Wind and cancelled sailings
In summer the north wind, the meltemi, can cancel or delay ferries. The National Observatory of Athens counted 18 strong-meltemi days in June 2026, 15 in July and 23 in August, using gusts of 50 km/h or more at its station on Tinos.
There is no single wind strength that stops every boat. Port authorities apply limits by ship size and type, so a large ferry may sail while a smaller ship or a fast boat stays in port.
Example: during the sailing ban of 2 October 2026, Blue Star Ferries cancelled the Blue Star Paros sailings that call at Tinos on the way between Piraeus and Mykonos, and asked passengers to change tickets through the agency that sold them.
Our advice: leave a spare day before a flight home, and keep your booking agency's contact details to hand.
Sources
- National Observatory of Athens / meteo.gr: Meltemi summer 2026 (in Greek), 3 September 2026 (accessed 8 October 2026)
- e-nautilia: Why some ships sail at 7 or 8 Beaufort while others stay tied up (in Greek), 3 October 2026 (accessed 8 October 2026)
- Blue Star Ferries: Itinerary modifications due to bad weather conditions, 30/09–01/10/2026 (last update 05/10/2026) (accessed 8 October 2026)