First night sail! Sailing from dusk till nightfall

It was a warm Spring day in Athens and we were excited to don our full gear and head out for our night sailing lesson with Nautical Club of Palaio Faliron instructor Lazaros on the Argosaronic Sea, south of the Greek capital.
The lesson actually started in the late afternoon, so we not only learned some of the basics of what is involved in a night sail, and how it differentiates from day sailing, but also enjoyed a sunset at sea with our fellow newbie sailors.
Fortunate to be blessed with a healthy breeze and only slightly choppy seas – about Beaufort 4 to 5 – for most of the five-hour sail, we trimmed the mainsail and Genoa, took turns at the helm and tacked.
Lazaros, a gifted teacher whose method of explaining the science of sailing makes it incredibly easy for us to understand, pointed out the lighthouse at Piraeus port, a significant marker for night-time navigation. We put into practice our knowledge of the significance of various lights seen on sailing and motor-powered vessels, including the tankers that ply the Saronic to and from the port.
Returning to base, at Flisvos Marina, we had our first taste of mooring Mediterranean-style at night, maneuvering the stern to the quay, adjusting the fenders to avoid rubbing the adjacent vessel, picking up the mooring buoy and fastening the main mooring line through the cleats on the aft.

Videography and editing by Carlo Raciti

Music: You Like It – Vibe Tracks

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