Peoloponnese round trip

[sailaboutvic]

Alex we love the peolop but we normally cruise then very early spring or from Oct onwards , great cruising area .
Enjoy

 

[alexsailor]

That time of the year must be magical in South Ionio...
And for sure empty- that is what I also like...

 

[jimbaerselman]

Keep a close eye on the weather three depression tracks meet there so gales a are common. Sunsail opened a base there and closed it after six months, we chartered with them there and one of the crews told they were going to close it because crews couldn't handle it and were exhausted.

Depression tracks are not a Peloponnese issue from May to September. The main summer influence on wind is the daily thermal low generated by land mass heating, overlaid on the overall Aegean/Ionian northerlies generated by monsoon lows and W Med highs.

What made Sunsail withdraw was the terrain effect interfering with these moderate winds - creating vicious gusts in certain narrow locations. A less predicatable "Vassiliki" effect - for those who know the windsurf location's winds! Boats were regularly being laid flat as they entered white water from a gentle F3 . . .

The three big peninsulae (Methoni, Mani, Cap Maleas) are massive ridges set at right angles to the prevailing winds. So there's a great acceleration of gradient winds downwind of the ridges, espcially through some cols, giving white water for a couple of miles downwind. There's also acceleration immediately off the headlands. But as a whole, wind behaviour is much more predictable than near Aegean islands in a meltemi - once you know to look out for the white water patches and reef early.

The deep bays (Kalamata, Gythion, Navplion) often see the wind flip from NW to nice afternoon F4 southerlies. Makes it easy to enter the bays in the evening. And the morning NW or W makes it easy to leave in the morning.

There are safe anchorages open to the south along the whole coast; some with villages, some just with a small settlement, some just with sand . . .

In all my cruising, S Peloponnese is my favourite quiet cruising ground.

JimB

 

[sailaboutvic]

Depression tracks are not a Peloponnese issue from May to September. The main summer influence on wind is the daily thermal low generated by land mass heating, overlaid on the overall Aegean/Ionian northerlies generated by monsoon lows and W Med highs.

What made Sunsail withdraw was the terrain effect interfering with these moderate winds - creating vicious gusts in certain narrow locations. A less predicatable "Vassiliki" effect - for those who know the windsurf location's winds! Boats were regularly being laid flat as they entered white water from a gentle F3 . . .

The three big peninsulae (Methoni, Mani, Cap Maleas) are massive ridges set at right angles to the prevailing winds. So there's a great acceleration of gradient winds downwind of the ridges, espcially through some cols, giving white water for a couple of miles downwind. There's also acceleration immediately off the headlands. But as a whole, wind behaviour is much more predictable than near Aegean islands in a meltemi - once you know to look out for the white water patches and reef early.

The deep bays (Kalamata, Gythion, Navplion) often see the wind flip from NW to nice afternoon F4 southerlies. Makes it easy to enter the bays in the evening. And the morning NW or W makes it easy to leave in the morning.

There are safe anchorages open to the south along the whole coast; some with villages, some just with a small settlement, some just with sand . . .

In all my cruising, S Peloponnese is my favourite quiet cruising ground.

JimB

Well said Jim .