Sailing Greece/Skiathos

[catwithhat]

Hi,
I'm planning a 7/8 day sail starting from Skiathos. Any recommendations/warnings for charter companies. Planning July. How bad does the Meltemi get there?

Thanks
Cat

 

[Twister_Ken]

Meltemi can be bad. Tables-blown-over-at-tavernas bad.

But in a total of four weeks mid-summer chartering we've done there, there were only two bad meltemi days.

 

[ribrage]

Hi,
I'm planning a 7/8 day sail starting from Skiathos. Any recommendations/warnings for charter companies. Planning July. How bad does the Meltemi get there?

Thanks
Cat

lucky old you its a lovely area ! I worked there for six weeks last summer and really loved the area.

Ok from Skiathos if it were me i head for somewhere like Stenni Vala on Alonisos island or maybe Skopelos town on Skopelos island its a good day sail upto Stenni Vala and then a few gentle sails heading back

Stenni Vala is a quiet sleepy little cut with a taverna a few shops a seal sanctuary and lots of natural beauty.

mooring is bow,s to as there are rocks and rubble close into to the short quay there was a small ferry that docked there fo a few hours but left at 17;00 it can be quite busy there during August period but there are a couple of anchorages nearby. Go visit Costa at the Ikarus cafe and see if you can beat his 15 year old son at back gammon !! Food at Casias is good and reasonably priced.

Volos is a commercial port with quite a lot of ferry traffic in and out and again in august is packed, mooring here is stern to a concrete quay and there is a lot of space but in august get in early or you,ll be disappointed

Volos is a big (ish) bustling town with lots of restuarants and shops so offers more for dare i say "the girls" (ducks) than the boys but it is worth a day or two there, I got pretty chummie with the locals as i was in and out each week and was taken to a music concert in the local school, its a friendly place. Find the cafe with the big ass tree in front of it usdby all the locals and have a greeek coffee (tar) the small shop up the hill from there will deliver your groceries by motor bike to your yacht.

from there you have plenty of options watch out for stronger winds at Volos as the entrance is exposed and shallow and isnt a safe place to get in and out of in a blow, watch for the ferries if they arent running in and out then you dont either !

from Volos Id maybe look at spending the night swinging to anchor in one of the stunning anchorages on the south side of Skopelos or maybe id head for Agnondas which is where they filmed some of the mama mia movie and is very pretty.

One place I wouldnt miss out on is Panormous which is a stunning natural anchorage, drop the anchor then back upto the rocks for a night of peace and quite, in the morning go snorkeling as the sun rises and take some bread with you into the shallows ,its like being in an aquarium.

from there Id look at visiting Loutraki on skopelos which is a pretty little harbour with a couple of pontoons or you can swing from an anchor just inside the harbour entrance.

there are quite a few anchorages off the numerous islands but getting an accurate forecast was quite difficult so anchor like you mean it and when your asleep keep an ear on the wind.

As for the charter companies there are quite a few some of which offer flotillas and can dominate any of the above areas check out their websites or call them up and ask for their itinerary and then just avoid them if you wish.

good luck if you want to see some pics send me your email

ian

 

[catwithhat]

Skiathos

Thanks much for the lively description. Sounds very enticing. Any experience with how bad the Meltemi gets early July in this area?

Thanks
Cat

 

[cmedsailor]

Don't get dissapointed because of the Meltemi. Remember, Meltemi is a north-north east wind that get's stronger especially during the afternoon. Sporades are relatively small islands. If things get tough try sailing on the south side of these islands. Wind could be stronger there due to some "katavates" (winds coming down from mountains) but you will avoid the waves. Strong winds, no waves.....niiiice combination for speed. Also make sure that you reef early and that your anchoring tenchniques are good.
You may face troubles trying to get into a marina with Meltemi (in fact that will probably be your worst problem). Then don't. Just drop the anchor somewhere safe (with no waves) and wait. Late in the afternoon it will drop a little bit.
Enjoy the Aegean!!!

 

[jimbaerselman]

Meltemi in N Sporades is mild compared to the Cyclades - unless you go as far south as Skyros. Stronger there.

The Cyclades will have several sessions of 3 or 4 days at F7 over the summer, N Sporades will only have F5 or maybe 6. And yes, most of your Sporadic sailing can be in the lee of the islands out of the bigger waves (unless you're bashing back from Skyros!).

Having said that, note the point made about gusts downwind of high ground. You may see the odd patch of white water with some 30 to 35kts blowing over it when the meltemi is 'in'. It's these gusts that give the meltemi its bad name. In the Cyclades boats record gusts of 45 kts off western capes, and downwind of crucial gullies. They then tell tales of "F10 out there, really hairy . . . "

 

[DownWest]

Get a copy of Michael Carrol's 'The Gates of the Wind' a nice read. I picked one up Stennivalla and it was a good insight to life there in the 60's. MC's house is in Panormos, second that as a great night stop.

Book is also on Amazon

We went in September and it was much quieter, plus I understand that the Meltemi doesn't blow then.
A

 

[SimbaDog]

Hi

Did that for 2 weeks with Setsail some years ago, lovely area

Meltmei can come up quickly, you just need to watch the sky, we had one hard blow that lasted about an hour.

Would happily go back

 

[jhr]

Hi

Did that for 2 weeks with Setsail some years ago, lovely area

Meltmei can come up quickly, you just need to watch the sky, we had one hard blow that lasted about an hour.

Would happily go back

I've also done the Sporades with Setsail (who I'd recommend) in a flotilla. Sunsail also operate in that area but I wouldn't recommend them, purely and simply because they aren't based in Skiathos but on the mainland, and flying there will be a pain, as will getting from their base to the Islands (40-50 miles?). Setsail's base is a bar on the waterfront in Skiathos Town, 2 minutes' walk from the boats and 10 minutes' taxi ride from the airport.

Apologies for posting this link yet again )) but it summarises the excellent time we had there. I'd second the recommendations for Panormos, Steni Vala and Skopelos Town (though you can get stuck there if the wind gets up from the north, as the approaches are very shallow). If you have time, try to get up north to Pelagos as well (caution: with all of these places it's a good idea to check when the flotillas will be visiting - and chose another day ).

As well as the katabatic winds, the acceleration zones between the islands can be amusing, but generally keeping in the lee of the islands gives exhilarating and safe sailing. You'll love it.

 

[Malo37]

Another option is to do a one way charter sometimes available at a substantial discount. I did one last year from Skiathos to Athens easily in 8 days of day sailing and calling at Skopolos and several other islands on the way. Check the Easysailing website, they have great info on the islands and even suggest an itinerary for your cruise. http://www.easysailing.gr/index.phtml
I've chartered in the Sporades for the past 10 summers and sailed as far South as Thira (Santorini) in the Cyclades. The Meltemi tends to be stronger further south where the rule of thumb is to allow one third of your charter to get down there and two thirds to get back. In the Sporades it is rarely a problem and if you're used to sailing in Northern Europe you should be able to handle it. Also if you don't want to spill your Ouzo you can generally avoid it on the days it is blowing by sailing in the mornings - quite nice to make a really early start and spend the afternoon anchored up somewhere.