The Delivery

Gulfs of Corinth and Patras, Greece

We had been through the Corinth Canal, Gulf of Corinth and the Gulf of Patras twice before, so this passage was more about moving the boat, than exploring. We were traveling out of the Aegean and into the Ionian Sea, and we wanted to do it fast. In the boating world, this is sometimes called a delivery. But in contrast to a typical delivery that is normally done by a paid crew, we were delivering our own boat, Berkeley East, to ourselves.

Our two previous Corinth Canal transits were from west to east, this one was east to west. Based on past experience, we researched the option of paying our transit fees in advance, through an agent in Pireaus, so we would not have to stop on the wall and risk the massive swells that often roll through from freighter traffic. It was a good move. Not only were we able to avoid docking, with our fees paid, Berkeley East was called through the canal immediately upon her arrival, no waiting.

Our first canal transit, four years ago, took two hours behind a cargo ship going 2 knots. The second trip took just 20 minutes at 8 knots, with the canal operator calling over the radio for everyone to go faster. We wondered what the third passage might bring. The speed was somewhat average at about 6 knots, which is what the pilot guide states as the maximum. The key differences this time were the bungee jumpers, and the mast climbers. The Corinth Canal is 3.2 miles long and 75 feet wide, with limestone walls that rise 250 feet above sea level. The maximum draft permitted is 21 feet, and the maximum height is 170 feet due to three bridges that cross the canal. It is not uncommon to see large groups of people gathered on the bridges; tour groups taking pictures. But this was the first time we heard loud chanting as we passed under one of the bridges, followed by a body falling. We were relieved when the body bounced back up, springing on the bungee line attached to its ankles.

There is also a current of 1-3 knots in the canal that can flow in either direction depending on the wind direction. And severe gusts can blow off the surrounding land at either end. Which is why we were surprised to see a person climbing the mast on one of the boats in front of us. Not only did they climb and take pictures while in the canal, they stayed at the top long after exiting. We hate going up the mast in a calm marina, let alone on a moving boat in precarious conditions. We wondered if they were stuck up there, were making a repair, or were just plain crazy.

A delivery is a bit like moving in a car across country; you want to drive as long as you can stay awake and find a Motel 6 or a La Quinta, with convenient freeway access, where you can close the curtains and catch a few winks. Then you get up the next day and repeat. So once through the canal, we looked for an anchorage where we didn’t have to veer too far off course, with protection from the weather and hopefully a little quiet for some rest. We didn’t care about beauty or entertainment, as we were going to bed early and getting up at the crack of dawn. Just before sunset, we dropped the hook in Ormos Isidoros, a small bay about 30 miles west of the canal. One side of the shore was lined with what looked like deserted buildings, the other cluttered with cars and umbrellas. The water was full of waste from the fish farm in the next cove. Definitely more of a Motel 6 in po-dunk-ville than the more upscale La Quinta, but it was sheltered from the wind and swell so that’s all that mattered. Funny though, no matter how hard we tried to take a picture showing the true nature of the place, the resulting images were beautiful.

Up at O-Dark-Thirty and off again. This time with a goal of making an island called Trizonia. It was rough, choppy and cold, typical conditions for a delivery. But when you have the mindset of getting from point A to point B, you just hunker down for the ride. The island of Trizonia was a La Quinta variety of stops, with a free dock, a colorful live-aboard community, and a lovely barge in the anchorage.

Sunrise departure on the third and final day of the delivery took us under the beautiful Rion-Andirrion suspension bridge (the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world). It was a long day of motoring but we were heading west and got ahead of the big afternoon west winds, so we were happy.

We landed in Vathi, Ithica that evening, back in the Ionian for the fourth time. Delivery successful. A few days of recovery, then we would begin our cruising, and exploring, once again.