After weeks of island hopping, quiet anchorages, and sleepy seaside villages, we arrived somewhere completely different.
Athens!
The sail into the city certainly made us work for it. With gusts pushing close to the 30-knot mark, KORA spent much of the passage under heavily reefed sails, charging toward the city at speeds sometimes reaching over 8 knots. That’s fast for our 40ft catamaran which normally cruises comfortably at 5-6 knots! (If you’re wondering what reefing is, check back to our earlier post from May 24 where we explain why reducing sail area is sometimes the fastest – and safest – way to go.)
The contrast with the islands couldn’t have been greater. The sea was suddenly alive with ferries, cargo ships, mega yachts, fishing boats, sailing yachts, and more charter boats than we’ve seen all season. Keeping a lookout became a full-time job as we threaded our way through one of the busiest stretches of water in Greece.
D-Marin Zea Marina in Piraeus would become home for the next couple of days while we prepared for the arrival of my brother Steve, Catherine, Oscar, and Chelsea.
First impressions? This place had us at the supermarket. Haha! After weeks of shopping in tiny island grocery stores with maybe four aisles (see pic below on left) and carrying heavy bags a kilometre or more back to the boat, discovering a four-storey supermarket overlooking the marina felt like stumbling into Disneyland for sailors (see pics on right!!!). Every ingredient imaginable. Fresh produce galore. Specialty foods. To tell the truth, I found myself overwhelmed! We’ll be back here a few times before we depart!
KORA also received some long-overdue attention. The higher salinity of these waters had left her coated in a thick layer of salt that seemed determined to cling to every surface. While Doug gave her a well-earned scrub outside, I tackled the inside – laundry, cabin preps, bathrooms, and all the little jobs that somehow multiply between guests. By evening we were exhausted.
Ironically, despite being surrounded by dozens of waterfront restaurants, we’d reached the point where another menu of grilled fish, prawns, calamari, and mussels no longer felt particularly exciting. But, naturally, we still chose seafood … just in a different form. Sushi. Something we hadn’t seen as an option until now. Quite possibly the best decision of the day. The food was exceptional – fresh, beautifully presented, and a welcome change after weeks of traditional tavernas.
The following morning began with one final challenge before we could properly enjoy Athens.
Finding fuel.
Unlike many marinas we have visited, there are no fuel docks here. Actually very few in this entire region of Greece! Instead, small tanker trucks come directly to the boats. Sounds simple enough… until you’re competing with mega yachts requiring thousands of litres (or even mid-sized motor yachts like one seen below) and suppliers who aren’t particularly enthusiastic about dragging long fuel hoses down floating docks (see distance between road & KORA’s passerelle below) to deliver what, by comparison, is a very modest amount of diesel for our little catamaran.
Our first arranged supplier was a no show. Several phone calls and a few hours later, we finally found another who came to the rescue, allowing us to top up KORA and officially declare her ready for the next adventure. Thank goodness – because the Acropolis awaited us!
