December/January Advice

Hello! I am planning my third visit for early January for Christmas and am wondering about some logistics.

Is it safer to plan for Ouranoupolis to Dafni rather than Ierissos to Vatopedi via speedboat due to sea conditions? For the same reason, is it wise to plan to return from Athos two days before return flight from Thessaloniki rather than the day before? I want to maximize my time but also don’t want to risk missing my flight if the sea may be too bad for the ferry (I will be leaving from Dafni).

Do the same mini buses run on the mountain in the winter as they do in the fall?