Lefkas canal

[CharlesSwallow]

Levkas canal isn't the only way south.

If travelling down from Corfu or even Paxos, consider going outside of Levkada Island. The "Jewel" of Fiskardo is often reached quicker and with fairer winds by taking this route.

Apart from the new hazard you will avoid a long motor down the canal*, a fickle wind down to the SE tip of Levkada and what is often a beat to Fiskardo. There is also usually a shoal of small tuna (Yellowfin) just south of Sappo's Leap if you are skilled at fishing, which I am not. Instead you will have a really good sail with the wind coming over your right shoulder on a nice broad reach.

Chas

* which is, incidentally, itself showing signs of silting this year.

 

[liverpool]

Levkas canal

Went through entrance to north end of canal each way this week - both times crawling slowly around sand spit. In good light easy to see (but may be much more difficult with sun ahead) and spit does appear to shelve steeply so we had around 4 metres of water. There was no green starboard marker. The southbound traffic has priority when bridge opens so as we exited heading north all S bound traffic had passed through and we were able to keep over to left close to the bank as we rounded the spit. Go very slowly and carefully!

 

[Carolwildbird]

levkas canal

Came through last night

There are lots more channel markers in place than there were two weeks ago, and there is a JCB type digger with a long arm/bucket on the sand spit.. looks like they are dredging the sand back.

. No problems.. least depth over 4m even quite close to the spit.

 

[CharlesSwallow]

Came through last night

There are lots more channel markers in place than there were two weeks ago, and there is a JCB type digger with a long arm/bucket on the sand spit.. looks like they are dredging the sand back.

. No problems.. least depth over 4m even quite close to the spit.

"Close to the spit" is where it is known to be deepest at the moment. The extra markers sound like good news. Going down there a week tomorrow. Will report.

Chas

 

[Niall1975]

Likewise we came through last week heading for Preveza and found near the sandspit much deeper and we draw 2.1 metres. That said the boats which hadnt made it through before we exited all waited outside the channel while we passed through. Biggest problem we had was the idiot German in a big motorboat who overtook us going into the south entrance doing nigh on 20 knots and proceeded to overtake his way down the canal before pulling into Lefkas Marina ???? What was the point !!!!!

Niall

 

[billcole]

Came through last night

There are lots more channel markers in place than there were two weeks ago, and there is a JCB type digger with a long arm/bucket on the sand spit.. looks like they are dredging the sand back.

. No problems.. least depth over 4m even quite close to the spit.

"The Ionian" magazine carries a report dated 20th June about the new buoys and dredging here

http://www.theionian.com/

 

[Monterey]

New Dredging and Bouys

Having run aground on both sides going southbound May 16. We returned northbound June 2 to see a dredge had been working on the channel. The situation has improved significantly on our trip southbound today (June 25) as there is now a new series of red bouys marking the south side of the course from well outside the sand spit. Drawing 2.7 metres we kept quite close to the cans and saw a minimum depth of 3.5 metres.

 

[B&M]

Many thanks for the replies. I went through yesterday and the situation is much improved. More red bouys although one is 3 to 4 metres out of line with the others. Obviously marking an isolated danger.