Remember yesterday when I politely requested “slightly less Aegean, please”? Apparently Zeus, god of the sky and weather, and Poseidon, god of the sea, had compared notes overnight and decided our new crew hadn’t quite been initiated enough. Today’s passage was barely half the distance of yesterday’s, but somehow considerably more enthusiastic. Seas were 6-7...

With KORA temporarily operating more like a motor cat than a sailboat, our first day on the water with Kelley, Lori and Dale would take us somewhere familiar: Kea. In fact, given the rather feisty weather forecast for the coming days, we’ll be revisiting several places we’ve already enjoyed. Familiar anchorages, known holding grounds and...

KORA officially achieved her fastest guest turnover of the season. Gracie, Dakota and Sierra departed at 5:30 am, and Kelley, Lori and Dale were due around 1:30 pm that afternoon. Deck washed. Windows polished. Beds stripped. Laundry going. Bathrooms cleaned. Floors done. Then came the message: flight delayed. For perhaps the first time ever, we celebrated...

The Meltemi finally gave us an opening. While the Cyclades and Dodecanese continued to take the brunt of the winds, conditions in the Saronic Gulf were looking considerably friendlier. After days tied to the dock, we didn’t need much convincing. KORA was making a break for it! First target: Moni Beach, where brilliant aqua water...

The Meltemi may have kept KORA tied safely to the dock… but it wasn’t about to keep us there. With sailing off the table, we looked for another way onto the water and settled on one of Greece’s most enchanting islands – Hydra. One of the closest Saronic Islands to Athens, Hydra sits far enough west that it’s...

In my last post I forgot to mention that when we cast off from Olympic Marina, we had absolutely no idea where KORA would spend the next week. The Meltemi had tightened its grip on the Aegean, charter companies were keeping their boats in port, marinas were overflowing, and one by one every berth...

Somewhere between Ikaria and Lavrio, KORA developed a rather expensive appetite. Three snorkel masks. Several snorkels. A wetsuit. And a handful of other bits and pieces mysteriously vanished. Whether they quietly slipped overboard during the rough seas or an industrious passer-by decided to upgrade their own snorkeling collection, we’ll probably never know. Curiously, all...

After several days of rough seas, Kea gave us exactly what we needed. A day off! Tucked into a sheltered bay, KORA became less of a sailboat and more of a floating holiday home. While Amanda and Evan disappeared beneath the surface with their snorkels, Doug (still giving his recently gashed shin a well-earned...

Not every day on the water is about exploring picturesque villages or ticking off another historic site. Some days … you’re simply looking for somewhere safe to spend the night! Our passage from Ikaria on this day covered about 55 nautical miles, and the Aegean certainly made us earn every one of them. The...

There are Greek islands… and then there’s Ikaria. Named after the mythical Icarus, who is said to have fallen into the sea nearby after flying too close to the sun, Ikaria is famous for something rather more down to earth these days – its remarkably long-lived residents. It’s one of the world’s five original Blue Zones, where...