After busy and enjoyable days with family we were alone again on the boat and were in no hurry to move anywhere. We stayed at anchor in Tranquil Bay opposite to Nydri and went ashore a couple of times for food shopping, a coffee and to explore more of Nydri.
We rose early one morning to walk the hour to Nydri Waterfall. In August there is not much water but the walk is very pretty. It is important to be there early to avoid crowds in the small valley.
Afterwards we sat under the trees at the nice cafe where the road ends.
We moved again to Fraxia Bay, only returning after 4 nights because we needed food again, despite the fact that with almost gale force gusts of wind forecast that would have been the most comfortable place to be in shelter.
Before leaving Fraxia one of the rental motor boats anchored too close then hit our anchor rope and secondary bridle rope breaking the latter. In panic the Russian driver was lucky not to make damage to our boat as he gave full power. Some think they handle like cars which is not true.
Anchoring again in Tranquil Bay in about 8m of water I was not going to leave the boat while the wind was getting up. A 37’ Dutch yacht dragged anchor onto us and then moved away, and I did the same as I did not feel secure there, close to boats and wrecks near astern of us. My choice was in less that 2m of water in the lee of the land and close to nature and the shore protecting us from the wind and waves.
The strong winds continued building swell out at sea from NW and I was concerned about going out into waves on the open sea while I still did not know where the water was coming in from. While swimming I noticed a strange hole in the transom and what looked like a screw head no longer covered by filler or antifouling paint. Looking closer I thought I could see two pin prick holes. Could this be the source of water ingress? I mixed some filler and applied it over the wet hole waiting for it to harden. By evening no more water had come in, nor by next morning.
Friday gave us the weather to leave early, pass through the Levkas Canal , catch the 09.00 bridge opening and cross the 6 miles of open sea to Preveza. There was a long residual swell which is more comfortable to cross than the short swell which builds quickly with afternoon wind in this shallow sea. The aim was to be in the Preveza channel before the afternoon NW wind started to avoid such short swell and all was achieved. Early morning photos -
We stayed one night going ashore in Preveza for a few things including a gas bottle refill and some paint to use in the boatyard.
That evening we rowed the dinghy to the boatyard to go to a concert in the restored Roman amphitheatre of Nikopolis with friends Anne Marie and Bart, meeting the lovely young Pianist Agape Triantafyllidi, who had returned to her home town from Germany to give the concert.
Stronger NE winds followed so we moved to the north side of the large piece of water for shelter before motoring to the boatyard on Monday morning for Apataki to be lifted out by crane onto the land for winter.
With good weather and three days before flying we did some painting of deck and the forward beams while we could have access with the trampoline net removed.
Anita took one last trip on the paddle board and everything was cleaned and stowed for winter.
We went one more time to Preveza town for the antigen test to fly, paying just 15 euros, the lowest price we have experienced.
In the middle of the next day we walked to the bus station, took the bus passing Aktion airport and bade farewell to Greece after two wonderful months on the boat.
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