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Port of Kalamata (Greece) - Port Information (ID: 35494)
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KALAMATA.htm Kalamata Greece Greece Kalamata Port Information Selections Port Map Geographic Location Harbor as Haven Currents and Tides Visibility Hazardous Conditions Spring Summer Autumn Winter Protective or Mitigating Measures Moving to a new Anchorage Sortie or Remain in Port Scheduling Harbor Protection Local Hazardous Weather Conditions Wind Chill Table Heat Index Table Return To Ports List Untitled Document Geographic Location Geographic Location Coordinates: 37deg/01min N 22deg/07min E The Port is situated near the northeastern corner of the Gulf of Messeniawhich opens to the south. Entrance to the Gulf is made between Cape Tainaron on the east and Cape Akritas is about 34 n mi to the northwest. The Port is approximately 40 n mi north-northwest of Cape Tainaron and20 n mi north-northeast of Cape Akritas. The Gulf waters are deep and free from dangers in the fairway. The coastal area to the north of the Gulf ispart of a low-lying plain. Mountain ranges rim the east and west shores, with maximum elevations near 7900 ft on the east and 3145 ft to the west. The Port of Kalamata is a small coastal harbor formed by a 3600 ft long breakwater on the south which parallels the coast, and one of 1300 ft to the east that extends seaward from the coast. Entrance is made from the east between the ends of the two breakwaters. Entrance width is 591 ft with a controlling depth of 30 ft. The channel into the inner harbor is narrow. Silting does occur, limiting harbor access to shallow draft vessels. Limited berthing is available with length and depth limits of 660 ft and 30 ft. The Port facilities are located on the shore side of the harbor. The Port has no berthing for large ships. The fleet landing is generally established on the wharf in the western portion of the inner harbor but is movable depending on traffic. The wharf in the western portion of the inner harbor is high above the water's edge and may present difficulty for small boats. The best anchorage is located about 880 yds to the southeast of the harbor entrance in about 120 ft of water. The holding quality is fair to good. The anchorage is protected from southeasterly winds but anchor dragging, towards deeper water, may occur during strong northerly winds. Holding in the area south of the major breakwater has been reported as poor. Harbor as Haven Harbor as Haven The harbor provides good protection from all wind and waves but entrance or departure during strong winds is not recommended. There were no reported cases of required sortie, due to weather, mentioned during the Port visit or noted in references. The recommended anchorage is to the southeast of the harbor entrance. The anchorage areas are exposed to southerly winds and waves. Wave reflection off the breakwater makes for confused choppy wave conditions in the anchorage area south of the breakwater. During strong northerly winds anchor dragging may occur throughout the anchorage areas due to thesoft mud bottom. Note that anchor dragging will be towards deeper water which may further decrease holding. Currents and Tides Currents and Tides Tides are limited to 1 to 2 ft during southerly winds and even less during northerly flow. Currents are negligible. Visibility Visibility Visibility is normally good. Light-to-moderate haze is generally present during the summer. On a few occasions fog will restrict winter visibilities to about one n mi. Hazardous Conditions: Spring Hazardous Conditions: Spring The spring transition is prolonged with alternating periods of winter- and summer-like conditions. Migratory winter-like cyclones can be experienced well into May. The regional prevailing winds during non-stormperiods remain northerly. Locally, the Gulf tends to be very calm in the morning and late evening with a moderate sea breeze of 7 to 16 kt developing between noon and 1800 local time. The frequency, intensity, and extent of Sirocco conditions are at a maximum during spring. Siroccos tend to develop slowly over a day or two, but they may persist for several days. Over Greece, Siroccos generally bring cloudy conditions and light rain mixed with dust (RedRains). At the Port winds of 22 to 33 kt and waves of 4 to 7 ft are typical for Sirocco events. Hazardous Conditions: Summer Hazardous Conditions: Summer Typical Mediterranean climate conditions, nearly cloud and precipitation free with mild temperatures (daily highs in upper 80's, nightly lows in mid 60's), dominate. There are no truly hazardous weather conditions during summer. The prevailing regional winds remain northerly in responseto the development of the thermal low over southwestern Asia with relatively high pressure over the Mediterranean. A low pressure trough extends westward, from the thermal low, along the southern coast of Turkey. Except during periods of enhanced northerly flow, discussed in the following paragraph, the Gulf tends to be very calm in the morning and early evening with a moderate sea breeze of 7 to 16 kt developing between noon and 1800 local time. The intensity and position of the thermal trough determines the regional wind/weather conditions. Enhanced northerly flow of 17 to 27 kt develops over the local area when the thermal trough is most intense and/or shifted to its western most position off southwest Turkey. These events are called Meltemi in Greece and are part of the regional Etesian wind pattern which influences the Aegean Sea, Balkan Peninsula, and Asia Minorduring summer. The Etesian is, in turn, a regional aspect of the continental scale monsoonal flow of Asia. Etesian events, and therefore Meltemi events, tend to persist for several days. During these events thesoutherly local sea breeze along southward-facing coasts will counter thenortherly gradient flow resulting in decreased wind speeds during the afternoon. While no local indicators were identified during the 1990 Port visit to Kalamata, the tendency for an increase in clouds the day before and firstday of Etesian events, is a well-known fact by Aegean Sea fishermen. Thunderstorm activity tends to occur over Greece on the day before and the first day of an Etesian during May-June and September-October periods. During July and August the clouds are typically limited to scattered altocumulus on the day preceding the Etesian. Hazardous Conditions: Autumn Hazardous Conditions: Autumn The most hazardous aspect of weather in autumn, as elsewhere in the Mediterranean, is the rapidity with which the winter-type pattern is established. On average, over the northern Mediterranean, the winter pattern isestablished around the end of the third week of October. While the first storms are not likely to be as intense as some later in thewinter, the marked change from the summer Mediterranean weather can catchpeople unaware and unprepared. A migratory cyclone approaching from the west is the most likely earlyseason event. Conditions for migratory lows are addressed in the wintersection. Hazardous Conditions: Winter Hazardous Conditions: Winter The prevailing winds of the region are northerly. During Bora events the local winds may reach 41 to 47 kt, but the Port is protected by the terrain to the north. During strong Bora events early morning temperatures may be near zero with only limited warming during the day. Freezing temperatures have been recorded from mid-November throughmid-April. The coldest months are January and February when average minimums are about 43 deg F, and absolute minimums of 23 deg F and 16 degF have been recorded. Wind chill factors will approach 0 deg F during strong cold air outbreaks (Boras) in December through March. Snow and hoar frost have also been experienced during those months. The worst conditions at the Port occur when migratory cyclones approach from the west, resulting in southerly flow over the region. Winds frequently reach 34 to 47 kt and waves 7 to 10 ft at the preferred anchorage southeast of the harbor entrance, increasing to 10-13 ft over fully exposed areas of the bay. Southerly winds of 48-55 kt have been recorded. While the harbor is protected, the anchorages are fully exposed. A second cause of southerly winds are Sciroccos that approach from the south or southwest after forming over North Africa. Due to the dust carried by these systems 'Red Rain' may be experienced. Sciroccos tend topersist for several days with intensity and duration increasing from latewinter into early spring. Occasional thunderstorms are experienced with passing frontal systems which are generally associated with migratory lows. Restrictions to visibility are limited to precipitation and low cloud effects. Protective/Mitigating Measures: Moving to a New Anchorage Protective/Mitigating Measures: Moving to a New Anchorage During strong northerly winds the harbor area provides as good protectionas other regional locations. Under strong southerly flow better protection can be found in a number of regional locations including Kerkira (Corfu) harbor and anchorage, and the anchorage northeast of Kithira Island. Protective/Mitigating Measures: Sortie/Remain in Port Protective/Mitigating Measures: Sortie/Remain in Port During the Port visit, no indication was given of past conditions that had required vessels to sortie. The Port directory states that although the harbor affords good shelter year-around, entrance or departure in badweather is not recommended, especially if there is significant wind. Protective/Mitigating Measures: Scheduling Protective/Mitigating Measures: Scheduling During the summer the southerly sea breeze may cancel out or at least locally decrease the regional northerly gradient winds. Lightest day-timewind conditions will then occur during the afternoon. More typically, light winds and near calm seas occur during early morning. The wind shift from prevailing northerly flow to easterly and then southeasterly, as migratory cyclones approach, can be quite rapid. The area protection by terrain is lost when the wind shifts to southeast, resulting in rapid deterioration of conditions over the entire Bay.Scheduling of wind- and wave-sensitive events such as entry/departure of the harbor should be accelerated when southerly wind conditions are anticipated. The most protected and fastest run from the harbor to anchored vessels isto/from southeast of the harbor entrance. While small boat operations outside the harbor are likely to be curtailed during gale force or stronger winds, the runs to/from the southeast will be the least affected. Under southerly winds, wave reflection off the south-facing breakwater will cause additional hazards to small boats during runs and alongside operations. When winter Bora conditions develop cold-weather procedures should be followed. Harbor Protection Harbor Protection To some degree the harbor and anchorage are protected from the prevailingnortherly winds by the terrain of the Island. The harbor, defined by a long east-west breakwater and a shorter north-south one on its eastern end, provides protection from all high-wave conditions. Entrance is made from the east between the ends of the two breakwaters. The entrance and channel to the inner harbor are both narrow and are aligned east-west. Entrance and departure in bad weather is not recommended, especially if there is significant wind. During strong wind events the wind direction is generally either northerly or southerly, both resulting in cross-wind conditions for entry or departure of the harbor. The anchorages are exposed to southerly wind and waves. The preferred anchorage area, located southeast of the harbor entrance, provides the best protection from wind and waves regardless of direction and also the shortest run to the harbor. Under strong winds anchor dragging may occur in areas south and west of the harbor. Wind and Weather The weather of the region is generally good. Northerly winds prevailexcept under the warm season afternoon southerly sea breeze regime. Winter migratory cyclones bring occasional periods of strong southerlywind and waves with low overcast and light rain/drizzle. Also duringwinter, Boras result in strong northerly winds and cold temperatures. Wind chill factors near 0 deg F occur from December through March. During late winter and early spring Siroccos, moving out of North Africa, can result in gale force southerly winds, moderate wave/swell, widespreadlow clouds and light rain/drizzle. The strongest summer Etesian events, on occasion, bring storm forcenortherly winds to the area. During all strong wind events, but particularly during northerly flow,squally gusty conditions are likely over costal waters of the Bay due to thesurrounding steep terrain. The coastal waters west of the headland of CapeTainaron has been noted as an area of intense squalls during strongnortherly wind events. Waves and Swell Only during the periods of strong southerly winds do any significantwaves/swell reach the local area. During the approach and passage of themost intense eastward moving cyclones swell of 10 to 13 ft will beexperienced. Reflection off the south-facing breakwater can compound thewave hazards for small boat operations. The squally nature of near-shoreconditions may result in local winds being out of phase with deep watergenerated waves\swell. Most of the time the Bay is very calm, particularlyduring the early morning periods. Local Hazardous Weather Conditions Local Hazardous Weather Conditions No local indicators were noted during the Port visit of 1990. Reiter reported that increasing cloudiness over the Balkan Peninsula and Aegean Sea on the day preceding the establishment of an Etesian wind event was a well-known fact by local fishermen. During the periods of May-June and September-October, thunderstorms andlightning frequently occur on the day preceding the outbreak of the Etesianas well as on the first day of the Etesian. During July and August, when the most stable atmospheric conditions existover the Mediterranean, altocumulus are typically noted on the day precedingthe onset of the Etesian. Another regional indicator is a deck of altocumulus approaching from thesouthwest in advance of a Scirocco. The occurrence of southerly swell over the Bay, while local winds remainnortherly or have shifted to easterly, is a strong indicator of anapproaching southerly wind event. The Port is situated near the northeastern corner of the Gulf of Messenia which opens to the south. Entrance to the Gulf is made between Cape Tainaron Port of Kalamata (Greece) - Port Information