Patras or Messalonghi?

[Cspirit]

Does anyone have recent information on either of these? I want to leave our Westerly Corsair either
afloat or ashore for approximately two months, July and August this year.
Any info much appreciated. Thanks, Bob

 

[vyv_cox]

It is some time since I visited Messalonghi but I have kept a close eye on proceedings there. If anything the situation seems to be worse there now than it was a year ago. The much promised environmental certificate has not appeared, with the result that no work whatsoever can be carried out there by anyone. I would not even think about visiting, never mind leaving a boat there. Unless things have suddenly improved?

 

[RupertW]

Don't know Messalomghi but Patras is our favourite cheap and cheerful place in Greece where you seem to be able to get anything done or fixed in minimum time and spend. Sheltered pleasant if worn marina and within minutes of at arriving a cheerful agent (there seem to be 3) will appear and ask if you want fuel laundry engine fixed etc etc. And they actually mean and so far have delivered. We've never left the boat there so don't know what transport is like from Patras.

 

[Palarran]

I really liked my time in Messolonghi. Avoid it like the plague.

One thing I find is that cheap sailors get all they deserve. Spend a few extra pounds and be secure with your boat.

 

[sailaboutvic]

still problems at the moment , like Palarran said Avoid it , well at less till things improve

 

[macd]

We've never left the boat there so don't know what transport is like from Patras.

The new motorway from Patras to Corinth (and thus Athens) is now completed bar a few short sections, speeding up the journey considerably. Buses to Athens (Kifisos bus station) are regular (express buses less so) and shouldn't take more than three hours, which may soon reduce. Add to that the X93 express shuttle from Kifisos to Venizelos airport, which run every 30 mins or so and takes an hour.

There are also frequent trains from Patras to Athens, linking with either onward bus or metro rail to the airport. Journey time is approx 3hrs plus airport link, although this may improve when current works are completed. Cost Patras-airport €20, single, €32 rtn. I think a return works out cheaper than the bus.

 

[Flica]

It is some time since I visited Messalonghi but I have kept a close eye on proceedings there. If anything the situation seems to be worse there now than it was a year ago. The much promised environmental certificate has not appeared, with the result that no work whatsoever can be carried out there by anyone. I would not even think about visiting, never mind leaving a boat there. Unless things have suddenly improved?

I'm currently in Messolonghi, arrived last Saturday.
As Vyv points out the marina still has not got its environmental certificate, but neither had Levkas or Gouvia last year.
Other marinas have been allowed to trade normally but, due to eagle-eyed poking by Messolonghi marina, fired ex-general manager of the local Port Police, lifting, launching and work on boats has been forbidden since last September.
To my knowledge Patras has no provision in the marina for lifting or launching, but the local yard may do so.

Having the boat out of the water in the Gulf of Patras is probably not feasible, though leaving it, unofficially, in the water, in Messolonghi marina is quite feasible.
As each entrant and exit from the marina attracts a fine for the marina management, from Port Police, it is desirable to arrive and depart after dark when Yianni's binoculars are not able to perceive boats coming and going. Two of the three marineros live in fear of the PP, but one, Stavros is steadfast in receiving and tying up arrivals.
It is probably valueless and even counter-productive to try and contact the marineros on VHF 69.
The office is only open weekdays 09:00 - 16:00.
I anchored for 2 nights in the Pool, went ashore by dinghy and arranged assisted mooring with residents, collected a card off the duty marinero on Saturday and entered the marina early on Sunday morning.
Local sentiment is hardening against Patrocoulos, town authorities have attempted to speak to him and been scornfully rebuffed - PP are fed up with him!!
I would strongly exhort potential visitors to ignore Vyv's opinion - the local economy, marina residents and visitors owe it to themselves to keep the marina open - it's unlikely, unless the peovocation is too blatant, that the PP would act against visiting boats.
They too, are fed up with the situation.
I doubt, however, that the situation will change dramatically during the next six months. No lifting or launching, no work done on boats - though I'm having a replacement single-lever control fitted in July, I'm providing it myself and Vangellis is doing the work off-book.

To the original poster - there is a big hard standing at Iteia. Arranging one's own crane and being lifted out there is an expensive possibility. The same is possible at Katakolon.
Quick, inexpensive lit-out ashore is probably not available in the Ionian, though in the Aegean it becomes increasingly easier and cheaper the farther N one goes.

 

[[3889]]

There's also a 2 hourish bus/ ferry from Patras to Zakynthos from where you can fly to Gatwick, Bristol and Liverpool.

 

[Hardmy]

There are also frequent trains from Patras to Athens, linking with either onward bus or metro rail to the airport. Journey time is approx 3hrs plus airport link, although this may improve when current works are completed. Cost Patras-airport €20, single, €32 rtn. I think a return works out cheaper than the bus.

The train line ends in Kiato. Do you mean that there is an onward bus service from Kiato to Patra?

The Kiato-Athens service is really fast and comfortable - no train change from Athens airport!

 

[Palarran]

Local sentiment is hardening against Patrocoulos, town authorities have attempted to speak to him and been scornfully rebuffed - PP are fed up with him!!
.

Who is this? I only know of Yannis

 

[sailaboutvic]

Who is this? I only know of Yannis

There only one problem and that's Yannis ever since the Marina opened he been a pain in Joe side . How the guy is still walking around and not doing time for all the money he tacked away is any body guess .
After our time there some years back the same time as your self , I said I would never return till that guy is well out of the picture , same really as it's a safe and good Marina to do work in .
The town was lively and buszzing

 

[Flica]

Who is this? I only know of Yannis

Family name - actually I had it wrong - but it's the same Yiannis.

 

[duncan99210]

I remember when we left Messi at the end of a very pleasant winter a few years back we anchored in the pool. Mid afternoon the PP appeared and insisted we all (about four or five boats) moved onto the quay. So we did, under protest. A stiff wind got up, pushing us all onto the quay along with a nasty 18 inch chop. Real problems for one or two folks, fender popping out etc. Suddenly Yani appeared, white faced and offered us a free night in the marina. So we took him up on the offer.....
The chat later was that ''twas him that had 'persuaded' the PP to move us all on: the original request had been to insist we moved back into the marina but the PP refused to do that, simply told us to move on to the quay. Yani had been told of what was happening, found his cunning plan for a few € more in fees had been defeated, heard the rumours flying about who's fault it was and made the offer.
It was at that point that we made the decision not to return there until he had been removed not only from the marina but also the town.

 

[sailaboutvic]

I can tell you some reall horror story's about him , one personal thing one straight from the horses mouth .
After two months on the hard as we needed to copper coat the hull , we ask Joe for a price to move us once it has dry
So we could do the pads , all agree on the day , the guys in the yard refused to move us unless I ask Yannis in personal , after some words Yannis told his guys to move us , cut a long story short , on the day we was to get launch , And while we was stil being moved , yannis deminded power reading , at the time I tho something was going on .
When I went to the office to pay for the moving of the boat and the power , I found the bill be out rages , it should had been 160 euros in stead it was 310 euros , mata in the office face turned red , when I ask her what was this all about , she said she was sorry but Yannis insisted that the bill wasn't enough ,
I refused to pay any of it , I found Yannis and had it out with him ( well it went a lot further then that ) but his answer was , pay what you like and I take the rest of of the girl wages .
I ended up paying what was quoted in the first place .
I telephone Joe , he told me there nothing he could do , but not to worry about mata in the office she won't have anything taken out of her wages .
Well any one who think Yannis is an OK guy , really got no idea what his real like or is talking out of their back side .

 

[duncan99210]

Vic, we were lifted and working on the boat. The rumour went round that we would be charged €5 per day for electricity, despite a clause in the contract that unmetered electricity was available whilst on the hard. When we heard this, I emailed Jo who replied that the contract stood. I printed the emails and kept them to one side.
Sure enough, when we went to pay the final bill, there was an entry for €40 for electricity. Mata was deeply embarrassed by the whole thing but I gave her a copy of the emails and paid the bill less the trumped up charge. The whole episode left a bad taste in my mouth after a great winter. Then the whole thing with the PP I related above happened. Yani has killed the goose, no one in their right minds is going anywhere near the marina whilst he's anywhere near it. So sad, as the town is wonderful and the people so helpful.