Corinth Canal

We had been given the Imray chart G13 Gulfs of Patras and Corinth by my brother, Oliver, and sister-in-law, Sinead, for Christmas. In their card Oliver commented that it’s a lot easier now for boats to traverse the isthmus than it was when it had to be done by portage, dragging the boats along a paved road (the dhiolkos) as in ancient times. He’s not wrong!

Though various Greek and Roman rulers worked out schemes for a canal, Emperor Nero was the first to start digging. Using Jewish slave labour (and starting it off in best style with a silver shovel) his project didn’t reach the bedrock before resources had to be diverted to quell a Gaulish insurrection. The current canal was completed in 1893, having been started by the French and finished by the Greeks, though it underwent enlargement as part of damage reparation following WWII.

When we had met our friend Neil in Corfu earlier in the month, he had asked to join us on our passage through the canal if the timings worked out conveniently. Though he and his engineer, Simon, needed to work in the late afternoon of Friday 22 August, we hoped that by making an early start we would be able to get through the canal in good time for them. The pilot books suggest that yachts may have to wait up to 3 hours for clearance to transit and that yachts normally get tagged on in convoy behind large commercial ships. We had telephoned the canal authorities when we arrived in Korinthos and were told that they didn’t know what traffic to expect on the Friday; we should just call up on the VHF radio on the day when we were ready to transit.

Luna

Co-incidentally, the Danish couple in yacht Luna, whom we had met briefly in Mesalonghion, had arrived at Korinthos on the Thursday evening and at 0700 they slipped their lines and headed for the canal’s western entrance. We waved them goodbye and said that we would be following shortly. They laughed and said that we might end up going through together. Having not been through the canal before, we rather doubted that, as Neil and Simon were not due to arrive from Athens until 0745. We listened to Luna call the canal authorities, pass their details and then wait……..and wait……and wait…… At 0740 the canal authorities told Luna that they would be given clearance to transit at 0800. At 0745 on the dot we saw Neil and Simon walking around the marina breakwater so we got the engine going and all the lines bar one on board. There were brief [Ed, very brief!] introductions before we all bundled on board and motored at great speed towards the entrance to the canal, with Nicky speaking to the canal authorities on the radio as we went.

Luna leading the way

No sooner had we arrived at the canal entrance than Luna was given clearance to enter, followed by us. We felt like VIPs!

At each end of the canal is a hydraulically operated roadbridge which lowers into the canal to allow shipping to pass. We were on top of the bridge when we heard the hydraulic system CLUNK into action to raise the bridge back up. The noise gave Nicky, who was steering, quite a scare.

The ground around the western end of the canal is quite low-lying but it quickly increases in height. You can clearly see regularly spaced holes in the canal walls which were either footholds or took scaffolding during the construction process.

In places the canal is wider than the normal 25m (approx, feels much less) and we wondered if these had been passing places.

In other areas there are rockfalls and shallows. The canal is normally closed 0600-1800 on Tuesdays for dredging and repair work and it was easy to see why this is necessary.

Nominally the canal is 3.2nm long and 25m wide. The maximum permitted draught for a transiting vessel is 6.5m and the limestone from which the canal is cut rises to 79m, though the maximum air draught for transiting vessels is limited to 52m because of the road and rail bridges towards the Aegean end.

Our transit was over surprisingly quickly (around 30mins). When we had passed over the roadbridge at the Aegean end we moored up on the canal authorities’ quay and Nicky went in to pay the passage fee. Apparently, it is one of the most expensive canals per mile in the world and, as a 12.8m yacht, we were charged €206. However, there are some things that must be done once and, if we time it right, a passage around the Peloponnisos when we go back, which we have been told is a lovely cruising area, will help to pacify the Financial Manager [Ed: too right!].

We waved goodbye to Neil and Simon (to go and collect cars and have breakfast) and, having arranged to meet up with them in Athens in a few days’ time, we pottered off into the Aegean and towards Epidhavros, in search of yet another ancient Greek theatre.

Korínthos