MOUNTAIN WEATHER BEFORE BECOMING CALM AND ON TO CEPHALONIA - Days 110 to 113

MOUNTAIN WEATHER BEFORE BECOMING CALM AND ON TO CEPHALONIA -  16 to 19 August, Days 110 to 113

When planning our anchorages we consider especially wind and sea conditions as well as location purpose. One day can be in beautiful silent nature where we can swim in crystal waters while another will be a town stop where we can buy provisions and make laundry.

I awoke at 07.30 on Thursday hearing small drops of rain on the cabin roof so came up immediately to take in what needs to stay dry. The sky was dark with cloud and mountain tops obscured. Lightening was making lines across the sky. I prepared the decks for the rain and expected wind.

The anchorage at Vahty, the main town of Ithaca is well protected from swell so we had a night without movement, but two bar / restaurants close to us were playing music until about 05.00 so we had not slept well.

The rain came with the wind, and I took down the awnings which were suffering in the gusts. Many boats were in the lovely natural harbour because of the unsettled weather, many too for the waterside restaurants and bars.

The rain passed but the clouds stayed for much of the day depriving us of solar power for the fridge and I had to run the motor, as usual, early, but again in early afternoon. In such weather many people don’t move, and we were in no hurry to get on with the day. Around 4 pm we took the second batch of dirty laundry (whites) to the self-service laundrette where again we could charge device batteries and I could write a blog post.

On the previous day I had been alone in there and the TV played music, but this time it was quite busy and two overweight women drinking Coca Cola had changed the channel to watch a typically false Greek soap. When it finished a shopping and beauty programme came on. It could only think how the media make women feel bad if they don’t have the latest clothes and accessories, and don’t use enough chemical filled make-up. Make up is a mask to hide insecurity, but to use a little for special occasions is ok.

My own preference is for a woman to be her natural self. In fact big make-up, big red lips and perfumes are a big turn off for me. I like Anita’s skin care programme which apart from cleansing the face is mostly slowly massaging coconut oil into all of her skin. The result is moisturised skin and minimal risk from chemicals.

Of course the Beauty and Fashion industries have to promote the regular bad habits, including buying unnecessary material possessions (even going into debt). We want to create awareness that natural is best and it is not necessary to waste money in order to feel good. Feeling good about yourself comes from inside, not from owning more bags or shoes, or using expensive make-up as a mask.

At around 5 pm we returned to the boat and made the decision to return to the last bay for the night. The 30 minutes motoring also took the fridge to temperature again.

This time we did not experience gusts after sun down. The weather seems to have settled down but always in the vicinity of mountains we must we cautious. We had some small swell but then a good night.

Walking on Friday morning the only sounds were cicadas, distant goat bells and tiny waves lapping the shore. 

We swam then motored back to Vathy in the afternoon to buy fresh provisions and charge devices again. 

This time there was a slop in the harbour, and only about 20 % of the boats from two days before.

It is difficult to find a quiet coffee shop in Vathy with a table close to an electric socket for charging. We ended up on a pavement in front of a restaurant (most tables across the road at the waterside). The waiter was an art teacher working summer restaurant to make ends meet. He told us that Greece created democracy but now does not have one.  His parents are retired and after paying insurance for 40 years have to live on a pension of 520 euros a month. I think many other European countries are similar in that respect. He went on to say that the economy of the Islands is good, tourists spending money, but on the mainland is where the Greek economy struggles most. He wants to visit Malta to see the Caravaggio paintings there.

The slop in the harbour, and the wind causing it, continued into the night. By morning it was calm again and we motored to the fuel quay to top up our depleted petrol tanks with 34 litres and take on about 80 litres of water.  Petrol at the yacht quay and in the town costs 1.82 euros per litre. I have never paid more.

We motored along the beautiful coast to the large bay of Sarakiniko where we planned to spend a night. Before coming to the obvious anchorage near the main beach we found some boats anchored on the north side in crystal clear water, anchored in about 7 metres, and took a line to tie round a rock at the shore. The fridge performed well after the extra motoring, but I turn it off each night to save battery, then run the motor to bring it to temperature in the morning after which we hope the sun will give enough energy to run it again through the day.

The spot was just behind a small headland and gave protection from the full blast of the prevailing wind. DRIZZLE was anchored there, Maltese flag. She is one of many fully crewed luxury vessels in these waters.  Each day we see many, close to or distant.

The night was quiet and we woke on Sunday deciding to stay longer. I ran the motor for the fridge but it went off soon after the motor was turned off.

We took the dinghy and rowed slowly along the steep cliffs looking into each nook and cranny, and down into the deep water. This was one of the best nature experiences of the trip for Anita.

Sunday evening was again calm as the area is under settled weather.

On Monday morning we motored south, through the narrow gap between a small island and Ithaca, just 4 metres deep. 

We continued on to the south of Ithaca then west towards Cephalonia and the little harbour town of Eufimia. A gentle wind from the south allowed us to drift slowly across and save some petrol. The fridge was happy to be running but an hour or two after arriving went off again.

Ithaca is an amazing island, raw, steep, and green with crystal waters, while at the same time challenging for our little boat as we are not set up to anchor in deep waters.

Cephalonia, the larger neighbour to the west rises to over 1600 m but the mountains are less green without trees. Eufimia was decimated by the 1953 earthquake. What is there now is a pleasant town but here is the first harbour in which we did not want to swim in polluted waters. Not a good start after the magic of Ithaca.

ONWARD TO ITHACA IN THE WAKE OF ODYSSEUS – DAYS 105 – 109

ONWARD TO ITHACA IN THE WAKE OF ODYSSEUS – 11 to 15 AUGUST, DAYS 105 – 109

On Saturday morning we went ashore to the lovely Taverna in Abelike Bay for device battery charging, cold drinks and zucchini balls.

Job done, we returned to the boat expecting a second windy afternoon to sail on south. We chose to take the channel to the west of Meganisi, the opposite side being tall majestic Levkas. This channel is reported to be the most beautiful in the Ionian islands. The sea was still glassy flat as we motored west past the northern inlets of Meganisi.

As we came to the NW tip we felt wind and were soon sailing close hauled on port tack. There is one small island and we came into it’s wind shadow. Such a beautiful area. I put the motor on just to get past the island and continued with less speed tacking down the channel. 

By the end it was almost windless again as we set course for Ithaca, home of Odysseus / Ulysees who had returned to his island and waiting Penelope after 10 years adventures away.

Without trusty Yamaha in the unreliable winds of the area I can see why he took so long. As we left the shelter of Levkas island we were exposed once more to the swell from the “outer” sea and were happy to enter the calm waters in the lee of Arkodian island. Seeing two yachts anchored at the island which does not get a mention in the pilot book we decided to go in close to assess the possibility of anchoring for the night. We edged into a small steep sided creek which the electronic chart showed to have our anchoring depth and felt we were there at the time of Odysseus. At the head of the tiny beach were goats, donkey and some “shelter”.

Fearing wind blowing in later to this narrow slot we came out and looked at the area where the two yachts were anchored, lines ashore, which the chart only showed as rocks.

We decided to continue motoring and made coffee and biscuits “with extras”, meaning marmalade and Greek yogurt. Before coffee was made we hit bigger swell and wind. I set the genoa close hauled on starboard and in the evening gusty winds force 4, 5 and perhaps 6, we held course towards Frikes Bay.

Arriving before dark we checked out the difficult deep anchorages and the first two were just not possible for us with boats there and darkness falling plus difficult manoeuvre in the gusty wind. Across at Markenas Bay we saw two smaller yachts and went over to join them. 

The chart showed that we could anchor in 5 metres, but we found a swim zone and very steep sides and carefully chose the shallowest available place at 9 m and I put down the new lighter kedge anchor. It held us for the night but we were within 3 m of the rock at times.

Ithaca is tall, steep, majestic, beautiful and challenging. The highest point is 808 metres above sea level, but still less than neighbouring Cephalonia. The steep slopes bring gusts, anchor holding is often not good, and locations for us few and far between as we are not equipped with long heavy chains like larger yachts.

On Monday morning we motored to see the inside of tiny Frikes harbour, even seeing a space where we could have tied to the wall, but we wanted nature and swimming so went round to Ag Nikolaus Bay in which we had seen 12 yachts at anchor the night before. We anchored in another little paradise in 3.5 m off the pebble beach, partly shaded by trees, with a few tents behind under the olive trees.

The early evening was gusty but all was well so we went ashore to walk and explore. We went up the unmade road through terraced olive groves and where goats were grazing on apparently nothing. It was beautiful, and quiet except for the wonderful chorus of cicadas.

We awoke to swell from the sea but it died down and we watched many large yachts come and go, some dragging anchors, even 60’ yachts. I thought we were holding but after a few violent gusts swam to check the anchor and could see the drag line through the sand, also a rock caught in the three arms of the Bruce anchor. That one in a million chance happened to Apataki before leaving her stranded on a beach in Malta in 2012 while I was ashore.

Of course I put the motor on and hauled up the anchor. The rock stayed firmly in place and I needed super human strength to bring it up and to release the heavy football sized rock, much to the astonishment of the Italians anchored close by. My finger suffered a little and the boat suffered a breakage of a bottle screw on the forward beam triangle from the stress of the weight on the wire.

We re-anchored at the north end of the bay only to have a small superyacht, Malaga (London) under British flag but with Italian crew and owner family on board come very close to us. Flags of registration are becoming meaningless.

The night was calm and we awoke to glassy swell and crystal clear view of the bottom. Soon people came to the beach and small boats anchored all around us and we were ready to leave, motoring two miles to pretty Kioni. It is a gem but the harbour is tiny and as one yacht pulled out from the Quay the next was waiting to take it’s place. We should return out of high season.

We continued on into the large Gulf of Molo which almost cuts the island in half, except for a 200 m strip of high land at the west end. It is like being in a fjord with the high mountains rising from the sea. We anchored in 5 m over sand in Aetou Bay with just one other yacht, the red and yellow Italian Fragola we had seen in Preveza.

There is a narrow beach and road but neither were intrusive, nor affected the beauty of the place. We love to find shallow uncrowded anchorages in August.

As the sun went down behind the mountains the wind gusts started and pulled hard at the anchor for a couple of hours, causing us to stay on board for security instead of taking an evening walk ashore.

Morning started with misty flat calm. After a swim we motored into the more protected Vathy harbour, the capital of the island.

There was lots of room to tie bows or stern to the walls but without electricity to top up batteries, and with warnings about poor anchor holding and gusts we anchored in 3 m. Later I made a rough count of about 100 yachts at the walls and a further 60 anchored in the enclosed anchorage.

We went ashore for much needed fruit and other fresh shopping and found two laundries, one self service so made a load of washing while charging appliance batteries and using wi-fi in there.

We expected evening gusts but the most was a change of wind direction as the sun went down behind the mountain.

ONASSIS ISLAND, SLEEPLESS NIGHTS IN MEGANISI AND THE RAT PAYS A VISIT - Days 100 to 104

ONASSIS ISLAND, SLEEPLESS NIGHTS IN MEGANISI AND THE RAT PAYS A VISIT - 6 to 10 August, Days 100 to 104

Monday morning and we prepared to leave our quiet spot at Vlikho Bay. I went ashore for tomatoes and bread and picked a few figs from another tree. I spent an hour at the Vilho Yacht Club topping up computer and phones, enjoying a coffee in the cool of early morning.

We motored out past Nidri and turned east passing the private island of Scorpios, once holiday home to shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis and his wife Jackie (widow of assassinated US President J F Kennedy). Some wind appeared and we opened the genoa and cut back the revs of the motor. It was just two miles to the bay of Spartochori where the pilot book tells of a taverna with electricity on the pontoon, and popular with flotillas. We arrived in an idyllic bay and came close to an empty pontoon. A man called us towards him then asked if we had booked ahead by telephone. Well of course we don’t do that and he told us that we could stay for two hours as the places were fully booked.

Further into the bay lies a smaller tavern and we saw yachts tied mostly bows to a wall. The man from there beckoned us but told us the electricity was not working. We thanked him and checked the pilot book for the next option. We came to Port Vathy, the capital of the small island of Meganisi and took a space there, soon having our batteries on charge and fridge connected to mains electricity. By evening 14 yachts were at this quay but there are only 8 points to connect power and water.