Spain to Greek Islands

[diquinn]

Hi. We are planning a trip to Greek Islands from Spain and would be grateful for tips. What is the current cost of the Corinth Canal and is it appropriate to sail west to east through the approaches in May? Can anyone give us info on other current charges on entering Greek waters? We have heard Greece is very expensive at present. Is this correct? Is there any improvement in the fresh water situation?

 

[jimbaerselman]

You'll find a large number of your questions answered on my web site, which includes a cruise guide to the Mediterranean. Look also under the "Going Foreign" tab for general information about paperwork, also formalities for various countries, including Greece. For places to go and routing, look under the Mediterranean tab.

No, Greek yachting is not expensive, because you don't have to rely on full service marinas, and there are some cheap shore storage options if you wish to move away from using lifts and marina hard standing areas.

 

[Cariadco]

When I sailed my boat from Gib to Corfu a few years ago, I made the mistake of going south of sicily.
We were becalmed for nearly three, agonising days!!

 

[little_roundtop]

The Corinth Canal website is here: http://www.aedik.gr/frontend/index.php?chlang=EN and it contains a cost calculator. Their current formula for privately owned small vessels (with less than 25 passengers) is 80+(LOA-9)*23.

The canal is open 24 hours a day and every day (except Tuesdays) and excepting holidays. Note that it is closed on every Tuesday from 0600 to 1800.

Sailing west to east in May will be fine, the winds in the gulf are generally (but not always) westerly or north-westerly. When you reach the western entrance to the canal you must call Canal Traffic Control on VHF ch11. They will probably tell you to wait and you can't loiter inside the two "arms" protecting the entrance. You must anchor just outside. The bottom is sand and the holding seems to be ok.

They turn the canal around very quickly and they don't give you any time to get ready to enter. So watch for traffic exiting at the western end (yachts always follow commercial traffic) and weigh anchor as soon as you ships/boats coming out. Then just loiter close to the entrance (but not obstructing of course) until they call you in. Obviously you must leave your VHF radio on and tuned to ch11.

At the eastern end (on your right as you go eastwards) is a mooring quay and a shortish round building. That's where you pay.

Be sure to put bow and stern springs on, and set them quite tight, when mooring here, and use every fender you have. When even moderate sized ships come through their bow wave throws small boats on this quay around most alarmingly. Better still is to leave someone on board.

Food is more expensive in Greece now than it was. I'm told that food in the UK is quite a bit cheaper than here. Avoid buying familiar imported products and buy local equivalents instead, they'll be much cheaper. Most large towns have a weekly market and fruit and veg (especially) is quite cheap here.

Marina prices vary wildly. Here on Crete there has been no price increase in the last 4 years. Water and electricity prices in this marina have not increased in 3 years either, but that's not typical.

My experience is that fresh water is available pretty much everywhere. Sometimes you'll need to call a man with a tanker. It's always important to taste any water before you put it in your tanks! We've never had a problem getting water.

Enter Greece at a port of entry (in the pilots) and visit the port police office as soon as you can. You will need to buy a log book (called a DEKPA) which you are supposed to get stamped every 30 days. The DEKPA costs 35 Euros (I think). Some ports want to stamp you in and out every time though. Just go with the flow.

If you come to Crete PM me, I have a (free) pilot for Crete.

Tony Cross

 

[jordanbasset]

Hi. We are planning a trip to Greek Islands from Spain and would be grateful for tips. What is the current cost of the Corinth Canal and is it appropriate to sail west to east through the approaches in May? Can anyone give us info on other current charges on entering Greek waters? We have heard Greece is very expensive at present. Is this correct? Is there any improvement in the fresh water situation?

In addition to the good advice that has been already posted is there any reason you want to go straight through the canal. There is great sailing in the Ionian which would keep you Going for months. Also the Peloponese is a good sailing area, fairly quiet, means you do not have to go through the canal.

 

[bazobeleza]

Blimey, that about £30 a mile for my boat, The panama canal works out at under £20 a mile, is it really worth it to got through this expensive short cut? Its not as though its saving you nearly ten thousand miles and some really iffy weather.

 

[bazobeleza]

Whoa! hold on, slight cock up on the calcs front, the corinthian is only 6.3 km long not miles, that makes it 45 quid a mile, I'm breaking outin a cold sweat here, are the greeks expecting us yachties to solve their debt crisis?

 

[little_roundtop]

Blimey, that about £30 a mile for my boat, The panama canal works out at under £20 a mile, is it really worth it to got through this expensive short cut? Its not as though its saving you nearly ten thousand miles and some really iffy weather.

No, it's not worth it for a small yacht - except for the experience. It is a big saving for ships though (apparently).

 

[diquinn]

Many thanks for Greek sailing advice.

Hi. We are planning a trip to Greek Islands from Spain and would be grateful for tips. What is the current cost of the Corinth Canal and is it appropriate to sail west to east through the approaches in May? Can anyone give us info on other current charges on entering Greek waters? We have heard Greece is very expensive at present. Is this correct? Is there any improvement in the fresh water situation?

Thanks for all replies. After consideration we are leaning towards sailing south round the Peloponese.

 

[Inachos486]

I have visited most of the islands in both the Agean and Ionian and would strongly reccomend you spend time in the Ionian first and then when you do go to the Agean you will see why the Ionian is in a league of its own

 

[Mr Cassandra]

I have visited most of the islands in both the Agean and Ionian and would strongly reccomend you spend time in the Ionian first and then when you do go to the Agean you will see why the Ionian is in a league of its own

Thats the way to go keep them up in the Ionion.

 

[Glyka]

I have visited most of the islands in both the Agean and Ionian and would strongly reccomend you spend time in the Ionian first and then when you do go to the Agean you will see why the Ionian is in a league of its own

Absolutely correct!

Just swap the names

 

[little_roundtop]

Thanks for all replies. After consideration we are leaning towards sailing south round the Peloponese.

That's cheaper but possibly not so interesting. The Gulf of Corinth is visited by very few yachts and it's common for you to be the only yacht in an anchorage. Galaxidhi is worth a visit if only because it's only an hours drive from there to the site of Delphi, and that's a "not to be missed" place. The northeastern end of the gulf has several large bays with numerous anchorages where you'll be lucky if you catch site of another yacht never mind share an anchorage with one!

The western Penepolese has Katakolon which is crowded though not completely safe, it's perfect for a visit to Olympia though. Given the choice (and I've seen both) Delphi wins hands-down. Pilos is also a good place to stop and very safe too if you can get in the overcrowded "marina" there. Methoni just south of Pilos is a good and usually safe anchorage with a huge Venetian castle.

The Corinth Canal is expensive(!) but it's worth doing it once just for the experience, it is worth seeing. West to east is, in my view, the best direction to go because of the winds. After the busy Ionian (not too bad though in May) you might welcome the near deserted Gulf of Corinth?

Tony Cross

 

[Tranona]

Agree with that. Unless the objective is to get to the Aegean as quickly as possible it would be a shame to miss some of the Ionian and the Gulf of Corinth plus the experience of the canal transit.

 

[jordanbasset]

We intend to do a circumnavigation of the Peloponese this year. Looking forward to it, as although we have been before it was only 2 weeks and we want to spend a couple of 3 months doing it. So many places we saw initially that we want to revisit and spend time in and also places we never got to see.
Also looking forward to the Gulf of Corinth, will go through the canal (east to west) and look forward to that as well.
If the O.P. has time suggest there is no need to rush.

 

[blueglass]

I have visited most of the islands in both the Agean and Ionian and would strongly reccomend you spend time in the Ionian first and then when you do go to the Agean you will see why the Ionian is in a league of its own

seconded. I did Ionian on the way east and never bothered moving on! Love the place. To sail straight through would be a sad loss.