Back in the Ionian Sea
Tao out of water end June for its maintenance and it is time to sail to the Northern Sporades, then west through the canal of Corinth. A few beautiful anchorages await us on the road...
After a night in a secluded Bay of provided we go quickly through the island of Chios where the anchorages are strewn wrecks left by migrants trying to reach Europe. These are piles of planks, air chambers, remains of boats of fortune... Anchorages that might be nice beaches and marine farms and water is very cloudy! quickly we continue northwards...
Friday 3 June - Lesvos
A strong north wind is announced motivates us to move towards Kolpos Yeras inland sea which can be reached by a long channel.
We try to hang the anchor in each of the bays at the entrance of the Bay, but the background is soft mud in which our anchor does not. Damage! Then... anchor in front of the village of Skala Loutra but the sewer smell and murky water don't make us not swimming.
The next day the weather is always good and the coast south of Lesvos we find a small deserted Bay (Ormos Mersinia) with an area of just pure sand we.
The Bay is surrounded by well-kept olive fields. This is the opportunity of a ballad…
On the other side of a headland, a few houses, a dock in concrete and fishing boats who are waiting...
Sigri, the tip West of Lesvos, is our last stop on Lesvos before road to the West and the Nisos Ayios Evstratios island.
The port is empty... until a ferry arrives and pours out hundreds of people who come to a gathering of the Greek Communist Party.
A quick schedule along the coast for us away... and we find the calm and the water clean for bathing. Tomorrow a wind from sector East should drive us quietly to Kira Panaya island and its nature reserve.
Nisos Skantzoura. A great walk on a rocky, earthy path brings us on a farm.
Parcels of land are cultivated and four men maintain... surprising in a too secluded corner.
We are mid-June and must chart our course towards the channel of Corinth.
This is the day that we sail along the Cape Sounion and the temple of Poseidon. A thick yellowish haze stagnates in the Bay of Athens.
The approach of Corinth, the landscape is only freighters and industries. We get wet just before the canal for the night and hope to cross the next day.
Sunday 19 June - Corinth Canal
We are going to dock in front of the channel crossing. In five minutes everything is settled.
It is 8 hours and we promise slowly in the channel so that the waves do not damage the walls... The control tower asks us to get "to the bottom" because other boats are waiting for the other side to cross.
The long channel 3 miles is close, It is dug in a "friable" rock that requires intensive maintenance. A few birds on the side bottom, used boats are unaware of our presence.
The contrary current is 3 nodes, the engines are at full throttle to achieve a top speed of 6 Nodes, and we leave behind a beautiful white foam.
A few miles in the Gulf of Corinth and a bench of Dolphin crosses our path
They come to play in our bow for a few minutes.
Monday 20 June - Navpaktos
We get wet at the foot of this fortified village
Now let's see this tiny port surrounded by walls.
and take forces on the terrace of a café before ascending to the Castle overlooking the town.
Ride on the ramparts
and it is time to go down
In a pretty village, This must be art... It's not ugly!
Wednesday 22 June - Nisos Atoko
Early we leave Navpaktos to engage in the Gulf of Patras and pass under a gigantic viaduct that connects the Peloponnese to the Mainland. By far we wonder if our mast will go under it!
But up close it is so high that we seem tiny.
The wind decides for us that we will spend the night in Nisos Atoko... The Bay to the South of the island seems well protected from the winds from the North and while many sails ply between the Islands... There is no one in the Bay. Some maneuvering to put the anchor on the sand and pull mooring lines on the ground, then we are installed for 2 days... The evening, our goats neighbors entertain us by the acrobats on the walls smooth quasi-verticales.
Monday 27 June - Preveza
It's on-site AKTIO Marina as we go out TAO of water for a month. It's a never-ending ballet of boats that come out and return to the water. Finally it's our turn...
The site has an equipment to handle boats. First out of the water with a wide enough Travelift for a catamaran...
Then transfer on a hydraulic trailer...
by an attentive team who takes his time to make
And here is TAO on the way to its parking place
That's the life of construction and a month of work waiting for us. The view from the terrace to the front...
and on the other side.
Finally this will pass quickly and in a month TAO will be ready to continue the road to the Atlantic and Pacific. From the first day a tenant moved in the drink to anchorage. Do not forget to let down when we leave...
Already nearly a year and more than 4000 miles with TAO! Navigation and life on a catamaran is everything we hoped for and more... We look forward to continue...