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
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| Nero's house, Olympia |
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| Susan fancied the tour guide! |
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| The arch to enter the Olympia arena |
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| Inside the Citadel, Pylos |
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.
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