Season 2023 Aegina where all started

Until April 2023 we refitted Kanasta in Aegina Greece. Engines were overhauled despite low hours, new mainsail, complete new kitchen, complete bedding/matrasses in all cabins, new upholstery, all new sanitary installations in kitchen and bath rooms , new antifouling, rig was checked, new lazy bag etc. etc.etc.  Kanasta was for this in her dry dock on Aegina. We flew several times from Basel to Athens between December 2022 to April 2023 to follow the progress by the shipyard. Shipyards in Greece usually operate all the same. The shipyard is responsable for hauling and for the parking place of your vessel. The works are done by exteroir, thrid party service provider. In Greece not every shipyard is as good as the other one. I can recomment Ionian marine in Preveza. 

First stop after leaving Aegina was Papa George restaurant inKorfos. Where can you moore so close to the restaurant? Excellent food, friendly owner. Just a picture perfect before heading  the channel of Korinthos. The Channel of Korinthos is quite an easy thing. Costs approx. 300 Euro, length 3 nm. Just be carefull when attaching your boat at the jetty there. The large yellow rubber will give ugly marks. After paying you will be instructed to wait and then be called by CB.

1 st of June 2023 the first day the channel oppened again since 2 years and we went through in convoy. Be careful when mooring at the peer the rubbers will mark your boat hull use plenty of fenders.

Galaxidi a gem no sailor should miss when sailing tgrough the Golf of Korinthos. Be careful when the main harbour is full and you try the next arm to the north for anchorage it is very shallow and the bottom silt and does not hold the anchor! We had a bad night sleep with less than 2 meters below keel and a beeping ankeralarm every 15 minutes. Galaxidi is quiet a good spot to visit Delphi. Tassos is a very good restaurant if you are lucky that day they will have lobster on the menue for an acceptable price.

Nafpaktos is a small Harbor just before the bridge of Patras. which is the longest suspention bridge in the world with over 2.5 km of lenght. Be aware that you have to announce your passage over VHF 1 - 2 nm and get the final approval 0.5 nm before passing and still some vessels pass the wrong way around! From a mast hight we were just fine on the proposed passage route. I believe that mast over 15 meters could have an issue. Once asked over VHF what your mast hight is u better give the right hight.

Mesolongi is ideal if you want to have your boat in safety. The harbour lies 2 to 3 miles inland. You reach it through the channel sided by fisherman stilthouses, marvelous.  Mesolongi has some history. The siege against the turks and the place where Lord Byron died at 36. 

From Mesolngi we sailed to Lefkada Appolonioi. We do love the north of Greece with the ionion islands. More green, less Wind, well we thought.  From there in one strike to Preveza and for two days we were at Ionian Marine for a quick repair, done to our fullest satisfaction.

From Preveza. A real Sailing Mekka like I have never seen. Thousands of Sailing Boats, Three wellknown shipyards . Be careful they use mooring lines in Preveza don't use your anker! The old town is a must with lots eateries, bars etc. and a beaut.

Preveza we sailed to Antipoxos and the Paxos into the harbour of Lakka. A pure dream. Beautiful to anker, Sand 5 meters. We only anker in Sand. Rocks are a bit risky to get the anker struck. Lakka itself is a gem and the water has this turqois color we love. 

Korfu showed us what strong winds are. Bright sunshine, blue skies and no clouds. A picture perfect day just with gusts up to 40 knots ! First we wanted to go west of Korfu under engine, we had to turn around the waves were hiting us hard SOG was 3 knots and the next harbour 18 nm so we went through the other eastern, protected a bit by the island itself but only until you reach Korfu itself! Then the bay opens up and we got it to the fullest and fled into a cove and got a buoy in front of the Kerasia Tavern were we stayed for two days.

There are a few small bays that protect you very well from the strong winds just north-westerly of Korfu city. One of them Kerasia has a nice and charmful greek restaurant. The embiance is great the food is good we loved it. After two nights we left for the last greek island before the crossing to Italy Othonoi.