It’s about 50 NM direct from where we are up to Chalkis Bridge. We totted up about 80.
We are following the same route as last year and hoping for some good sailing. Last time we had some great tacks up the channel which makes a difference from our, more common, bigger passages & one tack sailing to the destination.
The route was to be Aghios Dimitris , a bay on the NE side of Almyropotamus, then to Aliveri / Karavos , then to Eritria and finally the anchorage in the bay at Chalkis.
Mon 17th June 2024
The 1st leg to Waypoint 4 was about 24 miles and with 2 reefs in , just in case, we began tacking up the channel at 08:00 . At 11:00 a beneficial wind shift allowed us to use the full Genoa and a good tack angle up to our destination for that night, St Dimitris.
Pictures of the little sleepy village of Aghios Dimitris (Taverna woman in nightclothes fame) and in the distance ,on the other shore, Panagia one of the ferry ports to the mainland. Also famous for the flight of Louise & Lily from chasing cats in a previous visit. We didn’t eat ashore this time just some exploring walks and exercise by Louise.
Thursday 20th June 2024
2nd leg to Waypoint 12, Karavos
Saw us up and away for 05:50. It was a bit blowy in the anchorage and 23 knots out in the channel. It was a hard slog into the waves!. A note in the log just after 07:00 states “Hope next tack makes the bay!” and an hour later “tacking towards Aliveri point , may make it without tacking again.” Well no .
What an approach , never again & I’m sure I said that the last time.
At 10:20 blowing a hoolie of 37 knots we finally anchored in the harbour of Karavos. 21 miles for 14 as the crow flies .
The following day another boat appears with an older (yes older than me!) arrived and the man appeared very infirm indeed. Well after a beat from hell yesterday to get the five miles into the harbour we understood how this wee yacht just arrived must feel. It was even smaller than us at 29′ They were circling around us again & again – they were obviously having a problem with their anchor windlass. First the woman would go up and then the poor guy would go taking about 10 minutes to edge his way up the boat. After an hour of circling us still no joy and they looked absolutely knackered. I asked twice if they needed a hand – it was blowing a bit but they declined.
Adding to the problem their wee black dog continually barking had attracted a Labrador from the taverna ashore who swam out and was following the boat in circles- he was in dire straits getting more and more tired . Louise was really getting worried for him . I put the engine on the dinghy and set off to distract him with my Scots Greek “ Ella, Ella” to follow me to the pontoons where two port police were waiting and lifted him exhausted from the water.
Now just the boat!
They eventually accepted our help and I managed to get aboard and free up their windlass but not without getting the woman’s ample bum, clad in nude pants stuck in my face on a couple of occasions! Louise has all of this on video which is hilarious. I HATE nude pants, LOL.
All’s well that end’s well though.
We like Karavos it has a quirky attraction. We stayed a few days visiting the town Aliveri a 25 minute walk up the hill and buying some wine that all the local tavernas use from the wee winery at the harbour. Other than Loutra in Lesvos, I think it must be one of the the most reasonably priced places to eat in Greece.
Our favourite taverna & the two boats in the distance in, now, a very calm harbour
Staples from the winery
Lily greeting us back in the dinghy
Monday 24th June 2024
3rd leg to Waypoint 15, Eritria
Only 12 miles or so to Eritia , towing the dinghy !!. 2 reefs in , probably a bit too cautious but it was gusty leaving Karavos (surprise, surprise ! )
A nice downwind sail saw us arriving at 16:00 after an enjoyable 4 hour passage.
It was quite busy but we cheekily snuck in at the front.
Given the dinghy was up we headed ashore for a meal.
Eritria ashore
Tuesday 25th June 2024
Last leg to the anchorage south of the bridge at Chalkis, Waypoint 21.
Only 13 or so miles now up to the usual anchorage to wait for transiting the bridge.
The shoal waters near Waypoint 18 sometimes fishermen are standing waste deep seemingly not far from your boat as you pass.
This seemed to be the day for crazy boaters!
The 1st was passing under the big road bridge just south of Chalkis.
It has a dog leg and a narrows marked by 4 lateral markers. A yacht was approaching us in the narrows from the other direction – all good port to port, when I hear a big motor cruiser engines screaming in reverse, slewing sideways across the fairway about 5 m aft of us. He had tried to pass at speed and had not seen the other yacht.
Tosser #1 and a Brit into the bargain.
This year we were just going to through the bridge that night. We headed ashore for a bite to eat and buy our transit pass in the afternoon/ evening . We expected to bridge to open about midnight and we were headed to the anchorage at Minas 2 miles or so round to the left after the transit to sit out the rest of the night.
We were headed to the left of waypoint #1 , most of the others racing to the red arrow at Nea Artaki
It was carnage going through as all the boats eagerly headed to Nea Artaki to anchor basically straight ahead – no holes barred – to get a spot. One then peeled off , Tosser #2, seeing us heading to a possible alternate spot and creamed after us trying to reach the preferred spot before us, but good Auld Camira pulled up her skirts and stuffed him, cheeky bastard. He wasn’t happy we beat him and no eye contact from them the next morning as he left early from his less than perfect spot ( S/V TALAVA Conrad & Doris , Aussies) LOL.
Thankfully you don’t seem to get a lot of the above less than savoury happenings, certainly not to us in the 10 years, maybe Chalkis brings on some sort of boat rage , LOL.
It was a lovely calm morning thereafter and we sat relaxed having our breakfast before the massive passage to Nea Artaki in the hope that now the F1 had moved on.
