Ferry operations at the ports of Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrio returned to a broadly normal schedule on Friday afternoon, August 14th, after gale-force northerly winds disrupted services earlier in the day. The weather had prompted a sailing ban at Rafina and Lavrio, while several departures from Piraeus were cancelled or operated subject to changes in their port rotation.
The sailing restrictions at Rafina and Lavrio were lifted after 04:00 p.m., allowing ferry services to resume. Additional departures were arranged to accommodate passengers travelling ahead of the August 15th holiday period, while vessels from Piraeus also resumed affected services as conditions permitted.
At Piraeus, Aikaterini P departed at 04:00 p.m. for Tinos and Mykonos, followed at 04:15 p.m. by Fast Ferries Andros on the same route. Superferry subsequently sailed for Andros at 06:00 p.m., while Andros Queen departed at 06:45 p.m. for Tinos and Mykonos and Andros King at 07:15 p.m. for Andros.
Operations also resumed from Lavrio. Superstar and Terra Jet 2 departed at 04:00 p.m., serving Andros, Tinos and Mykonos, and Tinos, Mykonos and Paros respectively. Superrunner Jet was scheduled to sail for Andros and Mykonos at 05:45 p.m., followed by Aqua Blue at 11:55 p.m. for Agios Efstratios, Limnos and Kavala. Artemis was scheduled for a 01:00 a.m. departure on August 15th for Milos.
The return of ferry operations followed a morning in which winds reached gale-force conditions across parts of the Aegean. Authorities had initially suspended departures from Rafina and Lavrio, while several Cyclades services from Piraeus were cancelled or operated under voyage plans that allowed captains to alter port sequences or omit calls depending on conditions at sea.
Although the sailing ban was lifted, maritime conditions remained unsettled. Forecasts indicated continued strong northerly winds across the Aegean, with locally severe gusts, prompting authorities and ferry operators to continue monitoring conditions.
Passengers travelling through the Attica ports were advised to confirm departure times and route details with their ferry operator, port authority or travel agent before travelling, as further changes remained possible at short notice.