S2.4 - Time to Get-out-of-Dodge! April Adventures - Part 2

April 15-16: A Jellyfish-Filled Crossing to Monemvasia
Our new plan was now to begin to make our way out of Greece and hopefully out these crazy winds.

We set out early across the Myrtoan Sea, where we encountered calm seas and hundreds of jellyfish along the way. Our 60-mile journey took us to the Peloponnese mainland on a tied island, docking at our favorite marina so far this season offering superior customer service: Monemvasia Marina.

Monemvasia Marina

Monemvasia is a beautiful medieval castle town, perched on the slopes of a rock, often called the "Gibraltar of Greece." It’s a place where history feels alive, and the romantic ambiance is unmatched.

Gibraltar of Greece - Monemvasia

The nex day, Ryan and I went our separate ways for errands—him on “Scoot” for wine, beer, and gas, and me on foot for fresh produce and baked goods. We met up for a delightful turkey croissant lunch, then spent the afternoon back at the boat—Ryan replacing the relay on the bow thruster and me defrosting the fridge. We finished the day watching the Oilers' 9-2 win over San Jose before heading out for dinner at a local restaurant, owned by Mateos who runs this side of the marina and offered great support throughout our stay.

There is absolutely nothing like Greek Salad in Greece!

April 17-18: Battling the Winds and Holding Steady at Anchor
The winds picked up dramatically after we left Monemvasia, just as Ryan had read about. Gusts between 15-30 knots hit us from all directions as we rounded the notorious Akrotirio Maleas. We anchored briefly in Lefki Bay to rinse off the boat and have dinner, but by sunset, we had to pull anchor and move to the other side of the bay for better protection. Ryan was on watch all night, but neither of us slept well as the 30+ knot winds howled around us.

Elafonisos Lefki Bay

The morning was surprisingly calm, though the forecast warned of another day of strong winds. Ryan spent the morning catching up on work, and I on food prep. With gusts still hitting 30 knots, the anchor held firm as we waited out the storm.

April 19: Tankers and Swells in the Gulf of Laconia
We departed at 7:30 AM, hoping for calm seas. But the Gulf of Laconia had other plans—tankers stirred up waves (which PredictWind cannot predict), and we battled the swells all the way to Skoutari Beach.

Dozens of large Russian tankers surrounded us

PS – Here is a picture of some of the tanker traffic we had to navigate. 

Click to read more about the “Greek Tankers Reload and Mix Russian Oil in the Laconian Gulf” Article.

By evening, the rain started, bringing our first onboard lightning storm. Neither of us got much sleep with the dramatic weather.

April 20-21: Bull Paths and Beached Dinghies
We decided to stretch our legs and head to shore for some eggs and fresh bread. After beaching the dinghy (because docking was impossible with the waves), we found ourselves on a literal cow path, dodging bulls and cows tethered to random twigs and branches (wishing I had taken a picture). Unsure if their ropes would hold as they became startled and stared us down was enough to suggest we take the main road on our way back. 

We made our way ‘quite literally up hill’ to the village’s only very sparse grocery store.

Streets of Skoutari

The journey back was equally adventurous,…

…pushing the dinghy off the beach in wild waves and almost swamping it as we struggled to get in and away from the waves, wind and slope of the shore!

After drying ourselves off, we started to look at our next plan and due to another low coming in, and wanting to reduce tomorrows 10-12 hour sailing plan a little, we pulled anchor and headed south.  Winds were now gusting to 38.. and soon saw up to 50 knot winds! The waves were literally sheering sideways over and across the boat. Ryan put out the Staysail (storm sail), and despite the wild weather, we anchored safely at Porto Kagio Beach with only one other boat in the bay. Fingers crossed for some shelter.

Winds finally calmed down a bit last night.  After a bit of cleanup and Ryan figured out how to manually get the fuel transfer pump to work.  We did spend a bit of time sunning on the patio but was a bit cloudy and cold.  Did a little dingy tour and had lunch at the beach restaurant, followed by a more than deserving Popcorn night and early to bed.

Looking ahead, who knows what adventures the rest of April has in store for us?

The sea is full of surprises, and we're ready to embrace whatever comes our way!