Reading the Meltemi Before It Reads You
The wind has a timetable
It fills in from the north through late morning, peaks between two and six, and eases after sunset. In July and August it can run for days at a stretch; in June and September it comes in shorter sets with quiet spells between.
What the morning tells you
A hard, dry horizon and a sky scrubbed of haze usually means it will blow. Cloud caps sitting on the ridges behind the coast are the clearest sign of all: the air is being pushed down over the land and it will come off the headlands harder than the forecast suggests.
Plan the day backwards
Decide where you want to be at three o'clock, then work out when to leave. Passages that look comfortable at ten are a different proposition at four, and a bay that is calm all morning can become untenable by evening if it opens to the north.
