At last we have started our summer cruise, we returned to Greece on the 24th Feb after a much longer stay in t
he U.K. than anticipated. We managed to see many friends even venturing as far as the north east to visit family. We also had a wonderful holiday to Borneo (via Dubai to do a little shopping). We loved Borneo particularly the orang utans and the high canopy walkway through the rainforest, I still don’t know how I managed to do it as I am terrified of heights. We also went out to Turtle Island and were fortunate enough to see a huge green turtle laying her eggs. The pampering in the hotel was pretty good too!
Unfortunately we didn’t do quite as much as planned as Ray was still recovering from his emergency appendectomy but we managed all the major things we had planned.
Anyway back to boating matters, the boat was lifted back into the water on the 28th Feb in very strong winds, it was pretty nerve racking watching her being trundled across the yard swinging in slings but it all went without a hitch. We had to stay alongside the launch area overnight as it was too windy to get into our berth but by morning it was calm and sunny and we were able to motor round. The boat looked much better than when we left her as she had been polished and anti fouled and she also moved better too now that she had the weed and barnacles removed.
We were fortunate to return as the weather improved after what had been a very wet winter. We were able to sit out for coffee in warm sunshine and enjoy Lefkas where life is much nicer than in the UK, the people have time to stop and chat and the pace of life is so much slower and friendlier.
We caught up with all our friends and their news over the next few days which of course resulted in much eating and drinking. However life is not one long holiday there was lots of work to do, the boat had to be cleaned inside and out, all the ropes and sails put back on and the big job of sorting out all the lockers to make space for all the items we had brought back from the UK.
The weather became more variable and we had some terrific thunderstorms generated by the warmer days but by the beginning of April the weather became more settled.
We decided with the better weather to go back to Zagoria which we had visit
ed in the autumn and wanted to see in the spring. We stayed in Monodendri which is in the centre of the National Park so made a good base for touring and walking.
The spring flowers were wonderful with fields of lovely wild anemones, hellebores, gentians, snowdrops and aubrietia as well as the usual buttercups, daisies euphorbia and Campion. The area looked very different from the autumn as all the rivers were in flood and the tops of the mountains were still covered in snow. It was much cooler than Lefkas but fortunately the hotel had a huge log fire and the rooms were heated.
We managed to fit in a number of walks but the most spectacular was along the Aoos gorge where the river was a raging torrent through a spectacular gorge.
We returned to the boat via the nearest Carrefour where we took the opportunity of having the car to provision the boat ready for our cruise through the Aegean where many of the smaller islands are uninhabited so shopping might be difficult.
Once back on board I completed a number of sewing jobs including making new side panels to zip onto our bimini which should provide extra shade in the summer.
On Monday May 1st we finally left the marina in lovely sunshine, it felt great to be under way again even though we didn’t go far just 9 miles to Tranquil Bay halfway down the island. It really was tranquil at this time of year with just 3 or 4 other boats at anchor. It was so lovely that we s
tayed there for 4 days. On Friday 5th we ghosted in light winds down to Sivota one of our favourite anchorages in the Ionian where we were greeted like old friends by some of the people who remembered us from last year. We left Sivota on Monday the 8th and had a wonderful sail to Cephalonia where we headed into Fiskhardo. There were no boats there when we arrived apart from the ferry which naturally decided to leave as we entered. We anchored stern to the quay but our rudder was just about touching but we managed to move the boat sideways into deeper water. I‘d had a problem with the anchor which I couldn’t release so we ended up further along the quay than we had planned. The harbour soon started to fill as the first charter boats arrived and we enjoyed watching the comings and goings.
We left Fiskhardo on Wed 10th May and motor sailed to Ay Eufemia further down the coast of Cephalonia another favourite harbour. We were able to tie up alongside the quay and had both electricity and water a real luxury so we decided to stay a couple of days as there were showers forecast which fortunately didn’t materialise.
On Friday 12th May we started our passage to Turkey; we left Ay Eufimia for Messalonghi in the Gulf of Patras. It was a gorgeous morning but no wind so we had to motor all the way. The harbour is accessed by a 2 mile canal which passes some quaint fisher men’s houses on stilts. There was only one other yacht in the harbour so no one to take our lines but we managed ok. The harbour is out in the sticks and is a soulless place with large expanses of concrete and wild dogs so it will just be an overnight stop. We visited the town on our way to Athens last year and didn’t feel it was worth the long walk to see it again even though Lord Byron is buried here.
We left Messalonghi at 7.00a.m. to head through the bridge to the island of Trizonia.
The wind quickly increased to force 6/7 on the nose. We slogged under engine for a couple of hours and it became worse as we approached the narrows where the bridge is situated, we had waves over the bimini and whilst not unsafe we decided to abort our plans and headed into Patras instead.
We were pleasantly surprised there was a good marina and it was calm inside and we ended up moored next to a Danish couple who had been beside us in Lefkas. We had to clean the whole of the boat as she was covered in salt before we could enjoy our lunch in the cockpit. Patras is a not unattractive town and there are many waterside cafes bars and restaurants which we decided to make use of. The night was pleasantly warm once the wind died and we were able to sit in the cockpit at 10.00p.m enjoying a nightcap. The bars and cafes were busy so the place was buzzing. The downside was the concert on the pier in front of the marina which was very noisy and went on until after 4.00a.m.
As we did not have much sleep we decided to leave early for Trizonia, th
e breeze quickly filled but not enough to cause a problem. We radioed traffic control and were able to go straight through. Once through the bridge the sea calmed and went glassy as the wind died once through the narrows. We arrived at Trizonia by 10.00a.m and were quickly tied up alongside and after a drink explored the village. It is a very pleasant unpretentious place with a couple of small tavernas and a supermarket where you have to order your bread the night before as it comes on the ferry from the mainland.
We are still in Trizonia and all being well we will continue down the Gulf of Corinth and go through the Corinth Canal at the end of the week and hopefully be in Turkey by the end of June so watch for further news.
he U.K. than anticipated. We managed to see many friends even venturing as far as the north east to visit family. We also had a wonderful holiday to Borneo (via Dubai to do a little shopping). We loved Borneo particularly the orang utans and the high canopy walkway through the rainforest, I still don’t know how I managed to do it as I am terrified of heights. We also went out to Turtle Island and were fortunate enough to see a huge green turtle laying her eggs. The pampering in the hotel was pretty good too!Unfortunately we didn’t do quite as much as planned as Ray was still recovering from his emergency appendectomy but we managed all the major things we had planned.
Anyway back to boating matters, the boat was lifted back into the water on the 28th Feb in very strong winds, it was pretty nerve racking watching her being trundled across the yard swinging in slings but it all went without a hitch. We had to stay alongside the launch area overnight as it was too windy to get into our berth but by morning it was calm and sunny and we were able to motor round. The boat looked much better than when we left her as she had been polished and anti fouled and she also moved better too now that she had the weed and barnacles removed.
We were fortunate to return as the weather improved after what had been a very wet winter. We were able to sit out for coffee in warm sunshine and enjoy Lefkas where life is much nicer than in the UK, the people have time to stop and chat and the pace of life is so much slower and friendlier.
We caught up with all our friends and their news over the next few days which of course resulted in much eating and drinking. However life is not one long holiday there was lots of work to do, the boat had to be cleaned inside and out, all the ropes and sails put back on and the big job of sorting out all the lockers to make space for all the items we had brought back from the UK.
The weather became more variable and we had some terrific thunderstorms generated by the warmer days but by the beginning of April the weather became more settled.
We decided with the better weather to go back to Zagoria which we had visit
ed in the autumn and wanted to see in the spring. We stayed in Monodendri which is in the centre of the National Park so made a good base for touring and walking.The spring flowers were wonderful with fields of lovely wild anemones, hellebores, gentians, snowdrops and aubrietia as well as the usual buttercups, daisies euphorbia and Campion. The area looked very different from the autumn as all the rivers were in flood and the tops of the mountains were still covered in snow. It was much cooler than Lefkas but fortunately the hotel had a huge log fire and the rooms were heated.
We managed to fit in a number of walks but the most spectacular was along the Aoos gorge where the river was a raging torrent through a spectacular gorge.
We returned to the boat via the nearest Carrefour where we took the opportunity of having the car to provision the boat ready for our cruise through the Aegean where many of the smaller islands are uninhabited so shopping might be difficult.
Once back on board I completed a number of sewing jobs including making new side panels to zip onto our bimini which should provide extra shade in the summer.
On Monday May 1st we finally left the marina in lovely sunshine, it felt great to be under way again even though we didn’t go far just 9 miles to Tranquil Bay halfway down the island. It really was tranquil at this time of year with just 3 or 4 other boats at anchor. It was so lovely that we s
tayed there for 4 days. On Friday 5th we ghosted in light winds down to Sivota one of our favourite anchorages in the Ionian where we were greeted like old friends by some of the people who remembered us from last year. We left Sivota on Monday the 8th and had a wonderful sail to Cephalonia where we headed into Fiskhardo. There were no boats there when we arrived apart from the ferry which naturally decided to leave as we entered. We anchored stern to the quay but our rudder was just about touching but we managed to move the boat sideways into deeper water. I‘d had a problem with the anchor which I couldn’t release so we ended up further along the quay than we had planned. The harbour soon started to fill as the first charter boats arrived and we enjoyed watching the comings and goings.We left Fiskhardo on Wed 10th May and motor sailed to Ay Eufemia further down the coast of Cephalonia another favourite harbour. We were able to tie up alongside the quay and had both electricity and water a real luxury so we decided to stay a couple of days as there were showers forecast which fortunately didn’t materialise.
On Friday 12th May we started our passage to Turkey; we left Ay Eufimia for Messalonghi in the Gulf of Patras. It was a gorgeous morning but no wind so we had to motor all the way. The harbour is accessed by a 2 mile canal which passes some quaint fisher men’s houses on stilts. There was only one other yacht in the harbour so no one to take our lines but we managed ok. The harbour is out in the sticks and is a soulless place with large expanses of concrete and wild dogs so it will just be an overnight stop. We visited the town on our way to Athens last year and didn’t feel it was worth the long walk to see it again even though Lord Byron is buried here.
We left Messalonghi at 7.00a.m. to head through the bridge to the island of Trizonia.
The wind quickly increased to force 6/7 on the nose. We slogged under engine for a couple of hours and it became worse as we approached the narrows where the bridge is situated, we had waves over the bimini and whilst not unsafe we decided to abort our plans and headed into Patras instead.
We were pleasantly surprised there was a good marina and it was calm inside and we ended up moored next to a Danish couple who had been beside us in Lefkas. We had to clean the whole of the boat as she was covered in salt before we could enjoy our lunch in the cockpit. Patras is a not unattractive town and there are many waterside cafes bars and restaurants which we decided to make use of. The night was pleasantly warm once the wind died and we were able to sit in the cockpit at 10.00p.m enjoying a nightcap. The bars and cafes were busy so the place was buzzing. The downside was the concert on the pier in front of the marina which was very noisy and went on until after 4.00a.m.
As we did not have much sleep we decided to leave early for Trizonia, th
e breeze quickly filled but not enough to cause a problem. We radioed traffic control and were able to go straight through. Once through the bridge the sea calmed and went glassy as the wind died once through the narrows. We arrived at Trizonia by 10.00a.m and were quickly tied up alongside and after a drink explored the village. It is a very pleasant unpretentious place with a couple of small tavernas and a supermarket where you have to order your bread the night before as it comes on the ferry from the mainland.We are still in Trizonia and all being well we will continue down the Gulf of Corinth and go through the Corinth Canal at the end of the week and hopefully be in Turkey by the end of June so watch for further news.
