Appleyard
Well-known member
Boat currently in Malta... we would like to move to the Ionian this summer. Should we do it in one go or in stages? (sicily, italy, Greece)....... would like to hear from anybody who has done the trip. Cheers
Malta to Greece
- Thread starter Appleyard
- Start date
yachttequilla
New member
Hi,
We sailed from Tropea through Messina Straits and over direct to Paxos last year at end of April with our 2 kids aged 7/9. Others went through and hopped along coast and made shorter hop from the heel to Corfu.
I guess it depends on various factors like the expected weather, boat and crew and your own confidence and experience. With the improving weather I'd have thought a direct passage is certainly possible if you can keep watches for a couple of nights. Nothing on the heel of Italy was attractive to us and we were fed up of being ripped off down the W coast so keen to leave Italy!
If you make the direct hop I guess Kephalonia and Argostoli may me a good place to head for first. The Ionion is beautiful - we made it our base last year after falling in love with the area.
Happy sailing.
Steve
We sailed from Tropea through Messina Straits and over direct to Paxos last year at end of April with our 2 kids aged 7/9. Others went through and hopped along coast and made shorter hop from the heel to Corfu.
I guess it depends on various factors like the expected weather, boat and crew and your own confidence and experience. With the improving weather I'd have thought a direct passage is certainly possible if you can keep watches for a couple of nights. Nothing on the heel of Italy was attractive to us and we were fed up of being ripped off down the W coast so keen to leave Italy!
If you make the direct hop I guess Kephalonia and Argostoli may me a good place to head for first. The Ionion is beautiful - we made it our base last year after falling in love with the area.
Happy sailing.
Steve
dart
New member
Did it last year in one from Valetta to Gouvia. The word is that the boot of italy is dire and with a S wind coming we didn't fancy getting stuck in a surgy harbour. The crossing was fine but obvioulsy make sure you get a 3 day forecast before setting off. I think we sailed about half the way.
We regretted not stopping in Paxos (very nice) as we got stuck in (expensive we thought) Gouvia by the S wind. Chris.
We regretted not stopping in Paxos (very nice) as we got stuck in (expensive we thought) Gouvia by the S wind. Chris.
Sea Devil
Well-known member
I have done it 3 or 4 times - From the Greek Ionian I have alway done it in one hit to Malta or bottom of Sciliy - good sail normally. about 300 miles
Going from Malta I think I would cross to one of those places near Catania and jump off from there - drops the passage to around 270 and there are some really nice places along that coast worth a visit - The heel of Italy is horrid - very unatractive and not that many parking places - I have done it once heading for Croatia but did not like or enjoy it a lot and it makes the passage so long.
Loved the Ionian - best part of Greek islands by a million miles - the rest are dull in comparison. - I think -
Going from Malta I think I would cross to one of those places near Catania and jump off from there - drops the passage to around 270 and there are some really nice places along that coast worth a visit - The heel of Italy is horrid - very unatractive and not that many parking places - I have done it once heading for Croatia but did not like or enjoy it a lot and it makes the passage so long.
Loved the Ionian - best part of Greek islands by a million miles - the rest are dull in comparison. - I think -
Melody
Active member
No comment to offer on the trip from Malta, as I haven't done it yet, but I must disagree with the Ionian being the 'best part of the Greek islands by a million miles'. There are LOTS of lovely island areas in Greece, each with their own character. At different times of year, for instance, I'd pick different areas.
Have sailed a few times in the Ionian and would go there again in the Spring. However I found it very crowded in mid-summer compared to other areas of Greece. Extremely hard to find a bay or small town without lots of little flotilla yachts and lots of big Italian yachts, which for me rather spoilt the fact that the scenery was lovely.
A lot depends on what you want. Its a bit like trying to compare Cornwall, the Lake District, Wales and the Highlands for instance. You may have a personal favourite but they are all lovely.
Have sailed a few times in the Ionian and would go there again in the Spring. However I found it very crowded in mid-summer compared to other areas of Greece. Extremely hard to find a bay or small town without lots of little flotilla yachts and lots of big Italian yachts, which for me rather spoilt the fact that the scenery was lovely.
A lot depends on what you want. Its a bit like trying to compare Cornwall, the Lake District, Wales and the Highlands for instance. You may have a personal favourite but they are all lovely.
davidbains
New member
I have sailed Messina Straits to Corfu twice and back once. Twice we stopped at Crotone and the
once at Rocella Ionica which had a silting problem. Crotone to north Corfu is an overnight sail and some skippers stop at Sta Maria de Leuca too. You can always pause at Erikoussa the most northerly Ionian island if you don't fancy running down the Corfu Strait in the dark. In my experience in the summer it's usually light to fresh northerlies, or calm or light southerly. Southerly gales are rare in the Ionian summer but one did speed us north from Levkas to Corfu last July. Even in light weather the gulf of Squillace has fresh northerlies overnight and we used them to good effect on our eastbound passages.
I have enjoyed the Ionian islands for several years but it's a limited area really and we have now moved up the Adriatic, which is also cooler in July and August. However we may return since I've just come back from trieste in early May and it was cold and wet, not what I was expecting!
Whether you cross from Malta in one go or visit Sicily and Italy to break it up is up to you.
Personally I think overnight sailing becomes boring after more than one night and you need a competent crew of two or three to keep it up otherwise sleep deprivation becomes a problem.
once at Rocella Ionica which had a silting problem. Crotone to north Corfu is an overnight sail and some skippers stop at Sta Maria de Leuca too. You can always pause at Erikoussa the most northerly Ionian island if you don't fancy running down the Corfu Strait in the dark. In my experience in the summer it's usually light to fresh northerlies, or calm or light southerly. Southerly gales are rare in the Ionian summer but one did speed us north from Levkas to Corfu last July. Even in light weather the gulf of Squillace has fresh northerlies overnight and we used them to good effect on our eastbound passages.
I have enjoyed the Ionian islands for several years but it's a limited area really and we have now moved up the Adriatic, which is also cooler in July and August. However we may return since I've just come back from trieste in early May and it was cold and wet, not what I was expecting!
Whether you cross from Malta in one go or visit Sicily and Italy to break it up is up to you.
Personally I think overnight sailing becomes boring after more than one night and you need a competent crew of two or three to keep it up otherwise sleep deprivation becomes a problem.
