Corinth Canal

At this point, we were in about the middle of the Greek islands of the Aegean Sea (the sea that is between mainland Greece and Turkey). We were making our way west for the Adriatic Sea (the sea between Croatia and Italy). We would take a shortcut to the Adriatic through the Corinth Canal.

On the way to the Canal, it was motor-sailing during the days and stopping each night at safe island anchorages...

Sifnos (N35°55.770' E024°41.508')

Poros (N37°30.449' E023°26.873')

We made it out of the Aegean without experiencing any of the unpleasant Meltemi winds, the name given to the sometimes fierce wind that comes out of the north and can blow for many days straight.

We were looking forward to this shortcut. It is a manmade canal cut between 2 seas by chiselling an impressive swath through to the Gulf of Corinth.

A couple of facts: The Corinth Canal is cut from limestone rock and rises 76 m (250 ft), it is only 25 m wide (81 ft), and 3.2 miles long. It is the most expensive PER MI canal in the world! It cost us almost $60 per mi.

Arriving at the Canal zone offices at 16:30, we were quickly checked and approved for passage through. It is alternating one-way traffic so we had to wait for oncoming before we were given the go-ahead at 17:30.

Canal cruising

We were through in exactly half an hour and anchored in front of the nearby town of Loutraki at 18:45 (N37°58.655' E022°58.547').

Sunset at anchor with tall ship