Sailing the Aegean Sea

[tlenbro]

I plan to be sailing in the Aegean Sea around the end of April. Can anyone give me any pointers on this area. I plan to go to Mikonos, and Thira at a minimum. I would be very grateful for your expertise in the area if you have any information to share. Thank you...

 

[Bertramdriver]

I plan to be sailing in the Aegean Sea around the end of April. Can anyone give me any pointers on this area. I plan to go to Mikonos, and Thira at a minimum. I would be very grateful for your expertise in the area if you have any information to share. Thank you...

Good choice for your cruising plans. Add Ydra, Aegina, Rhodes and you will have picked five of the most crowded harbours, ok in spring or late autumn but hell on sea in the summer. Cruise further down the Cyclades or further up in the Sporades and you will have it all, peace quiet and chill. Although we are about to start our farewell tour of the islands this spring, we have enjoyed the mainland harbours of the Peloponnese much more. Less frequented and more " Greek " anyway, good luck

 

[vyv_cox]

Mikonos may be OK at the end of April but it is dire in the middle of the year, overcrowded, very windy and with a very indifferent marina/port. You have not said anything about your start point or how long you plan to be there but I can recommend Evia and the Sporades, all the islands down the NE side, i.e. Samothraki, Limnos, Lesvos, the central Cyclades islands are good and the Dodecanese are superb.

 

[Bertramdriver]

+1

 

[jimbaerselman]

I plan to be sailing in the Aegean Sea around the end of April. Can anyone give me any pointers on this area. I plan to go to Mikonos, and Thira at a minimum. I would be very grateful for your expertise in the area if you have any information to share. Thank you...

You'll have some unsettled weather end of April - in a fortnight you can expect at least one session of cloud and rain lasting three days or so. The only big winds you'll meet will be allied to unsettled weather.

See http://jimbsail.info/mediterranean/greece/cyclades for a comparison of the various islands. Some of them will be very quiet in April - they don't wake up until the orthodox Easter, May 5th this year. Choose a bigger place for Easter, away from the tourist highways . . . Milos, Naxos, Syros and Paros will have fine festivals, geared to locals.

 

[1bobt]

I plan to be sailing in the Aegean Sea around the end of April. Can anyone give me any pointers on this area. I plan to go to Mikonos, and Thira at a minimum. I would be very grateful for your expertise in the area if you have any information to share. Thank you...

I think you may have chosen two of the worst places to sail too in the aegean

 

[rivonia]

All above are good advice. However there are some realy nice anchorages so you can avoid the busy marinas/ports. We enjoyed the south coast of Rhodos.

Happy days-ahh

Peter

 

[Gypsyjoss]

I think you may have chosen two of the worst places to sail too in the aegean

I agree with 1bobt. Everywhere but. Mind you, if it's tourist hotspots you want you're spot on. We haven't visited either and are biased by reports from others. Thira is apparently spectacular but a long way south - April being a good time to visit to avoid battling against the Meltemi later on. We've been slowly exploring and enjoying the rest of the Cyclades the last two years and the west coast of Evia, Gulf of Volos and the Sporades the previous two.

 

[1bobt]

I would risk going to Mikonos in the spring ,but I would not try to go down to Thira as you could very well get a bad gale and there are few and far between places,to get shelter IMO

 

[cat man]

the aegean, not half bad....

Mikonos may be OK at the end of April but it is dire in the middle of the year, overcrowded, very windy and with a very indifferent marina/port. You have not said anything about your start point or how long you plan to be there but I can recommend Evia and the Sporades, all the islands down the NE side, i.e. Samothraki, Limnos, Lesvos, the central Cyclades islands are good and the Dodecanese are superb.

I sailed from gulf of Volos out to the Sporades in July. The weather was great and none of the harbours were too crowded. Always found a nice taverna not too far from the landing. Looking forward to a return voyage. But my next trip will be to the Caribbean.....

bill and Martie on a 36' cat

 

[Chris_Robb]

I think you may have chosen two of the worst places to sail too in the aegean

Agreed - steer clear or use only for crew changes (Mikonos) - Horrid place, horrid harbour,

 

[Flica]

I'd agree with the general consensus:-

You are intending to visit two of the most undesirable places (for a cruiser) in the Aegean.

 

[Bertramdriver]

Having thought about it and read others contributions. I have to say if you want to go, do it. Otherwise you will always wonder what you missed, and the experience will be an education.

 

[1bobt]

Having thought about it and read others contributions. I have to say if you want to go, do it. Otherwise you will always wonder what you missed, and the experience will be an education.

I believe the OP has a sailing boat,( can't see why he posted then disappeared without coming back to read replies though)
So when "you" with those powerful engines can beat the weather ,us sailors will at best ,move at 6-7 kts and would not want to be caught out in a strange sailing area in a 7-9 bf around Thira . Mykonos is different ,it's just a well promoted hoilday destination ,still a dump though

 

[Bertramdriver]

All true. I didn't say the experiences would all good,

 

[vyv_cox]

and would not want to be caught out in a strange sailing area in a 7-9 bf around Thira . Mykonos is different

But can be the same! We were stuck there for ten days in winds 7 - 9, along with many others. The canvas of all the boats along the windward side of the marina was encrusted with red mud, I have never seen the same anywhere.

 

[1bobt]

Yes they should have allowed us sailing yacht to berth in the town harbour as we used to.its a nonsense to be out of town in the new place with the cruise ships What a horrible place

 

[Bertramdriver]

But can be the same! We were stuck there for ten days in winds 7 - 9, along with many others. The canvas of all the boats along the windward side of the marina was encrusted with red mud, I have never seen the same anywhere.

The pink dust / is common all over the southern Aegean. It follows any strong blow from the south and is commonly understood that the dust is sucked up into weather systems originating in the Sahara and carried north, being deposited all over the islands. It's one of the reasons I carry a small Karcher pressure washer on board to clear the mud off.

 

[vyv_cox]

The pink dust / is common all over the southern Aegean. It follows any strong blow from the south and is commonly understood that the dust is sucked up into weather systems originating in the Sahara and carried north, being deposited all over the islands. It's one of the reasons I carry a small Karcher pressure washer on board to clear the mud off.

What I am describing is nothing like Sahara dust. The area surrounding the pathways at the edge of the water is/was unsurfaced ground. The strong wind was picking this up and blasting it at all the boats berthed along the wall. From landward all that could be seen was a vista of brown boats. I would imagine that a pressure washer should clean off the grp surfaces but some of that canvas is probably still brown.

 

[jimbaerselman]

As Vyv says - I've had the problem in Tarifa, too.