Tzia is the favorite destination of sailors and yachters. The commercial port, Korissia, on the bay of Agios Nikolaos, has space for yachts and sailboats. The basic mooring for private boats is Vourkari, on the NE part of Agios Nikolaos’s bay.
Other slips: Koundouros is well protected by ‘meltemia’ (northern winds) even if it is open to the southern winds. You can moor on the NE side and the seabed offers a good grip. Pisses, on the north of Koundouros, is also protected by ‘meltemia’ and they have a sandy seabed. Karthaia (Poles) is open to the SE winds. In the middle of the bay there is an islet which is connected to the coast. Spathi is on the NE of Kea and it offers protection from ‘meltemia’. The seabed reaches 5 m. Otzias is on the north and for this reason it is ideal only when strong winds are not blowing.
SUNKEN «BRETANIC» AND «PATRIS»
At the area of Makronisos, which falls under the Municipality of Kea, there are two points that are very interesting for the divers and the researchers of shipwrecks. One is the shipwreck of the “Bretanic”, sister ship of the “Titanic”, which was one of the biggest ocean liners in its time. During World Was I it was conscripted and tranformed into a floating hospital. Sailing off the port of Korissia, it was probably hit by a mine or a submarine torpedo and sank on 21 November 1916, and wounded soldiers and crew members were drowned. The shipwreck is at a great depth (over 100m) and it has been explored by the team of Jacques Yves Cousteau in 1976.
The second shipwreck is that of the steamboat “Patris”, sunk on shallow depth –about 40m- on the reef of Koundouros, in 1868. When it was cast ashore, there was panic everywhere and, while the crew could not offer any help, the shallow depth, an auxiliary boat and the relatively good weather contributed to ensuring that there were no casualties. The shipwreck has been explored.
