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

What next? Sivota

After some great coffee and fresh pastries from the cake shop we head off.  It’s a beautiful morning with a fresh breeze.  Once we get away from the town we put up the main and head sail, then the wind drops right off of course.  We drop the head sail until we get further past the land masses then haul it up again.  We are heading Nth to the Sth end of Levkas to meet up with Gill and Tony in Sivota.

Chillin

Ouzo time

After a pleasant time sailing up to Levkas we arrive at a beautiful little village tucked away on the Sth called Sivota (another Gill and Tony special).  It’s really pretty and still very much untouched by tourism.  We find a spot on the wharf and reverse in; a perfect landing.  There’s a small rock bar behind us so we have a few cold beers and watch the view.  Not long after Tony and Gill come in and Greg helps them tie off.  They are both well and winding down their holiday as heading back to the UK in a few days.  While we are catching up a large tripper boat arrives and reverses back beside us.  There are about 150 on board and it stays about 90 mins.  The wind changes and next thing the large boat is leaning on ours and pushing the rest of the yachts.  There are no crew to be seen to so we try to fend off out yacht as best as possible.  Someone finds the Captain and Greg has a few words with him about lifting up his anchor to get the pressure of our yacht.  It all turns to a calamity then as his crew have issues holding the ship and then our neighbours next door start abusing the Caption of the tripper boat and the Captain starts threating them.  It’s on for young and old, meanwhile Greg and I are trying to protect the port side of the yacht from getting ripped off as the boat finally gets away.  Well that was fun!  And to top it off and pommie a few yachts down from us chucks a brown eye at the Greek Captain as he pulls away.  It will make a great sailing tale.

By mid afternoon Sivota harbour is packed with loads for flotilla groups.  The wind has picked up to 20 Kts as very inexperienced people try to reverse in.  Next minute we have two flotilla staff on board using our VHF trying to give instructions to George as he tries to reverse in next to us.  Oh great!  It looks like of the four on board no one has a clue and the forth is busy watching and not bothering to even fend off.  After fouling our anchor and lots of shouting  they arrive without damaging anyone or anything.  We fix the anchor chain and all is well.  A thank you would be nice for assisting but not forthcoming. 

We invite Gill and Tony over for bubbles and have a few laughs and meet up with them after dinner.  We are so buggered  as we still haven’t caught up on lost sleep as yet.  Luckily we do have a good nights sleep here.

Sivtoa harbour

Rock Bar Sivota

We are woken to the sounds of the local priest celebrating mass, a special mass as it’s Sivota’s name day today.  The women of the village have baked special cake to give to everyone and smells delicious.  After a quick breakfast we say farewell to Gill and Tony as they head back home. 

Vathi Town Ithaca

After a great night’s sleep we head back to the village of Vathi on Ithaca Island for some supplies.  As it’s almost lunch time we indulge in a early lunch of pizza and salad.  We then decide that we might as well stay here the night.  We have already picked up a great place on the wharf and are happy with our location.  By late afternoon the wharf gets very busy and is full by sundown.  We do hear that a ferry is coming in tonight and then realise we are at the spot closest to where the 300+ft ferry will arrive.  To be safe Greg ties on two springer lines to ensure we are not pushed around too much.  The wind has already picked up to 20Kts and we are protecting the rest of the fleet.

We walk around the town, do some shopping and get some more supplies.  We have dinner by the water and Greg orders the lamb speciality which he loves.  It is slow cooked in baking paper  with eggplants and feta cheese.  It melts in your mouth.

After our night cap and an episode of Mad Men we get to bed about 11pm but are soon woken by the sound of a large ship.  The ferry arrives at 1.30am and we get pushed around by it’s stern thruster.  We both get up to watch but I get bored and go back to sleep.  Greg stays up waiting for it to leave which it doesn’t so by 3am he hits the sack as well.  I get woken up about 6.30am, the ferry it getting ready to leave as the very large lorries back onto the ferry taking supplies to the next village.  By 7am the ferry has gone so now just waiting for the next thing.

Night Ferry

Since I'm up I go for a walk all around the Bay its very pretty with beautiful houses and apartments on the water.  Some of them remind me of the apartments in the movie Shirley Valentine.  I’m pretty sure I was here in 1998 and remember dancing for hours on our plank with the girls.

Memories of Shirley Valantine

Our local cafe Caramela's

After some great coffee from Caramela's and fresh pastries from the cake shop we head off.  It’s a beautiful morning with a fresh breeze.  Once we get away from the town we put up the main and head sail, then the wind drops right off of course.  We drop the head sail until we get further past the land masses then haul it up again.  We are heading Nth to the Sth end of Levkas to meet up with Gill and Tony in Sivota.