We continue sailing East. Our next move was to transit the Corinthian Canal to finally arrive in the Aegean. The Corinthian canal is a "short cut.�

We aligned ourselves in position at the front of the canal. We radioed the appropriate frequency, and they told us we would be entering in "an hour.� The canal is 3.2 miles long, 81 feet wide, and the limestone from which it is cut rises to 250 feet above sea level at its highest point. It is one-way at a time, so you have to patiently wait your turn. Two and a half hours later, our direction finally came up. Protocol stated the "little boats� follow the freighters. Then you just situate yourself behind another yacht and make like a parade (single file). Fortunately, everyone's boat etiquette was superb.

The transit took about an hour. It was impressive going between the limestone walls, and it really did seem much narrower than 81 feet. There is no way this canal could be a bi-directional passage. We paid our fees on the Aegean side --- Ouch, this maybe the most expensive canal transit per mile anywhere! Worth it though, allowing us to make a loop through Greece that our time constraints would other wise not permit.

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