Sailing Aglaya

There's nothing that doesn't happen when we're travelling with our Aglaya. When we wanted to moor in Agia Marina on the island of Aegina with the stern to the pier and let the anchor chain out, suddenly there was no more chain going out. So we ‘starved’ just before the pier and couldn't get ashore. What was going on? We have 100 metres of anchor chain and it was nowhere near out. We first checked to see if the anchor windlass fuse had blown. It hadn't. Then we checked the anchor block to see if anything was wrong. Everything was OK. There was only one thing left: the anchor chain must have jammed in the anchor locker. As the anchor locker on our boat cannot be opened from the deck, but down in the foredeck, we had to look there. We know the anchor locker well, as we clean it after every season. First of all, we clear everything out of the foredeck that is stowed there, then crawl forwards over our folding bikes and open the door. The light in the anchor locker comes on. Very convenient. And what did we see this time? There was a big knot hanging in the middle, a large tangle, as you might say. Unfortunately, we didn't take a photo of it, because: Problem recognised, but not yet solved. How do we get the tangle untangled? We managed it, but it was a feat of strength and something for the brain. Interdisciplinary expertise was required. Gisela's experience in untangling balls of wool while knitting was very helpful. And what does our anchor chain say? It stretches nicely in the water and holds our anchor. The rest lies neatly in the box again. Hopefully there's no Klabautermann up ahead having fun knotting our chain again.

After three days, the strong easterly wind died down. We said goodbye to the beautiful Oxia Bay and sailed into Messolonghi Marina in the afternoon. It was a lovely reunion - with Mimi and his crew in the marina bar, with our German friends, who were getting their boats ready for the season on land and with Berlusconi, the nine-year-old marina cat.

We took two trips to Tourlida on our bikes: it's wonderful to cycle through this fantastic lagoon landscape. And what else was going on? It was Walter's birthday! Of course we celebrated it nicely.

We actually wanted to have a new compressor installed for the fridge in Messolonghi because we thought it was using too much electricity and the thermostat wasn't always working reliably. Once again, we had a good experience with Greek craftsmen. They checked everything and realised that the compressor had too little nitrogen. They topped it up and checked that everything was working normally again, and that was it. And instead of 500 to 600 euros for a new compressor including installation, it was 50 euros in labour costs.

We spent the last night in Messolonghi in the town harbour, not a bad place either. Our next stop: the small island of Trizonia, a good 30 nautical miles to the east. We were here five years ago. There is construction going on there, but not much has changed. Simply idyllic and quiet (without cars), at least in the low season.

Galaxidy on the mainland coast was our next anchor stop. Very picturesque. And with a view of Delphi and the high Parnassos, on which snow fields were still visible. Here we registered online for the passage through the Corinth Canal and also paid online. This meant we didn't have to dock there to pay. Everything went very smoothly, but it is an expensive pleasure: the passage costs 207 euros for our boat.

The harbour of Kiato on the north coast of the Peloponnese was then our starting point for the passage through the canal. The town of Kiato has no special sights, but is a popular holiday destination for Greeks as it has beautiful beaches.

We then passed through the canal on the 9th of May, a special experience again, just like in 2020, when we came from the east.

This time we had to wait an hour and a half before entering the canal, as oncoming traffic had to pass first. But then we were able to pass through and enter the Saronic Gulf. Large ships are moored here and the smell from the refineries on the mainland wafts around your nose. So we quickly continued a little further south-east along the east coast of the Peloponnese. We are now anchored in the beautiful bay of Korfous.

We have left the lovely countryside of Epirus and sailed south - now we are in Aitolo-Arkania, a landscape with its very own austere charm.

We left our Vliho Bay behind us and with it Rabitt, our all-round mechanic and technician, and our favourite British pub, the Vliho Yacht Club, and headed south past the islands of Lefkas, Meganisi, Kalamos, Kastos and many smaller ones. Now we are moored at an anchor buoy in the mouth of the river Acheloos. We have a fantastic panoramic view of this strange landscape: opposite us is the rugged mountain of the island of Oxia, towering 460 metres high, on the other side is the wide semi-circular estuary, a delta that stretches far into the sea, very shallow, lots of sandbanks, that the river keeps shifting. Everything is green, trees and bushes, the shallow water is light green to turquoise, we are in 3 metres of water. And on the horizon Ithaca, Atokos, Kefallonia and Zakynthos, a fantastic panorama.

The Acheloos and the Evinos, further east, are the rivers that irrigate the very fertile plain: the largest olive-growing area in Greece, oranges, lemons, wine, vegetables - everything is grown here.  It is a flat landscape with wide lagoons, where pelicans and flamingos live, eels are caught and boutarga, a very salty paste made from fish roe, is made. And, of course, salt is mined in huge evaporation pools; Messolonghi salt is famous beyond the borders for its quality. 

Extremely modest huts, mostly made of corrugated iron and wood, stand directly on the water's edge; the fishermen and a few sheep and goat herders are very poor. Cotton used to be grown here, but the world market has passed it by. 

The lagoon plain is bordered by steep cliffs through which rivers have carved gorges, some with vertical walls. 

We stay here in this beautiful place for a few days - partly because a strong easterly wind is blowing. We don't want to head east against the wind, even though our next destination is just round the corner, so to speak: Messolonghi, where our life with Aglaya began and where we will meet friends. By then we are already in the Gulf of Patras.

No, we're not suffering from the winter in Germany. We are looking forward to the upcoming sailing time on board. We've been on the water with Aglaya again for a few days now, but haven't set sail from Lefkas yet. Aglaya needs to be serviced and looked after first, as befits a lady in her prime. New antifouling on the underwater hull, propeller polished, leaking hatch repaired, dirt from the winter scrubbed off the deck, metal and GRP care. It's all done. Today we hoisted and rigged all four sails. If Aglaya had feet, she'd already be pawing at them. But the engine still needs to be serviced and a few small repairs still need to be done. 

For now it's Easter, this time at home and in Greece at the same time. An opportunity for an Easter walk and a delicious lamb dish (stifado) prepared by the chef de la galley himself.

And where should we go this season? Firstly southwards, out of the Ionian Sea into the Gulf of Patras. There we will then turn off to Messolonghi for a few days. We want to meet friends there again and see what's going on in the marina. Then we'll continue eastwards through the Gulf of Corinth and the canal and from there to the north-east. At the end of June we want to be in Thessaloniki. We are excited and looking forward to setting sail!

Last year we were sailing in the Ionian Sea all the time. The many pictures we took on our way remind us and they make us look forward to the next sailing season.

Here you can see a few of our pictures in three videos:
Video 1 (20 min.)
Video 2 (13 min.)
Video 3 (13 min.)

Our boat is ashore at Vliho Boatyard on Lefkas. We are on our way home. We'll be back on the water in April. A beautiful, very varied season lies behind us.

These days we are winterizing our boat and then on November 7th we will winterize ourselves at home in Heidelberg. 

On October 31, the tractor in Vliho pulled us ashore to the boatyard. Great work by the boatyard- team. The boat is stable, but it's still rocking for us. Our sense of balance can't get used to the fact that we're standing on land. The boat is on the water and that's where it rocks. That is the message to our senses. We already know that.

We prepare Aglaya for the winter break - a long to-do list, from packing the sails, cleaning everything below deck and on deck, small repairs, drying the fridge, packing supplies and textiles well, filling the diesel tanks and emptying the water tanks to tying up the winter tarpaulin.

Fortunately, we have warm, dry weather this year, so we can do everything in peace and quiet and enjoy the sun and the beautiful evening atmosphere from time to time. During the day it is still just over 20 degrees, at night it cools down to 13 degrees. In the morning, the boat is soaking wet from the dew. As we drink our coffee, the sun is already drying everything on deck. 

We don't really want to get off the boat. But when Aglaya isn't rocking on the water, we start to look forward to the winter break at home with family, friends, homemade music and everything that life on land has to offer.