Corinthian Canal

[Bill Balme]

Has anyone been through the Corinthian Canal?
Is it interesting/recommended? What's the Cost? Doable in April?

Thanks,

[swagman]

Hi Bill,
If you go to my blog shown below www.yotblog.com/swagman/page8/
and get back to May 2006 you can read our experiences and see some pictures taken when we went through the canal in May.
It may be a few degrees colder in April but weather patterns very similar.
Yes I think it is expensive.
For our 46 footer I recall over 200 euros which is a lot for 34 km - but it was worth it for both the experience and the one day time saving over going round the outside.
We'd highly recommend Galaxidhi as a stopover port the night before so you transit in daylight hours. Its about 25 miles before the canal entry and tucked into the northern shores of the Gulf of Corinth. Very cute place.
Cheers
JOHN

[mamalu]

i also went through in ocotober 2006 in 42ft monohull cost me just under 200 euro... a bit expensive.... it is worth it if you are planning to go this way but dont go out of your way... we were heading west through the med and made the decision to see santorini island, i then battled to make it up to corinth and on to the ionian (which are crowded but beautiful) In hind sight we should of just went to crete and then onto sicily... we were also on time limit... dont underestimate the meltemis and how hard it is to make a northerly route when in the greek islands especially cyclades....

[JimB]

Bill,

Others have answered your direct point about the cost and feasibility of the canal.

If you're going east and you have time on your side, consider going around the Peloponese. It's a great cruising area for meanderers. Even in April.

Going west you're against the prevailing winds, so I'd recommend the canal and the Patras gulf. For harbours and stops on route, check out my web site: www.jimbaerselman.f2s.com/

JimB

[Bill Balme]

Very helpful site - thanks Jim - will study!

Cheers!

[Tnflakbait]

Boy it sure gets windy in the greek islands! (Cyclades)
Never sailed ther but I took a trip this summer. Greece is a nice place to explore on a boat.

[andrej trefalt]

Hi there !

Passed through about six times. Be sure to have your camera ready at the east side, they wanted to make that canal already in the Nero's time, 2000 years ago, and you can see where they stopped.
Also beware of north wind on the east side entrance- be very careful, if you spend time ( night) in Corinth harbour, even in the enclosed one. In 1989 in April I had more than 70kn gusts there, had to crawl on all four to get off the jetty to the street! Spray filled up the inverted glass bowls in the street lamps. One boat ( steel) in the commercial harbour was lost. Happens every year once or twice per winter.
Better if you spend the night in Galaxidy or , even better if weather is doubtfull, in Itea.
The whole Corinth gulf is ( can be) very windy, ususally in east/west direction. Great sail, good for record breaking speeds ( no swell).

Andrej

[drastello]

We are in Itea and want to transit the corinth canal. Does anyone know of the logistics and proceedures of paying and transiting? Any info helpful

Doug R

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by drastello

We are in Itea and want to transit the corinth canal. Does anyone know of the logistics and proceedures of paying and transiting? Any info helpful
Doug R

Yacht fees for the Corinth Canal should be under $200US, for the < 1 Hour Transit.
The Corinth Canal provides the shortest and safest sea-lane for ships coming from seaports of the Ionian sea, the Adriatic, Southern Italy, and those passing through the Straits or Messina en route to Eastern Mediterranean ports and on to the Black Sea and vice versa.
The Canal cuts the Isthmus of Corinth in a straight line 6346 m long (< 3.5 NM). Canal width is 24.6 m. at sea level and 21.3 m. at bottom level. Depth range is from 7.5 to 8 meters. In some places, the sides reach a height of 80 meters.

Contact Corinth Canal: Corinth Canal The Shortest Route, the Safest Waterway
Periandros S.A.
Isthmia Corinth,
200 10 Corinth, Greece
Tel: +30 27410 30880
Fax: +30 27410 30884
E-mail: corinth_canal@periandros.gr

Sailing Routes in Greece:
Sailing routes, itineraries for sailing and cruising in Greece - Ocean Nomads

[Ram]

Im about 40 miles from it and i just heard it was 165 euros the guy who told me it just came through in a 12 meter yacht

[Howard Just]

Eastbound toward Turkey we waited until after the Meltemi had laid down at the begining September 2006. Coming back westbound in April 2007 I had no problems.

It is quite a unique sailing experience and should not be missed. I paid $106 for 10m for the one hour transit. You pay only at the Eastern end of the canal where you dock the boat and report with papers to the round control building. It helps to bring your previous canal papers if you have ben through before.

Eastbound you call on the radio, and they tell you when you can enter the canal.
The black and yellow striped road bridge sinks below the water to open the Eastern end of the canal.

There were people bungie jumping off the high bridges in the middle of the canal.

They kept chasing us on the radio saying "Sailboat faster! faster!" even thjough we were doing a comforatble 6 1/2 knots, but they wanted us to catch up with boats about 200m ahead.

I have put quite a lot of detail, maps and photographs on the canal and the Gulf of Corith ports on WorldCruisingGuide.net. Click on this link to take a look. Sailing: Gulf of Corinth, Greece: Corinth Canal, Patras, Patras bridge, Galaxidi, Messalonghi, Corinth, Trizonia, -,

[Steve Pope]

I guess if there is money to be made someone will be there with the hand out, in the 1970's (when the Colonels were running the place) it was free, You only had to wait for the green (traffic) light. Though you had to have a cruising / transit permit (the Greek name has slipped my mind) that you had to be stamped in and out of every port you used.
Another interesting place to sail through was the passage inside Evia, you had to wait for the retracting bridge to open which only happened at slack water which lasted for around 20 minutes. Commercial shipping had precedence over pleasure craft, so you could wait several slack water periods if it was busy.