Khalkis. A very famous, very narrow swing bridge, a 9 knot current and a late night traverse....

Alongside on the northern side of the bridge.
That is it between the palm tree and the boat.

This is the only place in the Mediterranean where there is a tide. It is less than half a meter but enough to create a current through the 35 meter gap between Evia Island and the Mainland so strong that at its zenith Kayakers run it as if shooting rapids.

A swing bridge spans the 35 meters and the whole deal of traversing this gap gets very interesting.

It only happens at night so as not to disrupt heavy traffic and it can happen any time between 9:30pm and 3:00am depending on slack tide.


A moment so difficult to predict that Archimedes himself was said to have thrown himself into the current out of sheer frustration at not being able to work it out.

Port Police... At the end on the right!
You can just see Sally standing outside

If, like us you are heading south, you are to tie up alongside a red pained wharf set aside for the purpose. If there are too many yachts, you'd simply need to raft up next to each other.

Just getting alongside was a strange experience. The boat just would not do what I was telling it to until I realised it was the unseen current that was moving in the opposite direction to the wind.

Once tied on you are to visit the Port Police and pay for the bridge crossing. They are not easy to find, in a totally unmarked building up a back street...The crossing cost us 56 Euro.

You are to maintain a radio watch from 9:30pm onward. You will be called by boat name and told when to move.

Kayakers shooting the currents

Khalkis is a bustling town but a surprisingly enjoyable place to be. Other than the bridge it is hard to understand why it is even there at all? We stayed one night to explore before checking in with the Police. There was plenty for the kids to get up to.. Carnies along the wharf.

Morning tide!

By 9:30pm the following evening we were ready for the call. Only the lines to release and we'd be away. We took the chance to feed the kids at a local hamburger joint thinking it would be quick. I took the hand held radio along with us but started getting a little edgy as it ticked past 10:30pm. We finally got out of there and literally as we set foot on the boat the call came.

We were first away, out into almost flat water and headed for the gap. The bridge which had now opened, all we could hear on the radio was the port police trying to tell a large boat on the south side to wait his turn and get out of the way!

We could see it sitting right in the middle of the seaway south of the bridge making no attempt to move.

Now committed we kept going but instead of moving this guy just decided to head north through this very narrow gap!

We crossed right in the middle with very little to spare as the Port Police's tirade became more and more hysterical...We made it, moored alongside on the very well lit south side with no dramas. All in all and entertaining experience.

The morning revealed a wild current coming south with fishermen riding the eddies and fishing the fast water like they would have done for centuries.

We waited for the current to subside somewhat before heading out into it. Not easy as it tried to force us back against the quay.

Using the motors and one line still attached we got away from the wall, released and rode the current toward the new bridge that handles the larger traffic heading to and from parts other than Khalkis.

Two stops to go and our journey for 2015 ends.