BEAUTIFUL ZAKYNTHOS NATURE AND WAITING FOR THE RIGHT WEATHER TO GO NORTH AGAIN - DAYS 117 to 120

BEAUTIFUL ZAKYNTHOS NATURE AND WAITING FOR THE RIGHT WEATHER TO GO NORTH AGAIN  23 – 26 AUGUST DAYS 117 to 120

People see the wonderful blue waters and wild nature of our photos but don’t understand how it is to live on a tiny boat and get to these wonderful places. Apart from keeping the boat in good order we constantly watch the weather and always have a back-up plan as the weather and conditions can change and we can’t predict everything which will happen.

Mostly to be in the wild places we are on moving water, especially when many tourist boats are around, or there is wind and swell. It can be tiring to be at anchor constantly moving.  We don’t have mains electricity or running water. In fact we don’t have enough 12 volt electricity to keep the fridge going for even half of the day, and we must take a few litres of water from a tap ashore when we can find one. We go ashore to a café each few days to charge phones, computer, wifi modem and a small power pack which takes about 8 hours to charge and about 2 to empty in use.

We don’t have cool air conditioned rooms and are constantly seeking shade from hot sun as really we live outside in summer heat except to cook and sleep.

For all of that we would not swop the beauty and joy of being in these places, swimming with fish, seeing occasional dolphins and turtles, and observing nature.

On Thursday we stayed at anchor to rest after three very busy days. Lovely location but those rental boats and tripper boats keep rushing past leaving us rolling in their wake. They are not conscious of others and don’t look back to see the effect of being inconsiderate.

On Friday we decided to revisit the last part of the coast we had passed in darkness, to see, as offered by bat trip companies, two rock windows, beach and Keri caves under the high cliffs. We went early, first passing close to the “protected” island of Marathonisi (Turtle Island) where anchoring is not allowed and the 6 knot speed limit of the bay applies. It was deserted but later each day the tiny beach used by green turtles as a nesting place is full of tourists and boats which for sure did not go so slowly to get there. 

It seems tourist euros for the boat businesses are more important than protecting the turtles which attract tourists, despite this are being a special zone. Fortunately at the east side of the bay the beaches there are probably quieter.

We anchored in one bay under tall cliffs to swim and finished before the first tourist boat rushed in. We went further and anchored over sand in clear blue water in a larger bay, bouncing up and down from passing boat wash and the swell from wind over the sea. The wild nature of Zakynthos is amazingly beautiful. 

We were able to sail part of the way back and chose a route around Marathonisi Island again but avoiding other boats. We came to anchor behind some moored boats in a shallow bay with sea grass and close by tree covered hill side. As the boat settled we saw a turtle, sensibly avoiding the waters overrun with tourist boats.

Here we still get wash from passing boats but less than nearer to the small harbour.

We stayed at anchor on Saturday, going ashore to walk past many olive trees and holiday accommodation tucked away behind the waterfront restaurants. 

We could have used the southerly wind but decided to enjoy longer here. Weather has become unsettled. We had rain and more clouds.

By Sunday the prevailing west to north west winds have returned so we watch the forecasts to see the right weather window to head north again comfortably. In the strong gusty afternoon winds the kedge (smaller) anchor dragged a little out of grass onto sand but was not dug in well ( I swim to check) so we re-anchored and watched for a couple of hours that it was not dragging again.

We need petrol but are not keen to go to noisy Zakynthos Town harbour where we could be stuck for a couple of days waiting the right conditions to leave so will try to buy some here with help from the boat rental guys as the nearest petrol station is 5 km away.

Apart from wash from boats, and petrol spills (from refuelling rental boats) 

Keri is a safe place to sit out these strong winds. It is the British August Bank Holiday weekend, and beautiful full Moon time too bringing amazing soft light to the bay at night.

THE WILD SIDE AND ICONIC SHIPWRECK BAY ZANTE – 20 – 22 AUGUST, DAYS 114 to 116

THE WILD SIDE AND ICONIC SHIPWRECK BAY ZANTE – 20 – 22 AUGUST, DAYS 114 to 116

The water in the harbour of Eufimia was surprisingly not clean for swimming, and finding a safe place to tie the dinghy had been a problem but the water was calm for sleeping.

We motored out on Monday morning into the light East wind to sail south. Once out of the large bay we put up sails and stared tacking south. As usual here the early wind dies and we resorted again to the motor. North of Poros we saw a couple of yachts anchored in turquoise water. The pilot book, charts and electronic charts do not shower smaller anchoring  possibilities and it is often best to see what other boats have found. We went towards the shore and anchored in a small turquoise paradise over sand. It was necessary to watch carefully and avoid underwater rocks.

Later we continued south, considered anchoring in the bay of Poros, 

but decided to continue as we wanted to use the settled weather and cross tomorrow to Zacinthos (Zante) and go to the west coast to see the well known Wreck Bay, one of three iconic images of Greece, the others being the white and blue houses of Mykonos and the Parthenon in Athens.

There was some SW wind and we were motoring with sails. My plan was to anchor in a bay on the south side but the stronger evening wind was creating a swell so we stopped off a small resort town at the East side for shelter anchoring in 4 metres over sand. The bay was wide open, 180 degrees sea and of course waves from distant passing ships are felt

I wanted to arrive at Wreck Beach on the exposed west coast  before the tourist boats and hundreds of day visitors. Waking about 4 am I could feel wind and set sails to take advantage of it. The start was slow under the dark sky with bright stars. One taverna was still playing lovely Greek music which we could hear across the water.

The wind strengthened, progress was good and the sun rose over a distant island near to the mainland coast. 

We arrived at Wreck Beach about 9 am and managed to get ashore by dinghy in time to make photos before the crowds came. All the photos show the beach from the top of the high cliffs. We saw a different perspective.

Soon the first tourist boats arrived displaying a high disregard for respect of other water users, coming in fast and making big wash causing difficulties for swimmers and yachts alike. I could not believe how aggressive some of the captains are, reminding me of similar experience from the captain of “Hornblower” in Malta a few years ago putting Apataki at serious risk, avoided only by one of my crew fending off. That was the only time in my sailing life that I reported a ship to the Police.

Some yachts had spent the night in the bay, but were soon moving out. We also moved out and came to a large bay with gorgeous clear blue water under high white cliffs and anchored to swim. Later the tourist boats passed through there too, and the many small rental boats. While some were slow and courteous passing anchored boats many were not.

By late afternoon a light west wind added to the swell of many boats and it was expected to strengthen, otherwise we could have enjoyed a night there. We motored south, later with wind help arriving at Keri, a sheltered bay in the south at 10 pm. The scenery of raw rock, caves, cliffs with some green was just wonderful, not the images used to promote the island. Anita was ecstatic in this nature. Heading south we saw the sunset over the sea for the first time in ages. Sunrise and sunset at sea in one day.