Elevtheron Bay & Kavala, Northern Greece

After a couple of days on the 2nd August we decided to head to the mainland 15 miles or so NW.

The water is not very deep up here and has shoaling water all the way east to the Greek border with Turkey, perhaps the reason for the gas platforms, and the many flat bottomed ferries that ply their trade in the strait between Thassos and the mainland that you need to dodge.

Elevtheron Bay itself is quite large and has an impressive Castle at its western end, the tourist resort town of Nea Perama on the long beach in the middle and a fishing wharf and boat yard at the eastern end. This affords the best shelter from the prevailing winds so it was here we anchored.

Anchorage Elevtheron Bay

A lot of the northern resorts are now frequented by Bulgarians & Romanians. Some of the Greeks we got talking too were not so enamoured with this change. They do seem a bit blunt and ill mannered but perhaps that is just a hangover from coming out of a communist regime. In discussion with Paul later he reckoned it was because no one used to talk to each other in those parts in the old days. However Louise learned to say “Good Morning “in Romanian on Google and surprised the people on another boat the next day. They were delighted and really friendly, so I guess just like everywhere you’ve got good uns and bad uns.

It wasn’t too far a walk into Perama past the boatyard.

Nea Perama

We had lunch in Perama and got talking to an Italian at the next table who was married to a Romanian. Both his wife and mother in law were with him. All he ordered was fish and vegetables, Mussels, Calamari, Fish & loads of it! He was giggling his way through it all while explaining to us how the mother in law hated fish & vegetables and only liked meat, it was hilarious the look on her face as each dish was brought out, lol.

The engine water pump had developed a leak and needed to be rebuilt with new seals. The nearest big town was Kavala only 8 miles further along were I was likely to get the bits I needed.

Approach & view of Kavala from Pontoon

It’s a strange set up in Kavala – the “Yacht Club” is private and in the centre of town. However one outer pontoon is supposedly for visitors, but you don’t pay the yacht club rather the Port Police in a building some distance away in the centre. I tried unsuccessfully to pay on three separate occasions but eventually gave up.

We bumped into Renate & Wolfgang who had somehow managed to secure a prized inside berth, but only for one night until they too were turfed out onto the poor man’s pontoon. “Sorry it’s difficult – the marina is private” but no one ever took up these “private” berths.

The chandlers in Kavala was marvelous. He had the parts ordered up and delivered in 3 hours! Fantastic service

We really liked Kavala and it was such a pity we would have stayed a whole lot longer had it not been for the berth which was untenable when the high speed ferry arrived and departed. We felt sorry for the owners of a lovely Halberg Rassy from Troon that had been left while they had presumably gone home. I wouldn’t have been happy leaving it there.

Heading out to explore Kavala in the early evening and  find somewhere to eat.

We happened on a restaurant by accident we liked the look of and got the last street side table. It was one of the best meals we’ve had in Greece and later had people queuing for a place. Lucky find – it turned out the No. 1 on trip advisor.

Night out in Kavala

On Wednesday 7^th having rebuilt the pump and changed the oil we headed back to Elevtheron with the hope of anchoring under the castle this time. However the wind direction wasn’t suitable so after a trip around the bay we fetched back up in “Fish Corner”