Yacht moorings in the port of Vathi

Port Vathi is located in the middle of the north-east coast of the island  in Vathi Bay, which is part of a large gulf Aetou.

Shelter in the harbor is relatively good with prevailing westerly and north-westerly winds, but daytime breezes can make mooring very uncomfortable, especially on the south waterfront.

There are several mooring places for yachts at the harbor piers.

1 - Main yacht pier

The main promenade to which yachts are moored stretches along the south-west side of the harbor between the short ferry pier at the north end and the fishing boat piers at the south end of the waterfront. The mooring area for yachts is clearly marked with yellow paint along the edge of the waterfront and lots of yellow pillars.

About 20 yachts can be moored here with their stern or bow to the quay at their anchor. Depths on the waterfront range from 4.0 meters on the north end to 3.5 meters on the south end.  Holding is good in soft mud and seaweed, but it may take a few tries before the anchor fixed well. The shelter on the waterfront is good in prevailing north-west winds, but it can be uncomfortable here in high winds. The ferry pier are used by excursion boats during the day, but can be used by yachts that arrive in the evening.

2 - Customs pier

The customs pier is a short pier opposite the customs office and harbor master's office, located 200 meters south-east of the main yacht pier.

About 8 boats can be moored on the north side of the pier at their own anchor. One yacht can be moored alongside the east side of the pier. The depths are more than 2 meters, except inner corner, which has rubble near the pier. Shelter here is worse than on the main yacht quay, especially in strong northerly winds.

3 - South-east pier

The south-east pier is part of the south-east waterfront. The mooring place for yachts is at the anchor on the pedestal.

Here 8-10 yachts can be moored stern or bow to the pier in calm weather. Depths are 2.25 - 2.5 meters. Shelter here is weak with strong north-west winds and daytime breezes.

4 - North-east pier

This pier is located in the north-east corner of the harbor, 1.5 km from the city near the fuel pier. There are two sections of this pier. The outer section, which faces the deeper water, with large rubber fenders and a depth of 5.5 - 6.5 m along it, and the inner section with a few private mooring lines and a depth of 2.25 - 2.75 m. On the outer part about 8-10 yachts can be moored at their own anchors, down it on 10-12 meters, or stand alongside the pier at the same depths.

The shelter here is good from the prevailing winds, but strong southerly winds can cause problems. The inside has space for 6-8 yachts, but some of the spaces are occupied by private moorings. Depths at the pier are 2.25m at the east end and increase to 2.75m at the west end, however, depths may be shallower in some areas due to siltation. Although these inner jetties offer the best shelter in the harbor, you should not moor here if your boat is about 2.0 m draft or waves are expected.