Ferries from Italy to Greece are a choice for those who are not looking for an easy way. As for me, a ferry from Italy is not the most convenient way to travel to Hellas, however, you must agree, boarding a ship in Venice and disembarking in Patras has a certain romance in it. Whether you choose this path or another, we will consider the prospects of this route and try to provide information that may be very useful.
Ferries from Italy to Greece, as well as in the opposite direction, run like clockwork. The main ports of communication on the Italian side are Bari, Brindisi, Ancona, Venice and Trieste; in recent years, Ravenna has been added to them.
On the Greek side, the reception and dispatch of routes is carried out by the ports of Patras (220 km from Athens), Igoumenitsa (500 km from Athens) and Corfu. Also, some ships call on the Greek islands of Kefalonia and Zakynthos, from where, if necessary, it is easy to get to the mainland.
As for your preferred destination in Greece, you should start from the goals of your trip. Igoumenitsa should be chosen if you plan to travel to Northern Greece, Macedonia and Thrace.
Patras is more convenient for those whose final destination is the Peloponnese, Athens or Central Greece, which can be reached via the bridge in Rio very close to Patras. It’s also not difficult to get from Igoumenitsa to Athens, it’s just that the road will take a little longer than from Patras. This option makes sense for those who feel more comfortable on a bus or car than on a ship.
Ferries from Italy leave almost every day (with the exception of Trieste, where the routes are more infrequent), and you need to have a rare degree of bad luck in order to find yourself in one of the listed cities and not be able to travel to your destination.
In summer, on the most popular routes, the number of ships is increased, so the frequency of sailings can reach 6 per day, although for the most part it is still 1-2.
The shortest route to Greece is ferries from Brindisi, the longest - from Venice and Trieste. The last two options are akin to an extreme tour, since sailing to the Greek shores can take up to a day and a half. This option also cannot be called cheap: travel with plus or minus amenities, a la at least some kind of cabin, costs no less than 100 euros per person.
Of course, you can increase the degree of extreme and choose the option just on deck for 40 euros and kopecks, but spending more than 30 hours there, including almost 2 nights - well, it’s not for me to judge. If you are traveling with a car, then add on top the cost of its transportation. Well, how do you like 300 euros for a trip? Maybe by plane...
The shortest route to Greece from Italy is ferries from Brindisi, the longest - from Venice and Trieste
A question that may interest many is visas. The website of the Greek National Tourism Organization provides the following information on this.
If a ferry travels from a Schengen member country to another member country, bypassing third countries, then there is no passport control for such a trip. That is, having a one-time visa in hand and worrying about possible meetings with the police or border guards, it is better to check when buying a ticket whether the ferry will make stops in Croatia, Montenegro or Albania, otherwise you never know.
As for tickets, they can be purchased either at the ticket office on the day of departure or online in advance. If your route falls during the summer season, then the second option is preferable. Tickets can be purchased in advance through the Ferriesingreece website.
We discussed the purchase procedure in detail in the article.
Corfu is one of the most popular routes from Italy
Approximate travel time: From Bari: To Corfu – about 11 hours
To Igoumenitsa – about 10.5-12.5 hours
To Patras – about 16 hours
From Ancona: To Igoumenitsa – 16-17 hours
To Patras – 21-23 hours
From Venice: To Corfu – 28 hours
To Igoumenitsa – 26 hours
To Patras – 35 hours
The cheapest way to travel is on deck - without a cabin
From Brindisi: To Corfu – 7 hours
To Igoumenitsa – about 8 hours
To Patras – about 16 hours
It is clear that due to the duration of the journey, routes from Brindisi to Greece will also be the cheapest.
In addition, if the trip takes 7-8 hours, then you can do without a cabin, and just take a seat on the deck or a seat like an airplane seat, thus further reducing the cost of travel. However, when calculating this option, keep in mind that the journey from Venice to Brindisi also costs money, and therefore, in fact, I think you will get the same price.
Arrival. Acquaintance
On this day we arrived on the yacht. In general, something special needs to be said about this yacht. A successful compromise between a cruising yacht and a racing yacht from the X-Yachts company was embodied in the IMX-40 yacht model, an excellent example of which was waiting for us at Athens Marine. The yacht seemed quite small in appearance, but once inside I did not experience any embarrassment. Robust, reliable hull, excellent handling, the ability of the yacht to sail under sharp close-hauled courses, a taller mast compared to conventional yachts of this size and, accordingly, a longer fin, which gave us a draft of 2.8 meters and also one large steering wheel (and not two steering wheels, as is often done) completed the picture. Here's this beauty called Jukebox.
The first day of the trip, as a rule, is devoted to solving economic, everyday and organizational issues and gathering the crew. Often people travel to a yacht from different parts of the world and during this first day the crew gradually gathers on board and gets to know each other. Before the voyage, the ship prepares to sail: the tanks are filled with fuel and water, the batteries are charged from the shore power supply, the completeness of individual life-saving equipment on board and other things is checked, bedding is supplied, drinking water and food are purchased for the entire voyage, organizational issues are resolved, and the route is specified. In the evening, according to tradition, a gala dinner is held for the team to get acquainted and informally communicate.
This exit was special for me: firstly, until that moment I had not been on the open sea. And the thought was spinning in my head: what kind of captain would I be - and I haven’t seen the sea? In practice, we only walked in bays in sight of the shores. And I kept thinking: “How will I then manage the yacht, be responsible for the life of the crew and the safety of the vessel, for the safety of navigation, if I was only splashing around the shore?” I needed real skills and real sea! Of course, they told me that stop sweating - people haven’t gone out to the open sea for years, they rinse off the shores, and in general, there’s no need to strain yourself. But either I have an exaggerated sense of responsibility, or my principle is that if we’re going to do something, we should strive to achieve perfection, but, one way or another, I was looking for an offshore (open sea) transition. And such an opportunity presented itself. In accordance with the passage plan (in the picture), we were supposed to leave Athens and, having passed along the mainland part of the Greek coast along the Saronic Gulf, enter the Corinth Canal, after which, having passed along the Gulf of Corinth and passing several islands, cross the Ionian Sea and moor at island of Sicily in the Italian city of Catania.
During this transition, I took the exam for the IYT Bareboat Skipper qualification and, frankly, for some reason I was carrying with me a mountain of textbooks, including GIMS ones (which the school instructor Dima Ivanov good-naturedly ridiculed at the airport, after which I never looked there again) :)
The flight was great, then I remember how the Greek took a long time to examine my visa and I felt like I was on the wrong side of the plate, as one of my acquaintances from a very cheerful part of society says. Although, of course, Aegen Airlines smelled slightly of the world-famous Greek crisis. After all, a crisis is a way of thinking. But we’ll come back to this :) Then we rode in a cool Greek bus along very Greek streets with very Greek buildings. Anyone who has been to Greece understands what I mean :) We realized that we had passed an extra stop, got out and walked back along the Greek - very Greek - streets. But Greek streets don’t lead back :) We had to go around :) In the end we caught a taxi driver (very Greek, of course), who took us along a very winding Greek route around Athens Marine, clearly adding kilometers to the meter. What can you do... crisis...
On board it was clean and somehow immediately comfortable. We flew in together with Dmitry, an instructor at the northwestern yachting school, and Yuri, a man with extensive experience in sea voyages. After some time, Alexey gradually appeared on board, who intended to go sailing for the first time, Igor, a very experienced yachtsman, with whom I was subsequently lucky enough to stand watch, and a cool guy Valery, who had just flown in from a Finnish expedition, having arrived before, it seems from India:) In general, the crew was excellent!
I really liked Athens Marine for its excellent shower, very smooth asphalt paths that are pleasant to walk on barefoot, such cool vegetation and beautiful views of Athens. Especially evening Athens. You can moor here - you won’t regret it.
The marina has cool yachts, including these. I also saw a copy of my future ship.
In the evening we gathered for a gala dinner - an acquaintance that Igor made. We met. Dima invited us to introduce ourselves in a circle, saying a few words about himself and his wishes for the hike. More precisely, he usually says: “expectations from the trip and what kind of experience you want to get” :) Without going into details, because I did not receive approval for stories about personal things, in a nutshell I can say that Igor is a very interesting person, the head of the company, owner of two yachts and a racer, former pilot, excellent cook. Yuri is a very sincere and calm person, simply a soul! Happens very often on sea voyages. As far as I can tell, he spends about half his time at sea. I saw out of the corner of my eye his logbook (something like a sailor’s record book - there, under the captain’s signature, the miles and watches that the sailor walked and carried, respectively, are noted) - there, in my opinion, there is simply nowhere to add entries! He and I subsequently turned out to be like-minded people in many ways, which I am very pleased with. Alexey is a dental technician, a very pleasant, good-natured guy, and an excellent swimmer. This is his first time on a hike. Valery said that he went to understand his life and desires. That he wants to buy a yacht and is thinking about it, but for now his task is to listen to his own feelings. I would like to say something special about Dima - he is our instructor. A man of amazing endurance, Olympic calm, kind, strong, confident, attentive. Not worried at all, no matter what happens on board, not bothering the crew. We didn't hear him raise his voice even once. It’s so comfortable on the boat with him that I must admit, now I’m wondering if he will be the instructor if I have the desire and opportunity to go out as part of the crew of our yacht school. According to the school rules, a captain of the day is appointed every day on the trip. The next day Igor was appointed captain.
After dinner, I wandered along the paths of the marina, looked at the lights of yachts of different types and sizes, sat on the forecastle (the bow of the ship, my favorite place on deck) looked at the lights of the marina and Athens. And to the Greek Moon. Beauty!
The morning began with a wake-up call at 6 o'clock. Igor was cheerful and fresh, which cannot be said, at least about me. I'm a typical night owl. Even, more precisely, not a night owl, but don’t understand who: I sleep 2 - 3 times a day for 1.5 -2 - 3 - 5 hours. When I want, then I sleep. I may not sleep at all for a couple of days. In general, lifestyle features. By the way, it turned out to be very convenient at sea: it’s not stressful to stand night watches, including “dog” ones - from 0.00 to 04.00 :)
Dima and Igor bent over the iPad. The course plotting I observed was exotic to me: no maps, rulers, protractors, or pencil. The main joke will come later, but for now I’ll say that the “Beetle” (as all our people call this yacht, short for Jukebox) has an iPad with a cool iSailor navigation program (which, after this trip, appeared on my iPad). In the program you select a sailing area, assign a new route, put a point, the distance in nautical miles, course, coordinates are automatically calculated, then put the next point and the next and you get a track. All in all, navigation software is a leap of evolution! By the way, I recommend it to everyone. The thing is amazing. Easy, simple, convenient, fast. Understanding the software with the help of instructions (in English) takes one evening. And then it’s just a pleasure to use.
They walked away calmly and moved too. Traditionally, when leaving the marina, we set the sails.
There was very little wind, but nevertheless we walked. Wonderful day. Calm sea, many ships hurrying to and from Athens and those waiting in the roadstead. Along the way we came across a container ship that looked like a children's construction set - blocks and a warship that looked like a tin can. Scary, shabby. One got the impression that he was simply going to the landfill under his own power. There is a crisis, however:) Then, however, it turned out that our ships look the same: apparently, army style - everything should be ugly. It’s just that ours sometimes paint them for a couple of days along with the grass on the lawns and the border in the port before parades. The Greeks probably don’t have parades—well, there’s no need to paint them.
I had fun photographing the ships. I like them: each one is special. With its own character, a mood created by deck lines and hull colors, engine sounds and side lights.
Around midday we approached the Corinth Canal.
We can talk about the Corinth Canal for a long time. This is definitely a miracle. It is located in Greece and connects the Saronic Gulf of the Aegean Sea with the Corinthian Gulf of the Ionian Sea. A canal was dug across the Isthmus of Corinth, connecting the Peloponnese peninsula with the Greek mainland. The canal is 6 kilometers long and the height of the walls is up to 76 (!) meters. The depth in the channel is 8 meters, the width at sea level is 25 meters. The vessel movement system is organized according to the semaphore principle: the movement is one-way, its direction changes when the appropriate signal is given, when all vessels moving in the previous direction leave the canal. A railway and three road bridges span the canal. They say that a true sailor must go through at least three main canals: Panama, Suez and Corinth. Well, there are only two left to go :) We walked in a western direction, that is, from the Saronic Gulf. The entrance to the canal is barely visible from the water. From a distance of approximately three cables, one can distinguish its identification marks. There is quite a lot of shipping in this area; you should approach at very low speed and constantly monitor 360 degrees. The depths here are decent. On the left side in front of the entrance to the canal there is a mooring wall, where it will be convenient to moor while waiting for permission to enter the canal. Here, at a distance of about 100 meters, there is a coastal services office and a toilet for those interested.
While waiting for the signal to enter the canal, we went out to warm up and took a few shots. At the same time, they helped another yacht, whose crew consisted of two people, a man and a woman, to dock. Yes, what could be more romantic than traveling together on a sailboat?! I believe that one day this will begin in my life :)
Soon ships appeared in the canal, heading towards the Saronic Gulf. Then we went too :)
The passage through the canal is difficult to describe. The height of the canal walls starts at approximately five meters, and gradually increases as you move along the canal to 76 meters. Layered rock that has been lying here for billions of years, as if the standard of Eternity rises from the left and right. Due to the height of the walls, at some point it becomes a little twilight in the canal, despite a very sunny Greek day. We walk under the engine and look around in fascination. Grains of sand in the Ocean of Eternity. How many peoples, how many eras have these rocks seen? Lifeless Earth and dinosaurs, Achilles and Odysseus... who else? Majestic silence... At the foot of the rocks, the water has carved out small grottoes and bays, slightly overgrown with moss. At the water's edge in these bays, sunny bunnies jump, as if inviting you to play with yourself, jump into this cave, find out how deep the rabbit hole is :)
Somewhere high above us, bridges float by. People wave to us and we wave back.
At the exit from the canal, the good Greeks shouted to us through a megaphone: Faster! Faster! :)
On the left side was the city of Corinth, and on the right side was the town of Loutraki. Loutraki is located at the foot of a huge mountain. Compared to the five-story buildings of the city, it doesn’t look like a mountain, but simply burning!
While I was admiring the mountain, the cheerful bustle in the cockpit marked the beginning of tasting fantastic Greek cheeses, olives and wine. I have never eaten anything similar in taste in Russia. It's amazing! I would also like to note that, according to our instructor Dima, in Greece it is considered somehow rude to ask for more than 2 euros for wine…. You can multiply it by the euro/ruble exchange rate and figure out what you can buy for that money in Russia. At the time of writing, this is, at best, a “monastery”, the quality of which is known to everyone :) Dima immediately arranged an educational game: in a circle we called the familiar names of the components of the spar, rigging, winds and commands or courses, and the next one, after the one who named , should have said the English name of the term and explained the meaning or purpose of the gear. And then - set the next term. It was interesting. In general, Dima is an amazing person and instructor. With him you constantly learn something new, very practical, but somehow completely unobtrusive, almost in a playful way. In the first half of the day we also had fun tying sea knots, and now we are playing with words. And all this is IYT course materials.
When you go to sea around the clock, during the dark hours the crew is divided into watches, usually four hours long. The shifts happened in such a way that I had to stand with Igor, Alexei with Yura and Valera with Dima. We had to stand from 20:00 to 0:00. At 20:00 it is already twilight and by 21:00 it is completely dark. On the left side, the coastal lights of Greek towns and villages, the lights of highways and lighthouses were visible every now and then - a very beautiful sight! I was standing at the helm, so there are no photographs: (And it’s impossible to take this from a rocking boat - you need a long shutter speed and a stationary lens. This is unattainable on a yacht.
The first night watch is like a first date. Everything seems interesting, but everything is not clear. What to expect? Hmm... :)) There were funny moments. I remember standing, steering, breathing... and at some point someone will smack the water! Plop! I tensed up. I looked around - there seemed to be nothing on the deck that could fall overboard. The only thing that could - but they are tied and they are light - it would not have splashed... I just thought that it seemed, again - splash! Igor came upstairs. I asked how things were going here. I replied that there was someone slapping the water. It should be noted that before this I had seen enough stupid videos on YouTube about whales attacking yachts, and I heard a tragic story a year ago. I felt uneasy. Igor waved his hand, saying that the tuna were probably frolicking. “What kind of tuna must they be to flop like that,” I thought. In general, the sound gave the impression that someone had fallen overboard. But I knew perfectly well that the entire crew was downstairs in the wardroom. It splashed again. And again... dolphins! A school of dolphins played around the yacht, tumbling over each other, standing in a row and synchronously changing direction, diving under the yacht and tumbling again - it was a SPECTACLE. They gave us a real circus, and the circus would have had a rest - after all, it was THEIR decision, and not the will of the trainer... We rejoiced at them, they rejoiced at us. Alexey tried to film them and if he sends this video to me, it will be possible to publish it in the article. Immediately there was a feeling of some kind of universal kindness around, a feeling that we were not alone in this dark sea. The show lasted for half an hour, then gradually they moved away. By this time Igor had taken the helm and I went to the forecastle. Right at the bow, three dolphins swam at our speed in a row, synchronously moving a little to the left, then they walked side by side again, took a little to the right and lay down on their previous course. This went on for a couple of minutes, then they waved their tails and scattered in different directions. The show is over.
After some time, the wind rose, blowing up a small wave. I stood at the helm again and tried to keep my course using the instruments that were located on the mast. The yacht was tossing about on the waves, the sky was slightly overcast and the light of the Moon did not penetrate to us. We were tacking and when the shore lights were not visible along the bow, there was complete darkness all around. The only thing that glowed was the instruments on the mast. I looked at them, holding course, and at some moment my horizon “swimmed.” I shook myself, looked at something in the cockpit, but immediately went off course. I returned the ship to course and a moment later I was heading again. I called Igor and asked him to take the helm. Subsequently they explained to me that this is the so-called pilot disease. When you go by only instruments, you lose your understanding of where is up, where is down, where is right and left. That is, there is no fixed landmark on the shore that one could “catch the eye on” and the “cuckoo” gets confused in the head. :)
On that watch, I remember I was pretty chilled. Going down to the wardroom, half a glass of whiskey was simply the best drink for me! Trying to stretch out in the bow cabin during this rocking, I somehow fell asleep.
Yes, by the way, about the bow cabin :) This, of course, is a clown show. When a year ago I went out on several yachts along the river and reservoirs, I always had to sleep there. From then on I was sure that this was the best place on the ship. Judge for yourself: a spacious sleeping place, a tank hatch above your head - you can look at the stars, especially when you hug your friend at the same time :) Somewhere below, the water splashes a little, creating additional comfort - heavenly life! Well, I took the bow when Dima asked who wanted to be where... Eh, in the heat of the moment! I did not take into account that at sea the situation changes exactly the opposite: the bow cabin takes on all the blows of the waves - once. For this reason, it is absolutely impossible to sleep there, unless you can no longer sleep. That is, if the body is not brought to a state of complete exhaustion. The blows are so powerful that they seem comparable to the blows of an excavator breaking some ruins at a construction site. Secondly, all this happens during vertical and rolling motion. But that's not all. The point is that “the yacht doesn’t go straight.” The constant roll, plus drift, plus the windage of the side and rig, plus the unevenness of the water surface, throw off the course and the helmsman constantly “steers” back. That is, this very place in which you are trying to sleep is also being driven, constantly “groping for the way.” In the apt expression of the Strugatsky brothers, you feel like “a frog in a football.”
By morning the wind died down and the sea calmed down. Coming out on deck, I was pleased to see the rising sun, shining through the pre-dawn haze over the water and straight ahead - the cable-stayed bridge Rion - Andirion, connecting the Peloponnese with the mainland of Greece. The length of the bridge is 2,880 meters. The bridge is designed in such a way that it can move apart along with the distance of the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland by 35 mm every year :) Rion - Andrion is the longest bridge in Europe. The banks were clearly visible on both sides, as if we were walking along the Volga. Only the nature is different. Perhaps this was the most pleasant morning of the hike:) Pleasant fatigue from last night, good coffee (brewed, of course), water surface like a mirror and clean air. Simply paradise! We walked under the motor, passed the bridge, parted ways with a cheerful ferry with a bow on both sides and headed for the city of Patras.
Patras is the third largest city in Greece and the largest in the Peloponnese. At the time of writing, the population of the city is approximately 170,000 inhabitants, with suburbs - about 230,000. Patras is the main center connecting Greece with Italy, and the Peloponnese with the islands of Corfu, Zakynthos, Kefalonia and Lefkada, located in the Ionian Sea, which we had to be crossed. Patras was founded by the Achaeans of Sparta in the 6th century BC after the Dorians drove them out of a large part of the Peloponnese. The city is also known as the site of the martyrdom of the Apostle Andrew, called the First-Called, whose temple is located in Patras and is the largest temple in Greece. The temple contains the relics of Andrei. The oblique cross on which Andrei was crucified is depicted on the flag of the Russian navy. Hence the name - St. Andrew's banner. Throughout history, the city changed hands several times, ultimately remaining Greek. In 2006, Patras was elected European Capital of Culture.
The city is picturesque, and so is the approach to it. At the entrance to Patras there is a lighthouse. On this day, the captain was Yuri, who, standing at the helm, was looking for the entrance to the marina. We, of course, also looked with all our eyes when choosing a mooring place.
Once Dima noticed that this whole Greek crisis is based on Greek disregard and unwillingness to work. So... did I misspeak? Greek... it looks like something... Oh well. So, no one was waiting for us at the marina. No one helped us moor, did not indicate the parking place, and in general, absolutely no one was interested in our arrival. Apparently the Greeks are close to the saying: “I came, thank you, I left, thank you very much.” Need I say that the marina office was closed, and no one knew where the latrine was on land and whether there was a shower? The interrogation of the local population yielded nothing, so Alexey and I went on reconnaissance. The shower was discovered and the key was obtained. There didn't seem to be any hot water... I do not remember. Well, this is Greece (c) It seems that the expression “everything is available in Greece” does not apply to yacht service. This is not Türkiye, guys. Helped a beautiful Turkish couple dock on a beautiful yacht. He is charismatic and tactful, she is sophisticated and feminine. One word - Beauty.
I went for a walk around the city. I walked along a couple of flower-filled streets past white-stone Greek houses. In general, among the Greeks everything blooms everywhere. Even abandoned houses and what looked like landfills. Well, the embankment and flower beds are blooming by definition. The streets are clean (unlike Italy, as it turned out later). After some time, we went to have lunch at a local restaurant with Igor and Valera. We were satisfied. We - with a delicious lunch, the owners - with revenue. After we left, they immediately closed and the owner’s wife went somewhere, apparently with money :)
A couple of hours later our Jukebox left the boom. Refreshed. We were heading towards the island of Kefalonia. In accordance with the transition plan, it should have been left on the starboard side and then followed through the Ionian Sea. But first we needed to replenish our supplies of water and electricity on board. Therefore, we planned to go the next night, and the next night to spend the night in a marina, for example, in Kefalonia. Yuri, who was the captain of the day, ordered the same crew to stand watch, but to move further on the schedule. That is, Igor and I got a “dog” watch from 0:00 to 04:00.
The night turned out to be very calm and somehow very cozy. I stood at the helm for the entire four hours of the watch. The clear night sky, strewn with myriads of stars, the rhythmically “breathing” sea, the wind of 12-14 knots and the brightest Greek Moon created a fantastic picture and set the mood for a romantic mood. Igor, a racing enthusiast, spent our whole watch trying to pick up the sheet, then tighten the luff, then catching a deviation of the course by a couple of degrees and drew my attention to the fact that I was slightly moving the helm. Although, even in a car you drive in a horizontal plane, constantly steering. Have you been paying attention? But on a yacht, which does not steer as easily as a car and moves in all planes and does not steer as accurately as a car, a couple of degrees means nothing. In general, Igor pulled me out of romantic thoughts, until, finally, he gave up on further adjustments to the sails. Then Dima and Valera replaced us and I went to bed. Tomorrow is my turn to be captain of the day.
I woke up because they dropped anchor. As I later thought, I should have woken up earlier. The fact is that the sun quickly heats up the deck and with the bow hatch closed the cabin is hot and very stuffy. My health in the morning was, as they say in Odessa, not great. I felt nauseous and didn’t want to have breakfast. I tried to swim - it was cold. In general, I got seasick, after all. Although it seemed that this was impossible (the vestibular system has been trained for a long time, by a certain type of physical education). Gradually I got better and began to master starting and stopping the engine - today I’ll be the captain. In the afternoon we planned to raise anchor and move on. Ahead was a passage across the open sea and there was talk about when it was best to go, and whether it was worth going to Kefalonia. We were inclined to think that yes, it would be better to go in, replenish water and electricity supplies on board, spend the night and go to Sicily. And then suddenly someone asked Dima about the maneuver to save the “man overboard”. Dima said that you can work on this matter at any time, even right now, leaving the bay. Some of the crew objected, but I reminded them that today I am the captain and my decision is to go out and do maneuvers.
The man overboard rescue maneuver, also known as a Wilson turn, is performed under sail. The purpose of this maneuver is to approach a person who has fallen overboard as quickly and safely as possible to rescue him from the water. In fact, as a result of this maneuver, the yacht must change course, move away approximately six lengths away, tack, take the opposite course, approaching the person who has fallen overboard in such a way as to shield him from the waves and wind, and then lift him onto the deck . Before the maneuver, at the command “Man overboard!”, a lifebuoy is thrown to the fallen person, an observer is appointed, and the helmsman and clew sailor perform the turn. I steered first, appointing an observer and a clew; Dima was thrown overboard, who got the honorable task of playing the role of the one who fell overboard, and away we go! Lie down on the beam-reach, trim the sails, turn! We had fun making pretzels, changing places and making waves. Super! It’s difficult to say how much time passed, but at some point they decided to finish and Jukebox headed for the nearest marina.
And then surprise number one awaited us. The depths did not allow us to approach the booms. As I already mentioned, our draft is 2.8 meters, and according to navigation programs, the maximum depth was visible at 2.6. The only place that was deeper was at the pier intended for mooring ferries, but we couldn’t stand there because we would have interfered with them. We wandered around for more than an hour, looking for a place, but we never found it. The wind got stronger. They began to decide what to do. Igor suggested walking into the night across the sea, which didn’t seem like a good idea to me, but it just so happened that that’s what they decided on. We turned around to exit the marina and began to walk around Kefalonia. I have assigned watches. This time Valeria and Dima had the first watch, and Igor and I got the morning. From 04:00 to 08:00. We had dinner and wandered around the cabins. Night fell, we moved 50 miles from Kefalonia and then surprise number two awaited us: our batteries ran out and our instruments went off! Night. Wind. Open sea. And our course electronics don’t work! As I wrote above, we were not able to enter the marina before leaving, and before that Valera, who often sat with the computer, connected the inverter to charge the battery of his Mac, as a result of which the on-board batteries were exhausted. I said: “What should we do, let’s follow the compass.” And then revelation number three awaited us. Dima said: “Well... ummmmm.... We don't have a compass here...! And there are no cards. And there is no compass. Everything is in the iPad, but it also died...” Well, great, I thought, I’ll have to go back to fix the jamb…. but, on the other hand, it’s night all around. And what difference does it make which direction we go without a compass... And Valera generally stated that it is quite possible to steer by the stars :) The situation was corrected by our wonderful instructor Dima, who spent some time working with the wires in the engine room, as a result of which the engines idled when starting battery charge and devices have returned to us. Uffff! approximately 5 hours of engine and battery operation were charged. During the transition, we started the engine several times to replenish the charge.
In the morning I went out on deck for watch and took over the helm from Alexey. There was about an hour left before sunrise. This is what it looked like
The day went well. We sailed on starboard tack, maintaining the same course. The dolphins came again, tumbled around, and made us happy. From the moment we left Kefalonia, we were constantly close-hauled, which gave us a 45-degree list to port and made the usual things not so simple. Cooking under a list, eating under a list (in this situation you can’t put a plate on the table), sleeping under a list, going to the latrine... and I was still thinking about what to do on a yacht! One trip to the latrine was a whole adventure, when this very latrine is about one and a half meters above you and your first task is to simply get there. Somehow. Walk about two meters, but uphill and while throwing on the waves :) Well, if you jumped in there and closed the door, then you can rejoice: you won’t fly further than the space of the latrine! I won’t continue, but you can imagine that what follows is also fun :)
Sleeping under a tilt is also interesting. If there are two people in the cabin, then one person unobtrusively sleeps on top of the other :) Considering the fact that the entire crew are men who have not previously known each other, this is also fun. I had especially fun in the nose. Even though I was alone, the cabin already seemed completely uncomfortable. By the way, it was also flooded periodically. Apparently, the rubber seals did not provide a tight seal when the bow hatch was battened down. I slept stretched out like a cow in a bomb bay in the famous film “Peculiarities of the National Hunt.” With my feet resting on the side and my head tucked up so that my neck rested against the opposite side, covering both ears with the muscles of my arms, I could sleep like that for about an hour. :)
It was easier at the top. In general, as I understand it, the best recipe for seasickness on a yacht is to look at the horizon and breathe while on deck. Or steer. You look and/or steer and it doesn’t seem to bother you anymore. And great. By evening the wind began to turn sour and at some point it became almost quiet. So quiet that I managed to steer while on my watch, reclining, with my head under my head and admiring the sea sunset. Then we had dinner. Igor and I’s next watch was supposed to start at 4 a.m. ship time. Closer to midnight it began to blow. Igor tried to send me to bed, saying that on shift I would have to work, not mess around, and I should be rested. I went to sleep in the aft cabin, because it was no longer possible to stay in the bow due to the heavy impacts of the waves on the hull. At some point, a movement began in the cockpit: the guys took a reef, then a second reef. There was a lot of pressure on the boat. I passed out because I couldn’t stay awake anymore...
I woke up at 04:00 from Igor’s shout: “Misha, watch!” What I saw in the porthole, for me, who had not seen this case before, was a mild nightmare. I remember now that instead of the horizon I expected, I saw some kind of fucking whirlpool in the window. Realizing that we are having fun here, I ask Dima: “Stormyaga?” How far is it to Sicily? “There is a little... 50 miles approximately,” was his answer. Someone was broadcasting tense Morse code on the radio. The wind howled in the rigging. I crawled up... yes... it was a tail! I've never seen anything like this before. Never. 5-6 meter waves, wind in the range of 28-36 knots, gusting up to 41.5 knots, foaming sea, and all this under the bright moonlight. The spectacle is fantastically beautiful but, I must admit, it horrified me out of habit. Yachting became more and more fun. It was no longer possible to stand, and sitting was also problematic. And Igor was great! Standing at the helm, he managed to maneuver in such a way that the boat stopped being hit by waves and we simply overcame these waves, successfully maneuvering thanks to Igor’s piloting skills. Now, over time, I understand that I want to experience this again in order to learn how to steer like him. Within about half an hour I was released and the ability to move around the deck and somehow more or less calmly perceive what was happening returned to me. The crew, with the exception of our watch, went down. We carried a trimmed jib and a reefed mainsail. I remember how, on my way up, I asked Dima what course it was. “There’s no time for the course now,” was the answer. Encouragingly:) I remembered our maneuvers to save a man overboard. I wonder how such a maneuver can be performed in stormy conditions? How to see a person among the foaming ridges? What if you're alone on deck? In my opinion, there are not many options for survival for someone who has fallen overboard in this situation...
By dawn I was finally released and I took the helm. I tried to steer like Igor. It seemed like something was even working out... In the meantime, he removed the reefs. By this time the sea had become a little calmer. The wind was blowing between 25-30 knots. With dawn, everything around me became clearer and clearer. Or maybe it all seemed so creepy to me when I was asleep... In general, I felt completely normal and did my job.
The storm carried us further south and Dima suggested going not to Catania, which was the end point of our journey, but to Syracuse, since we had time to spare. At around 11:00 we entered the Syracuse marina. Cheerful and helpful Italians guided our yacht by radio and waved their hands in a friendly manner, showing where we should stand. Italy!
Having moored, Dima, Igor and I went to the marina office to pay for parking and clarify issues with the shower. Everything was great here. Finally, we can wash ourselves, put our clothes in order and walk on a flat surface that is not tilted 45˚ to the horizon! After the water treatments, refreshed and satisfied, we went to look for a local restaurant and yacht shop. We needed gas tank refills and a decent lunch.
The surprising thing is that we managed to wander into an Italian restaurant, the owner of which turned out to be a Russian entrepreneur, Vladimir, who moved to Italy several years ago!
We had a very interesting conversation, and the pizza and wine went great. I was happy and smiled all day. Then Alexey and I went to wander around Syracuse together. A very pleasant city. Very. And, unlike Catania, it’s clean underfoot. Narrow streets, nice people, flowers, bike parking...
Ferries from Italy to Greece are a choice for those who are not looking for simple routes. As for me, the ferry from Italy is not the most convenient way to travel to Hellas, however, you must agree, taking the Ferry in Venice and disembarking in Patras has a certain romance in it. Whether you choose this path or another, we will consider the prospects of this route and try to provide information that may be very useful.
Ferries from Italy to Greece, as well as ferries from Greece to Italy, run like clockwork. The main ports of communication on the Italian side are Bari, Brindisi, Ancona, Venice and Trieste. On the Greek side, the ports of Patras (220 km from Athens), Igoumenitsa (500 km from Athens, 400 km from Thessaloniki) and Corfu receive and dispatch ferries to Italy.
As for your destination in Greece, you should start from the goals of your trip. Igoumenitsa should be chosen if you plan to travel to Northern Greece, Macedonia and Thrace. Patras is more convenient for those whose final destination is the Peloponnese, Athens or Central Greece, which can be reached via the bridge in Rio very close to Patras.
Ferries from Italy to Greece leave almost every day (with the exception of Trieste), and you need to have a rare degree of bad luck to find yourself in one of the listed cities and not be able to travel to your destination. In summer, on the most popular routes, the number of ships is increased, so the frequency of sailings can reach 6 per day, although for the most part it is still 1-2.
The shortest route to Greece from Italy is ferries from Brindisi, the longest - from Venice and Trieste. The last two options are akin to an extreme tour, since sailing to the Greek shores can take up to a day and a half. And this option cannot be called cheap: travel with plus or minus amenities, a la at least some kind of cabin, costs no less than 100 euros per person. Of course, you can increase the degree of extreme and choose the option just on deck for 40 euros and kopecks, but spending more than 30 hours there, including almost 2 nights, is very difficult. If you are traveling with a car, then add on top the cost of its transportation. Well, how do you like 300 euros for a trip? Maybe by plane after all.
A question that may interest many is visas. The website of the Greek National Tourism Organization provides the following information on this. If a ferry travels from a Schengen member country to another member country, bypassing third countries, then there is no passport control for such a trip. That is, having a one-time visa in hand and worrying about possible meetings with the police or border guards, it is better to check when buying a ticket whether the ferry will make stops in Croatia or Albania, otherwise you never know.
Estimated travel time when sailing from Italian cities to Greece:
Ferries to Greece from Bari:
Ferry Bari-Corfu - about 11 hours
Ferry Bari-Igoumenitsa - about 10.5-12.5 hours
Ferry Bari-Patra - about 16 hours
Ferries to Greece from Ancona:
Ferry Ancona-Igoumenitsa - about 16-17 hours
Ferry Ancona-Patras - about 21-23 hours
Ferries to Greece from Venice:
Ferry Venice-Corfu - about 28 hours
Ferry Venice-Igoumenitsa - about 26 hours
Ferry Venice-Patras - about 35 hours
Ferries to Greece from Brindisi:
Ferry Brindisi-Corfu - about 7 hours
Ferry Brindisi-Igoumenitsa - about 8 hours
Ferry - Brindisi-Patras - about 16 hours
It is clear that due to the length of the journey, ferries from Brindisi to Greece will also be the cheapest. In addition, if the trip takes 7-8 hours, then you can do without a cabin and just take a seat on the deck or a seat like an airplane seat, thus reducing the cost of travel even more. However, when calculating this option, keep in mind that the path from Venice to Brindisi also costs money, and therefore, in fact, I think you will end up with the same cost.
Italy is an extraordinary country with its own traditions. Here you must try: Milanese risotto and mozzarella cheese, wine and pasta, swordfish, coffee, delicious ice cream and, of course, a ferry trip.
Ferry services in Italy are a key transport route. And this is understandable: the huge length of the sea coast, numerous islands, wonderful sea routes to the “neighboring” countries. Also, more than one ferry runs across the Mediterranean Sea to Italy from Greece, Spain, Croatia, and Montenegro.
Corsica - Italy
Ferries from two companies go from Corsica to Italy.
Moby: Lines only operate during the summer months. From Bastia to Livorno a ticket costs about?35 on weekdays and?45 on weekends, from Bastia to Genoa the fare costs?40 -?50.
Corsica Sardinia Ferries: operates all year round. The company is distinguished by frequent discounts - if you get the Tarif promotionnel Jackpot, you can go for only 50% of the cost. From Bastia ships go to Livorno and Savona, from Calvi only to Savona. Prices vary depending on the time of year: from?100 in winter to?20 in summer.
Greece - Italy
Ferries from Greece to Italy are distinguished by the variety of companies represented and the comfort of travel.
Superfast Ferries: Operates all year round. A ferry ticket from this company will cost £60-70 on a bench, £80-95 on an airplane seat and £400-700 on a cabin, depending on the class chosen. There is a flexible system of discounts: for children, pensioners, families, students, etc. Routes: from Patras and Igoumenitsa to Ancona and Bari.
Minoan Lines: operate from spring to autumn. A ticket for the Italy - Greece ferry from this company will cost £70 on a bench, £90 in an economy class seat, £110 in a business class seat and £200-500 in a cabin, depending on the class chosen. Routes: from Patras and Igoumenitsa to Ancona and Venice.
There are several other companies represented in this region, the pricing policy and internal structure of their ferries are not too different from those described above.
Anek Lines: from Patras and Igoumenitsa to Ancona and Venice.
Agoudimos Lines: from Patras to Bari, from Igoumenitsa to Brindisi. Ventouris Ferries:
Endeavor Lines: from Patras and Igoumenitsa to Brindisi.
Ventouris Ferries: from Igoumenitsa to Brindisi and Bari.
European Sealines: from Igoumenitsa to Brindisi.
Spain - Italy
From Spain to Italy you will be transported by ferry from one of two companies on this line: Grandi Navi Velociti or Grimaldi Lines. All ferries have standard types of accommodation: benches for sitting, some are equipped with airplane seats and cabins of different classes. On many routes you can travel in the cabin of your own vehicle. The cost of the ticket also depends on the class of food ordered and its quantity (1,2,3,4 meals a day). Tickets for these ferries will cost from?60 to?250.
Grandi Navi Velociti flies from Barcelona to Genoa,
Grimaldi Lines from Barcelona to Civitavecchia and Livorno, as well as from Valencia to Livorno.
Croatia - Italy
There are also many ferry companies operating passenger services between Croatia and Italy.
Venezia Lines - lines operate from April to October: routes from Venice to cities such as Mali Losinj, Pula, Porec, Rabac, Rovinj. Ticket prices range from?70 to?85, depending on the distance of the trip. Discounts are available for children over 4 years old. A child under 4 years old travels free of charge.
SNAV opens the season in June and closes in September: it departs from Split to Ancona and Pescara, from Stari Grad to Pescara. it will cost about?100.
Jadrolinija: runs to Ancona from Split, Stari Grad and Zadar, to Bari from Dubrovnik and the island of Mljet. Ferries with cabins and the possibility of transporting a vehicle. The ticket price on weekdays is from?40 on a bench to?150 in a cabin, on weekends and holidays from?50 to?180. Meals on board are available for an additional fee.
Blue Line: on the route Croatia - Italy, the ferry goes to the port of Ancona from Split and Stari Grad.
Emilia Romagna Lines: routes from the port of Rovinj to Cesenatico and Ravenna, from Zadar to Cesenatico and Pescaro, from Mali Lošinj to Cesenatico, Rimini and Pescaro.
Montenegro - Italy
Recently, only one company has a ferry from Montenegro to Italy - Montenegro Lines. When transporting tourists, two ships SVETI STEFAN and SVETI STEFAN II support the routes Bar - Bari and Bar - Ancona. The ferries offer all types of accommodation from airline seats to apartments. Cars, motorcycles and buses can be transported. Prices on the route Bar - Bari start from? 44 and end? 180 in a normal season, from? 48 to? 210 in the summer months. The cost of travel from Montenegro to Italy on the route Bar - Ancona varies from? 51 to? 205 throughout the year, except during the seasonal surge, in summer the price is from? 60 to? 230.
Italy - Ionian Islands
Ferries can take you to Italy and from the Ionian Islands. Standardly equipped ships: benches, airplane seats, cabins. Ticket prices vary slightly between different companies.
Agoudimos Lines: operates ferries to Brindisi from Corfu and Zakynthos, to Bari from Kefalonia and Corfu. Transportation of transport is possible. Children under 4 years old travel for free, from 4 to 12 for half the price. The ticket price depends on location and seasonality and ranges from?40 to?240
European Sealines: specializes in routes to Brindisi from Paxi, Corfu and Zakynthos.
Ventouris Ferries: will help you get from Corfu to Bari and Brindisi.
Endeavor Lines: maintains routes to Brindisi from Corfu and Cephalonia.
Minoan Lines and Anek Lines: take you from Corfu to Venice.
Superfast Ferries: main route from Corfu to Bari.
Ferry companies providing passenger transportation from Malta to Italy: Grandi Navi Veloci - from Valletta to Genoa and Livorno and Grimaldi Lines - from Valletta to Rome (Civitavecchia).
These same companies work on the line Tunisia - Italy. Grandi Navi Veloci: on the route from Tunisia to Genoa and Civitavecchia. Grimaldi Lines: from Tunis to Civitavecchia and Salerno.
Get there from Morocco to Italy You can take the ferry company Grandi Navi Veloci Tangier - Genoa and Grimaldi Lines Tangier - Livorno.
A convenient ferry from Italy will quickly and fairly inexpensively deliver not only tourists, but also their own cars to nearby countries, but also to the Italian islands. Among them, the most popular for travelers are Sicily, Sardinia, Capri and Elba. An important nuance is the low cost of this method of transportation. You can set sail to the islands from several places, which is very convenient for a long tour of Italy.
Genoa is a port in Italy, which is one of the most important and largest ports not only in the country, but also in Europe. Enjoy walks around this maritime city, surrounded by a real fortress wall, preserved from the 14th century: visiting the National Gallery of Liguria, visiting the Nazzario Sauro Museum converted from a real submarine, visiting the buildings of the palace at Palazzo San Giorgio and the ancient port.
Civitavecchia – “ancient city” – another port in Italy, which confirms its name with a large number of ancient buildings. For example, the ancient port building, now in ruins, was built in 106. It is definitely worth visiting Fort Michelangelo, the buildings of Rocca Castle and the Cathedral of San Francesco Assisi. Civitavecchia is the seaport of Rome and is located only 80 kilometers from the capital of Italy. From here, as from Genoa, you can go to Palermo in Sicily or Olbia in Sardinia, and maybe even Barcelona - as you wish. Ferries from Italy can take you on short excursions to the Greek islands of the Mediterranean.
Italy is a maritime power, and it is not surprising that it has such a huge number of ports. Besides Genoa and Civitavecchia, ferry to Italy from neighboring countries can take you to Savona, Livorno, Fiumicino, Naples, Ravenna, Antico, and, of course, Venice. While vacationing nearby, do not miss the opportunity to visit the major ports of Italy that you want to see.
Note:
If you like traveling on ferries, take advantage of the new opportunity to travel to the Land of the Rising Sun. A direct route connects Sakaiminato with Vladivostok, Russia.
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Who doesn't love Italy? It’s simply impossible not to love this country!
This time I was lucky enough to be in the South of Italy in the sunny city of Bari!
Pilgrims from all over the world come here to pray at the relics of St. Nicholas the Pleasant, and I am no exception! I will say right away that it is truly incredible when you are in Greece in the morning - in Halkidiki. In a moment you find yourself at Thessaloniki airport, and after 2 hours you ask for well-being for your family and friends, bowing to the relics of St. Nicholas!
But first things first)
We flew on a plane of the Greek company EllinAir, the flight took only 1 hour! At the same time, the process of arriving at the airport - receiving a boarding pass - boarding the plane takes place so quickly that you don’t even have time to understand anything! Simply great! The planes are good, the service on board is very pleasant and unobtrusive, the flight goes absolutely unnoticed. You have time to drink coffee, have a snack with fresh sandwiches - and now you are already in Italy!
Bari is a typical southern city! Sun, palm trees, restless Italians – emotions captivate you from the first minutes of your stay in this hospitable country! Literally 25 minutes later we reached the goal of our journey - the Basilica of St. Nicholas, where his myrrh-streaming relics are kept and where Orthodox people from all over the world strive! The temple consists of two parts. Catholic services are held in the upper church, and Orthodox services are held in the lower church; it is also in the lower church, in the crypt, that the relics of St. Nicholas are kept. This is the only Catholic church in the world that has an Orthodox altar! Incredible!
It is difficult to convey in words the feelings that arise in this place and excite the consciousness of every believer. All minor problems fade into the background when you realize what a blessing it is to be in this place and venerate this great shrine! Prayer, notes, veneration of the relics of St. Nicholas the Pleasant - no one is in a hurry, each believer asks for his own, for his most sacred... You don’t understand how tears well up in your eyes... from the joy of being here!
A reminder of this important event for me will be a consecrated pendant with the face of St. Nicholas, which (like the oil and myrrh) I bought in a church shop. I believe that this small, but so valuable thing will protect my soul and help in difficult moments of life.
Then there was a walk around the city center! Stunning atmosphere, narrow streets, the Cathedral, the French Quarter, emotional Italian speech around - all this cannot leave anyone indifferent!
Separately, I would like to say about our guide Sergei - he is an excellent guide who presents historical facts in an incredibly interesting way, who brings intrigue and makes the whole group languish in anticipation of the next story from the life of the Barians and Bargrad! You don’t want to leave him even for a minute, so as not to miss something interesting)
Then there was a “modest” Italian lunch. After I destroyed the delicious appetizers, as well as the traditional pasta, it turned out that this was just the beginning and the main course awaited us - the most delicate fish! And, of course, I can’t help but mention the excellent wine and refreshing lemon sorbet for dessert! Lunch was a success, so walking further became a little more difficult than on an empty stomach...
Then, after a short walk, we went to the Russian Compound - the largest Orthodox mission in Western Europe! Here everyone was able to light candles, write notes, and venerate the icons.
Then our guide gave in to the requests of the female half of our group and left us for an hour on a street with shops and delicious ice cream! So everyone found something to their liking. And everyone returned to the bus happy! Most - with some kind of purchases in memory of this wonderful day in the capital of Puglia!
What remained in my memory were vivid impressions, no less colorful photographs and... Italian sandals (it was not in vain that I spent an hour shopping!).
But after this eventful day, I really want to spend my next vacation in Italy! So, Bari, it’s quite possible that we’ll see each other again!
