per diem is for. After a day, she called back and gave me credit for the $469.00 we had paid prior to the trip. Apparently all Med. charters are exempt from the per diem.

All said and done, this was a great sailing trip for people that are not intent on spending every minute on a close haul and feeling the spray in their face. On the other hand, the sailing was not exceptional because the winds are always lighter near the coastline. Next year we are planning a two-week trip to the Cyclades, which should really be something.