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Old 10-12-2015, 23:51   #1
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Cyclades

Hi all, after a rugged year with a health crisis for a family member keeping us home, we are back in the water from June 2016. Our boat didn't sell and suddenly another season or maybe two afloat seems the best thing.

Murihiku our Lagoon 380 is in Preveza just now, and we are thinking of heading across to the Cyclades. Does anyone have a report on Olympus Marina as a winter option on the hard?

Any suggestions for good blogs or suggestions for must see places would be most welcome. Bit nervous about the vigorous winds over there, but mostly just ready for adventure after way too long working and being land lubbers.

cheers
Ange (and Deborah)
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Old 11-12-2015, 17:47   #2
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Re: Cyclades

Good on ya Ange the Cyclades are great and yes they are windy in the season so to make the most of it you need to plan your passage around the meltemi. If your leaving the ionion in june you will be fair smack in it during the peak winds.

Do you mean Olympic marina outside athens? I dont know an Olympus.

We spent some time next door to olympic in Lavrio for crew changes since its handy to the airport. I would recommend that as an option for Athens stopover though not for winter as it gets hammerd by the northerlies. Olympic was expensive for cats and aways out of the town port so we didnt even bother getting a haul out quote.

Depending on your timeframe you may be better off looking to winter in the dodecanese. That way you wont have to worry about beating back against the meltemi at the end of your time (unless your finishing late in the season) Completely changes the trip to a mostly downwind/ reaching cruise of island hopping with a great destination

We wintered in Leros last year having sailed from Preveza. There are now 4 yards there I think with plane and ferry connections back to athens daily for flight home and I think they would all cope with the 380. Fantastic island to spend some time on too. The one I would least recommend is Leros marina especially if you need any work done over winter

The saronic yards would be another better option with ferry connections to athens or car hire.

Both options would be much cheaper (and better) than olympic for a cat.

One tip is dont rush through the gulf of corinth - there are some great stops along the way. Once through the canal spend some time in the saronic before you tackle the meltemi too if you have some time.

All the cyclades and dodecanese are worth visiting so its just a question of how much time you have. Personal favourites were Paros, Little Cyclades group, Astipalia, Leros and the islands just north of there. I loved mooring in the caldera in santorini but I wouldnt recommend the marina in peak season if you can even get in as its a long way back to an anchorage if you cant.

For the Dedecanese option Turkey is close too for a change of culture and greek food.
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Old 11-12-2015, 20:16   #3
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Re: Cyclades

Hi Barra

Thanks so much for a most helpful reply - I'd just started thinking about heading right across to the Dodecanese for winter - having the Meltimi behind us would be heaps more comfortable, and we could maybe look to head back across the following season in spring before the wind starts up. We had actually booked into Leros for our first winter in 2012, before realising we were traveling too fast.

Thanks for your favourite spots too, there is so much choice! . I've heard others say that about going through the Corinth area too, lots of little villages to visit also.

Happy to return the favour if you are heading anywhere we've been (Sardinia, Sicily, Genoa, Croatia, Albania, Montenegro, East Coast Adriatic Italy, Ionian).

cheers
Ange
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Old 12-12-2015, 17:23   #4
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Re: Cyclades

I wouldn't be overly concerned with the Meltemi. This year in fact, Barra and I were neighbors for a few days waiting for a nice strong one to blow past. There are plenty of nice safe harbors where you can anchor and wait for it to pass. Strong winds are highly accurately predicted. One thing I do though is make sure to find those nice safe spots well before the winds arrive. IMO, the key is to have a good anchor, lot's of chain, and the ability to anchor deep if need be.
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Old 12-12-2015, 18:21   #5
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Re: Cyclades

Thanks Ange

Ill definitely take you up on that offer for more info when we head back east. We raced past sardinia and sicily to get up the adriatic when we went west so will be keen to spend more time in those parts on the way back.

Jury is still out on Albania too and whether its worth the hassle to clear in if you cant then move around much from place to place by boat- is that still the case?

Yes Palarran is right the good news is there are many well protected anchorages for the meltemi - its just a case of seeing the blow coming and finding an appropriate spot in time and then having the time to wait it out. I think we spent 5 days in Naousa bay, Paros in that blow and I remember feeling quite sorry for the poor charter boats as they left to motor back north to athens into 30 knots as their week was up (pic 1).

And the good - Pic 2 a few days later in between meltemis - little cyclades
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Old 15-12-2015, 00:00   #6
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Re: Cyclades

Cheers Palarran, its good to read that about taking shelter and time - suits us well to take that approach. We have a Rocna and lots of chain, haven't had problems yet (touch wood).
Love the contrasting pictures Barra - tough on the charterers - hard to have to push back to make a return flight.
Yippee, now can just be straight forwardly excited about the upcoming season.

In terms of Albania, we only stopped in 3 places - Sarande, Durres and Orikum. Sarande was the best, getting to go to Butrint was fabulous - world heritage archeological site, amazing. The blue eye spring was good too. We used a good agent there, can flick you his details if useful - he lined us up with an excellent guide who lectured at the university there. I think some people make more stops up the coast, we were just a bit nervous - the country has been so hammered by war, its got a long climb back. You can just go across for a day or two to Sarande from Corfu very easily as it is so close. We will do that to reset our EU clock in late May.
cheers

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Old 17-12-2015, 10:36   #7
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Re: Cyclades

Don't get too stuck on the idea of going through the gulfs of Patras and Corinth. There are some great places (and much better beaches) accessible if you trek south around the Peloponnese headlands.

Lots of detail on my web site - google "jimb s peloponnese"

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Old 17-12-2015, 12:19   #8
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Re: Cyclades

If you go through the gulf of Corinth be careful.Very often they have very strong (we had 43kn on an 8m Cat) westerlies starting around little before noon.
Guess it's a funnel effect, but could be felt all the way to Corinth.
I have witnessed this several consecutive days after calm autumn nights.
On the north side is a great hideout called Anemocampi.

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Old 18-12-2015, 23:06   #9
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Re: Cyclades

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Originally Posted by jckb View Post
Don't get too stuck on the idea of going through the gulfs of Patras and Corinth. There are some great places (and much better beaches) accessible if you trek south around the Peloponnese headlands.

Lots of detail on my web site - google "jimb s peloponnese"

JimB
Cheers Jim, I did read the great info on your website, just got a bit worried about turning the corner around the gulf into the Aegean, sounds as if the wind is pretty tricky down there? Looks a great place to go however.
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Old 18-12-2015, 23:08   #10
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Re: Cyclades

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Originally Posted by Franziska View Post
If you go through the gulf of Corinth be careful.Very often they have very strong (we had 43kn on an 8m Cat) westerlies starting around little before noon.
Guess it's a funnel effect, but could be felt all the way to Corinth.
I have witnessed this several consecutive days after calm autumn nights.
On the north side is a great hideout called Anemocampi.

My 50ct 😀 Franziska

Welcome to the Woods Mira 35 - Catamaran Lady Rovers Website!
Thanks Franziska, yes I've been hearing about the Corinth wind too, nice to hear about a bolt hole there, will check it out.
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Old 18-12-2015, 23:49   #11
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Re: Cyclades

Oh and watch out for the long sandbanks protruding into the gulf of Patras on the northern side.
(Couple of miles before passing under the bridge towards Corinth).

Have fun! By the way the southern Ionian Islands are often missed but are nice too.

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Old 19-12-2015, 01:22   #12
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Re: Cyclades

Quote:
Originally Posted by AngeW View Post
Hi all, after a rugged year with a health crisis for a family member keeping us home, we are back in the water from June 2016. Our boat didn't sell and suddenly another season or maybe two afloat seems the best thing.

Murihiku our Lagoon 380 is in Preveza just now, and we are thinking of heading across to the Cyclades. Does anyone have a report on Olympus Marina as a winter option on the hard?

Any suggestions for good blogs or suggestions for must see places would be most welcome. Bit nervous about the vigorous winds over there, but mostly just ready for adventure after way too long working and being land lubbers.

cheers
Ange (and Deborah)
Hi
We have sailed both theIonian and Agean for a few years now.
In 2015 we actually returned from the Agean back to Ionian to escape the winds and then went back again.

For the last two years we have wintered ashore in Olympic near Lavrion.
We got quotes from Cleopatra in Preveza and Olympic was comparable, and also included anti foul before launch. We are a monohull so I do not know about Cats, but there are plenty there. Getting a quote costs nothing.

The advice you have received re the gulf of Corinth is good. Once under the bridge it is an excellent cruissing area, with some very nice harbours and anchorages, mainly on the N coast.

The canal is expensive but worth seeing and is an excellent short cut. It cost us 240 euro for a 14 metre monohull.

Once through you have an amazing Archpeligo of islands in front of you. The Cycladies can get very windy but plenty of places to hide. Before going further E consider the Saronic ang Argolic gulfs. Excellent cruissing. Poros is excellent and a trip up the gulf to Navpilon is well worth it. You will not be disappointed.

We have a blog going back a few years which may be of interest;
sailwithjosephine@blogspot.co.uk

Enjoy your trip. If you see us around come and say hello.

Ray
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Old 19-12-2015, 02:50   #13
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Re: Cyclades

Thanks for that Ray. Our cat, Murihiku, is in cleopatra just now, their rates are very competitive we've found. Will check out your blog for sure - can't wait to be back out there!


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Old 12-06-2016, 11:00   #14
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Re: Cyclades

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Originally Posted by Barra View Post
...... I loved mooring in the caldera in santorini but I wouldnt recommend the marina in peak season if you can even get in as its a long way back to an anchorage if you cant.
How does one moor in the caldera? Are there buoys? Surely its mega deep?
Is this week (June 2016) considered peak season for getting into the marina?

Thanks

TS
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Old 16-06-2016, 01:55   #15
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Re: Cyclades

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Originally Posted by Tudorsailor View Post
How does one moor in the caldera? Are there buoys? Surely its mega deep?
Is this week (June 2016) considered peak season for getting into the marina?

Thanks

TS
Oh yeah its pretty deep

There are some buoys that the day charter boats use but they are off them by 7pm so if you ask nicely they will let you take the buoy after they leave.

the more people i meet the more stories i hear of damage from that marina so Im just gonna say avoid it or factor the repairs into the cost of your visit. the outer berths seem to be he only ones visitors get and if the wind gets up from the east or south they just arent tenable.
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