The Greek Odyssey: PEYC in the Med. #3

Published 2:06pm on 4 Nov 2026

Day 7: 

Reluctantly we have to leave Navpaxos this morning: it deserves more investigation. Some boats had arrived early yesterday and folks had clambered up to the overlooking castle. The shops look inviting. 

Long tacks up the Gulf of Corinth improve the mood, as we marvel at the vast mountains and vertiginous roads to the wind turbines atop.
Berthing at Galaxidhi, we heard that some crews had slipped lines at 2am this morning to reach here and taxied up to the Ancient Delphi site to consult the Oracle.
It’s  Halloween! Behold! A Greek Goddess appears upon our plank as we sup Mythos. 

 We exchange sweets for a couple of feeble jokes and the goddess is appeased. The gods above are not amused as the sky suddenly grumbles and cracks and pours torrential rain upon our dirty decks. The goddess is one of the 3 youngest fleet crew members who have never sailed before. She has climbed every mountain so far and forded an Ormos. I exaggerate, but only a little. 18 years old, she is a Commonwealth medal swimming athlete. 

Day 8: 

It’s Sunday and the locals are late.  Crew queue at the supermarket. Skippers huddle around waiting for the fuel truck and the chandlery to open. A Sunday confessional: I lost the monkey-wrench to Poseidon. One very long close-haul with racing crew beaming at the helm, chasing white horses and scraps of blue sky. Black clouds loom up behind, rainbows, and another huge waterspout. It’s awesome, beyond words.

 A final overnight pit-stop in Kaito before the Corinth transit.
Day 9: 

Up at 04:30 hours to motor down to the west Corinth Canal entrance with the fleet, as the sun comes up through the shrouds. We announce our arrival on VHF to the Corinth Authorities, with Transit Booking Payment Number. We recognise our fleet characters within those few words now. Some comic moments. A pilot boat and a tug hove into the scene to guide a huge ship through the canal. The VHF Voice summons each boat individually to follow the procession through. 

The Corinth Canal facts: 3.2 miles long and 25m wide, the limestone sides rise to 79m. It’s a crumbling, perilously fragile, magnificent feat of human endeavour. Fortunately there is no wind today, and the transit is amazing with the sun coming up ahead. We feel privileged to have made this journey. We emerge into a maritime industrial land, more humid and warm, and head SSE to Old Epidavrhos. Jostled together in berth, all crossed anchors and chains. Who cares? Tomorrow is another school day. 

Last updated 2:21pm on 4 November 2026