Leaving our winter base to sail into the raw coastlines of the Peloponnese.
There is always a strange feeling when leaving a place you slowly started calling home.
Leaving The Known
After months between Preveza, Lefkada, Kefalonia, Ithaka and the islands of the Ionian Sea, it was finally time to untie the lines and head south-east. Beyond the familiar green islands, beyond the protected waters we had learned to understand during winter. The same waters where VAGO has been trapped for the past 18 years.
This time, the destination felt different. The Peloponnese had been in our minds all winter long — a place sailors describe as more rugged, more exposed, more authentic. Less forgiving maybe?
Spending the last months in Greece and taking the time to get to know the boat in such a rainy and stormy winter was the best decision we could make. After spending a month in the marina and taking care of VAGO, we finally felt ready to leave without a real plan. Not just geographically. Mentally too.
From Preveza to Poros in 17 days
When leaving the Ionian Sea we changed rhythm. We stopped in few strategic places and kept going whenever the wind allowed and learning that the Peloponnese is less forgiving than the Ionian.
As soon as we left familiar waters behind, we could already feel the difference in the sea state and in the wind patterns. Spring was arriving, but the weather still had winter moods hiding between sunny days.
To get a quicker and more visual idea of what we learned and how it was for us to sail here, check our video :
Compared to the Ionian islands, the Peloponnese already feels wilder: the coastline is rockier, more dramatic, less polished.
Villages seem quieter, more local, more connected to fishing and everyday Greek life than tourism.
This is exactly what we were looking for. Not the Greece of charters, beach clubs and crowded bays — but a slower, more authentic side of the country.
A place where you can still arrive somewhere and feel slightly out of place in the best possible way.
In our next Salty Chronicle, we’ll share more about life in the marina, the refit process, and the upgrades that will shape our next miles at sea.
Read more about how we moved our lives to VAGO in this Blog Article. More about who we are as human beings here The Crew aboard Project-VAGO.