Seasons changing and disaster strikes !!!

Despite the fact that we were still enjoying beautiful weather Susan and I had detected a definite changing of the weather. Nights were cooler, not cold, but we would now have a sheet over us as opposed to nothing at all. Mornings were not hot initially, it would take longer for the sun to really warm things up. We were weather watching as usual and saw some big southerlies predicted on Poseidon and meteo.gr. We were in Vliho to go the the Paliokatouna Palladium with Dave n Sue and Pete n Lyn ( and Pups the dog-well, more like a wolf really ). We dinghied ashore and walked up into the hills for a night of hilarity then 30 minutes walk back down again. Next day we visited the famous Vliho Yacht Club then visited John and Aiveen on Cool Runnings. They told us they had decided to put the boat up for sale. Their Peleponesse experiences had literally 'knocked the wind out of their sails' when they had to be rescued by the coastguards after their engine died in a F7. What a shame things hadn't worked out for them. With the big southerlies due soon we decided that Vliho was not the place to stay and picked Ormos Kapali on the north of Meganissi to hole up. It's north facing so hopefully the wind would over the top of us. We picked our spot, dropped 40 metres of chain on the bow anchor, then took two long lines ashore and tied them to trees. There was a Moody next to us but when the couple came back from shopping, I think, on seeing us, decided to move. " Lets go back to Vliho" I heard the lady say, so the lifted their anchor, slipped the long lines and left. We had a fantastic swim that afternoon and used our newly acquired suction grip on the side of the boat so I could hang on with one hand and clean below the water with the other. That evening the wind started to build so we decided to put a kedge anchor out. This is a secondary anchor that we put out at right angles to our port side and attached it to our bow cleat. This was to stop and wind whipping around the small headland on our port side pushing the port bow and putting the bow anchor under pressure. That night we went to bed at 10pm but were up at 01.15am. The lightening show was incredible, so bright that Susan had her sunglasses on. The thunder was deafening, The rain was hammering down and the wind was well cranked up, from the south, then north, then west, then south, yes it was like a vortex. An italian boat that was free swinging on anchor was pirouetting in the bay. We went back to bed at 4am. By 0800am things had calmed down a little but the rain was still chucking down. We spent the day reading, playing scrabble and dozing. We were sure it wasn't over yet. In the afternoon the wind started building again, swirling from all directions again.By late afternoon it was F6/F7 and the sea outside the bay was lively. A catamaran came up the bay frantically looking for shelter. They dropped two anchors but could not get them to bite into the seabed and ended up giving up and left. We noticed an increase in the water level in the bay and the barometer had dropped six points, sign of big winds. So we waited. But the really big winds didn't arrive. It blew to about 25kns and the thunder and lightening returned as it got dark with the reain still giving it what for, but we held fine. Morning came, and with it calm in the bay. We were going to go to Sivoat for another minor job to be done but wondered if it would be full of boats sheltering. The alternative was to pop into Vliho. I rang Simon in Sivota and asked him what the situation was. "Don't go into Vliho mate, its chaos. They got hit with a tornado last night, its carnage. At least one dead and dozens of boats wrecked". This hit us like a thunderbolt, we had friends in there, Cool Runnings, Huit Huit, Lillybelle and probably others. We got sorted and set off for Sivota feeling stunned by the news. En route a text from Rampage came through. HEARD OF STORM IN VLIHO, R U OK .  Blimey, the news had got to the Aegean already. We text back that we were fine and arrived at Sivota by midday. We rang John of Cool Runnings. " Are you OK mate". "What do you think" he replied " it got us good and proper ". What a kick in the teeth, they had just put the boat up for sale and it had been damaged in the storm, but at least they were OK, physically anyway. Their nerves must be in shreds. We were told that a video of the night was already on Youtube, it made very sombre viewing. http://mylefkada.gr/eidhseis/nea/6435-vlyxo.html
That evening we met Maggie n Bruce ( razzle Dazzle ). They had been in Vliho. Their boat had been knocked flat in the water and the main sail literally ripped off it. Maggie was nursing a badly bruised arm, shoulder and ribs. We went to Yannas for dinner and drank copious amounts of wine, then ouzo. What a good call the move to Meganissi was !!

Back home in the Ionian islands

One night in Zackynthos was all we planned and one was enough. We moved north to Big Vathi on Ithica for three nights. One night at anchor in Ormos Aetou outside of Vathi then two nights on anchor in the harbour itself. After dropping the anchor and settling in we promptly got asked by a messenger of the port police ( they haven't got a boat or cannot afford to run one so they send messages with locals in RIBs ) to move further up the harbour as a big ship was coming in. We obliged begrudgingly, bloody nerve !! Later that afternoon a huge and very beautiful sailing yacht morred stern to onto the fuel pontoon. Very unusual, we never seen that before. It was Spanish flagged and had lots of uniformed crew. It drew a lot of attention and a small crowd formed at the fuel berth, but were kept at a distance by men in plain clothes. We formed the opinion that it was the King of Spain. He is married to a greek lady and is fond of sailing apparently, and an old fella from the yacht went past us very sedately on his SeaDo with an old bird on the back and Susan says it looked like him. So thats it, it was the King of Spain and his woman. After that excitement we had to leave, we couldn't take any more. We headed for Sivota ( again ) and the delights of Yannas restaurant. We needed the fuel injectors testing as they were seeping fuel and the gasket on the sender unit in the fuel tank was also seeping after being replaced following the fuel filtering escapade. The injectors were sent to Levkas for testing and found to be fine so they were put back in. No diesel leaking...hurrah !! The gasket however was still seeping slightly so a new one was ordered. So now we felt like we were back home in the ionian islands after our trip to the gulf and peleponesse, so we just cruised and pottered and bay hopped. Dave n Sue of Scath came back out from old blighty and we joined up again. Beach BBQs, swimming, snorkelling, just chilling out !!.
Brian, me old mucker from work, and his beloved, Rachel joined us in early September. We got on the Neilson pontoon in Nidri to prepare for their arrival. They had booked an apartment on Nidri waterfront ( where Gordon n Pat stayed ). The first night they stayed in it and appeared the next morning for brekky covered in red lumps where the mossies had enjoyed a blood letting during the night. Oh dear, they'd left the windows open during the night and the mossies had accepted the invite. Anyway, that didn't spoil things, we had a cracking week with them on board. The weather was ace and we took them around some of our fave places. Sivota ( again ), Kalamos,  Abelike Bay, Spartachori then back to Vliho. We hope they enjoyed it, I'm sure they did.

Back after a long break off line

 We lost contact with the edit feature of the blog and could not publish but we have just got it back so I will have to condense some of our adventures to get up to date.We returned from the UK to find 'Curly' just as we had left her on the Spiros pontoon in Preveza. We gave Spiros a bottle of ouzo as thanks which brought a big wide smile to his face and a firm handshake. We settled up with Michael for the work done, hoping that it was done correctly and the following day set off en route to Fiscardo, down through the Levkas Canal. Our friends  Mick n Julia ( yes, we still have some !!) were flying to Kefalonia on the Tuesday ( two days away ) and we were meeting them in Fiscardo. We were moored on the quay for their arrival with cold beers at the ready. We had ten great days with them on board visiting the likes af Sami, Port Leone and Kalamos + many others.
Snippets from ships log - Wed. May 25th Port Leone- What a calamity !!! you have to laugh !!! anchor didn't bite, longline ashore-broken oar-windlass stopped working! BBQ didn't want to light............ however all was resolved
Thurs May 26th Pandelimon Bay -almighty hailstorm/thunderstorm. Poor Mick n Julia are ashore trying to secure longlines. Drenched ! Hailstones like marbles, Andy worried about his solar panels. All drenched to bone !! Renamed Pandemonium Bay !!
Following day - Dolphins in bay, hurrah
Sunday 29th May - great swim in crystal clear waters in Ormos Andreou ( bottom of Ithica )the place reputedly where Odyseus landed when returning from his voyage.
Thursday June 2nd Tranquil Bay, Nidri - outboard packed up bringing girls back from shopping. Oars back on Curly Sue for repair-oh bugger !! Drifted serenely past another boat drawing comment "pays to have a reliable outboard" ( arse, his time will come ) Hero Mick who was guarding Curly to the rescue, swam after us with oars-saved !!
Yes, it was a fun packed weeks cruising.Mick n Julia had a further week land based in Fiscardo and we popped back in for their last couple of days along with our friends Duncan n Julia from 'Rampage ( Bavaria 38 ). We had a meal ou together at The Captains Cabin which was very pleasant.
On our own again we meandered around the Ionian.
Ships log snippet -
Friday June 21st-Ormos Pera Pighadi, Ithica. Fantastic moon in moonlit bay !!!
The following morning we had the bay to ourselves and swam ashore at 8am. It was perfect. We moved on to Big Vathi, Ithica where we stayed a few days and hired a car to see the inside of the island. It was ace. Our first choice car was a Smart auto cabriolet. We took it back after 15 minutes cos the brakes did not work and swapped it for a Fiat 500. Wow !! We had a great day ploddoing around the whole of the island then did shopping on the way back. Then ferried some Kiwi neighbours to the shops so they could stock up.
Ships log snippet - Wed June 22nd- Port Leone- Andy fell down the hatch !!!
We were anchored with lines ashore ( that means you drop your anchor and then dinghy to the shore with long lines-ours are 50 mts each and attach them to an immovable object ). I went to adjust something with the sail and my right leg went down thru' an open deck hatch ( yeh, dozy sod ) with all my weight following it. My right thigh took it all as it hit the hatch moulding. Susan thought I'd had a heart attack!! I think that may have been less painful !!! Three days later I couldn't walk and had a large egg shaped lump on my thigh muscle. This date I am just about back to normal.
A text from Denis n Sadie of the good ship Graceful ( Moody 54-wow!!) was both unexpected and welcome. "Where are you, are you still in the ionian?". "In Sivota " we replied. "We'll be down to see you". They duly turned up next day and we had a good catch up along with a nice meal out and a few glasses of the 'red' kind. They had lots of people to catch up with and my brother, Gordon and his wife Pat were due to come out to Nidri soon. D&S left the next day and we promised to keep in touch. Simon did the work we asked for, new injector pipes and the Separ filter thoroughly cleaned. Now I've seen it done I will do it myself in future. However there was an alarming amount of sludge in the filter that made us think we had the dreaded diesel bug in one of the tanks. Diesel bug is like algae that forms in diesel tanks often as a result of condesation which forms the right breeding ground for it. I think this may have been building since the UK. Needless to say it will get to a point when it will totally choke the fuel system, then your engine stops. We arranged to return at a later date and have the tank syphoned and the fuel polished. This means it goes through a more intensive filtering system to clean the tank and the fuel.
Gordon n Pat had booked into the Demetra apartments in Nidri which are right on the waterfront and yards from the Neilson pontoon where we could moor and pick them up. The pontoon is mainly for the Neilson flotillas but during the week when they are out the public can use it for 10 euros a night including water and leccy, oh, and free use of the Hotel Athos swimming pool. \unfortunately Gordon n Pats flight was delayed but when they eventually arrived, a little tired, we had cold beers waiting and Denis n Sadie had come along as well to welcome them to Greece.
Ships log snippets - anchored in millionaires bay at Skorpios island ( private island of the Onassis family ). Swam in beautiful clear waters
Tues 5th July - intrepid expedition by dinghy into the caves of Meganissi-watched by some very curious goats !!
July 6th Nidri - 22 for dinner at Dimitris above Nidri. Awesome views over the bay and 11 euros a head including wine ( lots ) and tip !!!
Bye bye big bruv and Pat, hope you enjoyed yourselves.
We then trundled down to Sivota to see Simon Trippier ( Sivota Yacht Services ) as we had some pressing maintenance issues. The filtering of the starboard side fuel tank thru' two external Racor filters. Whilst there we went to see Yanna at the Family Restaurant, the friendliest and best ( and cheapest ) in Sivota. Once we were sorted we went on to Port Leone and got a cracking spot anchored with long lines ashore off the beach. It was bliss. Denis n Sadie joined us next day and we BBQ'd that night. The following day we went the very short hop to Kalamos ( about 3 miles ) to await Dave n Sue ( Bavaria 46 called Scath ) return from Halkidiki. We got in early which was a good move. By 1600hrs a Force 6 was blowing thru the harbour and yachts were queuing outside to get in like Ikea on a bank holiday. Four flotillas came in. One boat went straight across a Sunny sailing boats anchor chain and severed it completely.
Log snippet - afternoon wind !!! CHAOS !!! 70 boats - queuing mayhem !! but fun to watch.
We even had to cancel happy hour to watch it all. Boats were rafted seven deep and two yachts were moored stern to the back of a catamaran.
Dave n Sue arrived the following afternoon. It was good to see them again. They had been to visit their daughter who works for Neilson ( sailing outfit ) at Halkidiki. We had a reunion meal out at Georges taverna that night with a table on the beach. We cruised in company with Graceful ( Den n Sadie ) and Scath ( Dave n Sue ) for a few days. We had an ace BBQ on the beach at One Tree bay using driftwood that we had gathered. We sat around chatting till nearly midnight then all returned to the boats by dinghy. After a few days tho' we decided to head south towards the peleponesse and said our goodbyes. However, a few days later we made an enforced return to Nidri. We had an ongoing saga with our outboard which resulted in an international incident, with our UK supplier telling Mercurys Athens head office to get our outboard sorted. They, in turn sent a rocket to the guy in Nidri who we had been dealing with. Hence a phone call from him saying come back immediately for me to fix your outboard. This was a week after he said we must ask our UK supplier to give us a new engine as ours is a duffer. Anyway, we were now back, anchored in Tescos car park ( Tranquil Bay, Nidri ). Whilst there Duncan n Julia ( Rampage ) turned up. "Lets all go to the Paleokatoura Palladium at Concrete Bills " I suggested. "Where on earth" they replied. This is a charity event run by ex pats and boaties at a strange bar half an hours walk up into the hills above Nidri. We walked up there and paid our 5euros admission. What a cracking night> One sketch was an ex Tiller girl ( remember them, kicking their legs in the air at the London Palladium ) doing a Dawn French sketch of a ballet dancer warming up in front of the mirror with a guy acting as the reflection. It was hilarious and enhanced by the fact she was half pished and fell over almost taking the set with her. There was a band playing blues, solo singers, guitarists, and other comic sketches. It was brilliant, and I'm looking forward to the next one in September. The outboard duly got tinkered with and seemed to be working so we hooked up with Rampage and set off south together,Our 3 night stay on Kastos allowed us time to form the Kastos Rambling Club. Meeting at 0700hrs for a jaunt around the island. Day 1 was a pleasant stroll along made and unmade roads with lovely views of the sea. Day 2 was a hike into the interior through thick(ish) bush and rocky terrain and included getting lost and being stung by wasps !! We celebrsted our wedding anniversary there by going to the Windmill restaurant with D&J, and I climbed up the mast to fit a new LED anchor light....Oooohhh, thats bright !!
Moving south, we anchored overnight in Ormos Petala, a large bay near to the entrance to the Gulf of Patras, then on into the gulf to Messolonghi to check out the marina there. Messy is accessed by a long shallow canal which is lined with houses built on stilts.It is surrounded by low lying salt marshes and is a haven for birds and turtles ( which we saw ). We thought the marina seemed OK, although they need to learn to answer the radio when you call them ( I knew a few policeman that wouldn't do that as well ), but the town itself is really nice. Busy, bustling, clean with all amenities. After much pondering between the four of us we decided to book the boats in there for the coming winter. After three nights we moved east into the Gulf of Pattras. It was our intention to go to Navpaktos just east of the Antirion Bridge which is an amazing structure. Apparently its the bridge used in the Volvo car advert. To pass under it you must call Rion Traffic on Channel 14 when you are five miles away. They require your air draught ( height above the waterline ) and will tell you which channel to pass under the bridge, but also tell you to call back when you are only one mile away. When you do this they will only then give you permission to pass under the bridge. When we got to Navpaktos we went in ahead of Rampage to check it out. It was packed with small fishing boats and now way would we both get in. As we didn't fancy anchoring outside with a westerly wind building we decided to carry on to Trizonia about another fifteen miles. Trizonia is a small island in the Gulf of Corinth ( the gulf of Patras changes to the gulf of Corinth at the bridge ). We had a good sail with only the genoa up and 23 knots behind us and went stern to off the breakwater to the marina. Marina ? mmmm...built with EU money but as usual never finished or managed. No water or electric or toilets. It is a free for all and a number of boats have been left there for years, never moving and spoiling it for others. There is even one that has sunk within the marina and only its masts show above the water. It must have been there years as it is shown on a chart of mine published in 2009. Trizonia is an odd place. This village itself is quaint and pleasant but the marina has a sombre feel. Next port of call was Galaxidhi which is a very picturesque town in a sheltered bay. As we approached a bare chested man hollered at us from the quay and waved his arms in the air. The common signal to say " moor here ". We went in and he took our lines, and introduced himself as the harbourmaster. He then babbled the facilities available, water n leccy, then wandered off with a mythos beer in his hand. It wasn't until later we found out he was the town drunk and spent summer scrounging beer from boats ( yes, we gave him some ) and winter in prison. Our main purpose for calling here was to visit the ancient site of Delphi, so we jointly hired a car with me as designated driver. Yikes !! The hire company wanted 50 euros for it but we bartered down to 40. To be honest thats all it would fetch in an auction. Delphi is an amazing place. Set high on a mountain side looking down into the valley far below. One of the most fascinating remains was the Polygonal Wall whose irregular interlocking blocks have withstood earthquakes and are covered in inscriptions refering to thee emancipation of individual slaves who are actually named. For more info look at www.greecetravel.com/delphi .We stayed in Galaxidhi three nights before setting off west to return back down the gulf. We called in again at Trizonia where we feasted on BBQ'd swordfish steaks that we bought from a fishing boat then moved on back to Messolonghi. This time we anchored in the lagoon and had a peaceful night. Well, relatively peaceful as we had a stowaway cicada on board and it was making a hell of a racket. Susan got up during the night to hunt it out. She found it under the galley table and it was terminated quickly and humanely. Squelch !!

We left earl to go south to Killini, which is basically just a mainland ferry port to get to Zante. We arrived before Rampage and were somewhat perpexed to see what appeared to be buoys blocking the entrance into the small fishing harbour in the corner of the main port. Taking it slowly we edged in watching the depth. It showed 5.3mts, but just as Susan, positioned on the bows, shouted " Andy, It look shallow " the reading went 0.3 then 0.0. We hit the bottom. What the hell ??? A large bootful of reverse got us off and a bit unnerved we backed off.There was nothing on the charts or pilot books to indicate these shallows. We called Rampage and they stood off as we investigated further. After a few minutes we found that the buoys were marking the narrowest of channels between themselves and the end of the breakwater into the inner harbour. We edged in and found the harbour to be a confused mess of private anchor buoys, lay lines ( mooring lines attached to the quay ) in all directions and anchor chains from fishing boats straddling the harbour. We left and decided to anchor off the beach. Once the anchors were dropped we wnt in for a swim and to check the anchors were well dug in as the water was very clear. I was midway between our boat and Rampage when I looked up to see a sea-doo ( a marine style motorbike ) heading straight at me. About 30 metres from me it suddenly swerved to the right and narrowly missed me, with the three occupants laughing loudly. "MALACCA" i shouted at the top of my voice. This is the only greek swear word I know and its english translation rhymes with 'banker'. I know he would not have heard me but it made me feel a little better. I definitely was not liking Killini. Next day we left at 0800 heading for Katakolon. We had an uneventful sail down there except for when we throttled back from 2000 revs to 800 and the engine cut out. This was the second time this had happened and it was a bit worrying. She restarted OK and we motored into the harbour, once the cruise ship Costa Fortuna had left. It must be good with a name like that. The cruise ships call here to visit the ancient site of Olympia, the original site of the Olympic games. That was also why we had called only our trip was considerably cheaper than the cruise ship price. We got the train from the qauint little station 300 mts from the quay. 10 euros each return to Olmpia, then 9 euros entry to the site and museum. 19 euros each in total. We could even afford an ice cream to cool us down. Cruise ship price 140 euros each. What a rip off !!! This site gives some info if your interested  www.greecetravel.com/olympia . Olympia is fascinating and well worth the visit. One part is a row of

Nero's house, Olympia

Susan fancied the tour guide!

12 columns which were built in honour of the god Zeus. They were paid for with money from fines that were handed out to athletes that were caught cheating, and their names were inscribed on the base

The arch to enter the Olympia arena

to name and shame them. So now we know that cheating has been going on since the start of the Olympic Games, its not a modern phonemenom. We had a maintenance day the following day and advanced the idle speed of the engine in the hope that it would cure the cut-out problem on advice from Marine Power back in Southampton whom I had phoned. They are an excellent company and happy to try and help over the phone. Our next leg was again south, about 32 miles to Kiparassia. We had light NW winds behind us but a swell of about 2.5 metres had built up from the big winds that blew while we were holed up in Katakolon and it made for an uncomfortable trip. When Kiparissia came into sight the waves were breaking over the outer breakwater in great explosions of spray. Mmmm......hope the engine doesn't cut out here. We took a wide berth until the entrance was fully in view then went in without throttling back. Once inside it was calm and we moored alongside. A german guy who took our lines said they'd had a night from hell the previous night with with winds and swell causing the boats to dance around and slam against the quay. We had two nights there, its a pleasant town with good shops and a lively atmosphere. Still, onward to Pylos. We had a pleasant trip down, staying a reasonable distance of the coast, we went between the mainland and the small island of Nisos Proti where the monastery could be seen tucked into the east side of the island. Further south as we approached the entrance to the Bay of Navarino the fortress of Palaio Kastro stood proud on the ridge looking out to sea. The actual entrance to the bay is not dissimilar to The Needles on the Isle of Wight. We entered the bay which is absolutedly enormous then into the unfinished marina of Pylos. Do they ever finish a marina out here......NO ! Anyway, we tucked in alongside of the outer breakwater then Rampage followed us in and rafted up to us. Pylos is a lovely town situated on the south side of the bay. It has a large square shaded by ancient Plane trees that looks out over the harbour. On the headland to the west is a large imposing fortress, the Neo Kastro, which was built by the Franks and later the Venetians, then later still the Turks. 

Inside the Citadel, Pylos

Its outer walls once protected over 600 homes. We had a great morning wandering around the walls, crooks and nannies of the place. It is fascinating. On exploring the town we found a very friendly chandlery. The owner called Fortis gave us a drink when we entered the shop saying how hot it was. True 35dgs in the shade. We spent 3 euros on a couple of small shackles and he gave us a bottle of olive oil from his farm as a gift. It was worth about 4 euros, not bad going. We called in again a few days later and spent 6 euros and got another bottle of oil, excellent, we had been a bit low on oil before this so it worked out nicely. As I said previously, Navarino Bay or Ormos Navarinou as its known locally, is massive and a spectacular natural harbour. It was here in 1827 that the combined navies of Greece, Great Britain, France and Russia defeated the mighty Turkish fleet in the aptly titled Battle of Navarinon.
There was however, one down side to Pylos. RATS !!! Rampage had left us to move on south and Susan and I were sitting in the darkness one evening, contmplating the meaning of life, as you do, when some car headlights caught a movement on the harbour wall. There he was, with his horrible long tail. I clapped loudly and it jumped over onto the rocks beyond. Mmmm......close all hatches tonight then. The following night a brit boat called Thunderbird had come in and the crew, Phil n Kate, had actually read my blog. Wow !! ( more than what Susans ever done ). Well, they came onto Curly for a beer and watch the sun go down.......which it did.......and it was dark.......and .....bloody hell, whats that, a rat shot out from between my legs and ran down the sidedeck. Oh shit, the wheelhouse doors open, has it gone in, yikes, clapping loudly to scare it off, I saw it jump onto the quay and run away thank goodness. Cheeky sod must have come up the mooring line behind me. That was a close escape. All hatches closed again tonight. Seriously, rats are a boaties nightmare. If they get in your boat, apart from the fact that they are horrible, they can cause untold damage by eating through wiring, ducting, pipework, you name it, they'll eat it. We were keeping a close eye on the weather and when we saw a break in the prevailing north westerlies we decided to make a break for it, back north. We anchored outside the harbour for the night and lifted the anchor at 0300hrs under a starry sky. This way we would have some settled seas for the first part of our 12 hour trip back north to Zakynthos. It was the first night sail since we sailed out last year and felt a little strange, but we enjoyed it and reached Zakynthos Town in good time. The least said about Zakynthos Town the better. I did not like it, they charged 25 euros a night, it was noisy, dirty and brash. Not my scene and I will try not to have to go back. I'm sure it will feature in one of those trash telly programmes where a certain type of brit goes abroad and behave in the way we all know they can.........get totally slaughtered, throw up everywhere, shout obscenities and generally make you feel ashamed.............or have I got the place wrong. I don't think so.

Return to the velcro quay

Curly on Spiros pontoon

On going back in the water we headed straight over to the Spiros pontoon. We found a nice spot to go alongside and tied up. A swedish guy on the opposite of the pontoon took our stern line as we went in and introduced himself as Crystal. It was a hive of activity on the pontoon with work being done preparing three charter boats for the coming season. Spiros called down later that day to make sure everything was ok. If we wanted electric it was 5 euros a day, if not it was free. We did not have the correct connector for the power so Spiros said he would bring a one next time he was down. Paul and Marianne followed us across ac ouple of days later and work on more jobs started in earnest.

working on the solar panels

Pauls first priority was getting his new furlex fitted. This is a very expensive bit of gear that has to be cut exactly to size to fit the boat in question. All new territory for me but I expected Paul to be totally familiar with this, so you can imagine my surprise when we said he had never fitted one before. We read through the instructions again and again then set too. It took us two days to do, with Paul making about six trips up to the top of the mast in the bosuns chair, which the rest of us at the bottom making sure he didn't come down in too big a hurry. You have two lines attached to you when you go up the mast. One main line and another 'safety' line in case the first one fails. Then you are hauled up using the winches. Anyway, after two days it was fitted. The furlex is the support for the front sail, in their case called the genoa. The furlex is connected to the front of the boat and the top of the mast. The genoa is wrapped around it and can be unfurled and furled ( wrapped or unwrapped ) by means of ropes that lead back to the cockpit. Once that was sorted it was time to start on our solar panels. We had brought two 85 watt panels from home along with a stainless steel handrail to help with the fitting but after a last minute redesign went to the chandler and bought an additional



the fitted solar panels...nice job!

handrail, along with 6 metres of 25mm stainless steel tubing. This was to be the support for the panels.  Other fittings to feed the wiring through the roof were needed as well as a load of stainless steel tube connecting brackets. An added complication was that the place where we intended running the wiring was already full to capacity so we had another teak cover plate made that was much wider and took the aditional wiring needed. This was added expense that we had not bargained for but the job had to be done right.

Another job we wanted to look at was the anchor light at the top of the mast. Our anchor light is just the normal type and when it runs all night consumes a lot of battery power. The thought was to change it to an LED that would use about a fifth of the power. However first of all we had to find out what type of bulb was in the fitting. Hence it was my turn to go up the mast in the bosuns chair. Never having done this before I was quite keen to go up, even though I am not madly fond of heights, its something that you must be able to do. With everybody briefed as to their role I started my ascent. It was quite blowy and the higher you go the more the wind pushes you around.



it looks a long way down !

When you get to the spreaders ( like arms on the mast ) you let those down below know to slow down so that you can get past them at your pace, then carry on to the top. Unfortunately the bulb was not the type we were expecting but the view was good ! I brought the bulb down with me a nd we went to the local chandlery to try and get an LED replacement. We were out of luck. A quick look on the internet informed us that they were not all that common, but found one that I would order to be delivered to home when we went back in May. The following day I returned to the top of the mast to replace the anchor light bulb and took the camera for a few souvenir piccies.

It was time for a bit of r&r so we decided to have a cruise into the Gulf of Amvrakia along with the Zilver. It was a beautiful day as we motored out followed by Paul and Marianne who had some last minute complications with their plotter. Not that they needed it but this was to act as a 'shakedown' to see if any gremlins surfaced in the boats. It was so good to be out even though there was little wind. We followed the bouyed channel into the gulf. As we motored we noticed that our voltage was ruuning high, certainly higher than I was comfortable with, and the rev counter started bouncing once we were over 1500 revs. This had happened once or twice before during last year but never as prolonged and consistent as this. We monitored everything closely and recorded the readings to discuss later. He headed for Ormos Markou, which is a large deep bay near Vonitsa, that is quite well protected. He stayed for a leisurely lunch and after about two hours looked across to Zilver, some 300 metres away, for signs of life. There was none and we did not like to call them up as the may be having a sleep or 'wild sex'. The plan had been to spend the night behind the causeway at Vonitsa so we set of, knowing that they would call us when the came back on deck. The wind had got up and we raised our mizzen and headsail. We decided to do a bit of tinkering and trimming of the sails to make sure everything flowed nicely. All went well until we attempted to take in the headsail fully. It jammed. After some discussion, cursing and head scratching it was seen that the halyard that had been used as the safety line when I went up the mast had become wrapped into the headsail, hence jammimg it tight. Bugger ! I kept Curly on a constant course while Susan led the halyard around the front of the headsail then re-attached it. Problem solved and the headsail furled smoothly again. 

"Curly Sue Curly Sue, this is Zilver , do you receive, over". Ah, Paul and Marianne have noticed we have gone. We called them back, telling them we had not wanted to disturb them and we were near the nights destination.

However after a bit of banter it was decided that we would return to the lunchtime anchorage and stay the night. That night we christened the new barbecue that we had mounted on the stern rails. I managed to beautifully carbonise everything but Susans accompaniments saved the day. Well, actually I like a bit of burnt on mine so I didn't mind. As the evening drew in the wind dropped and it was beautifully peaceful. The Gulf is very much a favourite place of both us, and Paul and Marianne. There is a true air of tranquility.   





Zilver on anchor



Susan and Marianne picking mussels







Curlys mizzen keeps her 'head to wind'

 





local fisherman in the gulf

 The following day we all went ashore and picked a bucket of mussels from along the waterline. We only took the decent sized ones though and left the smaller ones to fatten up. We had noticed the previous evening that there were a lot of pigs and piglets roaming wild on the shoreline and there was evidence of where they had been digging and forraging for food. We decided to rename the bay 'The Bay of Pigs'. After a pleasant morning along the shoreline we headed back to the boats to lift the anchors. We headed back to Preveza for a late afternoon mussel lunch. On the way back we again monitored all the instruments. Everything was behaving exactly as it should. Mmmm, this was going to have to be investigated when we got back.

Once back at Preveza we could look at things a bit more closely. I decided the problem must stem from the alternator. A local contractor I already knew called Michael, who is east german, came round on my request with a colleague of his. A greek called......yes, Spiros. So we now have Spiros the pontoon and Spiros the mechanic. Spiros the mechanic is huge, about 6'6" and the same across the shoulders with a big curly mop of black hair. We discussed the excess voltage and rev counter bouncing, but whilst doing so Spiros mentioned the fuel seepage on the top of our engine. "Yes, we know, its from the injectors that were supposed to be done last year in Corfu". It was arranged for Spiros to call back in a couple of days and investigate the injectors further. The folowing day Paul and I decided to attack the alternator and remove it for further investigation. I had decided I wanted it bench testing and had checked with Christos the auto electrician if he had the necessary gear. He did, so I told him to expect us later that day. It was actually quite complicated removing the alternator as it had the ADVERC battery management system wiried into it. We made a plan of all the wire connections and photographed them as well. Then, with the alternator removed took it to see Christos. We took one look and announced  he was an agent for the type of parts required and would check it thoroughly. The following day we picked it up with new diodes and a new voltage regulator fitted. Feeling rather chipper we returned to the boat to re-fit it. Whilst struggling in the confines of the engine compartment I got a message on my phone to contact my brother, Gordon. When I did it was tragic news. My brother in law, Bob, had died suddenly during the night. We were all a bit stunned and poor Paul obviously felt a bit awkward. Once I was fully furnished with the situation I said we would be back in touch. We would obviously have to go home earlier than we had intended. Back to the job in hand......refitting the alternator. It all went smoothly and soon it was done. Thanks once again Paul.   

Work, rest and play

Work began on getting Curly ready to go back into the water, although we did not have a date booked we were hoping for the beginning of April. There were a few priority jobs. Fit a new bowthruster, fit solar panels, clean her from bow to stern and clean her topsides ( the bit from the toerail down to the waterline ), as well as a host of smaller jobs.



Fitting the new hull anode



We had tried to arrange an apartment to stay in for a couple of weeks that we would have shared with Paul, Marianne and Meis the dog as, for them, getting Meis up and down from the boat when its out the water is a bit tiresome. It involves a large bag that Meis dutifully climbs into and is then hauled up from the ground, or lowered as the case may be. Anyway, our efforts to sort this before the crew of Zilver arrived from Holland failed after a number of property viewings with our trusty travel agent cum real estate agent Jenny. Never mind, up and down the ladder it was, good exercise we told ourselves and it was good just to be on Curly again. While we were wandering back through the boatyard I noticed a car parked beside Rosanda, Iain and Bridgets boat from South Africa. We went along and saw a ladder propped up. " Hello Rosanda, anyone aboard" we shouted. There was a muffled reply and a clatter inside before Iain popped up covered in grease, oil and god knows what else. "Hi guys, I'm just trying to fix the girls toilet". Mmmm, maybe I shouldn't have hastily shook his hand on seeing him. You may, or may not remember that Iain, Bridget and the girls were the ones that had the scary experience off Italy last year when they were trying to get to Malta. Well, after getting back to Greece and hauling the boat they left, and returned to their home for a rest .......in Libya !!! Yes, they are south african but Iain works or worked for an oil company in Libya. We invited him round for a cuppa and a crack. I think he was glad of the company as he had been there for two weeks and he said the weather had been awful and the place, dead. Next day we drove to Levkas with Iain as guide. He told us a place were he had got fixed up with greek internet PAYG with a company called Cosmote. We followed suit. 50 euros for the dongle and two weeks access then two 10 euro scratch cards to top up to a month. we get 3G or 4 weeks for 40 euros whichever comes first. Yes, I know its expensive but it means we can skype the girls instead of phoning and we always will have access to the weather forecast. How on earth did those fellas Cook, Nelson and Drake manage to sail everywhere without the internet, it must have been hell. Iain was nervously waiting for a reply to a job application and when he got the good news that he was succesful we decided to go out and celebrate. We asked him where he fancied and he said he had seen a traditional place on the road to Levkas that he fancied. "We'll go there then". We drove and we duly pulled up outside the place with no name......or food !! Only four toothless old greek guys playing cards and smoking like it was going out of fashion. None of your poncey No smoking indoors rules here, it was like a thick fog inside. We left and drove to Preveza where we took him to Di Papas taverna. Its not really called that, its just our nickname for it. I'm not sure if Yannis remembered us from last year but he made us very welcome. I think non locals are still a rarity at this time of year.Its a traditional greek taverna with no menu. You are invited into the kitchen to choose what you would like. Neither is there a price list but it never works out pricey. We had a pleasant evening with Iain entertaining us with stories of their escape from Libya. He left for his new job in London late the following evening and we awaited the dutch invasion. A text at 0730 the following morning announced" THE DUTCH HAVE LANDED, ETA 30 MINS". 30minutes later a silver Merc appeared with Marianne hanging out the window waving. Kalimera, kalimera !!! ( good morning good morning )

It was a wonderful reunion and they came onboard, up the ladder to be treated to eggy bread for breakfast. It was great to see them again and a chance to catch up on things. They had en eventful journey from Holland. They had intended staying in the Alps on the way down with friends and doing some skiing, but the wiper motor packed up in torrential rain and they could not get it fixed for two days as a public holiday had been announced, forcing them to spend two nights in the car outside of Macdonalds which they used for the loo. They could not get into a hotel as they would not accept dogs and they could not leave Meis in the car as she would have set the alarm off, and they dare not switch it off as the car was full to overflowing with gear. Hence, sleep in the car.



good to see you

 We made plans about the work we had to complete and which jobs we needed each others help with. My list for needing Pauls help was substantial, whereas his list was only really to help him fix a new furlex (the support for the genoa-front sail) which is secured to the front of the boat and to the top of the mast.

the new bowthruster

I was concerned about getting our bowthruster fitted, and having partly disassembled it last year was confident(ish) that I could do the first part myself. I was expecting problems loosening the fittings that were below the waterline but they came off surprisingly easily. The bowthruster ( if I have not explained earlier) is a propellor that is located in a tunnel at the bow ( front ) of the boat. The tunnel goes across the front of the boat so that the prop inside can thrust ( push ) to both port and starboard ( left and right ). This makes mooring in certain conditions ( cross winds, strong tides or currents ) significantly easier. This is a through hull fitting so the seals must be good, note....MUST be good !! Above the prop is the gearbox which actually goes through the skin of the boat, and above that is the electric motor which powers it all. That is connected to the battery bank. It took a day to remove the old one and fit the new, but that was not including the wiring in which I knew was going to be tricky. It was and took us a day to do which included a couple of phone calls to Mike Ingram at Osmotech in Southampton to verify a couple of points.

Paul and Marianne were also busy on their boat Zilver. They even make applying the antifoul look like fun. We caught them doing this strange  dance when we called round for coffee. Note Pauls dutch orange overalls...very patriotic !!

One evening we fancied a break and decided to go for pitta giros in Preveza town. This is fast food greek style. Kebab style meat, chicken or pork, wrapped inside a pitta bread with salad, tsaziki and chips. Nosteemos ( delicious ). We went back to our old haunt and were greeted like long lost friends. Most greek restaurants/food outlets do not allow dogs in and we had Meis. Here it was no problem, they cleared a table at one side of the room where the owner was sitting with his grandson and friends and beckoned us to sit there. The owners grandson was obviously learning to play the clarinet and sat with his grandad playing. He was very good and it added to the atmosphere.They immediately brought a dish of water for Meis which was very thoughtful. We had a nice meal, but lashed out on a plate giros which is very filling. Susan had Souvlaki which is meat on skewers off the grill with salad. Complimentary ouzo to finish a good night and we returned to our boats tired but happy.



View into The Gulf of Amvrakia

At night in the boatyard the sound of the toads croaking in the marshlands nearby is extremely loud but also pleasantly peaceful. That sounds contradictory I know but it is true. In the mornings our first sight when we got up was into the Gulf of Amvrakia or Gulf of Amnesia as somebody told me they called it. The gulf is certainly a peaceful place and we were looking forward to sailing there soon.
Preperations for launching Curly were almost complete and we booked a date with the yard. We asked for a lunchtime slot so that we could leave the boat in the sling to check she was watertight after the bowthruster work, while the staff had their lunch. Once all was well the slings would come off and we would motor across to Preveza. We had spoken to our contact Spiros who said it was no problem mooring in the unfinished marina as long as we let him know the day before so he could shuffle any charter boats around.

making friends in Arta

Before launching though, we decided to have a sightseeing trip to Arta. A large town inland that the waiter on the ferry told us about. We set of early, well about 10ish really but thats early if your on greek time. The drive there was very pleasant and passed the ancient city of Nicopolis which was built by the emperor Octavius to celebrate his victory in battle over Anthony. It took about an hour to get to Arta and after parking up got out to get our bearings. A passing greek guy saw us and stopped in the middle of the road and asked if he could help us. We had no map so the answer was a resounding YES. He was brilliant. He told us all the places to go and in what order we should do them. Drew a small map then pointed us in the right direction for the first stop. The ancient Byzantine church. Paul and Marianne managed to get chatting to a passing german lady who lived in Arta but was delighted to be able to converse in her native tongue. Yes, obviously P&M speak german too. The church was incredible. As I said it was Byzantine and built around 1290. The pillars were precarious to say the least, and the paintings amazing. There was certainly an atmosphere inside. We made a donation towards the upkeep but were told that all donations go instead to help the towns poor. No problem with that then.

Byzantine church in Arta

Our next stop was the bridge of Arta of which the locals are immensely proud. It was the ancient entrance to the city.
According to chronicler of Epirus Panayiotis Aravantinos, the bridge was constructed during Ancient Roman times. However, according to some traditions it was built when Arta became capital of the Despotate of Epirus, possibly under Michael II Ducas (1230-1271). Other alleged construction dates vary from 1602 to 1606. Seraphim, the Archbishop of Arta, has noted that the bridge was built, according to some tradition, by an Artan grocer.

According to the folk lore, every day 60 apprentices and 45 craftsmen or masons, under the leadership of the Head Builder, tried to build a bridge, but its foundations would collapse each night. Finally a bird with a human voice informed the Head Builder that in order for the bridge to remain standing, he must sacrifice his wife. As the wife is being killed, being built in the foundations of the construction, she utters curses that conclude with blessings. A charming story !!




Nicopolis city walls



On our way back to Preveza we stopped at the ancient city of Nicopolis which I mentioned earlier. The original city was, as I said, built by the roman emperor Octavius around 28BC but over the centuries the city was the scene of much conflict and later fell into disrepair until a new, smaller city was built on the same site by the Byzantines. It is spread over a huge area.We walked through the eastern gateway and came across the ampi-theatre. Unfortunately it was gated and locked. We then saw a shepherd in a field guarding his flock, honestly. He was a bit concerned about Meis the dog attacking his sheep but when we persuaded him Meis was old and gentle he came across and through sign 

follow that shepherd !!



the trusty shepherd

language beckoned us to follow him to find a way into the ampi-theatre. And show us he did. A hole in the fence. " In you go" he said in greek sign language. It was truly amazing. There were tunnels under the banks of seats which you could still go through. This was were the actors would approach the stage and make surprise entrances. Marianne and I gave recitals to our mesmerised audienc of Paul, Susan and Meis. If you want to find out more about Arta or Nicopolis just check it out on Wikepedia. It was a cracking day out.



Mariannes spellbinding performance

 Well, back at Cleopatra boatyard, launch day arrived. Last minute preparations complete and the guys came round to move her, then launch her. Everything went smoothly and she was soon hanging in the water supported by the slings of the travel lift. As planned the guys went off for lunch while we, me, Susan, Paul and Marianne ferreted around the boat checking all was ok. After about ten miutes a minute trickle of water appeared near to the bowthruster housing. Uhoh.....I dried it and watched. Nothing. Mmmm....not happy about this tho'. We started the engine and tested the bowthruster to port and starboard. "STOP" was the cry from the bowthruster locker. "WATER". The pressure of water generated by the thruster had forced more water through a hole into the boat. Not a lot of water mind you, in fact very little, but water all the same. "She'll have to come out". I went to find Aris, the head guy for the travel lift and told him the bad news. He simply shrugged his shoulders " It is no problem to me" he said. Curly came out the water and went back into a cradle.

Next morning Paul and I set to trying to find the problem. Our first thoughts were correct. The metal guards at the end of the tunnel. One screw had come through into the locker and despite being sikaflexed (marine type mastic glue) in there was a minute hole were seepage had got in. A couple of hours sorted it out. Susan then gave it a good hosepipe test with positive results. "Lets hope thats sorted it ". The next day was relaunch 2. This time all went well. Aris told me that we should not feel to bad about it. He had recently but a much larger vessel in, actually a trip boat, that had six holes in it when launched. " Your boat is only 11 tons, no problem, that boat was 250 tons, big problem". It made me feel better. With the slings slipped out and the engine running, we set off for the short hop across the channel to the Spiros pontoon. Yes, in the water again at last !! 







Return to Curly Sue

The mouth of the Tyne

After a prolonged stay in the UK on March 14th we set off to return to Curly. We were driving. We had bought a VW Passat estate for the sole purpose of the journey and our route was to be to Newcastle, ferry to Amsterdam, then drive south through Europe ( Holland, Belguim, Luxemburg, France then Italy ) to Ancona in Italy, then a ferry across to Igoumenitsa in Greece. Then about an hours drive to Preveza where Curly had spent the winter. Never having been on a car ferry before it was all new and exciting for us. Leaving the River Tyne was great as we stood on deck pointing out places we new as we sailed down the river. Our trip across to Holland was pleasant and it was nice to feel the motion of the sea again. We docked at Ijumieden at 0830am and we drove off the ship onto 'the wrong side of the road'. Miss Tom Tom consulted and headlight thingeys fitted we set off. The Passat immediately proved to be a worthwhile buy. It was loaded to the gunnels with all kinds of everything. A portable generator, two big solar panels, a large barbecue, a 2metre long motorcycle ramp ( to be made into a passarelle/boarding plank ), sewing machine, 2 large boxes a groupage, halogen oven, everything except a fondue set in fact but it still went like the wind and returned 50mpg. Our first stop was at Nancy in France where we stayed in a Campnile travel lodge. I parked the car outside the window so I could keep an eye on it. Next day we set of and decided to take the 'quiet french toll roads'. Huh, as if. I think the whole of France had decided to go south that day and we were soon on nose to tail traffic, crawling at a snails pace. Now for those who are bothering to read this, that discounts Susan to start with, and actually know their way through Europe ( thats you cousin Malcolm for one ) you must accept that our route may seem strange but we were guided by Miss Tom Tom the whole way. The service areas were absolutely packed out on the way south, what on earth was going on, where was everybody going. The huge mountains of the Alps appeared and we kept offering our credit card at each toll. Ker-ching !! Then through the tunnels, KER-CHING !!! It was about 5.30pm when we emerged from The Frejus Tunnel ( The where, I hear you all cry, Why did you go that way !! ) after another eyewatering 36 euro removal from my dwinding funds. Italy. It was snowing. "We'll have to find somewhere to say" so we drove off  the autostrada onto a place called Bardonecchia. It started to snow more heavily as we trawled the streets with Miss TT totally lost. On finding the tourist info, Susan went in while I fended off the parking warden brandishing a book of tickets. My God is there no escape. Susan emerged with directions to a hotel which took half an hour to find. We checked in with the very pleasant Italian owner. We were put in the Snow White room, compete with large snow white keyfob and Snow White herself standing 2 feet tall outside the door. Susan reminded me of Mae West saying " I used to be Snow White, but I drifted ". Oh well, that sounds promising, I thought. Bardonecchia, if thats the correct spelling, which I doubt is a pleasant Italian ski resort and were currently hosting a large snowboarding competition. After a pleasant evening and a meal in the hotel restaurant of all things Italian, like veal cheeks, we retired to our lumpy bed hoping that the seven dwarfs weren't suddenly going to burst in with a chorus of Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it off to work we go.

Our Alpine refuge

The next morning we set off again, and rejoined tthe autostrada as they snow continued to fall. After another couple of series of tunnels ( and tolls ) the snow turned to rain, heavy rain as we cut through Italy towards Ancona. We decided to get as close to Ancona as we could so that the following day we didn't have to far to drive to the ferry, jst in case we got lost or some other problem occured. We ended up in a east coast town of Fanu where we found a pleasant hotel with a secure car park. We managed to skype the girls from there ( Hoy, you lot wot 'aven't got skype, get it, its brill, and free. video calls for free ). We had a leisurely strat to the following day and meandered along the coast road to Ancona. It took a bit longer than we thought but we were still there in plenty of time. Ancona is a very busy port with a very busy and not unpleasant town but we didn't have a lot of time to look around. We got our place in the quque then went for a wander and a bite to eat. We returned as boarding was about to commence. Now in comparison to the well oiled wheels of the DFDS boarding this was chaos. With much flaying of arms and shouting, then more flaying of arms and people running around the car decks, yes this was a greek ferry, no mistaking. We settled down for a beer in the lounge and got chatting to a nice english couple who were returning to their home in Greece. At Nafplion to be precise, which was the first capital of Greece, prior to Athens, following their independence from the Turks. Not a lot of people know that you know ( except you cousin Malcolm, cos you lived in Greece ). Dinner in the restaurant that night was entertaining. We were engaged in conversation by another english couple, the lady of which was three sheets to the wind, and was going around the tables drinking the complimentary grappa that other diners didn't want. We were then befriended by the waiter who insisted we must visit his home town of Arta which was close to Preveza. We promised we would, so he gave us an extra bottle of complimetary olive oil to seal our friendship. The following morning chaos returned for disemabarkation, however it was swft if nothing else. We were on Greek soil......hurrah, Miss TT decided she didn't know her way around Greece and went on strike.....boo, I missed the turn for Preveza.....bugger, but after an illegal u-turn ( I've got the hang of this greek driving already ) we were back on track and watched the ferry leave port en route for Patras.

It was a wonderful feeling to be back in Greece. It was a pleasant temperature and as we drove down the very quiet coast road towards Preveza we kept stopping to take in the views. We headed straight to the boatyard which is actually at Aktio, just to confuse things, not Preveza,a dn you have to drive through a tunnel under the channel to get to it ( toll 3 euros ). We were greeted by the girl in the boatyard then went to see Curly. We tentatively uncovered her but she seemed fine. Inside she was dry as a bone with no sign of mould or squatting livestock ( mice rats etc ) thank goodness. After a couple of hours sorting out ( that was just the start ) we popped back across through the tunnel ( 3 euros ) to Preveza to see Jenny our travel agent and get some shopping in. Jenny is a very nice Greek lady with an overwhelming liking for all things feline. She adopts all the stray kittens in the neighbourhood and they hang around her office to be fed.......then pee !!! phew...... Anyway, Jenny is lovely and we like her a lot.

We then returned for our first night back on the good ship 'Curly Sue'. We slept well our first night back on board, allbeit she was not in the water and woke up the following day to greek sunshine.