Kalyra

Laundry is very hit or miss in Greece. I found a reasonable place in Pylos that would wash but not dry for 10 euro a load (a little expensive but not bad). Monemvasia, our next stop charges 3 euro per kilo, so I won’t be doing laundry there. We have to wait till Napflio (where there are self service machines) to do everything.

How do I know? The NoForeignLand app is crowdsourced and it rates everything about anchorages, marinas, clearing in procedures, restaurants, services, and shows me exactly where I’ll be able to do laundry along the way.

Luckily I have plenty of sheets and towels on board, and we both live out of swimsuits and dresses or shorts, so it’s just underwear I do by hand every few days and hang to dry. And fellow cruisers are pretty much used to laundry hanging out to dry on any boat they pass by…

We’ve met so many people along the way that have raved about Elafónisos Island. The water is the purest turquoise, and it’s one of the few places with an actual sand beach (the Med is more famous for rocky beaches). We were headed west, but needed a place to sit out strong winds from a Meltemi, so we decided to check it out.

The location didn’t disappoint. There were several boats already at anchor, but it was easy enough to find a good spot, and the sandy bottom meant good holding when the winds would start to blow.

We took the kayak and paddled ashore to check out one of the tavernas, where we had a tasty lunch in the company of a really chill family of cats.

Then it was back to the boat to enjoy the sunset and prepare for the winds.

When leaving Koroni, what was expected to be a motor (no wind), and then a sail (good wind), started with an unexpected pleasant sail with winds that filled in much earlier than expected. This was followed by motor sailing when we thought we’d have good winds, which in turn was followed by big winds and big seas, which were expected, as we entered the small village of Porto Kagio.

The point of land just below Porto Kagio was considered the mythological end of the world, the entrance to Hades (the afterlife), and it’s the southern-most point of mainland Greece.

Tucked in this anchorage are a handful of hotels (built to look like fortresses that dot the hillside from years of isolated living) and a few restaurants and one bar.

First thing, we needed to repair the mainsail, which Trip had noticed was ripped along the edge. The winds were 20 knots as we had approached the anchorage, not outrageous, but I think the sail is simply tired after a lot of years and miles in sometimes ‘sporty’ conditions. Luckily we keep plenty of repair tape on board, and we only had to take the sail off the mast and not also the boom, so the repair was done somewhat quickly.

After getting the sail sorted, it was time to dinghy into ‘town’. We opted for a walk up the hill to the local bar Spilia. Sipping beer and ouzo soon led to a dinner of hot dogs (we can never resist a hot dog and the Greeks have really tasty sausages) as the sun set.

It had been a little bit of a rolly night with moderate winds (katabatic winds come racing down the saddle between hill tops and hit us with more force than originates on the other side), and we had an opposing swell. We were hobby horsing (dipping front to back) rather than rolling (side to side), but we’re a heavy, full-keeled boat, so it wasn’t that bad. Things had eased up considerably the next day, so we decided to stay one more night. Much to our delight we went from being one of 10 boats in the anchorage to the only one!

We did a little tour around the bay by dinghy, and went past a really cool pair of stone houses that looked like they might once have been fishermen’s homes, but were now summer cottages.

Then it was back ashore to walk a little bit, and to have dinner at one of the restaurants. After dinner it was back to the boat for a drink all by ourselves. Well, one other boat had come in, but dropped anchor way over at the far end of the bay, so it still felt like it was all ours.

Greece is not a difficult place for provisioning, but we have by choice stayed in some anchorages with nothing more than a taverna (if that). I usually keep enough fresh produce on board for a week or so. But I remembered that I could always augment with sprouts (I still have the bag of buckwheat and oat sprouts from neighbor Joanne). I had gone through herbs given to me earlier in the season by cruisers Bev & Simon, but still had the potting soil and container. So I dropped a mixture of seeds in and let them go for a couple of days.

I plant everything together, and the arugula is already the first to pop. It was nice to have a fancy touch of micro greens for my sautéed veggies with feta over polenta.

Founded in ancient times, Koroni has served, along with Methoni, as the eyes of the Venetian Republic. A Byzantine fortress was built on the hills above the town in the 6th century AD. It became most famous during the 13th century under Venetian rule when it became the main stopping point for traders, as well as for pilgrims traveling to and from the holy land. Its popularity continued once it passed to the Ottomans in the 16th century.

For our first night, we treated ourselves to a nice dinner with upscale Greek food at the restaurant Carina, finishing our meal with a glass of aged tsipouro, while gazing up at the fortress.

Koroni is unlike other Greek towns with fortresses, it has homes built right up against the outside walls along the path leading to the fortress gates.

And once inside the fortress walls you quickly realize the interior is still in use. The stone streets are still maintained and there are plots of land, houses still inhabited, and olive groves still tended.

There is one church that is still in use for funerary processions and a beautiful cemetery next to it. However the really special place is the Monastery of Timi Prodromos.

Built in 1918, the monastery is currently inhabited by an order of nuns.

The nuns tend to beautiful gardens and olive orchards. You can buy a number of products made directly within the walls of the monastery. We were excited to find Mirto (made from Myrtle berries), which we had only associated with Sardinia.

Deep inside the walls, there is a path up to the remains of the original castle. The views from the top are amazing – looking down through the village to the anchorage and beyond. From the other side you can look back over the entire monastery.

Coming back down the walkways, there is a path that goes around the base of the fortress. You can see massive remnant chunks of the fortress that have fallen away and the filler that’s been put in place to save the fortress. I had guessed that earthquakes might have caused this damage, but later read that it was caused by an explosion during World War II when the Germans were fleeing (they had used the fortress for much of the war).

Koroni was a really cool little town and we had a great time hanging out there for a few days. We later found out how lucky we were that the winds were in our favor, as other cruising friends had reported bumpy conditions that wouldn’t allow them to get off the boat to visit.

Cruising friends Chris and Christine told us not to miss Finenkounda, and it was only a few miles down the coast from Methoni, so off we went. There’s nothing historical there, it’s simply a really cool small Greek coastal village. We couldn’t resist and stayed a few days.

The water was so clear we didn’t even need to dive to check the anchor – we could see it directly from the bow.

It was hard to know where to leave our dinghy when we came into town, luckily someone was working on his boat and told us to tie up right next to him on the wall.

Town was small but fun to wander, especially at night when things cool off.

A fellow cruiser had recommended snorkeling nearby so we packed our snorkeling gear and took the GoPro to go explore. Amazing rock formations, and lots of fish, there was plenty to entertain us underwater.

Methoni was our furthest point south in Greece last summer, and it was a treat to come back. Coming around the fortress and anchoring with it in view is so cool. We went back to one of our favorite bars (outdoor space with exposed brick and darts and a pool table). And this time we managed to eat dinner at a restaurant that had been closed for a private event last year – I had a smoked eel and beetroot salad that was delicious.

We headed south to Pylos to clear into Greece for the season. We had to slow down and give way to a cruise ship at the entrance to the bay (someone on board was having a medical emergency and they had to get them to shore), so we took the more interesting entrance through the rocks. A little puckering under sail, but we made it safely.

Once anchored in front of town, we settled in for what would be a bit of a wait. Greek bureaucracy is notorious, but it took days to clear in. It went as follows:

Sunday: Arrive and anchor. Fill out the online forms eTepai (cruising tax) and transit log (authorizes you to be in Greek waters).

Monday: Check with the Port Police who tell us to return the next day due to a Greek holiday (Pentecost).

Tuesday: Get in line at the Port Police (there were a lot of people clearing in). They reviewed all of our boat documents and stamped our crew list. Visited the post office to pay for our eTepai (ridiculous extra banking fees to do a wire transfer online). Back to the Port Police who were waiting to hear from Kalamata (customs office that manages the transit logs). Visited Immigration who complained that we had not got gotten our passports stamped into the EU in Malta (Trip tried and they refused, only stamping a crew list), but he did, finally and with a smile, stamp our passports. Emailed additional information (stamped passports, completed crew list, etc) to the Kalamata customs office.

Wednesday: Went back to the Port Police who issued us a paper transit log. Afterward we receive an email from Kalamata stating that our transit log application had been rejected as we should not have applied before paying the tepai and getting our crew list stamped.

Thursday: went back to the Port Police with the concern of the new email. Through some conversation and phone calls, we were confirmed to have a legitimate transit log. We tried to pay (30 euro), but the Port Police can’t take the money and you cannot pay at the post office like the tepai, so we were assured that there will not be a fee. The clerk from the Port Police then spent the next 30 minutes showing us all the places we need to visit in the Peloponnese (I love how proud the Greeks are of their country, even if the bureaucracy sucks). Non-alcoholic beer (so we don’t fall asleep mid afternoon) to celebrate.

We had intended to make landfall in Pylos, but looked at the charts and decided to make a stop in the Strofades Islands, 40nm before Pylos. I had read about them last year, but they’re very remote and only to be visited in calm conditions (which we did not have at the time).

The Strofades were rumoured to be the home of Zeus’ nasty winged beasts called the Harpies. Legend has it that Jason and the Argonauts turned back at these islands after promising not to kill the monsters after rescuing a prisoner.

We anchored in front of the small island and rowed ashore to explore. The trails are haphazard (we emerged with bloody shins), but wandered the island and visited the remains of civilization (no one currently lives there).

While walking we also found more shells trapped in the sedimentary rock, similar to what we found back in Dwejra Bay in Malta.

The next day we headed over to the bigger island. The fortress-like monastery of the Blessed Mother of God built in 1241 still stands. It’s a beautiful building, but has suffered from multiple earthquakes over the years and is in a precarious state. Luckily, restoration is underway, and steel bands have been placed around the building to preserve it while the team works to rebuild. Interestingly, by 1976 all of the monks had left, save one. He continued to tend the farm and care for the monastery alone until he had to leave in 2018 when earthquake damage made the monastery unsafe.

We continued to explore the island, and managed to find a beautiful little beach.

From the island we headed over to the rocks that form barriers and channels between the islands. Someone had placed rings and lines where we could secure the dinghy while we explored.

We had been told that swimming and snorkeling in between the rocks was really cool, but we didn’t feel up to trying to haul our gear up to the rocks to then find a place to get back in the water. We were content just to walk and enjoy the geologic formations from above.

When it came time to up anchor and leave the next morning, we knew it would be a bit of a challenge. The anchorage is well known for its massive boulders, and Trip had dove and then drawn a map to plan our exit (we had hooked several rocks). I alternated between raising chain and giving steering directions to Trip at the wheel to maneuver around the boulders. And the last bit was still really difficult – sure enough, we had managed to wrap the chain around a rock. It actually looked like it was wrapped like a Christmas present!

We tied a line to the rock to stabilize it and another to pull the anchor away. Trip maneuvered his way out over the bowsprit and with a single whack of a mallet, the rock crumbled, the anchor was free, and we were on our way.

We needed a 4 or 5 day window to make it from Malta to Pylos (Greece), given that the forecast was light winds and that we’d have to go an extra distance to sail as much as possible around a high pressure system (no wind). Little did we know the spinnaker was going to get a workout!

First the forward berth needed to be re-arranged (pillows, sheets, and mattress removed) to access the spinnaker from underneath our sleeping space.

Before we can hoist the sail, a few attachments need to be made to the fore stay. Trip discovered a frozen snap shackle and we needed to pause for a WD40 break.

Now the tack (lower leading corner of the sail) can be attached to the forestay.

Once everything is attached we hoist the sail which is inside a sock (no video here, as I was hoisting and Trip was maneuvering). Once the sail is in place the sock is pulled up and the sail fills as it comes out.

And poof, we’re sailing under spinnaker!

The sail is larger and made of super light material (think parachutes), and it’s only used when the wind is light and behind the beam of the boat. Conditions were so perfect we were able to sail the spinnaker for 27+ hours. We normally always strike it at night (protective measures), but the conditions were so perfect and it was early enough in the season for stable weather that we kept on going.

We did have to motor through the dead spot (no wind) as predicted, but were able to hoist the spinnaker again on the other side of the high pressure system, only to douse it as the winds really picked up. Back to the main and jib and we had a gorgeous sail into Greece.