A long stay in Preveza

moored in Spiros marina, Preveza

Paul & Marianne in their new car

frying my freshly caught fish

I am aware that this blog is turning more and more into a social diary, for which I apologise. However it is probably going to carry on in pretty much the same vein. As we approached Preveza town quay we were met by Denis and Sadie in their almost supersonic dinghy, blimey could it shift !! They pointed where they and Scath were then zoomed off to block anybody else sneaking in next to them, and keep it for us. There was a strong current across the quay and a brisk wind which made the stern to manouvre a bit tricky. A few blasts on the bowthruster was required but as we neared the quay I thought I detected a change in the tone of the thruster. Anyway, safely all tied up, I mentioned this. Susan thought it was because we were usung the thruster and the anchor winch at the same time which is a huge draw of power from the batteries. Everyone agreed, so I was satisfied that more knowledgable people thought it was fine. That night we had drinks on Scath and a goodbye supper on Graceful as Denis and Sadie were leaving the following day. Their boat was coming out the water at Cleopatra marina and they returned to England. It was a great night, a good curry and too much alcofroll. The following day a lady came along the quay and gave us a parking ticket - actually it was a polite invite to visit the Port Police to register with them. Dave and Sue, Susan and myself wandered along later that day and after searching for half an hour finally found the office tucked up a back street three floors up. We squeezed into an already crowded office with two very attrative greek damsels feverishly shuffling copies of peoples boat papers, insurances, passports back and forth. "When did you arrive", " yesterday". "When you leave", "Maybe tomorrow". "Maybe tomorrow ? ", "No, tomorrow". "OK, 13 euros". I was then directed into an inner office and told to sit at a desk. A very smartly dressed port policeman was busy writing up the previous occupant of my seat. He got up and left the office, returned, then repeated it again. A casually dressed presumably policeman engaged me in conversation. "Where you been", Where you going", "where you live in England". The smart cop comes back and addresses me " Captain, where you come from", "Gouvia" I reply, lying, but thinking this was the safest option. "OK, where you going?". "I'm not sure yet". "Oh, Levkas, Corfu, Vonitsa, where ? ". "Erm, I don't know, we'll be anchoring in bays". "Oh, what will I put". The casual cop is still constantly bombarding questions. "Quiet", smart cop shouts at casual cop, " I cannot concentrate". Susan, Sue and Dave outside can hear all this going on and thinking I'm being interrogated, but in fact it was all fair relaxed.  Smart cop has an idea " I know, I put the Ionian Sea ". "Yes, that seems good" agrees casual cop. I nod my agreement. He writes an entry in our DEKPA log. "Now go and see lady at counter to pay 0.88 cents" he directs. We shake hands, and say goodbye to casual cop. " Have a nice trip " he says. I then return to the reception area, much to Susans relief and wait a bit longer to pay my 0.88 euros. Dave takes my place with smart cop, casual cop. Half an hour later, the entertainment over and we all went into town for a coffee. We have come to the conclusion that it is all just a job creation scheme. Nothing is computerised, everything is paper copies and is beaurocracy gone mad. There must have been fifteen staff crammed into the offices, most of them standing talking and drinking coffee. Scath set off later that day to go down the south Ionian. We wandered along to see Paul and Marianne. Paul brought his portable generator along and hooked us up with it to charge our batteries right up. It took four hours. Meanwhile he told us about their problem with their mast. The mast is keel stepped, which means it goes through the deck and down to the keel of the boat where it is supported by a large piece of timber and secured in place. Well, the timber, which was oak, had rotted and broken, meaning the mast was now unstable. Oh dear, that is a problem. He was making enquiries to try and find a crane that could lift the mast, while he effected the repair below. He was waiting for a piece of teak to arrive from Levkas to do the job. Finding the crane was the problem. None of the boatyards seemed very keen on the job. The following night the wind got up and things on the town quay got pretty uncomfortable. We were up most of the night as there was a large steel yacht with nobody on board threatening to drag its anchor. The next day we wandered up to the unfinished marina in the harbour to see if we could find a couple of berths there that would offer more protection. I rang Spiros, who unofficially runs it. He agreed for us to go so we moved both Curly And Zilver up there immediately before anybody else nabbed to berths. This was luxury, moored alongside. However, the downside was that my suspicions about the bowthruster were confirmed. It had packed up. I can only asume that it was due to the 'wrap' we got in Cleopatra, but the bottom line was, its goosed. Paul promised to help me fix it. We hoped it was just the drive pin that had sheared, in which case we may be able to do the repair from inside. The next day it was chucking it down with rain, but we had decided to try and sort the thruster. Paul came along to the boat ( they are only next door ) and we stripped it down. Unfortunately its the one manual I do not have so we had both tried to source one on the net, with limited success. Things were not going well, so I looked on the YBW Forum and found the name of a guy in the UK that is supposed to be good with bowthrusters. It was Saturday lunchtime, but I rang the mobile number on the forum and Nick answered. He was very helpful and knowledgable. We had already checked a lot of what he said but he gave a few more pointers and said to ring back anytime. We had to check it out below the waterline so Paul donned his wetsuit and bottles and went in. I got just as wet above the water, as it was still tipping down. Then we noticed oil seeping into the water every time the prop was turned. I rang Nick again. Bad news, the gearbox is knackered. The girls returned from shopping, sopping. Paul came out the water and I was depressed. Bugger and blast, or Godverdomme ( Dutch for God dammit ). Oh well, we'll carry on without it and sort it when we take the boat out the water. Dinner on Zilver that night of carrot soup, cous cous and dutch style meatballs, and pear tart and hilarious company was a good tonic. Marianne has a recipe book in which she enters other peoples recipes. She already had Curly Sues indian Cauliflower in it. Next morning I delivered Andys 'Eggy yum yum bread' to them for breakfast. It met with approval and went in the book. Here in Greece a transport strike is starting to tell and diesel is becoming scarce. Cleopatra marina has run dry so we when a guy came down the pontoon asking if we needed any I decided to top up as I had been running the engine to keep the batteries charged. I also spoke to Spiros who hooked us into the leccy for a charge of 5euros a day. Up till then we were not paying anything. We are happy with this deal and Spiros seems a good guy. As mentioned earlier, Preveza is a really good town. Lots of shops, both touristy and real ones, so you can hunt around them for all sorts of things. There is also a proliferation of 'chinese shops' which stock almost everything. If you go in you always come out with something..........like super sticky rodent catching mats, fly-papers, bras ( not for me ) torches etc etc. There are also so many restaurants that I defy anybody to ever visit them all. We tended to go to anes away from the waterfront, ticked away up alleyways. One that Paul and Marianne introduced us to ( Waoa ) did not have menus. When you were ready to eat, after ordering drinks, you go into the kitchen and see what they have cooking that night and choose there. This may sound weird, but they did a cabbage in lemon sauce starter that was utterly gorgeous. Having said that we do not eat very often. Another option is the Giros bar. Fast, takeaway or sit in food. Pitta Giros which is meat off the spit, salad,chips and tzatziki wrapped inside a pitta bread. Its lovely and was only 2 euros. Another time we went shopping with Paul, Marianne and Mice and bought 4 big dorada fish which Paul barbecued that night. Beautiful. The strike is beginning to bit though and a lot of the bigger supermarkets shelves are almost empty due to no deliveries. We went into one and watched staff rearranging empty boxes on the shelves so it was neat.
One morning I decided to try and catch fish, first cast and got a tiddler, but that was that. Still, I fried it and had it for lunch much to Susans amusement.
Zilvers mast problem was causing P & M much concern. However Paul came and told us that his friends Hans and Anya were going to drive down from Holland in a car that they had bought on behalf of Paul and Marianne, and Hans would help to do the job without a crane. Hans used to own a boatyard in Holland and was a boatbuilder. Good to have friends like that. They arrived a few days later in a Volvo 440 and Paul and Hans set to with the mast job. They used ropes and winches to raise the mast gradually only a few inches then were able to get out the rotten timber. Then over the next two days replaced the timber, in stages with new teak. It was very impressive what they did, but I cannot describe it adequetly, but to lift a mast of that size whilst still afloat is impressive.
We have had a great and longer than planned stay in Preveza but time is pushing on and Rebecca, Chris and Oliver are flying out to Corfu to see us, so we are going to head up there and get into Gouvia in readiness for their arrival. Pictures to follow.......................

The Gulf of Amvrakia



At anchor in the gulf



We left Preveza mid morning and headed into the gulf. It is known as the inland sea. Paul and Marianne had told us about a place where they had anchored and seen turtles and beaver rats ( like beavers but with a long tail ).It was on the north west corner where a river runs into the gulf.It was a gentle motor there, past the site of the ancient city of Nikoplis which was built to commemorate Octavious's victory over Anthony. Some of the massive walls were visble from the sea but it is very spread out and better visited by land. We anchored about 400 metres offshore in about 5 metres of water. The water here is green and not very inviting. Who knows what lurks below !! Next morning we got up early and took the dinghy close in. There was a strong current flowing out of the river mouth so we motored gently up  the reed lined river. One beaver rat made a brief appearance then disappeared into the reeds. So far up the river we cut the engine and drifted back down. It was beautifully quiet but nothing else popped up. Once back at the mouth we paddled gently along the shoreline, me doing my best David

 Attenborough impressions. Another beaver rat appeared and swam right past us, they are about a metre long. Then we heard a big sploosh behind us. We stopped paddling and sat still. A huge ray swept through the water under our dinghy. Wow, that wa special. There is also a lot of birdlife. Pelicans, herons, terns and others that I do not know the names of. This is a special place, so tranquil. we loved it.



the river



beaver rat



We went ashore and watched the lagoon which is over the other side of the shore. It was teeming with birds.We returned to 'Curly' for brekky, then lifted the anchor to head for the opposite end of the gulf 18 miles away. The wind got up in the afternoon and we had a gentle sail, yes sail to Menidhion. After a peaceful night at anchor and a brief look at the unremarkable town we headed for Vonitsa. We had already decided that we really liked the gulf and that it was much more than we thought it would be, but en route we had the company of a large pod of dolphins playing around the boat just to add to the overall impression. First night at Vonitsa we anchored around the back of a large wooded headland but moved onto the quay early next morning when there was still room. There are a lot of liveaboards here that never seem to move off the quay so you have to grab a place when you can. 

Vonitsa waterfront

Vonitsa is a really pleasant town. The waterfront has restaurants and bars and a clean pebble beach but behind that is a vibrant working town. We are told that there are problems with gypsies there but we did not experience any problems. While we were sitting having lunch we say Dave and Sue on Scath come into the harbour. We squeezed them in just along from us, the last spot ! What a nice surprise. We went out for dinner with them that night and caught up on things. Both they and us where heading for Preveza to coincide with Denis and Sadie, whose boat was coming out the water there for the winter. Next day we walked up to the venetian castle that sits above the town and took in the views of the gulf and the shallow lagoon at the back of the town. Photos do not do it justice. Mind you, the mossies here are vicious buggers !! We bumped into Barry Neilson, the owner of Sailing Holidays who we had done two flotilla holidays with. He was in with a flotilla himself after taking part in the Ionian Regatta. Next morning we left the gulf and headed to Preveza town quay, only 8 miles away, to meet up with Dave and Sue on Scath and Denis and Sadie on Graceful. As we approached the quay Denis and Sadie met us in the rib and saved us a spot next to Scath. It was good to see them again. They had been down in the south Ionian catching up with friends since we last saw them at Lakka. But there was another nice surprise in store. As we came in we saw Zilver, Paul and Mariannes boat moored on the quay, well, we wouldn't be short of company here.



Yassas-Welcome to Greece







Infinity and Beyond

no words required !!

Lakka bay at sun down.

sundown in Akis bar, Lakka

down with the Italian flag!!

Our overnight anchorage at Ericousa had brought back memories for us. We had visited the island on a boat trip back in the 80's during a family holiday at Acharavi on Corfu. It is still as sleepy as it was then. We had a leisurely start and at 9.30am 'three ships went a sailing' to Corfu. Our approach to the island was pleaant with light winds. Denis and Sadie knew a small bay that would be good as a lunch and swim stop. We spent an hour there then carried on, arriving at Gouvia marina about 3.30pm, where we booked in for three nights. We bumped into Duncan and Julie of 'Rampage' who we met in Crotone. After a quick chat and promise to meet up later we went back to host pre meal drinks on 'Curly'. That night our 'flotilla' crews went to Telesilla hotel for a meal. This is highly recommended by people on the YBW forum and Denis and Sadie knew it from their previous visits to the Ionian. In fact the head waiter remembered them when we arrived. A good meal followed by greek dancing, that the two Sues took part in. All very touristy but enjoyable.
Susans Diary entry - Worn out, noddy head, but happy to be here.

Next day was busy. We went to get our DEKPA which is a transit log for sailing around Greece at the Port Police. It took three attempts. First time we had left our ships registration in the marina office. Second time we needed at receipt for the tax for the DEKPA which we had not paid, so it was back to marina office again. Third time, success ! we got it. Not bad going. I've heard stories of people taking two days to get it, and others that have given up trying. Greek bureaucracy is legendary. We had our sheets laundered and remade the bed with our new quilt. Ah, clean sheets, luxury. We ended up staying five nights in Gouvia. I used my cruising association 6% discount to make it less painful. Our days were busy, with jobs and leisure activities. We found a good engineer called Keith Fisher who is highly recommended. We will use him for some jobs in October before we put Curly to bed for the winter. We had drinks on board with Duncan and Julia but the weather had changed and a hooley was blowing through so we entertained inside. Susan gave me a clip out as I was starting to resemble Freddie Boswell. While in Gouvia we detected an aroma developing in the boat, and not a pleasant one. Investigation uncovered a dodgy seal on the holding tank outlet hose. A noxious liquid was oozing out and making its way into the bilges. On the face of it an easy although unpleasant job. However tightening the jublee clip did not seem to cure it. After much fiddling around we seemed to have it stopped.We then emptied the tank and began the clean up operation. Two hours later the boat wa sweet smelling again. Not a particularly enjoyable couple of hours but the result was worth it. Next day we set off to Lakka Bay on Paxos. Denis and Sadie had already gone the previous day. The trip down was nice with Susan helming. She took us between the cruise ships moored off Corfu, then straight down to Paxos. It was the England match that night and I fancied watching it in Akis bar. Denis and Sadie gave us a wave as we arrived in the bay. After dropping anchor we set to pumping up the dinghy for the trip ashore. We just got the outboard mounted when the wind picked up from the north. It started to whip into the bay bringing waves and swell with it. The trip ashore was now cancelled and we rocked and rolled for the rest off the night. The next day Denis and Sadie left for Gaios first thing for better shelter. They were in full foulies to combat the wind and rain which blew in. We decided to stick it out for a while. At lunchtime we spotted a space available on the quay and went for it. I dinghied in to check there was enough depth, then took 'Curly' in stern to. So there we were in one of our favourite places in the world, moored right in the centre of the village. How happy were we......VERY, even though it was still chucking it down. By teatime it was bright sunshine again. We spent four days on the quay at Lakka, during which we were joined by Dave and Sue on Scath who moored next to us. We also bumped into a South African family, Ian, Bridget and their two litle girls who we'd met in Gouvia. They were heading off to Malta that day so I sold Ian my Italian pilot guide for 10 euros. After a blissful stay in Lakka we moved to Mongonissi at the south end of the island, via a lunch stop at an idyllic anchorage on Anti-Paxos. Mongonissi was a peaceful calm anchorage. That makes a change. We swam, read, explored ashore and watched the comings and goings. Dave and Sue showed up the following day, along with two full flotillas which squeezed in. We were having drinks on Scath when we noticed a flash dinghy going past 'Curly' and slowing down. "its Curly Sue " we heard someone in the dinghy shout. "over here" we called. It was a couple called Martin and Linda who we had gone for a meal with, with Denis and Sadie. There superyacht ( see piccy ), Infinity and Beyond, was moored a hundred metres away but we did not know its name. It consumes 680 litres an hour. We use less than four so I suppose there is a trade off. We moved on to Gaios which is the capital of Paxos. Paxos is only 7 miles long by one and a half wide. Again we moored on the town quay. First night the wind picked upat 0300hrs and whipped down the quay. Three boats anchors broke their hold and they had to leave. It was chaos for a while but by morning calm had returned. When you go stern to the quay in these Greece you must drop your bow ( front )anchor, then reverse in, moor to the quay and ensure your anchor has dug in. Hence if the force of the wind makes your anchor break out you have no control over the bow of the boat. Hence, problem. That morning I was having brekky in the cockpit when I heard a thud and a sploosh. My mobile had slid out of my pocket, bounced on the deck and gone overboard. Bloody Hell !! Susan said later she'd never seen me move so fast. Glasses off, prescription goggles on and over the side. I recovered the phone off the bottom but it was knackered. All I could do was get a cheapy from town and transfer the SIM. Second negative of the day was we had to move further along the quay to make room for trip boats to moor. However, its true what they say that two negatives make a positive cos later that day a lovely dutch couple, Paul and Marianne and their dog 'Mice' moored next to us.



Marianne on Zilver, our neighbours



We immediately hit it off, resulting in a 0230am finish to awine and ouzo night. We woke to rain, but thankfully not a hangover. We had a quiet day shopping and clucking around the boat. In the hardware store we found red and green ( port and starboard ) funnels. " How good are these, we can use them as rat stoppers on our mooring lines" so we snapped them up. Paul and Marianne were sooo jealous, maybe!!. Next day I helped Paul change the anchor windlass on their boat 'Zilver' then we supper on their boat that night.

The following day we said our goodbyes to Paul,
Marianne and Mice and travelled down to Preveza on the mainland.               



Paul and Andy fitting Pauls new anchor windlass



We had a good sail down with the weather improving the further south we got. However when we got to Cleopatra marina at Preveza the wind was blowing strongly through the     

marina. As we reversed into the berth with the assistance off the bowthruster there was a horrible noise as the thruster sucked a loose lazy line in and wrapped the prop inside. Oh no, I just hoped no serious damage was done. I couldn't try and fix it then as the current was flowing too strongly through the marina, so first thing the next morning before the wind was up I went for a dip. After a bit of gentle persuasion I freed the line from the bowthruster and no damage done. Phew.

We stayed a couple of nights in Cleopatra and had a good nosey around to see if we liked the look of the place and also checked out the two neighbouring yards, Aktio and Preveza Marine. Then it was time to move on.









Sicily and Italy

taormina bay

life is hard

eggy bread for brekky, yum yum

swordfish boats in Messina Straits

Vulcano

the volcanic slopes of Vulcano

Feast of the Assumption celebrations

the square in Cefalu

Cefalu from our anchorage

typical Palermo

Palermo

same to you pal !!

There is no getting away from it-Palermo is scruffy. Wonderful architecture, history, but litter litter everywhere !! Oh and the harbour stinks as well. The morning following our arrival my 'chatty man' from Club de Med turned up and summonsed me to the office. with my papers. Thats not The Daily Star and Mirror, my boat papers. Ships registration, insurance and passports with crew list. I knock on his portakabin door, he waves me in and gestures me to sit. He says something in Italian and I shrug. " Non parle Italiano, parla englezze per favore". "Non", he smiles, hands apart and palms upwards. Then he stands up and turns his back on me for a minute. He nturns back round and puts an expresso coffee in front of me. " Grazie". I hand over my papers, he hands me a form which I can now fill from memory.. He points to a chart with the nightly tariff. I nod, he nods and shrugs apologetically. He then hands me a map of Palermo and his card which informs me he is the official tourist information office !! "Supermercado ?" I enquire. His pen drops onto the map and makes a circle. He smiles. "Lavenderia ?" prompts another circle. "Bus per l'aeroporto ?". Big circle. "Grazie mille". "Prego" (thank you so much, your welcome ). We both stand up and shake hands. He repeats " prego, prego and beams a smiloe as I leave the office. It was like a sketch from the Two Ronnies but what a nice bloke. That day we explored the city. There are some stunning buildings, but there is also a lot of run downand litter strewn streets. Its a kind of faded grandeur. It is also of course the home of the 'Mafia'. Tom and Jazz left that evening. We saw them off then walked back through the city centre. We were like a couple of raggy arsed scruffs walking amongst the beautifully groomed and attired sicilians. What the hell, its tough this boating life and we can't look a million dollars all the time. We lashed out on a lovely lightweight quilt for our bed. Not that we'll use it for a while, its 36 degrees in the shade here. Our next stop was Cefalu for two nights as we sailed along the northern coast of Sicily. We anchored off the beach in 5 metres of water. The town is lovely. Very quaint, with narrow lanes and olde buildings. All dominated by a huge cathedral. It was The Feast of the Assumption religious festival when we were there and there was a large flotilla of fishing boats and various hangers on decorated with palm leaves and flowers went through the anchorage. There was a big fella on the front boat that looked like Pavarotti singing, then he gave a sermon to the crowd that had gathered on the harbour. I wish he'd had a word with the God of Wind cos that night it changed direction and blew in from the west. The anchorage became untenable. Most boats cleared out during the night, but we waited until daybreak before we upped and left. Unfortunately we never got to have a drink with a nice australian couple, Owen and Judy, that we chatted with on their boat 'Hitchhiker'. Our next stop was going to be a problem. We were heading east into strong easterly winds and choppy waves. I was unhappy about trying to get into Cap d'Orlando as according to the pilot guide it was small and very susceptible to swell from the east. I'd noticed a bay in the lee of the Cap de Millazzo which should give us shelter. It was a fair distance and I wanted to get there before dark. We made it only just. It did give us good protection but the seabed was patchy sand and boulders. Susan hung over the bows, peering into the water for a patch of sand to appear. As it did the anchor was dropped. As long as it stayed calm we would be fine but I was concerned about the chain getting wrapped around a boulder and us not being able to retieve it. It did stay calm and we left at first light without a problem. We headed for Vulcano, one of the Aeolian Islands, which are a string of volcanic islands north of Sicily. Once there we cruised close inshore where you could see where the lava had flowed down the steep cliffs to the sea., and how the trees had grown again out of volcanic ash. We arrived late morning at Porto de Ponente on the west of the island where we anchored. The crater of the volcano towered over us and was emitting smoke and steam. It was a busy anchorage but we just chilled out on the boat while the italians raced around in the dinghies at full throttle. It would have been nice to go in for a swim but the water was teeming with jellyfish.Later on Susan was dozing at the bows and I was reading a book when there was a big vibration that shook the boat, quickly followed by another. Susans head popped up, " is that our anchor dragging Andy". Then we both looked across the bay to the neighbouring island of Lipari about half a mile away. Blimey. There was smoke, fumes steam, gas whatever pouring out of the cliffs and sea at the base of the cliffs. It wa an earth tremor. Half an hour later there was a helicoptor hovering overhead, then later five Guardia patrol boats turned up. Not that they seemed to do anything except cruise through the anchorage ogling the fit young bikini clad or less young ladies. We rowed our dinghy ashore, much to the consternaion of the neighbouring italians, and walked into town. We weren't allowed in the chandelry. The proprietor, an elderly chap, just kept shouting " Terrasmoto" ( earthquake). The anchorage was packed that night and very roly poly with swell. We left at 0800hrs and motorsailed to Millazzo, which is remarkably unremarkable, except that it was expensive to moor in the marina. We left the following day. We were going to Taormina on the east of Sicily but to get there had to go through the Messina Straits where we would stay a night in the Messina marina. The straits are renowned for confused waters and currents but we had no problems as it was calm. The amazing swordfishing boats were out in force. They have a really high tower where two guys sit and watch for the swordfish resting near the surface. Then another fella goes along a very long bowsprit and harpoons them ( see piccies ). Its incredible. Susan watched on being caught through the binoculars. There are other sort of home made swordfish boats with just a ladder tied in the middle pointing skywards, very precarious, and all the time the are ferries dashing back and forwards from Italy mainland to Sicily through this armada of small boats. How none of them get mown down is a miracle. We moored in the marina, what a rip off. 80 euros a night for a very uncomfortable berth and finger pontoons that are not fit for purpose. We met a charming Italian/Australian guy called Marcello on the boat next door. He was a geologist and lived on his boat and simply sailed arond Italy or Croatia doing work. We left mid morning the following day. There was a wind blowing from the north straight down the starits and there were no swordfish boats in sight. We headed south and as we did the wind increased. We had 30 knots behind us and we were riding waves down the straits. Susan was not happy and I must admit to being a little nervous myself. I had never experienced this situation before. I knocked to the autopilot of and manual steered. The waves try and twist your boat around and turn you sideways on. I slowly seemed to get the knack and controlling it just by the feel of the rudder against wave resistance. I dont know if this is how it should be done but it worked for us and after a couple of hours the wind and waves abated slightly. We arrived at Toarmina where we turned into the protection of the bay. The was quite of few boats in and three superyachts. One of which had a sailing boat bertheed on its port side, a motorboat berthed on its starboard side and a helicoptor on the back. We dropped the anchore near to a boat flying the flag of Eire. We waved and called hello and there was a chorus of hellos back. It was a family on board and half an hour later they swam across to say hello again. We nattered for some time and they invited us across to their boat for a drink. Paul and Lucina O'Sullvan and their family Oisin, Fiachra, Saoirse and Feargal had been living aboard for a yaer and had sailed from S. Ireland. We had a lovely evening and Paul tempted Susan and I with a few Jamesons to finish the night off. We traded contact details and promised to keep in touch. The following morning we got up to wave them off at 0600hrs. We later weighed anchor ourselves and sailed the short distance down to Riposto marina which should be known as Rip-off-so. This place took the biscuit at 96, yes 96 euros a night. However, we needed to do a couple of jobs, fuel up and stock up before heading to mainland Italy so it served our purpose going in. Apart from the exorbitant cost it is actually a good place with two good chandelries and a supermarket that offers discount to boaties and delivers to your boat ( a godsend when you want lots of drinking water ). Another early start the next day. Up at 0500 and out by 0600. Next stop was Roccella Ionica on mainland Italy. Susan admitted to being a little nervous after the rollercoaster ride we had through the straits but conditions were good and we had a pleasant trip across. There was quite a bit of big commercial traffic early on coming or going from the straits but it quietened off. I saw a turtle swim past, how cute they are. It was a long day and we arrived about 1630hrs. We were greeted by Harold, a norwegian guy on the next berth. It was 20 euros a night with free water but no electric. Excellent. We instantly liked Roccella. The Guardia were very laid back with the paperwork and there was free bike hire. There was a good atmoshere to the place with everyone either coming from or going to Greece. A restaurant at the edge of the harbour was busy laying tables. Loads and loads of them. Their a bit optomistic I thought. That night it was packed, I couldn't believe it. Harold said it was like that every night, and it was. They could seat 1300 people and every night it was full. Now that is what you call good business. Its served mainly fish or pizzas which came by the metre. We went on our second night and enjoyed it. Get this though. As we were walking down the harbour we were approached by a group, two men and two women. They made polite conversation, asking where we were from and where we were going. They then said " no doubt you know who we are". "no" says I with my usual blank expression. "We are Jehovahs Witnesses". Well blow me over and whistle dixie, I would never have guessed that one. I didn't know they got this far south I said later to Susan. Anyway, we chatted for a bit longer about sailingy things and we shook hands and moved on. We stayed three nights in Roccella Ionica and could have stayed longer but we were watching for the right weather to move on. When it came we took the opportunity to go. We'd had a text from the O'Sullivans to say they were in La Castella so we said we'd see them there. They sorted out a berth for us in advance and as we arrived were on the quay to take first our photos and then our ropes. We had supper with them that night and this time Paul broke out the Bushmills. The family moved on the following afternoon for to get to Levkas in Greece in a one trip.We chilled out in La Castella for two nights. We had a few concerns about a knocking we had heard on the prop, or thats where we thought it was from. I tried going under the boat in the harbour but the water was so murky I could not see a thing. The area outside the harbour for some considerable distance is a marine reserve and we could not anchor there so we decided to move on to Crotone and anchor outside the harbour. The trip to Crotone had the inevitable wind on the nose and was a bit bumpy but fine. We had been given the number of a guy called Frederico who could arrange a berth in Crotone and would not rip you off. We rang him and he spoke good english. He said he could fit us in and to ring again as we arrived. We anchored off the beach first and I had a dive under the boat. Everything seemed fine which in one way was good and another bad, as we still did not know where the noise was from. We rang Frederico and he gave us instructions. Go between the yellow boat and the pink boat at the top of the harbour and I will tell the men to see you. As promised two guys where waiting and we squeezed in. Water pipe handed on, electric connected up for us, spot on. Frederico came round later and asked for 25 euros. A bargain. We heard later people were charged a minimum of 40 and others considerably more. We had a stroll around town then spent the evening on the boat chatting to other brits as they walked to and from their boats. We left early the next morning and as we did so noticed that a brit Moody 54 and Bavaria 46 which were moored further up the harbour had already left. As we cleared the harbour we saw their masts about a mile out on the same course as ourselves. " Bet I know where they are going, Santa Maria de Leuca, same as us ". There was no wind and we motored the 78 miles across to the heel of Italy. A pod of dolphins joined us for a while which was nice. Otherwise, we read and chatted and had a game of scrabble. Santa Maria was bedlam when we arrived. There were lots of little boats charging in all directions. Our calls to the marina on channel 9 ( as the book tells you ) and 16 met with silence. As we entered the harbour a big sign said CHANNEL 12. So I called on that. Still silence. I was just eyeing up a decent berth when a marinero popped up and directed us to another berth which was near the entrance and very roly. Not good. I went to check on and it was 50 euros. I asked where the showers were, " over there, but they do not work" was the reply. " Do you have internet", "yes, you go in the internet room and pay them there". What a rip off. I was still fizzing as I walked back to the boat when I heard "are you Curly Sue" ( you get used to it, honest). A guy sitting on the Bavaria 46 that we had followed across waved. "Drinks on here tonight if your interested". "Thanks very much, we'll be down in a few minutes" We wandered down and joined them. Dave and Sue from the Bavaria named Scath and Dennis and Sadie from the Mooody 54 Graceful. We had a lovely evening chatting with them, sipping G & T and winding down. They invited us to cross to Greece with them the following day which we were happy to do. It would be different travelling with other boats. It was a roly night in Santa Maria and we were glad when morning arrived. We left at 0800hrs as part of a little flotilla. We had a fantastic trip across. A beam reach and wind in our sails. We headed for Ericousa which is a small island north of Corfu. The greek courtesy flag was hoisted halfway across and we were feeling quite elated with nearing our destination. We arrived in Ericousa bay about 1700hrs and went for a swim. "bloody hell, that waters cold, I'm going home again". " Drinks on our boat at 6.30" Dennis shouted across,"I'll pick you up in our dinghy" called Dave. " OK, I'll stay then ". Another thoroughly enjoyable night in good company followed by another roly night at anchor. But it did not matter because the next morning we were bound for Corfu.

Escape from Mahon

Up before the sun and the anchor lifted at 0615. It was a beautiful still morning. Two other yachts who had also been waiting for the right weather left as we did. Once clear of the headland there was still a considerable swell coming down from the north. Remnants of storms in the Gulf of Lions, but a lot better than the rolling white tops of the previous few days. We adopted a three hour watch system, Susan and I together thenTom and Jazz together. Jazz had never been on a yacht before so this would be quite a test for her., but Tom would keep her right. For some reason both Susan and I both felt a little anxious but when we talked it over we could not decide why. Maybe it was leaving the familiarity of Spain for the unknown of Sardinia/Sicily and Italy.........who knows. That night it was the most amazing starry night, you almost felt like you could reach out and touch them, they were so big. The swell was still with us so it was not the most comfortable night as we rolled along. However during the night watch there was a sobering call on the VHF. A mayday relay ( a shore station passing on details of a mayday from a vessel ) that a french yacht had lost a man overboard and to keep a sharp lookout.. The message carried on periodically into the morning. They had not found him. It certainly makes you reflect a little. We always wear lifejackets and lifelines on deck at night and this is the reason. It only takes a stumble and you can be over the side. At night you have very little chance of being recovered as has happened with this poor guy.
By morning the swell had all but gone and it was glorious sunshine. During the night two squid had landed on deck and left their inky marks which is a bugger to get off. We could now see the island west of Sardinia in the far distance. That afternoon we were treated to the most amazing dolphin performance ever.One dolphin, obviously attracted by our blaring music, came and swam under our bows, spinning, spouting up at us, grinning at us, waiting for us to catch up them like a gane of chasey.....amazing. Jazz had never seen a dolphin in the wild before and this was some introduction. We arrived at Marina de Capitana near Cagliari in the darkness of the late evening. It was difficlut to spot the navigation lights to lead us in as there was a disco on the shore with flashing green and red lights.....very helpful. We slowly edged in and once inside found a berth. It was very lively and Tom, Susan and I headed for the bar but Jazz was so knackered that she just went to bed. Next morning we had no time for sight seeing. A quick visit to the supermarket, top up the fuel tanks and away. Once out the wind was favourable. Full sails were out and and we were cracking alomh at 7 knots ( with a bit of Yanmar to help out ).On we sailed into the night. During our night shift Tom got up and was sleepwalking...yikes! Susan closed the wheelhouse door and he just flopped back into bed thank goodness. Next morning, surprise surprise it was a lovely sunny calm morning. We had a hearty brecky of sausages and eggy bread. The small islands west of Sicily were now in view but it took an age to close on them. I prepared a crib sheet in italian for when I call in to request a berth. We had a pleasant motor sail along the north of Sicily but the wind was dropping as was our speed. I called in to a marina in Palermo but they were full. " Try club mediterraneo" . I did. He spoke no English so I put my crib sheet to the test. "Ci" and the phone went down. "Well, I think we're in there". Again it was dark as we entered port. Palermo is a busy commercial port and you must lookout for fast ferries and other big stuff. We found club med., slid into our berth and tied her off. We'd made it with 24 hours to spare. Mahon to Sicily via Sardinia, 500 nautical miles. Jazz had done ever so well. She had not suffered the dreaded 'mal de mar' and had even gone into the galley to help prepare meals whilst at sea. No mean feat. We quickly spruced up and headed out, avoiding the streetwalker strutting on the corner ( real classy ) and found a restaurant where we raised our glasses to a good trip and friendship.

Stormbound in Mahon

Tom Auckland and his girlfriend, Jasmine ( Jazz ) were flying to join us on Monday for the trips to Sardinia and Sicily. The day before they arrived we just chilled out in the anchorage and prepared for them arriving. We had stocked up with food in Alcudia as we know Tom is very food of his grub. Whilst we were checking the engine there was a knock on the side of the boat. A nice man called Alberto was taking orders for groceries that he would deliver to the boat the following day for a delivery charge of 2euros. Deal, he got an order, and he had a good chat with him. That evening we went for a spin in the dinghy but much to my disgust we ran out of fuel and I had to row back. Susan sang, apparently to encourage me. It worked. The faster I rowed, the less time I had to suffer her singing ( sorry Susan ). We checked the weather again for the trip to Sardinia. It did not look good. Things were lively up in the Gulf of Lions and the northerlies were bringing it all down to us. Big seas were due. Next day Alberto arrived with our groceries and we then up anchored and went across the harbour to collect Tom and Jazz. There is virtually nowhere to berth and when we spotted them on the quay we literally went alongside, no ropes, they jumped on, then out again before we were spotted by the harbour patrol. We then went for fuel. There is only one fuel pontoon in Mahon and all the superyachts go to it for a top up of 5000+ litres. We were fourth in the queue and circled for two hours till we got in, but I like to run with full tanks so it had to be done. We went back to Teleura and re-anchored. Decision time. Go now and try and beat the weather or sit tight. Decision made to sit tight. This was a wise move as that night it began brewing up nicely. It was now looking like Thursday or Friday before the weather was right for us to go so we just had to settle in for the wait. Jazz was really nice and we all got on well. The rest of the week was spent watching the weather, doing dinghy trips, swimming, lounging around and reading. Very arduous. Tom decided to try his hand at fishing so we dinghied across the harbour to Es Castell where he bought some hooks and line in 'the chinese shop' ( remember them ). After a few attempts to perfect his technique he reeled in six big ones!! Well, big ones for sardines that is.....unfortunately we had already eaten, so he cooked them and ate them himself, although we did help him out a bit. We had two mornings of very heavy rain but each time it cleared by mid afternoon. One evening we all went across in the dinghy to Es Castell for a meal (see piccy). Four in a three man dinghy was fun across the choppy harbour. The trip takes about 12-15minutes depending on how much traffic you have to try to avoid. Es Castell is a beautiful fishing harbour, very picturesque. We had a pleasant meal then dinghied back in the dark with Susan at the bow with the olympic torch held aloft to guide the way ( and to stop big stuff cleaning us up ).

The weather forecast was still not good. We put departure back to Saturday, bearing in mind that Tom and Jazz were due to fly home from Sicily on the following Wednesday, it was starting to get tight.On the Friday Susan and I checked out the old fort on the headland which was an amazing piece of construction, although obsolete by the time it was built. Tom and Jazz had a better time watching a three way international incident when an italian motor boat caused a french boat to drag its anchor with nobody aboard. The owners rushed back in their dinghy just in time to stop their boat crashing into a german boat. The german lady ( who we got on well with ) then boarded the frenchies and a slanging match ensued. The italians sneaked away to hide, but the frenchies spotted them and once under control, chased after them and boarded them.....cue more heated exchanges and arm flailing!!!! Its been quite funny because a lot of the people on the boats around us think that we are a family. They say to Tom, " is your father on the boat ", he hasn't tried to explain, its probably easier.

Friday night and the forecast was good for an early departure in the morning so we had a drink to that. 270 miles to Cagliari, Sardinia, lets do it.

The hoiliday is over

So our holiday on Majorca with the family was over. Time to press on. Whilst in Santa Ponsa a guy stopped to admire 'Curly' ( the boat, not Susan ). We chatted for a while and he asked where we were going next. We said Palma but that it was expensive. " I have a berth in Club de Mar, Palma, you can use it for a couple of nights if you wish". How very kind ! So the next day we set off for berth 5018, at the exclusive Club de Mar. The marina was huge and full of super yachts when we arrived. We found 5018 and as we reversed into the berth a marinero appeared on his Vespa scooter. " Not possible", "Move, move ". We ignored him until we'd finished tying up then I went across. " I have permission from the owner, Tony Orly. " " You move, not possible you stay here". It was not until I mentioned " I speak with Matteo ( the managers name )" that things looked up. Using the marineros phone I spoke to Matteo who was very nice but insistent that he needed authority. I rang Santa Ponsa, asked them to ring Tony and ask him to ring Matteo and give permission. By the time I got into Matteos air conditioned office it was sorted. "Welcome Mr Mills, a pleasure to meet you " The maintenance man then came to hook us up to shore power. Big Mistake. He disconnected our plug end and rewired and bigger one on, then left. It all worked ok. The problem comes later. The following morning our friend Shirley, who is a yacht broker in Palma came to see us. " you jammy beggars, getting a freebie in Club de Mar. Its 130 euros a night" Not bloody worth it says I. Still, it was great to have a chin wag with Shirley. As we left the boat Susan nearly fell in the harbour as she attempted an assisted leap from boat to quay, only to be saved by Shirley and me from slithering into the drink !! Shirley then kindly gave us a lift to a ferreteria ( hardware shop ) for another camping gaz bottle. So now we have three. Shirley then gave us a lift back and mentioned the possibility of me doing some work as there representative in Greece. No problem says I. I'm ready for a new part time job. We got some fuel additive delivered to us on the quay by a company called Bosuns locker who are three brit guys. Very good service and prices. We were leaving the following day so we asked to be disconnected from the shore power. Mr Grumpy to do it. Huffio Puffio !! Next day we moved on after being stung for 30euros for the connect and disconnect job. Wot a con. We had a lovely trip around to Porto Petro which was recommended to us by Terry and Emma. It certainly is beautiful. It was a hot still afternoon when we arrived and quite idyllic. There are mooring buoys here so we promptly hooked onto one. We we just settling down when the 'man in the red rib' came and told us the one we were on was already booked. We had to move. But he kindly let us go on another across the bay. That night was gorgeous, with a full moon overhead, you did not want to go to bed. Bliss. Next day was our 35th wedding anniversary! and here we were living 'our dream'. It was a beatuful calm sunny morning as we set off for an anchorage near Alcudia. However as the day progressed dark skies appeared and the swell increased. As we rounded the headland off Ratjada the swell increased even more. Anchoring was now out of the question. We had two choices, go back 3+hrs or press on. He kept going and were met by a flotilla of boats going the opposite way. Did they know something we suspected? Then the rain, monsoon started. My god, did it rain. Visiblility was no more than 150 metres. £pm and we had nav lights and radar on. We had retreated into the wheelhouse but I still managed a few ariel acrobatics whilst reefing the mainsail. We decided to run for cover into Alcudia marina, but they would not answer radio or phone. We still went in and the marineros spotted us. Apparently it was a fiesta day so all the office staff had gone home. Hence no answer. We moored next to some brits who were sunning themselves. "Whats it like out there?" they asked, " Bloody awful" we replied as we cracked off the layer of salt. " Yeh, someone else said that earlier " Happy Anniversary Dear !!! We had some good chat with some resident brits who recommended the internet site Meteo france who do an excellent weather bulletin daily. Vastly superior to anything the spanish do. Alcudia is a good marina, I can understand why people use it to overwinter. We walked to Old Alcudia which is a fascinating town inland. A labyrinth of alleyways and restored city walls ( yeh, a bit like Carlisle, but then again ...).
Leaving Majorca behind us we set off for Minorca and Cala Maccarella, where our dream of living on a boat first started. It wa 45 miles across and we had a lovely trip over. We arrived at Maccarella at 1700hrs and it was busy. We found a place to drop the hook and once the day boats had left the place seemed less frantic. That night we put on Enya-Paint the Sky with stars on the ipod, it was a special moment for us, something we had talked about for a long time. Next morning we went exploring in the dinghy around the coves and caves. I swam round Curly giving her waterline a scrub as I went. All very relaxing. After a couple of nights we moved on to a narrow cala called Biniparratx. This was a good one night stopover, we then moved on towards Mahon. We intended anchoring in San Esteve but when we got there realised it was just too busy and narrow. We went into Mahon and after a lap of the harbour dropped the anchor in Cala Teleura, behind the island. Our first attempt went badly wrong. We dropped in plenty depth but the wind changed and swung us into shallows. We grounded. Arghhh!!! Plenty revs and a blast of bowthruster got us off and saved our embarrasement. We re-anchored in much deeper water. Susan had been feeling a bit homesick and missing the little ones so I rang the kids and chatted with them on loudspeaker with Susan listening. They were all on fine form and Susan felt much better after it ( she did not want to talk incase she got upset ).