Chapter One: TRAVELLING NORTH
We were awake at 6.00am, had breakfast, got Cordelia shipshape, and weighed anchor at 7.40am. It came up with a big lump of mud, and despite reversing to try and get it off it kept stuck to the shovel. The wind picked up before we had fully left the bay at Koiláda, and outside it blew a Force 5-6 and came right on the nose. Luckily the waves stayed small and Cordelia wasn’t pounding as we progressed northwards towards Vivari.
Halfway through our journey it began gusting to 40 knots and above, and we contemplated our options. In the end we stuck it out, and 2½ hours after we’d set out we entered our anchorage. After a bit of a wait for a boat to leave and for us to take their spot, the hook went down in 10.5m with 48m of chain, and after a cup of coffee with biscuits we readied Buddy.
Peter rowed us ashore, and we picked up the main road to Déprano. This led around the lagoon first, then forked off towards Nafplion. We made it through the village and walked on to the AB supermarket to stock up on liquids. We opted for the scenic route back rather than the main road, then Peter took to the oars once more. By now the gusts had found their way into our bay, and rather than helping us along they worked against us and caused Peter a lot of effort. We made it back onboard nonetheless for a dip to cool off and some much needed drink.
The gusts blew Cordelia around and forced her into a bizarre dance around her anchor. While we tried to relax in the cockpit a Turkish flagged sailing yacht with a couple onboard turned up and picked up one of the swimming area marker buoys right next to us. When Ingrid told them what it was and that they were very close to us the woman insisted this was a guest mooring buoy according to their chart, and the wind would always be blowing us in the same direction, thus keeping the distance equal. What a bunch! Luckily the wind abated in the evening and our chain wasn’t stretched out so much anymore, so the distance between us actually increased and all ended well.
The next day we were on land at 8.15am and set out for Drépano once more. Ingrid was in desperate need of a haircut, so we avoided the main road as best as we could and made straight for the hairdresser. She could see Ingrid right away, washed her sweat-soaked hair and cut it (twice – Ingrid wanted it shorter), put on some gel and charged her – €10.00!
By 9.00am Ingrid was all done, and for another 40 minutes we continued on a quiet rural road past houses, holiday rental bungalows and pomegranate plantations to the archaeological site of Asine. €5.00 each gained us access to the promontory that had been inhabited since 6,000BC, but was later abandoned. It had a varied history with occupation by the Romans, Ottomans, Venetians etc., and had also been a base for the Italians in WW II. We wandered around on the grounds and admired the remnants of the ancient defence wall, cisterns and foundations of houses, a Roman bath, a wine press and various other stones and rocks that had been part of something built by humans at some stage. From the top of the site there were good views to the village of Tolo in one direction and a long sandy beach in the other. Outside we saw the Cyclopean walls built by the Myceneans in the 13th century BC. So called because the later Greeks believed only the mythical Cyclopes could have moved such enormous stones.
Then it was time to head back. It was a hot day and we were sweating buckets. We’d already finished 1½l of Fanta and had bought another bottle at the AB supermarket in Drépano of which only half of it made it back aboard. We had a swim to cool off, Ingrid had a wash to clear the remains of the haircut, we refreshed with a cup of tea and stowed Buddy on the foredeck.
At 2.40pm the anchor came up from the muddy seabed and we motored out of Vivari Bay. Inside it we’d had a South-Easterly Force 4, but outside we were presented with a Force 5-6. Once we were on course to Tolo we unfurled the genoa to the first reef and stopped the engine. We enjoyed a great sail until we entered the lee of the islands around Tolo. The engine was needed to help us navigate safely through the area, and stayed on as the wind then was only blowing a Force 4 from astern. On the approach to our anchorage at Ormos Karathónas the wind dropped, so we put away the genoa. 10 minutes later at the anchorage the wind was howling again (typical!). The anchor set well in 6.5m, and with 35m of chain out we were ready to weather the conditions, yet hoping it would calm overnight.
We left Cordelia at 7.00am and picked up the track along the coastline. It was a lovely walk with little ups and downs, great scenery and – despite the relatively early hour – busy with joggers and fellow walkers. We got to Nafplion 45 minutes later and found the first set of steps that would take us up to the Palamidi Fortress. The 850 or so steps that followed were still mainly in the shade, nevertheless the sweat was dripping off us. It was worth the effort though, as we were rewarded with fantastic views over the town and harbour.
After having poked our heads (and the rest of our bodies) round the entrance to see more walls we quickly retreated before anyone could ask us for the admission fee (€20.00 each!). So down the steps and into town we went, off to the Archaeological Museum.
There we saw all the things they’d dug up at the sites we’d recently visited, and they were in remarkably good condition. We were particularly taken by the bronze weaponry (arrow heads, spears, knives, etc.) and a suit of armour, and also admired the grave goods (bracelets, buttons, combs, mirrors, earrings, coins, etc.) made from all sorts of materials like bones, ceramic, glass, bronze and gold. We left suitably impressed with all the exhibits.
When we were all “cultured up” we went down our own memory lane to the harbour and restaurant from 2014, Ingrid even remembered the location of the supermarket. We didn’t go in though, as we were off to the market. There they had lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, and other local produce. We had enough honey already, so concentrated on the wine instead. We came away with seven 1.5l bottles of all the colours for a reasonable price. All we had to do now was to carry them back.
The sun was out full by now, but there was still enough shade to make it a pleasant walk, and we were back onboard at 11.30am.
After a rest and lunch we continued with more relaxing and even a little doze. Later on, the clouds moved in and we heard thunder, so we put Buddy and the outboard on deck. Other than a few drops we got away with it though, and didn’t even have the strong afternoon wind.
Chapter Two: VIA TYROS BACK TO PORTOCHÉLI
We awoke to a sunny and windless day. By 7.40am we’d weighed anchor and motored out of the bay. Outside there was no wind either, so the engine stayed on. Peter put the rod out, but despite seeing some commotion on the sea surface there was not a single bite.
On our approach to Tyros harbour we prepared Cordelia for a stern-to mooring and hoped there’d be a space for us. As it were, three boats were leaving when we got closer to the harbour. The only boat that still had occupants left, too, after having taken our lines to attach Cordelia to the quay. Once they had gone and we’d filled up with water, done the washing and given Cordelia a fresh water rinse we re-moored to let out more chain (30m instead of the original 20m). The anchor bit well, and Peter was happy with the result.
After a brief rest we went for a stroll along the seashore and found the taverna we’d eaten in twelve years ago. For old times’ sake we returned there in the evening and enjoyed the same food (Greek salad, pizza). It was only when it was served that we remembered that the portions were enormous. Ingrid ate so much her tummy ached while it was expanding, and she had to try to cure herself with two helpings of rum back on Cordelia.
We didn’t have the best of nights and we were up early. Subsequently we were ready to leave well before anyone could come around to collect any mooring fees. We slipped at 7.50am, pulled up the anchor and waved goodbye to Tyros.
As soon as Ingrid had stowed the lines and fenders we set sail with 1 reef in both, main and genoa. The wind was from North-West, Force 5, Cordelia cut through the small waves, and we enjoyed a smooth and pleasant ride. Further out the wind turned more to the West, i.e. more from astern, and we shook out the reefs to maintain speed. About two hours into our voyage the wind decreased to a Force 4 and our ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) expanded by 45 minutes.
Ingrid had just completed the 10.00am log entry and handed Peter two mugs of coffee into the cockpit, when he called her up. In an instant the wind had changed direction to North-East and was blowing 35 knots. Peter had already de-powered the main and wanted to furl away the genoa. He handed Ingrid the mugs, so she had both hands full and none for herself or the boat, meaning she had to wait for an opportune moment to move before she could put them down safely. Meanwhile Peter had sheeted out and expected her to take over, so he could attend to the furling line. There was some flapping going on while we sorted ourselves out, but finally the genoa was furled away.
We were still going well on the mainsail alone, but as we were not sure what lay ahead we took it down, too, and motored the last 10 minutes into the bay at Portochéli. Inside it was still blowing 30 knots, but from North-West. We motored towards the spot we’d anchored in before and espied a “calmer” one further back where the hook went into the mud in 3.5m with 33m of chain. We cleared up and put Cordelia to bed by which time the gusts had found their way to our spot, too, but blew even harder further out. Some boats upped their hooks, only to re-anchor somewhere else. We, however, stayed put, had lunch, listened to music, and Peter had a snooze.
The wind continued blowing, but a couple of days later it eased enough for us to motor ashore. We wandered along the town quay to see if we could obtain any information on a trip to Hydra and Spetses. These were two islands that we wanted to visit but had very little room for visiting boats, so a day trip on an excursion boat was the next best thing. We found some information, but as we couldn’t find their office Peter contacted the excursion company via WhatsApp. They confirmed there would be a trip on the next day and that there would be a space for us.
Chapter Three: SIGHTSEEING SPETSES, HYDRA AND MONEMVASIA
It was just after 8.00am when we mounted Buddy and motored to the dinghy dock where we locked him up. From there it wasn’t far to the excursion boat site, and we took up our seats early upstairs to visit Spetses and Hydra. We left on time at 9.00am, then motored across the anchorage to our old pontoon to pick up a coach load of Greek fogies before we were on our way.
It was calm with little wind, and we had a pleasant passage to Spetses. We were given over two hours to explore, so off we went and quickly passed the Grand Hotel to leave our own “rent-a-crowd” behind.
We walked along the seafront past plenty of tavernas and hotels, and were chased by a multitude of scooters and even a couple of horse-drawn carriages. We made it to the old harbour, couldn’t see anywhere that would have suited Cordelia, and carried on through a lovely smelling pine forest on the “statue path” to the end of the spit.
From there we reversed some of our route, but then cut inland to see more of the town. The traffic was horrific with cars squeezing through gaps that seemed far too narrow, and scooters ferreting in and out of side streets to join the chaos. We found a bakery and bought a bougatsa which we consumed on a shady bench at a children’s playground before we headed back to the boat.
At 12.00pm we were underway again, this time to Hydra. The journey took longer, about 1½ hours, and with the seats being very uncomfortable we were glad when we arrived and could get off. Hydra was busy with tourists occupying the seaside restaurants and bars. We bought another bottle of Fanta (we’d nearly emptied the one we’d brought along) and ice-creams at the AB supermarket, and walked up to the right to a viewpoint above a beach to consume the latter. Peter devised a route around the town via various other viewpoints, and off we were again.
The first section took us up to a family museum (only open for groups) where we were advised by the proprietor to climb up the steps around the corner further down and head for the flagpole up the hill. We did it with some effort, and were indeed afforded great views over the harbour.
We returned to our route and followed a meandering cobblestoned labyrinth up and down (at times slippery) steps to another viewpoint with similar great views.
Hydra was car-free, and other than hand-drawn carts no other wheels were allowed. Everything was transported on mules, and when we walked around we could easily understand why. No wheels could ever make it along here!
We returned in a loop to the harbour and waited on a bench under a tree for our boat to come and pick us up. It had been out at sea circling as there was no room in the harbour for it to moor up near the ferry port. Any visiting ship / taxi / ferry had to take their turn to collect or offload their passengers, then quickly vacate the limited space to make room for the next one. Leisure boats faced similar issues and were already moored stern-to three rows deep to the quay. We sure were glad we hadn’t tried to come here in Cordelia!
Eventually it was our boat’s turn, we found soft seats below and set off back to Portochéli just after 4.00pm. The Greeks must have frequented one (or even several) of the many taverns on the shore, and some of them were in a rather “spirited” way. This was further enhanced when we all got a little, but quite strong, taster of ouzo. It did make the 2 hour journey back seem slightly shorter though, still we were glad when the noisy bunch was finally offloaded. We followed suit 10 minutes later, stocked up with drinks from the Kritikos supermarket, and motored a rather deflated Buddy back to Cordelia.
We took it easy on the next morning and only weighed anchor at 8.30am. We motored out of the bay in a Westerly Force 3 and set both sails as soon as we were clear of it. The wind increased to a Force 5, so we put a reef in the main and two in the genoa. From thereon we enjoyed a wonderful crossing to Fokianós. We saw about another dozen sailboats that also used the favourable conditions to move around.
We lost much of the wind just outside the anchorage, so we started the engine and raced two catamarans. We beat them (we had a head start) and dropped our hook in about 10m. We settled in with lunch, and so did the people on the cats, but whereas they left after a swim we stayed behind. After a brief rest we had a look at the log. Despite having cleaned it it was under-reading, and when Peter dived down on the hull to check on it he removed “half a tree” (his words). His action started a cleaning frenzy. Peter looked after the waterline, rudder and through-hulls, and Ingrid wiped the rest of the hull except for the keel. Cordelia had covered herself with a film of slime which came off easily with a sponge. Still, by the time we had finished we were exhausted.
After an early(ish) night we awoke to find no wind but plenty of little flies and a few wasps sussing us out. We were not keen on that kind of wildlife, so upped anchor at 7.40am and left them behind. The sea was like an oil slick with only a few ripples a long way out. We motored down the coast, looked at the green hills and the impressive mountains behind them, and enjoyed the ride.
It was not until Gerakas when it got busier. Other than the odd fishing boat we had mainly been alone so far, but now we were amidst another dozen boats with some of them heading towards us. The majority, however, were following behind Cordelia, and we soon realised they were a “Sailing Holidays” flotilla. They had no chance against Cordelia’s clean hull, and we entered the bay of Monemvasia well before they did. Navionics (a chart plotting software) had been unable to complete the route from the bay entrance to the village (due to a foul ground), so Peter converted to navigation by sight and guided us safely to the North anchorage. There we encountered a marked-off swimming area that reached out quite some distance, but as the water was clear Ingrid could easily detect a suitable spot for our anchor in about 12m depth.
After lunch we launched Buddy, and Peter motored us under a little bridge to the South anchorage and fishing harbour. We had a walk around, got drinks and ice-creams from the supermarket, and headed back. The wind had just picked up, and Buddy was struggling through the swell on the southern side and surfed under the bridge to the calmer northern anchorage. When we had our cup of tea and watched the stragglers of the flotilla rafting up at the quay, it all calmed down again.
It was around 7.30am when we headed ashore on Buddy. We repeated the journey of the previous day and tied him onto the same ring. We put on our trainers, took our walking sticks and followed the road across to Monemvasia. 20 minutes later we entered the Lower Town. First we picked up the path along the sea defence wall which took us to the Eastern Gate.
From there we climbed up the steps of another path past some derelict houses amidst newer ones till we saw the turn-off to the cave chapel. Some precarious scrambling got us there and back, then we continued on the paved and sometimes slippery track to the entrance gate of the Upper Town.
It had gone 8.15am by then and it was getting warm. We were dripping with sweat, so we sat down in the shade with a drink, and admired the views over the Lower Town. Soon we were ready to carry on up among the ruins of ancient buildings that were strewn around in abundance. The only “whole” structure we encountered was the Hagia Sophia church, but it was closed.
We walked on further up and preferred the paths of the Upper Town to the slippery stones of the Lower. We made it to the top (163m) and its fortress (in ruins), having taken in all the marvellous views along the way. All we had to do was to walk back down the more direct route. We did so via the Ottoman Mausoleum, then the Bell Tower, and wandered through tiny alleyways out of Monemvasia.
Before we returned to Cordelia we stocked up with drinks from the supermarket, and a spinach pie and bougatsa from the bakery. Back on board we rehydrated with a cup of tea and cooled off with a swim after we’d heaved Buddy and the outboard on deck. Then, at 11.55am, we weighed anchor and headed South.
There was hardly any wind, so we motored all the way. Of course the wind picked up the closer we got to our anchorage at Katafigio, but at least the sea stayed calm. We found a lovely patch of sand in 7.3m depth for our anchor and dropped it at 2.40pm. It was a quiet and idyllic place with warm water, and only the afternoon gusts hampered the experience somehow. Still, we were confident that the wind would die down during the night and we could continue our journey West on the next day.