Blog 10 / Autumn 2019: Peloponnese Part 3, 6 to 30 Nov

We are now back in Partheni boatyard at the north of LEROS, Greece.  This Blog covers our cruise down the east coast of the Peloponnisos from Nafplio (Blog 9) to Monemvasia at  the south-east corner of the peninsula and our return passage across the Aegean to LEROS.  

The Peloponnisos

Our route in this Blog is illustrated in more detail below.

Route from Nafplio to Monemvasia    

   

Compared to the Saronic and Ydras Gulfs, the east coast of the Peloponnisos is significantly less visited by yachts – certainly out of season.  The coast of the peninsula is wilder, less populated and limited, from Leonidhion onwards, in terms of coastal roads.  The Parnon Range of mountains forms the central spine of the peninsula down to Cape Maleas at its southern tip.     Before the advent of the ‘iron genoa’, the Ancient Greeks viewed Cape Maleas at the bottom of the peninsula as an obstacle to be avoided if possible. They therefore chose to live inland and travel overland to the west coast rather than by ship down the east coast and round the capes.  Probably as a consequence, the east coast does not have many historical sites of note.

What the east coast does have, as a consequence of the Parnon Mountain Range, is dramatic scenery and, certainly in the north of the Argolic Gulf, better weather, since it is not affected to such an extent (albeit that the south of the peninsula is) by the northerly Meltemi wind.

Mountains viewed from Island Drifter (ID) on our way south  

Miloi

While tempted, on our passage from Nafplio we did not stop  at the nearby resort of Miloi on the NW corner of the Argolic Gulf.  In an open bay, with poor holding and a strong prevailing SE midday wind, we considered that its anchorage was dodgy.  We therefore would not have been happy leaving ID at anchor there in order to dinghy ashore to explore.  In truth, there wasn’t actually much to see.

Google Earth© overrview of Miloi harbour  

The town of Miloi is built on the site of Ancient Lerna which dates  back to the 4^th Millennium BC. Hence it is an important historical location.  It is best known for the myth that it is where Hercules slayed the Hydra, a monster with many heads.

Astrous

Instead we continued south and anchor-moored in Astrous port.  Traditionally an old fishing village, Astrous is now a popular all-year-round resort tucked neatly behind the headland of the same name. 

Google Earth© overview of Astrous port, town and peninsula 

(before new pontoons were installed)

We were one of only two visiting yachts on the inside quay of the concrete outer breakwater of the port.  Recently a number of new floating pontoons for smaller local craft have been installed, thereby (theoretically) releasing space on the outer quay for visiting boats. 

New pontoons with the town’s long grey pebble beach behind  

On 28 September last year, our friends Rolf and Roz on their yacht R&R took refuge in Astrous port from the Medicane (a Mediterranean hurricane).  The photo from their hotel room (where Roz and their family sheltered) shows a very different picture from that which we saw of the quay this year.

ID on the inside of the outer breakwater this year 

Waves crashing over the outer breakwater at Astrous on 28 September 2018 

when the Medicane struck (photo courtesy of Roz Bowen)

There is nothing in Astrous that one ‘must see’ except possibly the Venetian castle that overlooks the town and harbour. It is simply a pleasant place to visit and wander around. 

Astrous town and castle, viewed from the quay  

Colourful bougainvillea in the Old Town  

The castle is remarkable for the fact that a complete caryatid, a large supporting pillar carved into a draped female form, was found here.  All other such figures found in Greece have been headless!

Astrous Castle  

Tiros

Tiros is a larger town than Astrous. It is also an all-year-round resort, popular with Greeks, French and Germans. Its long grey-pebbled beach is backed by a road lined with hotels, rooms, tavernas and bars.  It gets very busy in high season.  When we called in, it was pleasantly quiet.

Google Earth© view of Tiros bay and town. 

The town’s small port is in the southern corner  

Tiros’s long, curved grey-pebbled beach 

The town’s port is surprisingly small and has limited space for visiting boats.  This was not a problem for us, being out of season.  In season many yachts anchor off the beach.

Port viewed from small amphitheatre above 

Part of Tiros and background mountains viewed from quay where we 'parked' ID

Sabateki

Sabateki, a new harbour under the natural hook of the Cape of the same name, cannot be seen from the north until one rounds the cape. Its new breakwater is massive and is very conspicuous once into the bay. 

Google Earth© of Sabateki cape and harbour    

This supposedly ‘sleepy’ fishing village lies under the bulk of the Peloponnese mountains close to the new (as yet uncompleted) coastal road joining Nafplio with Monemvasia.  Were it  bigger and not full of local boats, it would arguably provide good shelter for yachts on passage along the coast.  As with every new harbour invested in by the EU local craft have, however, taken over a large percentage of the space. 

Sabateki harbour seen as we nosed in for a look

At present, the surrounding houses form more of a pleasant hamlet than a village, but there are indications that it will expand to accommodate seasonal visitors.

Sabateki’s small pleasant hamlet around the harbour  

Leonidhion

The wind from the south-west increased as we approached Leonidhion harbour and hamlet. 

Google Earth©  view of Leonidhion  

It’s not easy to identify the harbour’s entrance, since it is constructed behind the beach and appears like a continuation of it.  From the start we weren’t impressed by the fact that the end of the harbour mole, damaged ten years ago, had still not been repaired.  Hence, protection from southerly winds (which is what the extension was built for) is significantly less than was intended – as we found to our cost when the wind increased.  

Damaged breakwater at Leonidhion

We thought we were properly moored, but when the wind gusted our anchor simply did not hold and we were soon in serious danger of smashing into the quay or ending up in the shallow waters of the fishing dock.  The Ukrainian yacht that tried to berth next to us had exactly the same problem.

Empty inner quay on which we tried unsuccessfully to berth    

Small fishing boats in shallow water represented 

a major hazard as we drifted towards them   

We both managed to extricate ourselves from what could have been a messy and costly situation, thanks partly to a couple of Dutch sailors on the quay who helped with our lines. Rod Heikell (author of the Waters Pilot book) describes Leonidhion thus: “the small hamlet under towering cliffs is a pleasant and unspoilt spot.  Its fertile valley winds between the high mountains to Leonidhion town – a modest place untouched by tourism”.   We would add, however, it has a lot to be modest about and it now has four fewer tourists than it would otherwise have had. 

Poulithra

We headed south in convoy with our new Ukrainian friends to the small fishing harbour of Poulithra.  Theoretically there was room there for two visiting yachts behind its short stubby mole but in practice, as expected, all the quay was taken up by local boats.  The harbour is said to have good shelter from southerly winds and indeed, having poked our nose in there, it had.  We both, however, had no choice but to move on to the next viable anchorage for the night.  

Google Earth© view of Poulithra   

Poulithra where we tried to find a berth  

Fokianos Bay

The bay of Fokianos, lying just south of Cape Turkovigila, is said to be untenable in south-easterly winds. Fortunately, the wind was from the south-west although there was still a south-easterly swell.  We therefore decided to back our own judgement and give it a go, as it was by then almost dark.  Our pilot book also warned of the large number of permanent mooring buoys in the bay and proved right.  We concluded, however, that while we might not have the most comfortable of nights, the anchorage’s reputation for good holding should at least make it secure – our first priority.  Indeed, it proved more than adequate since our anchor held firm in an unexpected four-hour period of rain, very strong winds, and thunder and lightning during the night.  We nevertheless felt it prudent to maintain an anchor watch and thereby avoided tangling our prop and rudder during the night with any of the adjacent mooring buoys –  but only just.

Google Earth© Fokianos Bay

By next morning, it was a different place. The storm had abated and the south-easterly swell had died off; the sky was blue again.  One of the buoys that we had been most concerned about overnight proved to be attached to a bottom net – a form of fishing adopted on this coast – as we discovered at dawn when  the owner came by in his boat and picked up both his buoy and his net.

Bottom-net fishing boat picking up its buoy which had 

nearly tangled with our prop during the night     

The head of the bay behind where we were anchored had a long pebble beach, a small taverna/hotel complex and was overlooked by dramatic mountains.  Although we and our Ukrainian ‘friends’ were the only boats at anchor, there were a number of motorhomes parked along the beach.  It was a really lovely location.  

View of Fokianos beach and mountain background    

Kiparissi

The night before we’d been heading for the large bay of Kiparissi, but had concluded that we’d not make it there before dark – our reason for anchoring in Fokianos Bay.  The next morning we motored the five miles south to Kiparissi where there was a choice of three moorings for yachts, depending on the wind and sea conditions, in addition to simply anchoring off the village.

Google Earth© overview of Kiparissi Bay     

Chapel Cove on the south-east corner of the bay where there is a short quay    

North Quay at the north-east corner of the bay, where there was 

also room to anchor off the adjacent beach    

Paralia town pier, where we opted to moor alongside because the town is more accessible.  The quay is said to be untenable in strong winds 

– which fortunately they weren’t     

The small village of Paralia is quite unspoilt and the bay surrounded by precipitous mountains is a spectacular location.  The village exists on tourism, both by road and yacht, and the produce of the olive groves in the plain surrounding the bay. Unlike us, the locals were very happy with the rain storm of the previous night as it has been a very dry autumn and their olives need water if they are to plump up before being picked in December and January. 

Street with olive trees everywhere – the village’s livelihood    

By chance we met up with a Scottish lady, Anne Alexander, who has been coming to Kiparissi on holiday for the last thirty years. She invited us into her home, which she has recently had built on part of an olive grove she bought three years earlier.  With previous experience of working with the NHS and private hospitals in terms of estate management, she had some strong views as to what she wanted and the confidence to insist on their implementation.  She has achieved a remarkable end result, based on her personal design and requirements.  Subsequently we met up again in the evening and enjoyed an excellent meal together in a local taverna.  

Helen and Anne flanked by her French friends 
Laura and Marie-Claire in Anne's courtyard   

Recently the area has become something of a rock-climbing mecca.  This has brought in a new source of income for the village, especially out of the main season.

Climber on rock stack        

Same climber viewed through zoom lens    

Vathi Avlaki

On our passage from Kiparissi to Ieraka (which we had identified as a good harbour for the night given  the poor weather forecast for the following morning), we pulled in to look at Vathi Avlaki, a bay at the foot of a gorge which has been described as a ‘wild and wonderful anchorage’ – in calm conditions!  It was a fabulous location, it was calm, so we decided to anchor for at least a swim and lunch break. 

Beach and surrounding mountains viewed as we 

     approached Vathi Avlaki anchorage         

ID at Anchor in Vathi Avlaki seen from the old road above      

We were sorely tempted to stay the night because it was such a lovely location, but our natural caution got the better of us – thank heavens given the subsequent weather we experienced!

Ieraka

Ieraka (or Gerakas) is a gem of a location.  The small hamlet, a single line of houses wedged along the quay front, is hemmed in by rocky slopes on either side.  It is well sheltered, being located at the end of a fjord-like inlet with a dog-legged entrance, which historically was protected by a significant Mycenean fort.  

Google Earth© view of Ieraka    

We moored on the old, currently redundant, ferry quay to the east of the hamlet, which has an excellent view to the west of the high mountains that provide significant protection from the winds in the Ionian Sea over the peninsula.

View of ID, hamlet and mountains looking west      

View of hamlet and ID on old ferry quay looking east     

This might be an appropriate point to mention ferries.  They have always been financially supported by the Government, but in about 2016, the Greek austerity constrictions were such that ferry services beyond Porto Cheli in the Argolic Gulf and along the east coast of the Peloponnese were terminated. Admittedly, roads have been significantly improved on the peninsula thanks to EU funding and arguably the old roads and tracks such as they were still exist.  It is not, however, an easy coast to travel.  

No doubt olive-grove owners continued to be delighted by yet another torrential downpour and thunderstorm that we were battered by next morning, by which time (having checked the weather) we had fortunately already decided not to move on that day.  

Rain, hail and thunderstorm watched through the companionway hatch, behind which we sheltered with all electronics turned off 

and portable ones put away in a ‘Faraday Cage’  (our oven!)    

We’ve found it interesting when following the weather patterns to note how the enormous mountains running down the Peloponnese peninsula divide the weather fronts of the Ionian and Aegean Seas. 

Difference in weather between the Ionian and Aegean Seas to the west and east respectively of the Peloponnisos  (Passageweather ©).     
The red colour signifies 40 knots and over

Since, given the day’s weather, we didn’t want to move, we spent some time sorting out admin and in consequence felt entitled to treat ourselves to lunch at Taverna Remetzo, run by Vibeke from Denmark and her Greek husband Tassos.  The choice was simple:  fish or fish!

Lunch at Taverna Remetzo on Ieraka's quayside      

Monemvasia

On our way to Monemvasia, our final port of call on the east coast of the Peloponnisos, we pulled into Palaio Bay at the northern end of the Gulf of Monemvasia. The bay provides an excellent anchorage and shelter against the Meltemi for the small fishing hamlet whose fleet is kept moored here on permanent buoys.

Google Earth© overview of Palaio Bay at the northern end 

of the Gulf of Monemvasia

Fishing fleet moored in Palaio Bay

The hump-backed island of Monemvasia itself is nicknamed ‘the Gibraltar of the East’.  It is connected to the town of Yefira on the Peloponnisos by a  causeway and bridge. 

Google Earth© view of Monemvasia

ID moored on the redundant ferry mole off the causeway – after we moved forward to put more room between us and the cruise ships!

The island’s fort and town were founded by the Byzantines in the sixth century.  They were strengthened and developed successively by the Franks, Venetians and Turks, each of whom in turn controlled the island up until 1821 when Greece became independent and the local Greeks massacred the Turkish garrison.

Monemvasia was always an important trading post and final port of call on the Peloponnisos east coast before sailing ships rounded the infamous Cape Maleas at the bottom of the peninsula.  It is located sufficiently close to the Cape that it also enabled the occupants of the island to control entry to the Aegean. In its heyday, it was renowned for Malvasia, the strong sweet red wine known to us as Malmsey which was much in demand by sailing ships on long journeys, since it travelled well.   At 32€ for a 35cl bottle, we gave it a miss.

The remains of the old citadel lie at the very top of the island. The massive fortress walls are relatively intact while the lower town has been well preserved and reconstructed, with many quirky hotels, restaurants, gift and craft shops.

Remains of the Citadel at the highest point of the island

Lower Town

The settlement of Yefira at the mainland end of the causeway is now where most of the population live.   A new marina for visiting yachts has more recently been built to the south of the causeway. 

Yefira town viewed from top of the citadel of Monemvasia

The marina south of the causeway. Plans to extend it are on hold. 

We were grateful we hadn’t berthed there because in the strong southerly wind it looked to be getting battered!

We chose to berth on the ferry quay north of the causeway.  While not currently used by ferries (there aren’t any) it is available to yachts and small cruise ships who stop  here so that their passengers can disembark to visit the Citadel.

After berthing on the empty north quay, we woke up next morning to find ourselves overlooked by the bow of a small Greek cruise ship!

The cruise ship’s bow ‘bulb’ was within 2 metres of our rudder 

(How did the captain manage that?)

We don’t think they made any attempt to wake us – or at least we didn’t hear anything!  Next morning, as soon as we saw how close they were, we got dressed promptly and moved ID further forward, there being just enough depth to do so.   Since the wind was fairly strong we were pleased to accept an offer of help from Ted and Desley, an Australian couple who were parked nearby in their campervan.  Attracted by the activity, Derek Parsons from New Zealand joined in the fun!

Ted and Desley from Australia and Derek from New Zealand, who are travelling respectively by campervan and bus around the Peloponnisos.  They joined us for a coffee on board after helping us move ID farther along the quay

RETURN TO LEROS

Given a continued forecast for the next two days of a windshift to the west, we left Monemvasia as soon as the wind changed for our 200-mile non-stop passage across the Aegean Sea to Lakki Marina in LEROS.  With a moderate aft wind it was a comfortable and easy 36-hour sail. 

Route taken on our Autumn Cruise 

The most remarkable memory we have of this simple passage was when we approached an unlit 33-metre-high rock in the middle of the Aegean without any other land in sight.  It proved to be the peak of a 1000m sea mount (once a mountain on the Aegean Plains before they were inundated after the Ice Age).  

Unlit 33m peak of a 1000m sea mount in the middle of the Aegean

In Lakki we had four days in Moor&Dock's quayside marina in which to address those tasks best done afloat and preferably on a quay, principally: sails, rigging, engine service, sole boards and bilges – leavened by a little socialising with friends.  

Drying the sails which we had hosed off as we’d hoisted them

Helen checking and cleaning the standing rigging and masts

Supper with our good friend Frank Markwort from Germany and Nikki from Belgium on his Gib Sea 43, Poseidon.  Frank stayed in Lakki last winter and plans to stay there again this year. He has become an expert in coping with southerly gales when in harbour!

Thereafter, we motored up to Partheni boatyard, also owned by Moor&Dock, where we were lifted out of the water in the yard’s travel lift before being transferred on to a fixed stand on which we were then moved by a motorised hydraulic sledge lift and shoe-horned into one of the few free spaces left in the boatyard.  The boats in the yard are currently packed like sardines in a tin.  

ID being lifted out of the water at the yard’s dock by their travel lift.

ID  being transferred by radio-controlled hydraulic sledge lift 

into her winter quarters

We were delighted to note, whilst we were being lifted, that our new Greek self-eroding antifouling had worked like a dream. There was no growth on the hull, which needed only a wash down with a sponge (as opposed to a blasting from a powerful pressure washer). 

By chance, or design, ID was parked in an excellent location, protected from the wind by three ultra-large stink boats.   Since we are expected to lift early in the spring, we were placed near the exit of the yard and therefore have a wonderful view of Partheni Bay.

Looking north from ID once in the boatyard

LOOKING FORWARD

We fly back to London Heathrow via Athens on 30 November and currently anticipate spending the winter in the UK.   Thereafter, our plans will to an extent depend on the results of the General Election and Brexit.  In principle, however, we intend, next spring, to transit the Corinth Canal and spend three months in either the north or south Ionian Sea – having completed our exploration of the Aegean Islands and mainland Greece’s north and east coastlines during our last three years’ cruising.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS! We’d like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and hope that 2020 will be a good year for you! Mike and Helen