Crete to the Peloponnese

It has been some time since we had an adequate wifi signal and since then Jack Tar has sailed on via western Crete then north to the south eastern area of the Peloponnese peninsula, and lots of adventures. When we are able we will update the blog.

Crete - Mk11

Downtown Iraklion excavation

Knossos

Knossos

Fresco knossos

Jack Tar at Iraklion

Venetion fountain Iraklion

Fishermen adjacent to our berth

Venetian arsenal Iraklion

Lounda on Spinalonga Lagoon

Spinalonga Island

First Mate at Aghios Nikolaos

Aghios Nikolaos

Street scene Aghios nikolaos

It is high season for tourists in Crete, with thousands of them, mainly Greek, flocking to all the sights. We enjoyed Aghios Nikolaos despite them. A very pretty town centered around an old fishing port in an old volcano crater lined with tavernas and souvenir shops. We had a comfortable berth at the marina, but decided to sail as the forecast was once again for inceasing winds and we wanted to make ground to the west. First stop was Spinalonga Lagoon, a shallow almost enclosed waterway below Spinalonga Island, the subject of the currently popular novel, The Island; soon to be made a movie. The island houses the remains of a Venetian fortress and a leper colony, the subject of the book. On entering the passage past the island, we were reminded of the aerodynamic effect of accelerating strong winds blowing over the steep cliffs in this part of the world. A 50 kt gust took away the solar anchor light [a $6 Bunnings garden light] and almost shredded the bimini which remains a bit stretched. Fortunately we had taken in all sail. Next day we motor sailed into a 25 kt headwind to Ireklion, the capital of Crete and the fifth largest city in Greece. Here we remain sheltering again from the meltemi, but what a great place to do it. It is a vibrant city with a fascinating cafe society and many wonderful examples of past civilisations. Nearby at Knossos is a partially restored Minoan palace, while the the neo-classical buildings of the city reflect the venetian influence. It is probable that the whole city is built over the remains of many of those ancient societies. When the next opportunity presents we will press on westward.

Crete

Arriving at Aghios Nikolaos


Sitia

Sitia

Amorfos

Amorfos

Amorfos

Pighardia

Khalki castle view

First Mate at Khalki castle

Khalki town from on high

Looking to the hora and castle

Jack Tar has arrived in Crete, but not without a bit of fun enroute! But to first step back. Before leaving Khalki we managed a walk to the ruins of the old high town or "hora"and then climbed up to an ancient castle above where the views were spectacular. Next day we sailed for Karpathos, the island halfway across to Crete described in the pilot as sea-swept. The forecast was for mild winds but they quickly changed to 35 kts on the beam and became very lumpy. So, we really scooted across and the First Mate retained her composure and was well all the way. Must finally be getting her sea legs. We arrived in the harbour at the capital, Pighardia, to find the harbour too exposed for what was now a gale warning, so shifted to a sheltered anchorage in Amorfos Bay, a beautiful seaside resort area. There we rode out the gale and then set out for Sitia in eastern Crete. Again the winds increased beyond the forecast, this time to 30 kts on the nose. We were forced to sail below the course required to clear Cape Sidheros, the eastern tip of Crete, and its associated reefs and with a southerly set of up to two kts, had to tack a few times to make it round. Sitia looked pretty good when we finally arrived and was an attractive holiday town. Today we motored for want of wind to the marina in Aghios Nikolaos which we will report on later. So far the Cretan scenery has been wonderful, with much more vegetation on the slopes than most islands we have recently seen. And Crete seems to be one giant wind farm with literally hundreds if generators whirling on all the hilltops; which tells you something about the place!