Meltemi 2016

[hoppy]

For those of you in the Aegean now and have been here before, is the Meltemi stronger or blowing more often compared to previous years?

I'm currently anchored on the south of Ios and was chatting to a neighbour. He said that several people have told him that this year the Meltemi has been blowing a lot more than normal.

I've been in the Cyclades for the past 3 weeks and the number of days where it hasn't blown 30+ can be counted on 1 hand.

I've been "stuck" on Ios the last 3 days with the winds regularly in the 40's with the highest gust of 53 knots. Because if the noises created by my snubber, for the first time ever, I'm moving from my forward cabin.

5 years ago I did a 6 weeks sail starting August south through the Dodecanese and then north through the Cyclades. Once a week or 10 days I might have to hide out for a few days at a time. On that trip my current anchorage was perfectly still.

Time is getting short so I am having to cancel my sail through Santorini and will do a long day sail to Astipalea as soon a the forecast is mostly f6 along my route, so I'll sail in f7 with a little bit of f8.

[NornaBiron]

We're stuck on Syros at the moment, hoping to move on on Thursday. There has been almost no meltemi for the last couple of years, this year it seems to be back with a vengeance!

[hoppy]

I got fed up with 40-50 in the bay and after a reasonable sleep in the aft cabin, so I left Ios.

Getting away from the island has me sailing in 25-35 at the moment on a beam reach doing 6.5-7.5 with just the headsail with 2 "reef", so it's going to be a quick 55nm

The 1.5 - 2m swell on the beam makes it interesting.

2 years ago I had planned to move to the Aegean and hearing that the Meltemi was much calmer makes me disappointed I didn't move.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[NornaBiron]

Originally Posted by hoppy

I got fed up with 40-50 in the bay and after a reasonable sleep in the aft cabin, so I left Ios.

Getting away from the island has me sailing in 25-35 at the moment on a beam reach doing 6.5-7.5 with just the headsail with 2 "reef", so it's going to be a quick 55nm

The 1.5 - 2m swell on the beam makes it interesting.

2 years ago I had planned to move to the Aegean and hearing that the Meltemi was much calmer makes me disappointed I didn't move.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Safe sailing!

[Polux]

My wife says the same: this year has been more windy. I cannot complain since I sailed all around Greece with 100l of diesel, almost all the time against the wind

I have been sailing in the Aegean but I have carefully avoided the Meltemi and with success (some luck involved).

I am sailing now on the North of Greece where the Meltemi blows less strongly than on the Cyclades but when I sail on the Cyclades (on the Meltemi season) I have a clear policy: I don't chose destinations, the wind does and I sail to where is more pleasant to sail (downwind) and where the weather is nicer.

Anyway I am cruising with no hurry and not needing to go nowhere, so I try to maximize fun and keep my wife happy and for her anything over 20k is uncomfortable.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by Polux

My wife says the same: this year has been more windy. I cannot complain since I sailed all around Greece with 100l of diesel, almost all the time against the wind

I have been sailing in the Aegean but I have carefully avoided the Meltemi and with success (some luck involved).

I am sailing now on the North of Greece where the Meltemi blows less strongly than on the Cyclades but when I sail on the Cyclades (on the Meltemi season) I have a clear policy: I don't chose destinations, the wind does and I sail to where is more pleasant to sail (downwind) and where the weather is nicer.

Anyway I am cruising with no hurry and not needing to go nowhere, so I try to maximize fun and keep my wife happy and for her anything over 20k is uncomfortable.

The first time in the Cyclades I went north, but that year the Meltemi was tame or infrequent so it was no big deal. This year I went south and now east, so direction wise, no problem.

You wouldn't be getting far this year down here with your 20 knot restriction.

Yesterday turn out not to bad wind wise, it calmed down to the 15-25knt range but the swell was pretty nasty and beam on for the 10 hours. Anyone who gets seasick would have been vomiting big time It was a lonely sail as there wasn't a single yacht sighted in the 60 miles, just a couple of container ships near the horizon. I didn't even see a ferry.

Nice night at anchor, just a light breeze maxing at only 30. So much nicer than 50

It's such a shame with all of the downwind and reaching I've been doing the last few weeks that I can't get out either of my asymmetrics Maybe when I get to the Dodecanese proper (don't understand why Astipalaia is not the Cyclades, buildings look like the Cyclades and the Meltemi separates it from the rest of the Dodecanese)

[tp12]

I'll be in Rhodes in about a month and have a boat for a week so it's good to know it has picked up a lot.

Is there a good website for keeping an eye on conditions? In Sydney the best site (most accurate) I use for wind and tide is 7 Day Wind, Wave & Tide Weather Forecasts and Live wind reports for Australia

[Palarran]

I agree that the Meltemi was very strong this year. We saw a lot of 8's and there was a 9 between Evia and Andros the day before we went through the passage. But it's been great sailing for me with almost consistent beam or broad reaches. Very lucky this year.

[AndrejM]

I sailed Cyclades mid July this year, it was 5-6-7-8 almost all the time. We did few night sails after 2am, winds slightly drop. Pretty accurate place to check is meteo.gr - if you access from you mobile look for the option which shows icon of a sail boat. From PC meteo.gr: Χά�της ιστιοπλοϊκών π�ογνώσεων και�ο�

[Barra]

Something that I think sums up the meltemi this year is the fact that my brand new greek courtesy flag at start of season is absolutely torn to shreds already. The last one survived 3 seasons....

A plus for me has been more aft/ beam winds than usual through the gulfs into the ionion meaning only around 10 miles motoring in the whole trip from athens to cephalonia including both a gennaker and a spinnaker run

All the courtesy flags look like new here.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by tp12

I'll be in Rhodes in about a month and have a boat for a week so it's good to know it has picked up a lot.

Is there a good website for keeping an eye on conditions? In Sydney the best site (most accurate) I use for wind and tide is 7 Day Wind, Wave & Tide Weather Forecasts and Live wind reports for Australia

the more detailed is this one:
meteo.gr: Χά�της ιστιοπλοϊκών π�ογνώσεων και�ο�

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by hoppy

(...)

I'm currently anchored on the south of Ios

(...)

So here you are! I looked at that water, thought you were in the lee of Guadeloupe perhaps!

According to my friends, who have a small charter fleet in Greece, this early spring is milder out there than over last couple of years. They are actually considering extending the charter season by a week by a week (till Sept 15).

I understand Greece is a big place so local variations can be quite vast.

Cheers,
b.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

So here you are! I looked at that water, thought you were in the lee of Guadeloupe perhaps!

According to my friends, who have a small charter fleet in Greece, this early spring is milder out there than over last couple of years. They are actually considering extending the charter season by a week by a week (till Sept 15).

I understand Greece is a big place so local variations can be quite vast.

Cheers,
b.

The islands really confuse the winds. It makes it fun as you approach them as the winds pick up

[Barra]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

So here you are! I looked at that water, thought you were in the lee of Guadeloupe perhaps!

According to my friends, who have a small charter fleet in Greece, this early spring is milder out there than over last couple of years. They are actually considering extending the charter season by a week by a week (till Sept 15).

I understand Greece is a big place so local variations can be quite vast.

Cheers,
b.

yes indeed. in fact the winds in the ionion are so light you can apparently drop the pick, back up and moor with a long line ashore, all the while with your sails still up ( seen it TWICE already!!!!)