The nighttime name of owls reverberated via the forest – a forest of 1,000 aluminium masts, like stands of pine bushes stretching in all instructions so far as you could possibly see. Simply trying on the huge rows of neatly organised boats induced a type of vertigo as we arrived again at Cleopatra Marina on the west mainland coast of Greece.
Mega-boatyards like this one have gotten more and more frequent and cruising Greece continues to swell in recognition annually.
The sheer dimension of this dry-dock, mixed with the factory-like effectivity of its employees launching vessels all through the day – one each 20 minutes on common – was nipping at our backsides as we raced to tick off our spring, pre-launch guidelines.
Non important tasks had been shortly shuffled down the record whereas we targeted on essentially the most essential duties, primarily changing our outdated, underpowered Nineteen Eighties anchor windlass.
Phil and Roxy Johnson have been cruising the Med aboard Sonder
For the final 5 years, my spouse, Roxy, and I’ve been cruising aboard Sonder, our 1986 Cheoy Lee Pedrick 47, a cutter-rigged sloop. In 2020 we departed the Caribbean to cross the North Atlantic and finally make our manner into the Mediterranean.
Since then, we’ve explored a few of the Med’s most distant gems, and likewise a few of its constitution hotspots – however maybe none can match the recognition of the islands of Greece. Absolutely the flood of yachts departing on any given Saturday from ports like Lefkada and Piraeus had us a bit apprehensive about our 2023 summer time cruising season.
Might we nonetheless discover ourselves quiet, distant anchorages, or be the lone yacht in an idyllic seaside harbour? Might we anticipate welcoming locals who don’t resent sailors’ overwhelming presence? Might now we have an genuine journey expertise? These questions lingered closely in our minds as we launched Sonder in early Might to start our crusing season from Preveza on the Ionian Sea.
Phil and Roxy Johnson
Late spring clouds pushed mild easterly winds offshore as we sailed on a light-weight starboard tack. Some 25 miles up the mainland coast we stopped in a single day at an remoted bay simply south-east of Parga, the place the refined motion of Sonder at anchor felt satisfying after the unnatural stillness of a protracted winter on the onerous.
The following afternoon we arrived in Parga, a picture-perfect city straight reverse the very fashionable cruising vacation spot of Paxos. Nestled on a saddle between a ruined Venetian hill fortress and steep foothills, Parga is vaguely harking back to the Amalfi coast.
The harbour, open to the occasional swell, lacks a big quay which discourages most constitution boats from visiting, however by taking care to not foul your anchor on the business ferries’ anchor chains, two or three yachts can comfortably discover house simply off the small monastery with beautiful views and straightforward city entry.
Cruising Greece – Ionian adventures
This was how Sonder discovered herself the lone yacht in an idyllic Greek harbour proper out of the gate. The waterfront of Parga is lined with alfresco eating places, behind which lies a tangle of slim alleyways and artist’s retailers.
Anchored and tied ashore for the evening between two islands on the south-east tip of Paxos
We stepped inside one and met a woodcarver named Stephanos, who skilfully shapes outdated felled olive wooden and roots into bowls and sculptures. As we chatted and admired Stephanos’ work, the sky all of the sudden opened with a heavy downpour.
Being unforecast, we’d left a few of Sonder’s hatches open, and had been additionally barely apprehensive about our anchor dragging if this turned a real squall. Stephanos shortly handed me his personal jacket and I dashed again in direction of the dinghy via the slim alleyways, dodging a calamity of al fresco diners additionally diving for shelter.
As soon as alongside, I may see Sonder’s anchor was holding nicely and, after I’d closed the hatches and mopped the ground, the squall abruptly subsided. Once I returned ashore, Stephanos was already pouring photographs of his selfmade Tsipouro liquor for Roxy and I on the store counter.
The following hours flew by as we shared tales about our shared love of the ocean and carpentry – round 11pm we lastly left, feeling warmly welcomed into the group in a manner you hardly ever do as a vacationer.
Sonder hovering off shipwreck bay, Zakynthos (anchoring and going ashore is now not allowed as a consequence of unstable cliffs.
As Might and June progressed and the Ionian turned ever busier, we coalesced across the thought of crusing to the Cyclades within the Aegean Sea. Whereas the busy Ionian islands have mild afternoon breezes and plenty of windless summer time days, the Cyclades are recognized for the sturdy northerly Meltemi wind which might blow Drive 7-8 for days at a time all through the summer time months.
Due to this we needed to cruise the Cyclades islands from north to south, maximising our offwind crusing. This might imply taking the Corinth Canal route by way of the Gulf of Patras somewhat than crusing across the Peloponnese peninsula.
Apart from one of these bigger-picture routing determination, we attempt to keep versatile about the place we go and the way lengthy we keep. We discover this results in our most memorable cruising experiences.
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On a whim
An instance was our determination to drop anchor on a whim on the small island of Atokos, en path to the Gulf of Patras. Atokos rises steeply out of the Ionian sea between Ithaca and the mainland.
On its south shore, surrounded by steep cliffs, is a tiny crescent cove nearly out of sight from approaching boats. Inside is a sandy backside anchorage simply extensive sufficient for 3 or 4 yachts to moor, stern tied to shore.
We arrived to seek out room beside an English-flagged yacht on our starboard and a Ukrainian one on our port.
Anchored in Mykonos’ Little Venice Bay on a uncommon summer time day with southerly winds (normally untenable because of the Meltemi)
It was late afternoon, however the solar, which in June was nonetheless excessive overhead, was already blocked by the sheer peak and proximity of the cliff face towering over our yachts.
Because the shadows crept additional out into the bay, the sound of goats echoed off the canyon partitions, however as quickly because the solar had set the goats fell silent and no hum of a generator or buzz of a seashore bar broke the silence.
I hardly ever have the chance whereas cruising, however that night I made a decision to arrange my electrical keyboard within the cockpit to quietly play some music. In the meantime our Ukrainian neighbours, a bunch of 5 associates, had been busy gathering driftwood and constructing a hearth on the seashore.
Quickly, somebody shouted over in a thick Japanese European accent, “Quantity up!”. So I proceeded to play a brief set of a few of my favorite jazz. The music appeared to reverberate in opposition to the cliffs like a pure amphitheatre, periodically blended with applause from the seashore.
Afterwards, Roxy and I paddled to the seashore to fulfill our neighbours, who instantly invited us to hitch them, urgent glasses of wine in our fingers. Three had been Ukrainian whereas the opposite two had been Russian. Although they’ve been associates for a few years, their lives had been totally upended by the current conflict.
Via nice issue they’d all managed to fulfill in Greece for his or her shared custom of an annual constitution crusing journey. Roxy and I had been humbled listening to their tales of nights spent in bomb shelters, escaping from Russia when the draft loomed, and nonetheless remaining associates via all of it.
Transiting the Corinth Canal at evening
Later, one of many Russians took out his acoustic guitar and, with the fireplace casting shadows in opposition to the cliff partitions, they sang for us a couple of songs from their shared cultural upbringing within the Soviet Union. We felt so lucky.
Onwards we pressed to the Corinth canal. The doorway to the Gulf of Patras is marked by a big suspension bridge spanning north-south over the narrows between mainland Greece and the Peloponnese peninsula. Because of this, the wind tends to funnel via the channel, both eastwards or westwards.
The day we transited, regular westerlies of 15 knots pushed Sonder east at 6 knots on a deep broad attain. After passing below the bridge, the channel opens up into the Gulf.
Right here I anticipated the funnelling impact of the wind to dissipate, however as a substitute, the breeze constructed and Sonder steadily quickened her tempo to 7.5 knots after which hull velocity.
The wind stored steadily constructing with darkly bruised clouds accumulating above, round us uneven waves had been stacking up with peaks cresting over.
Incrementally we reefed deeper till we had only a second reefed mainsail and scrap of genoa out, browsing in 35-knots plus, Sonder’s 22 tons gracefully surging forward on the strongest wind we’d sailed in fairly a while.
Underneath poseidon’s gaze
The Corinth Canal and Athens nicely behind us, we approached the excessive rocky promontory close to the city of Sounion that marks the boundary between the protected waters of the Saronic Gulf and the a lot wilder Aegean Sea.
Doubtless, the traditional Greeks knew the significance of this junction and constructed a shocking temple to Poseidon, their sea god, upon these cliffs. Roxy and I glanced again at its white marble columns in hopes of his blessing as Sonder sailed out into the Kea passage.
Phil Johnson grew up crusing in New England and double-handed a 28-footer from New York to Cuba. He and his spouse, Roxy, purchased Sonder in 2019.
The complete June solar beat down on Sonder’s deck with a cloudless sky overhead as we set course for the ruins of Cartheae on the south east coast of Kea. Its rugged terrain, accessible by boat or a protracted hike, means few folks make the journey to the temples, amphitheatre and Roman baths.
We dropped anchor on a sloping gravel backside to discover the ruins and snorkel over the submerged rubble of an historical stone quay. From the vantage of the traditional Greek temple we gazed down at Sonder, bobbing alone within the bay under.
One other, much more spectacular, historical website lies simply 5 miles south west of Mykonos. Delos island is a UNESCO World Heritage Web site and the ruins of this huge historical metropolis may simply take a full day to discover.
Whereas yachts can not anchor on Delos, you possibly can tie up on to the jetty by the ticket sales space throughout the day, or anchor on the different small islands adjoining, as we did. There have been so few different vacationers arriving by ferry that as we explored the marble streets, it felt nearly like a non-public tour.
Cyclades sleigh experience
In contrast to the quiet wandering of Delos, crusing into Mykonos was a shock to the system. No fewer than three cruise ships had been in port, their multi-storey decks towering over the once-quaint fishing city. Day constitution boats prompted incessant wakes on the water whereas the honking automobile horns on shore felt jarring.
We glided right into a small bay generally known as ‘Little Venice’, the place white homes with colourfully painted trim are constructed proper on the sting of the breakwater, their balconies overhanging the ocean. 5 whitewashed windmills line a ridge on the alternative facet of the bay.
Folks steadily flowed down the slim alleyways to catch a glimpse of this postcard scene, though honestly, it was finest considered from our vantage level on the water.
Image good Parga was quiet regardless of being very near Paxos
In distinction to the quiet sunsets of the earlier week, the water round us buzzed with exercise. Boats filled with vacationers flew previous like paparazzi, everybody snapping photos. On shore, plenty of individuals lined the breakwater to observe the solar slide under the horizon.
Then the vacationers and day boats all of the sudden dispersed, leaving us to observe the lingering mild solid a lovely purple hue onto the whitewashed houses whereas a full moon rose proper above Mykonos’s iconic windmills.
The following day, the notorious Meltemi totally arrived, with 30-plus knots blowing as we ready to depart for Naoussa on the island of Paros, about 20 miles to the south. Uncomfortable 3ft quick swells had been working within the channel between Delos and Mykonos.
We unfurled simply Sonder’s headsail protecting her as near useless downwind as she would sail. This was the beginning of our a lot anticipated ‘Cycladic sleigh experience’, using the Meltemi wind to zigzag down the Aegean island chain.
Quickly we had been out into open water and each the wind and sea moderated enabling good broad reaching circumstances below full sails. The relentless warmth was tempered by the Meltemi blowing cool air from the floor of the water.
Few different yachts had been in sight and people we may see had been presumed to be different cruisers since Paros is a great distance from the closest constitution boat basin.
Tied ashore on the north-east nook of pine-clad Kalamos island within the Ionian
Naousa, with its massive protected sand anchorage and tranquil village, is the cruisers’ antidote to Mykonos. The fishing harbour solely has room for a dozen or so visiting boats tied onto the jetty, however with dinghy you possibly can zip into city from the expansive northern anchorage.
One of many closing stops alongside our Meltemi sleigh experience south was inimitable Santorini. {A partially}-submerged energetic volcano – the place you possibly can truly sail into the caldera – Santorini is a very distinctive island among the many Cyclades chain. It’s additionally very fashionable with vacationers and cruise ships, so we curtailed our expectations.
A whole bunch of vessels of all sizes, from large cruise ships to small day boats dotted the inland sea that’s created by the caldera. We approached the opening from the north, having spent a protracted morning crusing nearly 40 miles from Paros.
The Meltemi will be very sturdy because it squeezes between islands, however then mysteriously fizzle out in open water, so we spent many of the morning up on deck – reefing, then shaking reefs out, and scanning the horizon with binoculars on the lookout for the ever altering wind line.
Contained in the caldera, the highest of the encircling rim, over 1,000 ft in elevation, is roofed with sprawling white-washed Cycladic fashion cities that rumble in a low din of exercise.
From our sea degree perspective they nearly seem like snow on a mountaintop excessive above. We felt faraway from the chaos of all of it whereas motor-sailing previous. We had an anchorage in thoughts – one of many few protected against the Meltemi – on the southern tip of Santorini.
Nevertheless, on our manner was a chance to cease briefly on the energetic volcanic island of Nea Kameni within the centre of the caldera for a fast swim within the sulphur sizzling springs.
With Roxy on the bow and me on the helm, we piloted Sonder slowly via the slim channel between the Kameni islands to a cove full of deep-water non-public moorings for vacationer day boats and, in line with our chart, a shelf with a depth of about 20ft the place we would drop our anchor.
Crusing into the Gulf of Patras
The water, now not a transparent Aegean blue, had turned a milky inexperienced because of the affect of the sulphur springs close by. Whereas looking for the shelf and motoring at about 2 knots, I all of the sudden heard Roxy name again “Wait, how deep is it?”.
I picked my head up from the chart to have a look at our depth sounder and noticed it studying 10ft and shoaling. Glancing overboard I may see a pale rocky backside rising quickly from the milky depths. I threw the engine in full reverse, however was already too late.
Sonder’s keel set free a boring thud and we lurched ahead. We’d grounded ourselves, for the primary time on this facet of the Atlantic, in unmarked shallows off Santorini.
From the bow, Roxy helped direct me to reverse Sonder off the rock shelf again into deeper water, the place we shortly determined to only tie onto a dayboat mooring so we may dive the keel to examine the injury.
Sonder’s encapsulated iron keel runs many of the size of the boat with a lower away for a skeg hung rudder. In different phrases, she’s constructed to brush off a small catastrophe like this and fortunately solely had a couple of shallow gouges within the paint and barrier coat.
Charts are to not be trusted on this space and protecting sharp visible navigation is vital.
Sonder approaches the bridge spanning the narrows between mainland Greece and the Peloponnese
After reviving ourselves with a fast swim, we gingerly navigated Sonder the remainder of the way in which via the caldera and across the southern tip to Akrotiri Bay. The mild sloping black sand seashore of this shoreline stands in stark distinction to the immensely deep caldera.
The truth is, the dearth of crowds and relaxed tempo made it really feel like a completely completely different island. The close by taverna, The Dolphins, has a dinghy dock free to make use of for cruisers whereas Akrotiri itself, an historical Minoan metropolis buried by ash from the violent eruption of Santorini round 1600BC, is strolling distance from the anchorage.
Room for all
Ultimately, we want not have apprehensive about Greece being overcrowded; with greater than 6,000 islands, there’s house sufficient for everybody. If you wish to plan for quieter waters, then cruising throughout the shoulder season will be useful, however the space you select will make a a lot greater distinction.
Solar set over Folegandros, a little bit recognized island within the Cyclades
Within the Aegean and Peloponnese, removed from the mega constitution basins (and the place a week-long constitution would require a protracted beat again) there have been comparatively fewer yachts. We discovered secluded anchorages and difficult crusing circumstances that introduced extra rewards than we discovered on the Ionian facet.
Nevertheless, if tying as much as city quays for vigorous nights out is extra your fashion, that may be present in spades within the Ionian and Saronic Gulf. However our most memorable experiences got here from moments of pure spontaneity… and shouldn’t all cruising really feel like an journey?
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