What's next?

By Friday afternoon the weather has died down but there are still predictions of bad weather to come.  We have caught up with Wayne and Mike who have just experienced what we have and have a good laugh about it.  They have a video so we can’t wait to get out hands on it.  It’s a great story to relive over a few beers.  Both skippers decide to head out tomorrow morning together and head for Corfu.  Wayne and his crew including Holly and Colin are flying out Sunday for the UK and we have been bumping into them since Mongonisi a few days ago.

It’s a pretty slow evening as we can’t be bothered to go ashore and we are exhausted but don’t want to go to sleep too early.  After dinner we have a few lite refreshments on board and hit the sack about 9pm.  Let’s hope we get to sleep through.  It’s still raining off and on and the yacht is damp and muggy.  We do get some sleep but with one ear waiting for the weather to change. 

All is well on the bay Saturday morning.  We wait for one front to pass then head out about 9am.  After about 40 mins both skippers decide to head back as there is a nasty front approaching and it’s like sailing in a big washing machine. The winds are gusting over 20 knots and seas are very confused with the 2.5 metre swell from the east colliding with a 2.5 metre swell from the west Ionian.  Oh the joys of it!

Greg is over the weather so once we have dropped an anchor and settled down again we pack a few things and head ashore to find a hotel for the night.  Just for a change.  Mike, Holly and Colin are already ashore having a coffee so we join them for a preamble.  Wayne joins us and decides it’s time for them to leave, the forecast is looking promising for the afternoon so we bid farewell and safe sailing back to Corfu.  We hope to see Holly and Collin is Sydney later this year.  The rest of the flotillas are heading back to the mainland as well so that is a good sign re the weather.

Fanis Bar Lakka

After some refreshments at Fanis Bar we find a room close by and take a hot shower standing up, how good does that feel! 
At last ! The forecast is for good weather tomorrow so we will be heading out in the morning.  We have to meet with fuel truck and fill up for the remainder of the trip at 9am so will be heading out right after that.

It’s hot and humid and no yachts have returned to the bay so that’s a good sign. 

Opps I spoke too soon, all of a sudden there is a torrential down pour of rain that’s lasts about 40 mins.  Everyone at Fanis Bar runs for cover.

It's Saturday night at 6.30 and it's still pouring with rain, we are really hoping for the change to come through before tomorrow,  fingers crossed.

rain strom in Lakka Bay

local dress

It’s a very wet night and some tourists have dressed appropriately.  We have dinner at a local grill place and then hit the sack in anticipation of leaving tomorrow.

Without warning ........

We are aware of a change in the weather coming tomorrow and decide to head to Lakka on Paxoi for Thursday / Friday and then head over to Corfu for our last few days.  The forecast is for gusts of up to 35Knts from the Sth East over the next few days so it’s not looking pretty.  We head out of Mongonisi early in a rolling swell and arrive in Lakka about 10am.  It’s a beautiful place just like we had been told about.  Greg finds a great place to anchor which we do and are happy here for the next few nights.  We put out about 30 mtrs of chain just to be safe in 3.5 mtres of water.

Lakka Bay

Lakka

We head ashore and enjoy a delicious breakfast of bacon, eggs, beans and mushrooms, just what we needed.  We decide to hire a car and drive around the island as it’s pretty small.  The weather is not great but there is sunshine every now and again.  We head south to Gaios and then over to a small beach called Planos, not that nice actually and a very steep drive down to the beach.  It’s really windy already so we head back to check on the yacht.  We row back and just in time as it starts to pour with rain.  The harbour is full now with lots of flotilla yachts and they are taking up much of the wharf space. 

Gaios

A storm is brewing

View from lookout Lakka

We have dinner at a pizza place that is packed out and we enjoy our meal.  We head back to the yacht to get ready for what could be a very nasty evening based on the forecast.  So far our anchor has not budged which is great.   At 2am we wake to a howling wind and the lightening show has not stopped since dinner time.  It’s the biggest lightening show we have ever witnessed.  The wind gusts to over 30 Knts and most captains are on deck checking their postions.  Some yachts have put out emergency anchors and have drifted on their anchors and hit other yachts.  We are still OK so far. 

It’s a pretty horrible evening.  We’re awake from 2am till 5am just listening to the thunder and noises of the wind gusts.  It’s pretty frightening and by 5am we are both up and feeling pretty sick in the stomach.  By about 8am we think the worst is over and go ashore for a well-earned coffee.  The locals tell us there is another change coming through but the forecast looks OK and the worst is over.   Some of the flotilla yachts crowd the wharf just to get out of the bay area.  So far we have not moved from our position. 

At about midday it all turns to absolute chaos, Greg has started the motor in an effort to take some pressure of the anchor chain and control the yacht in an effort to not collide with other vessels  he is trying to drive the yacht into the constantly changing winds.  There’s a localised mini tornado in the bay and the yachts on the wharf are smashing into one another.  The bay is white with foam and we estimate wind gusts of up to 50 Knts.  We prepare to abandon ship if we have too.  Greg is absolutely soaked through wet and he struggles to keep the yacht into the wind.  The biggest risk is for one yacht to lose it’s anchor hold and hit another yacht in such strong winds.  One yacht fouls it’s propeller and ends up running aground, they are the lucky ones as they are safe now and out of danger.  Greg is still struggling with the wind and I am getting all our documents and money ready in case we have to leave the yacht.  Worst case we will run aground as well on a beach close by.  After about 30 minutes the winds die down and it’s still pouring with rain but we think we are safe.  Our yacht is still holdings it’s position as we have not dragged our anchor, a miracle. 

Without warning

Greg has never experienced winds / weather  like this and he has 18 years experience rescuing yachts and people on the Gold Coast, now that’s saying something about the situation.  It was equivalent to a Beaufort Force 10, a storm and the eye was over our bay.  We are sick to the stomach now and not sure what to do next.  The yacht is a mess as we have trashed the place trying to find wet weather gear, life jackets etc in a hurry, everything is saturated and we definitely were not prepared for this but we survived.  We just want to get off the yacht for a while.

Here is the link to the video that Wayne's crew took, after they had already run aground.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8klHAlLvfg

Load balancing yachty style

La Captain

Lunch destination Anti Paxoi

We are heading nth to Paxoi.  It’s about a five hour motor sail to the Sth of Anti Paxoi as we have an offshore breeze that comes and goes and we have the main sail up. 

Lunch time!

Greg finds a beautiful anchorage for lunch where we are having my favourite; smoked salmon and Moet.  Nitsa thanks for the ice bucket, we love it!  Shame we can't stay here for the night but it’s not protected from the prevailing winds.  We end up back at Mongonisi for the night and tie off stern to. 

Load balancing yachty style; for the Network guys back at Westfield. 

Load balancing yachty style

After dinner on shore we have a little night club happening in the saloon and have a fun evening.  Next morning both of us have hangovers and Greg has injured his back so we are staying here for another night so Greg can recuperate.  We are trying to also see Jo and Trevor before we leave but our schedules don’t seem to want to work together. 

It’s a very relaxing day, and I’m starting to pack some of the gear we will be leaving on the yacht and taking measurements for all the cushion covers, hatch covers and stern awning I want to make when I get home, ready for next years adventure, whatever that might be!

 

Ouzo time ....again !

Sleepless in Levkas

After a relaxing afternoon by the pool I head out to the shops while Greg has a siesta.  We have a quiet night on the yacht hoping for a good nights sleep and early departure.  Unfortunately that’s not the case.  At about 1.30am all we can smell in smoke oh that’s right the local dump is smouldering and the wind has changed so our cabins and saloon are filled with smoke.  It takes more than an hour to get rid of the smell and even longer to try and get back to sleep. 

We have to say that Levkas has a personality of its own and it reminds us of Jakarta.  Damaged buildings from the 1953 earthquake are yet to be repaired and sometimes even the language sounds a little like Bahasa.

After a sleepless night we have breakfast in the Marina and get away for the 9am bridge opening as we've decided to get out of here. 

Levkas bridge opening





leaving Levkas

It's coming to an end sob sob.....

Oh I can't believe we only have six more days before we have to leave, best make the most of it!

Sunrise, Little Vathy Meganisi

We decide to pick up anchor and get our log booked signed out of Levkas so will stay for one night there.  It's only a quick motor up the narrow shallow canal and we arrive by lunch time.  As there is no wind its a very easy reverse park.

We are starving as we didn't have breakfast so once we drop off the washing, pay the marina and visit the Port Authority we grab a pizza for lunch.  We then head into the main town and do a little shopping, wow the shops are really great and really cheap.  We pick up some swimwear for next to nothing and maybe that's because there is next to nothing of the swimwear, so can't wait for Greg to wear it! Next we head back to use the pool at the local hotel in the marina, its great to be  able to cool off.  Tomorrow morning we are hiring a schooter to visit the west coast beaches, they look beautiful so cant wait to go.

Heading North

From Fisardo we head nth to a lovely little Bay off the East coast Meganisi very close by Little Vathy.  Greg finds the perfect location where we can tie off to the tree behind us and a rock to our Port side.  We have our own privacy for a few days now.  The water is refreshing and clear and we do some maintenance work on the yacht (washing, scrubbing, painting and cleaning the cockpit cushions).  We have a lite supper of cold cuts and cheeses and have an early night.

The next day we go in search of a TV for the F1 at Monsa.  There is a walking track to the village of Little Vathy so we take a walk into town.  It's really hot as we tramp up the hill.  It's a quite picturesque village mainly focused on fishing.  We have a cold beer at Belinda's name sake bar, the Boom Boom Music Bar.

Boom Boom Bar

We decide to head back to the local bar and watch the F1 there as they have a TV and food.  Its called Pirates Taverna.  We have an amazing mixed selection of entrees and enjoy all the tit bits. 

Helping hands

What OHnS?

lunch anyone?

We make friends with Mark and Carol from the UK who are also F1 nuts and enjoy their company during the race.  They are kind enough to offer us a tow back to the boat to save me having to row, so I'm really grateful.  We invite them back for Ouzos and have a great laugh.  Mark is taking the micky out of Ute racing, and can't blame him really.

We bid farewell and hope they make it home safely around to the next bay.  They have had an amazing trip, leaving the UK in May and have toughed it out through some really bad weather with only the two of them managing to stay awake for a 72hours stint.  Well done!

Thanks for the tow
Mark and Carol

Fiscardo Cephalonia

Raising of the red ensign flag

We are heading  Sth to the island of Cephalonia to the village of Fiscarda for a night.  Its on the Nth East of the island.  It’s a very quick motor in large swells so glad to get there by lunch time so we can relax.  We reverse in to a lovely Restaurant called Roula’s Grill House and the waiter helps us tie off.  We enjoy a delicious lunch there of special lamb baked in veggies and cheese and moussaka.  Just what we needed.

Again a beautiful village well preserved and with great Restaurants, shops and cafes on the water.  It caters to numerous large tripper boats and fleets of flotilla charter groups.  We really like it here. After a siesta we take another walk around the harbour and have dinner back at Roula’s.  This time we order a mixed seafood grill of prawns, calamari and swordfish, its yummy as well.  They also give us a complimentary desserts, which just tops of the meal.

Fiscardo architecture

motoring along

out n about Fiscardo

Roula's Grill House





happy hour