11 Magpies (Corinth Canal)

 

1st July 2020 (Corinth Canal)

Woke on the wrong side of bed, aching and grumpy. A cheery Chez is already up and prepping the boat for an early start. It’s around 5:30, we’re anchored away from the town of Corfus on the other side of the large bay. 

We up anchor and head out just before 6, starting the day on glass clear water. As we round the head of the bay we pass a number of small two man fishing boats hanging around the outskirts of a fish farm - some good fish there you’d have to think. As a red sun popped up behind a low island in the East, we saw another group attracted by the fish farm: dolphins! (As predicted by Chez not 10 minutes before: ‘Today’s a dolphin day’) As ever, always a delight to see them - and this went someway to clear the cloud that I’d woken up with.

Now writing this as we motor towards the looming Eastern entrance of the Corinth Canal - our passage to the Ionian. Capt Chez is showing appropriate signs of concern as we head closer. 

That’s it for now - more to come from the gulf of Corinth and the Ionian Sea!

We moored up, side to, on the dock at the entrance to the canal. Chez headed off to pay for the passage, while I stayed and supervised a small diesel tanker top up our tank. (10c a litre more expensive than Monemvassia at €1.17). After a short wait, the barrier at the entrance was lowered, and a similar sized yacht to ours came out. The control tower giving us the go ahead to proceed over the radio, we dropped lines, pushed the bow out and headed in...

With beaming grins we made our way down through the imposing sandstone cliffs. Not a great deal of wind, but enough to make steering a constant requirement for our attention.

We are the only boat heading through on this transit: amazing, and clear views both ways. Chez helming, I jumped around doing the videographer role and snapping away as we went through. The water has a light turquoise hew, the sandstone is dotted with greenery here and there, and lots of bird life: seagulls, swallows... and 11 magpies together  (not sure what that is a portent of.. time will tell) All too soon (I’m guessing 1/2 hour or so) we were coming to the exit at the other end. The striped black and yellow road barrier having been lowered for us, short lines of traffic had grown on each side waiting for that bloody slow yacht to get out of the way. As we passed over the top of the lowered road, a horrendous mechanical clunk began to signal it was being raised. 

The Western side of the canal opens up into a wide glass smooth bay, with surprisingly no wind. The distant shoreline of both sides are rimmed with what appear at this distance to be fairly tired looking, five or six storey concrete tower blocks - possibly hotels, but the overall look has a bombed out Beirut crossed with a tourist trap feel to it - probably enhanced by the very hazy sunshine that’s currently beating down. That’s it for now - onwards (for another 8 hours) towards Galaxhidi for the night.

Plodding along in limited wind at around 2pm Chez’s earlier prophecy once again comes true as we’re visited by another large pod of playful dolphins. She spots them first; ‘They’re jumping towards us!’ and sure enough, towards us they leap. I head for the bow, camera in hand, and what a show they put on for us! Dancing jumping and blowing bubbles for 10 mins surrounding the boat.

I do tend to say this after every time we’re visited by a pod of dolphins, but this time surely must have been the best display we’ve ever seen.

Despite the grumpy start, it’s turning out to be a pretty spectacular day.... maybe that’s what 11 magpies mean :)