Sailing the Peloponnese

[LJScott]

Hi,
My husband and I will be sailing around the Peloponnese this May/June (2016). We want to make the loop in the safest direction for the season, and have received conflicting views as to whether we should go clockwise, or counter-clockwise. We would value your insights.

Also, if there are any notable places not to be missed, or definitely to be missed … please advise. We will are sailing in a 48’ SY with a draft of 2.1M. Thanks in advance for your insights.

[Sindbad]

Depends from where to start. We are located in Kilada and I would do it counter clockwise, as later in the season the Saronic Gulf gets too much crowded for my taste. I haven't done it yet, therefore I can only comment on the places I have been. Check out www.jimbsail.info for more information. Good and safe anchorages at Porto Heli and Kilada. In Porto Heli very good provisioning and many tabernas, but of mediocre quality. In Kilada very good fresh fish in the shop, the restaurants are soso. The cave on the other side of the bay is worth a visit. Nafplio is a very nice town, but mooring at the quay might be uncomfortable sometimes.
There is a nice bay 2 NM south of Nafplio in calm weather. Good and nice anchorages at Khaidari and further South at Kastro. When we went there the anchorage at Kiparissi was too rolly therefore we left. Hydra and Spetses we visited only by ferry, as I did not want to squeeze into the narrow harbour, but in calm weather there might be some other options.


Gesendet von meinem iPad mit Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Palarran]

We went around clockwise two years ago but didn't take time to linger as we had a scheduled haul-out in Messolonghi. I thought it was pretty tough. The anchoring around Monemvasia was poor so we set off for Elafonisos. There were 55 knot gust coming off the mountains and we didn't set anchor until an hour after sunset. The next day we fought our way to Porto Kagio. The bay was chock full and 75% of the boat were dragging all night - even large professionally crewed yachts. We went with a deeper (80') anchor spot and let it all out. Had an excellent meal on shore and the locals were Great with a capital G. The next day we went to Limeni. This was one of the poorest anchorages I've been in and ended up fouling our anchor in 70'. Took my mate putting on dive gear to free the anchor from a bundle of old mooring lines on the sea bottom. But we again had an excellent fish dinner on shore though the staff wasn't nearly as friendly. Next we headed to Methoni and checked out the Venetian castle. It was nice and a pretty safe anchorage. At this point the wind died so the rest of the trip was motoring. We went to Pilo for the day - very beautiful bay though the marina and town wasn't anything special.

I could see spending a few weeks rounding the bottom of the Peloponnese but think that you will have to be careful leaving your boat unattended as from our experience the holding in anchorages is poor and the gusting from the mountains great.

[athene]

Conventional wisdom would suggest clockwise, since the winds at the entrance to and well into the Gulfs of Patras and Corinth tend to be from W or NW. Equally, once you're into the Aegean the prevailing winds are from a northerly direction.

Having said that, we went round anti-clockwise from Lefkas up to Porto Kheli in July/August 2005 and motored most of the way. Equally, we returned through the Corinth Canal and the Gulfs to Preveza in September 2011 and didn't experience any headwinds at all.

Nowhere is likely to be very busy in May/June and the tavernas will be delighted to see you - stin yia sou!

GORDON KNIGHT

[hoppy]

I did the lap last year anti-clockwise in July/August starting and ending in Corfu. At that time of year it was pretty much a case of downwind heading south and beating into the wind going north which ever way you go. The advantage for me of going clockwise was that the run DW was a much longer distance than the beat UW, so going clockwise would have been harder.

Not sure how different May/June would be other than the Meltemi NE would not have kicked in on the East side. Not sure if the same applies to the prevailing NW on the west side.

[Vladis]

Hello,

Me and my wife will go south from Lefkas on May 15 and then west in the south Peloponnese. We need to be in Mykonos on June 15. Later, July 30, we return through the Corinth channel, back to the Ionian. If you see us, you are invited for a glass of Portuguese win!

Regards, Luis

[jckb]

Originally Posted by LJScott

Hi,
My husband and I will be sailing around the Peloponnese this May/June (2016). We want to make the loop in the safest direction for the season, and have received conflicting views as to whether we should go clockwise, or counter-clockwise. We would value your insights.

Also, if there are any notable places not to be missed, or definitely to be missed … please advise. We will are sailing in a 48’ SY with a draft of 2.1M. Thanks in advance for your insights.

For maximum favourable winds, and minimum contrary seaway, anti-clockwise works best, especially June to September.

West coast has a long fetch, routine NW winds, strongest in afternoons often F5, some times F6.

The deep gulfs along the South coast have westerlies or NW winds. Westerlies will create very strong gusts down the leeward slopes of the middle (Mani) and easterly (Cap Malea) peninsulae. In lighter winds, north westerlies blow out of the deep gulfs in the mornings, and diurnal winds blow into those gulfs in the afternoons.

The East coast is lucky, well sheltered from the usual NW winds. Once north of Leonidhion, afternoon southerlies are common, blowing into Navplion. To get there means passing Cap Malea - if there are any significant winds this can be a very erratic and gusty experience! Once past this hurdle, the whole of the Saronic and Argolic gulfs only rarely see winds over F4, and they're well sheltered from seaway, so working north is easy.

Which leaves only the gulfs of Corinth and Patras. Yes, this will be to windward, and quite strong. Stick to the north coasts initially, they're better sheltered. And travel in the mornings for lighter winds. Since the gulfs are quite narrow, you won't get a big swell building up. But it will be choppy. There are plenty of stops en route. All together, much better than working north along the west coast!

For "must sees", look at the maps in all those links above. They're marked in blue, and described briefly in the texts.

The whole trip is a six week cruise for a "hit and run" cruise. To do it justice, and see the inland attractions, add at least another two weeks!

JimB - occasionally resident in the SW corner of the Peloponnese