END OF SUMMER SAILING

Back in the beautiful Gulf, inland from Preveza, one goal was to take on water from the public tap, into our containers as the drinking water there tastes better than in the boatyard where we will soon be. The other goal was to fully enjoy the last days afloat for 2019.

In the bay we found a few catamarans enjoying the shallow water and protection by the lovely little island from west winds. Unusually one catamaran was smaller than us, from Italy, but I think they had not been cruising for three months like us. 

Really we must be the smallest catamaran cruising in the Ionian Islands.

We enjoyed again walking around the bay to Vonitsa town. We went up to the Castle but found it closed (since 3.30 pm). There is a small entry fee. In the town we ate gyros. Near to the anchorage we used again the excellent exercise machines under the shade of eucalyptus trees 

and took a walk around the lovely island.

Like moving to a new area to live, moving to a new sailing area means meeting new friends. In this our second summer in Ionian Greece we are seeing some of the same boats again and starting to meet some of the people sailing them.

We love multihull boats but we also meet monohull sailors. The boatyard is a place to meet people and sometime we see the same boats on the water, and at least share a friendly smile and wave, some not speaking a common language.

Dazcat 920 Razzmatazz, sailed by Tony and Sue was our first boatyard neighbour we anchored close to at Vonitsa in June.

We were walking along Preveza Town Quay on my birthday and found the huge Pahi 63, LARGYALO there. Already connected in Facebook it was great to meet Pit and Berti in person. We met again in a small bay in Cephalonia later, and they anchored in Preveza after APATAKI was lifted, to take clients ashore but we did not manage to meet up.

Fabio Ranieri brings his catamaran by car and trailer from Italy and runs a day charter business out of Vlicho. 

We saw him there and in Meganissi. He offers naturist days for those who want to strip off.

Sailing south through the Levkas Meganissi channel we passed Gwen and Pete (WHAT’S THE RUSH) heading north. Last year we met them in Sivota, Levkas. We first met at Marina di Ragusa, Sicily the winter before.

The first person we spoke with after arriving from Italy last year was Olivier, who came past us on his paddleboard. We met him again with KOSTAKO this summer in Paxos.

We had seen the modified Wharram Tiki 30 REGGAE last year in Ithaca, but this year we met up face to face at Two Rocks Bay.

The unusual 50’ catamaran NUMBER ONE was anchored close in Preveza in July after we picked up the new solar panels. Johann came over to make sure all was set up correctly. From the Boatyard after we lifted out, we saw he again come to anchor in Preveza.

Kiwi Don is another boatyard neighbour who was most helpful with our upgrading of solar panels. 

We met him on the water at Ormos Markou, a quiet and sheltered bay close to Vonitsa. We went there for the final two nights of our cruise before motor / sailing back to Margarona early one morning to be craned out.

Yves and his two friends taking their HT27 back to the South of France

Peter and Annelise and their two Siamese cats on Skadi, we met in Preveza.

Maryannig and Richard we met in Sivota, Levkas.

Mike Lynn and his Wharram Pahi 42 MOTHER OCEAN, passed at sea off Corfu.

Our Polish flag attracted a young woman in a kayak. She is Agnieszka, with English Partner Lee. Another Anglo – Polish team. We kept in contact by internet and met by chance again in the famous street in Preveza, and enjoyed another chat over a beer / G&T.

The French couple sailing the Eric Lerouge designed catamaran.

After Apataki was lifted, a Maldives 32’ catamaran was also lifted. We met Anne-Marie and Bart ashore. We had also seen another Maldives in Syvota (Mourtos), under Austrian flag. The owner has been sailing this much modified Maldives round the world for 7 years and told us that the boat had been ashore for three months in French Polynesia on the coral island of APATAKI. He is only the second person we have met who has been to the remote island after which our boat is named.

Now Apataki is ashore for the winter, quotations have been obtained (after much effort) and sent to the insurance Brokers for repair to the wave damage which broke a davit (at a weld) and resulting grp damage from July. We await approval to start the work.

We sailed or motored almost 500 nautical miles in three months, hand steering all the way. It was a wonderful summer in nature, beautiful places, and where possible naked and free.