What had been a quiet anchorage the night before, through the canal on the east side of Kassandra, was in the morning a washing machine. Bob & Andrea were also anchored in the bay. Now being an old hand at this canal transit we decided to get out of the roller coaster ride and brave the entrance to the canal. It needed a bit of power and concentration but once passed the entrance it was fine.

Nea Moudhania was  35 minutes away. It is more of a working town than a resort. It serves as a hub for the Kassandra Peninsula and the agricultural interior. The water front is a busy place, with commerce rather than tourism, and in the harbour you are in the middle of town.

We managed to secure a place alongside and a friendly old fisherman working on his boat took our lines. The people we have met are extremely friendly hereabouts (even I suppose Medusa Stella in her way). Lily made a break for freedom and I headed off to the Port Police!

Talk about night & day.

I was in and out, Dekpa stamped, in 15 minutes by a friendly female officer no issues what so ever. It seems it depends on your luck and the guys on the ground interpretation of the law?

On return to the harbour Lily had entered a yacht club under a locked fence and I had to attempt a limbo with ample girth under the gate to retrieve her.

  

The limbo , and the chinese laundry boat

The mats and towels on the gurdrails are so that lily doesn’t jump into the netting and rebound like a trampoline . She can’t see the safety netting !!!

We both liked Nea Moudhania but it was marred by a sad episode:  a young seagull had got its foot caught in a lamppost and was hanging upside down. The fire brigade did turn up after a while but their ladder was too short. They sent for a cherry picker which then took ages to arrive. The poor young bird died as it arrived. Louise has a picture but I can’t bring myself to post it. Very sad.

We did go out that night , just for ease of not cooking but it was a bit downbeat.

Tuesday 2nd July we headed for Aretsou Marina skirting the Traffic Separation Scheme for the large cargo vessels heading for Thessaloniki.

Salonica in the distance

I had visited Thessalonki many years ago in my youth and Louise had recently seen it from the air when flying home from here in May. We were both looking forward to a few days exploring the city.

It was not to be.

I should have taken the worst directions and assistance we have ever encountered in a marina as a warning from the fates.

The marina staff in the rib supposedly directing us in changed their minds at the last minute, pulled a lazy line across our stern as I was reversing in nearly wrapping our prop.

However safely in and relaxing, Lily ashore on the grass for a play, we were approached by a French guy on a boat near us who asked us if we were intending to / needing to visit the Port Police and if so – today would be the best day as he had had a terrible experience the day before culminating in the possibility of his boat being impounded. He hadn’t slept but when he went back today the people on duty were far more reasonable and helpful. I didn’t fully understand his issues but it was enough for me to decide to visit immediately to get my Dekpa stamped. As previously explained in an earlier blog this is an annual stamp required on your cruising permit. It should just be ….and has been in the past…. a formality.

NOT this time…….

In the interim it transpired there had been a shift change at the Port Police and “Medusa “was back.

At first all went swimmingly until the Tepai was asked for. This is the New Greek cruising tax.

It came into being in May and you have to pay for those months you are navigating. We paid for Jun through to October. We confirmed with the Port Police in Mytilini this was the correct procedure and we had a Marina receipt & a letter from them proving we were not moving until 2^nd June.

To cut a long story short she (Medusa) wanted us to pay a fine of 300 Euros because we had not paid tax for May. Eventually working my charm (Yes, sometimes I have some) I managed to get her to phone the PP and the marina in Mytilini.

My situation confirmed, the best she could do was talk to her boss and I should come back tomorrow. Four hours of my life I’ll never get back. However at least I wasn’t in handcuffs.

We went out that night with Wolfgang and Renate who where in the Marina as well, just to a local taverna it would have been 25 minutes by car in Thessaloniki proper.

On return to the PP office the next morning the guy on duty was aware of the situation but didn’t speak a word of English so he phoned “Medusa” Stella, and passed the phone to me. We were on 1^st name terms by now.

Her boss still wanted to fine me but to be fair to her and her colleague they suggested a solution. This was that I should go on line and pay for May retrospectively then travel 40 miles back south to Nea Moudhania and get my Dekpa stamped there! They couldn’t do it here because “They now knew about me”  and “only come back when my Dekpa was stamped “ Eh confused? Yes.

We didn’t think the solution was good idea as it looked like we were trying to hide something, when we haven’t done anything wrong.However we decided to go back South and try a different Port Police Office.

So marina fees paid , no visit to Thessaloniki proper, we set off again just before 13:00 all the way back down and through the canal to anchor for the night . We just made it after sun set but with still enough light to anchor . What a palaver

 

Approching & entering Aretsou marina the only pics we have of Thessaloniki, lol

After 4 very pleasant nights in Nea Marmaris we were now into July and we set off for Thessaloniki almost 60 miles to the north west through the Portas Canal.

  

This shallow canal near the village of Potidhaias cuts the Kassandra peninsula off from the mainland it is over ½ a mile long and has a minimum width of 36m. A bridge spans the canal at a height of 17m. It is dredged to 2.5m but is subject to silting particularly at the Western entrance and the edges. Having assured ourselves with help from a local couple, Tanya & Thassos, who charter out two Elan Yachts in Nea Marmaris that we should be OK to transit it we set off early at 07:00.

OK for us that is! but  …

They forbid their charterer’s to go through it! lol. We discovered this talking to a Russian journalist on one of the yachts. She writes about animals and most recently about a Greek dog who has attended all of the political rallies in Athens.

She was taken with Lily and her story so she took some pictures and is going to do a piece on her for a Moscow publication and has promised to send us details.

Better brush up on my Russian…. Da?

James Bond: “ What do you want?”

Spectre:         “Vee vont you to die Meeesterr Bond”

We reached the entrance to the canal around 10:00 am. No matter how carefully you have confirmed the height restriction it’s almost always looks closer than it probably is.

         

Lily came up to see what all the fuss was about

On exiting the canal the wind was beginning to go south. We had full sail up to take advantage of it but it was unlikely we would reach Arretsou Marina, Thessaloniki before late so a suitable alternative was sought.

  

The western exit and view back to the bridge

This turned out to be Nea Mikhaniona, a fishing harbour in the large bay under Ak Megalo Emvolon (Big Cape Emvelon – for youse keepin up wi’ the Greek Speek).

 

As it’s a fishing harbour it’s not designed for yachts and the mooring bollards are head height and have to be lassoed. Unfortunately Louise’s rodeo skills have lapsed somewhat so it took a few attempts to successfully catch a bollard.

Yes….. Yet again the air was blue, lol.

       

Nea Mikhaniona Harbour peaceful at sunset

Peaceful as night fell , but that was before the fishermen arrived , not the professionals but the amatuer fishing rod guys who line the piers and chatter, all night , lol

However it would be a short hop of 12 miles to Marina Aretsou tomorrow morning.