Solar sailing

Solar sails have been long-discussed as a way to propel spacecraft.  The sails exploit the fact that solar wind exerts pressure on a mirrored surface.   This can be used for propulsion in a way that is akin to sails used by sailboats.

LightSail® is a solar sail project from the Planetary Society that has championed solar sailing for decades. The Society’s LightSail-2 spacecraft, launched 25 June 2019, is the first spacecraft in Earth’s orbit propelled solely by sunlight. On 31 July 2019, the LightSail-2’s orbit was raised, showing that solar sailing is a viable means of propulsion for CubeSats—small, standardised spacecraft that are part of a global effort to lower the cost of space exploration.

 The image above shows LightSail-2's sail after its deployment.

The last two races of 2019

Porto Rafti’s nautical club Ν.Α.Σ.Π.Ο.Ρ organizes several sailboat races during the summer every year with the last two crossing to the second largest of the Greek Islands, Eboia (Εὔβοια,) or Evia.  Eboea derives its name from the words εὖ "good", and βοῦς "ox", meaning "the land of the well-fed oxen.  An interesting vignette is that the philosopher Aristotle died on the island of Eboea in 322 BC. 

The race on September 29, 2019 was to the coastal town of Karystos in the south coast of Evia. In antiquity Karystos’ name was Chaeronea and was famous for its wealth.

The medieval Castello Roso overlooks Karystos.  The impressive Venetian castle was built in the 13^th century, and is offering a panoramic view of the town.  

The overall winner of the race to Karystos was the legendary Okyrhoe.  In the picture we see the boat maneuvering near the starting line with my brother Nikos at the helm. 

The last race was to little port of Marmari in the southeast coast of Evia.  The boats are jockeying at the starting line.  

In this picture we see the southwest coast of Evia and the nearby Petali islets.  These two races concluded the 2019 season.  It is time for the boats and the sailors to rest and prepare for the 2020 season.  I wish you all a good winter, stay healthy and get ready for 2020! 

Last Sail in 2018

My brother Nikos, steering Okyrhoe, to her winter berth.  They are near Patroclus islet and not far from cape Sounion.

Closing towards cape Sounion with a storm looming in the east. 

The sun lights a rock of the precipice at Sounion at sunset. Cape Sounion is surrounded on three sides by the sea and is where king Aegeas waited for his son Theseus return from Crete. 

Cape Sounion which the Venetians called Capo Colonne is noted for its temple of Poseidon, one of the major monuments of the Golden Age of Greece. 

Cape Sounion is close to the city of Lavrio, which in antiquity was called Thorikon.  It was known for its silver mines the proceeds from which supported the rise of Athens to the most important city in Classical Greece.

Ionian Sea and its mythology

According to Ancient Greek writers, especially Aeschylus, the name Ionian is linked it to the myth of Io (Greek: Ιω). In Ancient Greek the adjective Ionios (Ἰόνιος) was used for the sea because legend has it that Io swam or flew across it. 

 In most versions of the legend, Io was the daughter of Inachus, the king of Argos and a priestess of the Hera. It was in the Argean planes that Zeus noticed Io, a mortal woman, and lusted after her.  

Although Io initially rejected Zeus' advances eventually relented, and according to some stories, Zeus turned her into a heifer in order to hide her from his wife. Zeus deception failed, as Hera begged Zeus to give her the heifer as a present, which, having no reason to refuse, he did.  

Hera then sent Argus who had 100 eyes, to watch Io and prevent Zeus from visiting her, but Zeus sent Hermes to distract Argus. According to Ovid, he did so by first lulling him to sleep by playing the panpipes and telling stories.  Zeus then freed Io, still in the form of a heifer.

In order to exact her revenge, Hera sent a gadfly to sting Io continuously, driving her to wander the world without rest. Io eventually crossed the path between the Propontis and the Black Sea, which thus acquired the name Bosporus (meaning ox passage), where she met Prometheus, who had been chained on Mount Caucasus by Zeus. Prometheus comforted Io with the information that she would be restored to human and become the progenitor of the greatest of all heroes, Heracles (Hercules).  Io escaped across the Ionian Sea to Egypt where Zeus restored her to human again. 

I presume Io selected the Ionian Sea for her escape because the prevailing winds are usually light.  This was not our experience as for a large part of our crossing the winds were strong thus we kept our jib and main reefed.  In the picture after a four-day and nights sail we are getting closer to the west coast of Greece, our homeland.