{"id":11357,"date":"2022-07-31T04:30:45","date_gmt":"2022-07-31T01:30:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aleta.life\/?p=11357"},"modified":"2022-10-31T11:37:06","modified_gmt":"2022-10-31T09:37:06","slug":"gulf-of-corinth-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aleta.life\/index.php\/2022\/07\/31\/gulf-of-corinth-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"The Gulf of Corinth – II"},"content":{"rendered":"
Position: 38\u00b021’36.3″N 21\u00b025’19.4″E<\/a><\/h6>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/em>“Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray.” – Lord Byron<\/em><\/p>\n

Protected as it is, the Gulf is not immune to strong winds. Having spent the morning mooching along at 2-3 knots in light air, I double checked the weather forecast. The gribs showed sustained winds of 25 knots and more for the afternoon. But where were they? Two miles later we got our answer. A broad bay at the foot of a narrow, steep valley churned whitecaps off to the starboard side. While still in the lee of a large hill, I said to Carol, ‘I’m going to tuck a reef in the main’, and went forward. Back in the cockpit I shortened the jib, too.<\/p>\n

It’s nice when we not only get a warning but also have a few minutes to prepare. Seconds later the wind hit the beam at a steady 25. Aleta leaned away and transferred all that energy down to her keel. She leapt forward at 7 knots. Though not for long. Two miles along we reached the other side of the wind tunnel and were once again becalmed. Fortunately, the harbour on North Trizonia was a half hour’s motor away at that point. Named for the cicadas that sing constantly, the island was once an object of Aristotle Onassis<\/a>\u2019 eye. The locals turned him down. Too bad. They might have got enough funding to finish the harbour.<\/p>\n

Nafpaktos<\/h6>\n

In the morning we picked up a light breeze and sailed west for Nafpaktos<\/a>, a citadel for centuries. The most recent conquerors were the Ottomans in the early 1800s. But it was the Venetians who last built anything substantial. Perched on a bluff, the 17th century castle allowed broad views of the gulf in both directions. Only 5nm from the strait near Patras, ships entering the gulf are easily spotted. Steep mountains behind the castle tempered any enemy’s enthusiasm for a land attack. The view east gave plenty of time to respond to any naval activity from that direction. Better still, the land spreads out beside the town, flat and cultivatable. Proving, once again, the ancients picked their sites well.<\/p>\n

Nafpaktos is a foodies’ getaway. The old, walled harbour and it’s immediate surroundings contain a couple dozen small, well run restaurants and bars. The vibe is bright sunshine under the cooling shade of an umbrella or awning. Waiters buzz in and out never forgetting what or how much a table ordered. Prices are reasonable. Farther down the street, forgettable modernism makes up the rest of the city.<\/p>\n

The old harbour can swing only a couple of cats, but the holding is good outside its walls, and we slept well.<\/p>\n

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