Swagmans Sailing Blog

Come on in and say hello via a 'comment'. We've cruised our Hanse 46' sailboat from UK to Egypt to the Caribbean mainly two handed from 2004 to 2008 - and enjoyed every minute. We are back temporarily in the UK - but sunshine beckons us again for next summer.

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Outline Greek Island Cruise - Recommendations Anyone??

Posted at 9:54 AM, Sunday, February 18, 2007

Hi all Blog Readers,

Once we exit Turkey end May we'll be cruising across some Agean Greek islands, en-route picking up some pals who'll fly into Santorini and exit Athens some 8/10 days later.

My outline plan with the guests is to stop over at Ios, Serifas, Leonida (on Peloponese mainland) then Hydra, Poros and Agina - from where they can catch a hydrofoil back to Athens.

Has anyone got any recommendations for anchorages - towns - great restaurants - or anything else on this proposed ten day trip?

Any advice much appreciated.

From Agean Sue and I will probably re-transit Corinth Canal to get to Corfu and then Coatia for July. Main aim is to hopefully also sail into Venice. Secured some current tips and contact points for berthing in the floating city, so it should be GREAT!

Then back round Italy and Sicily to Balearics and link up with seaboard pals in August for some local Spanish R&R around our favorite spots - before off again and end in September either Lagos or Canary Islands and points further west.

Well...That's the plans.

Cheers

JOHN

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Italy/Croatia

Posted by savarna at 1:50 PM, Monday, February 19, 2007

Hi John & Sue
I can see you guys are getting busy for the 2007 season with a big agenda! Currently enjoying the summer in NZ and getting in some local sailing. We plan to head back to Malta probably about 25 April, spend a few days there and then cross to Tunisia (need to exit the EU for VAT reasons). We then plan to head up the eastern coast of Italy and either on up to Venice and then Croatia or up to Pescara or thereabouts and then across to Dubrovnik or Split. Really depends on the weather pattern at the time. Aim to be in Croatia, Montenegro or Venice by mid June. We are heading across to Valencia for the finals of the Louis Vuitton for a week as guests on one of the Alinghi supporter boats in early June. Any information you have on Venetian marinas would be most helpful - taking the dinghy for a spin around the canals has great appeal to me! So hopefully we should be able to catch up in the latter half of June.
The new website looks very impressive!

Cheers
Keith

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Hi Keith & Pam

Posted by at 8:53 PM, Monday, February 19, 2007

Sounds like our two routes will cross at some stage this summer - thats good.
Are you sailing back to Valencia - or taking the big silver bird?
Re berthing in Venice. We got this from a magazine article - if we get more later will also post it here.
Seems the few canal side berths and the exposed mooring posts opposite San Marco Square are operated by one company called Venice Yacht Piers. Seems they have a Brit manager (Guy) who is helpful - although his clients usually have megayachts. Tel +39 041 2712643, email vyp@vegaservice.net.
Apparently although close to the tourist action, these mooring posts are extremely exposed to lots of wash 24/7, so not recommended for yachts of our size.
The best alternative is the Venice Yacht Club which has a small harbour on the island of San Giorgio, about 300 metres across from San Marco. It is managed by La Compagnia della Vela. Tel +39 041 5222593. One can use a water taxi to move around.
Next best, not far away on the eastern side of Venice Island proper, is the Saint Elena Marina, run by Diportivo Velicao Veneziano. Tel +39 041 5231927.
Google Earth shows this facility filled with what appear to be smallish yachts - but its clearly big enough for a few 46 / 53 footers - if they have room mid summer.
The last resort (sic) is apparently a large marina at Lio Grande on the seaward edge of the Venic Lagoon. I've tried to view this via Google Earth - but all I can see is an empty marina north of Lido di Joselo and I'm not sure if this is what they refer to? Anyway - tel +39 041 966044 if needed. My pilot books are out in Turkey so can't check those for further info today.
If our trip goes as planned we should get to Venice end July. We'll be coming up via Montenegro then Croatia and now even considering the risks v excitement of stopping into Albania......
I'll begin hitting the phones to secure a spot in Venice before we even cast off and head over from Croatia - no point in arriving to find no room.
Good luck, hoping this is useful, and look forward to meeting in due course.
JOHN

Edited by swagman on Feb. 21, 2007 at 10:46 PM

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Any suggestions - anyone?

Posted by swagman at 6:20 AM, Friday, March 16, 2007

Maybe the request got buried in the blog message but love to hear from anyone who's cruised this area before with tips on where's best to go.
Thanks in eager anticipation
JOHN

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Greek Cruising

Posted by Jim Baerselman at 1:57 PM, Sunday, March 25, 2007

Hi Swagman,

I've 'done' Greece for many years, and my views on places to visit/places to avoid are published on my website. Go to the 'Sailing' tab, then click on 'Greece Detail' on the left of the page. This should answer most of your questions.

Just at the moment (14:00 UK time, Sunday 25 Mar) my web hosts are suffering overload problems, and I have an update to the site waiting for when they sort things out, so don't rush to the scene yet. They mentioned 48 hours three days ago . . .

JIm Baerselman
http://www.jimbaerselman.f2s.com/

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Hi Jim

Posted by swagman at 3:04 PM, Tuesday, March 27, 2007

The suggestions on your site are much appreciated. We'll take up as many as we can!!
JOHN

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Milos - A must see

Posted by Anonymous at 11:23 PM, Thursday, March 29, 2007

I have been sailing around Greece since 1993 and when I'm not sailing I'm driving around. I usually spend 3 moths of the year in Greece, so I know it well.
I highly recommend Milos (Adamas) and the surrounding area around the island. For Santorini and Ios try the south anchorages. Greeks are very easy to communicate with: just say "Yeah-sou" smiling. (means "to your health", hello, goodbye, cheers, good morning, good night, etc you get the idea).
Also, keep in mind that Greeks discovered, established and exported, like most other things, bureaucracy; so, play along like you're enjoying it :) because that's what they do since most of them don't believe in it.
In case our paths meet from June to September, I'm on S/Y BEBECA a Dehler 41C

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Hi Bebeca

Posted by swagman at 10:46 AM, Friday, March 30, 2007

Thanks for the tip. Milos is en-route so we'll stoppover. Any specific pubs etc to go to or avoid?
Cheers
JOHN

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More Milos

Posted by Anonymous at 5:40 PM, Friday, March 30, 2007

John,

It may sound strange but I'm not big on pubs or taverns.
The reason, mainly, because I want to have control over what I drink and eat. My tactic is, upon arrival to a location, to visit the different wine(bulk from barrel) selling places and sample (sampling in Greece is free; just don't sample at the same place all the time :) and then buy couple of litters. I drink wine exclusively even for a "soft" drink(with lots of water); the "soft" drink idea is an old (ancient Greek) one and it works!(Reduces perspiration and "sanitizes" the water not to mention all the benefits to the heart and arteries).
For food, I eat mainly fresh fish. Here's how I get it: I wake up early and welcome the fisherman to the dock coming back from their nightly fishing trips; point to the fish you want and hold out a bunch of Euros(paper). You'll get the best fresh fish for way less money than you'd pay anywhere else since Greeks confronted with this kind of "naivete" will take less money than if you try to bargain; of course if you think you pay too much "waive" that you changed your mind...and always...smile.
(I know what you're thinking: "of course this guy is always smiling...having wine for soft drinks"). Enjoy - Yeah-sou
S/Y Bebeca

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