“Rion Bridge, Rion Bridge, this is the sailing vessel Sea Rose, over!”
“Sea Rose, go ahead.”
“Yes, Rion Bridge, we are a 13 meter sailing vessel with a height of 19 meters, approaching the bridge heading East. We request permission to pass.”
“Sea Rose, you are clear to transit the bridge. You must use the north channel. Call again when you are one mile away.”
Our VHF radio conversation with the Rion Bridge Traffic Control office marks the early morning start to our passage into the Gulf of Corinth. This short cut to the Saronic Gulf and Aegean Sea – the ‘real’ Greece if you believe the travel brochures – was very intentional. There was no way we could round the big bulge south of us comprised of the Peloponnese peninsula without a serious hit to our time line. Karen and I were eager to see the eastern portion of Greece and re-discover the Cyclades Islands that we so fondly remembered from our honeymoon. And a sailing trip through Greece wouldn’t be complete without exploring these classic blue and white washed islands.
Continue reading “Backwards Is the New Forwards, Ep. 120”