Pelagia’s Greek Odyssey. Part 3 Force 10 from the Northern Sporades back to Athens

The Northern Sporades islands have one of the oldest histories of human habitation in the Mediterranean dating back to 10000 years B C . They first became part of what is now known as Greece when the Romans under Mark Anthony in 42 B C granted the islands to Athens. In 1965 much of the property then here was destroyed in a major earthquake so little is left of earlier buildings. They are sparsely inhabited, only 5 of the 20 islands being inhabited and much of the outer part designated as a Marine National Park which is the one remaining habitat for the Mediterranean Monk Seal. The coastline consists of many bays often deserted and pine clad and a few small hamlets with little harbours. Sailing here is interesting especially if you consider the islands are called the “gates of the wind” because of the prevailing northerly winds blowing viciously through the gaps between the islands.

We left Skiathos seeking quiet bays so sailed to Skopolos Island and a beach on the south coast said to be popular by day but quiet at night. It looked perfect. However the beach bar livened up at 10 pm and heavy metal music wafted over us until the early hours.
A 10 mile sail the next day took us to the very protected bay of Peristeri on the largely uninhabited island of Peristera. The only boat in the bay, we anchored just off the small beach in perfect peace and although joined by two other yachts later it was a quiet night with only the bleating  of wild goats. Such a good place we stayed the next day as well and rode out a spectacular thunderstorm.
Intending to get some supplies on board we headed downwind towards Patitiri town on Alonnisos Island, but the anchorage was now buoyed off as a swimming area so we ended up anchored in Milia bay a little further north. This was a beautiful bay with a wonderful  sandy beach but the swell from the strong northerly wind rolled us all night. A short upwind sail the next morning brought us to the lovely little hamlet of Steni Vala where we berthed on the quay directly in front of a café supermarket, great for carrying the shopping. The local people were so wonderfully friendly and helpful and we enjoyed two nights here. The café owner showed us how to discourage the wasps that annoy on this island, she put as all amount of ground Greek coffee in a saucer and lit it. The smoke certainly kept the pesky things away so we bought some Greek coffee. We tried walking the coast path but it proved too hot and we returned to the bar to cool off. Lighter winds the next day helped us to sail the 12 miles up to the uninhabited island of Kira Panayia in the north of the island chain and anchored in the serene South Bay in turquoise water. The no fishing zone of the National Park seemed to be full of fishing boats but very few fish! We stayed two nights here enjoying the spectacular scenery and colours of the bay even though we had some concerns over the anchoring of nearby boats.

The strong northerly winds gave us a spectacular downwind sail in between Alonnisos Island and Peristeri and we sailed round to Skopolos town on the north side of Skopolos island. The approach to the harbour was very rough exposed to the north, but inside was quiet and we berthed stern to the quay.
From Skopolos we returned to Skiathos town ready to pick up Edward who joined us for two weeks. We had a couple of days before our other crew Corine arrived so we sailed to Panormous bay in beautiful conditions and anchored up for the night. The next day we gently sailed to Loutraki harbour with the intention of visiting the town up the hill, Glossa which was said to be interesting. After a short lunch ashore we saw a charter yacht had moored alongside us with six Germans on board. They laid their anchor over ours and when I told them about it they became abusive and told me mine was in the wrong position. One of their friends said it was the Schnapps talking which was a bit worrying. After they had moved their anchor in one of the worst displays of boat handling I have ever seen, ours was dragging as they had disturbed it and in view of the bad atmosphere we decided to go off back to Skiathos a day early. That turned out to be a good move because that night a thunderstorm set in and we were on the Quay in the town. That storm was very heavy but not too much wind with it, but the next morning, just after a flotilla had berthed 11 yachts on the quay we were hit by a hurricane! Force 10 winds hit suddenly. Visibility was reduced to zero. The stern hit the dock and it was all hands in the lashing rain to stuff more fenders in whilst motoring full throttle to keep her off the dock. Trying to tighten the anchor chain to pull us off failed as it was bar tight and we blew the fuse on the new winch in trying. All the boats on the dock motored for nearly two hours at full throttle in the blinding rain and wind, soaked through, trying to prevent more damage and praying for it to ease. The harbour was a turmoil of wind, rain, spray and muddy surface water cascading off the harbour roads. Boats that had run in for shelter were trying to hold their positions in the harbour in the tumultuous seas. Some of the boats anchors were pulling out but nothing could be done until it eased, we were all thankful that the quay was full of boats as it helped to keep each other in position. We seemed to survive except for some chips on the stern which are repairable. We prayed that another storm would not come! Later we learned that Skopolos harbour had been devastated by landslides and dozens of cars washed into the sea. I suppose we have to be thankful that we were not there instead. Corine’s flight in was cancelled and the next day at the first attempt the flight was sent back to Athens. It came in later at the second attempt.

As we said earlier the prevailing wind in Greece is northerly so why did we have a southerly as soon as we set off South? We tacked our way to Orei on a pleasant sunny day and saw some Dolphins. The next day southerly again but we managed a beam reach in the first part of the trip when we also saw a Monk seal. Once we rounded the end of Evia Island it was a force four from the south east so we tacked all the way to Loutra Adiropotamous where we berthed alongside the harbour wall as before. The next day a storm forecast kept us in harbour but the day after the northerly wind came back and we got a slow run downwind sail to Limni. This harbour is so close to the shore and so narrow if you do not turn hard to port on entry you are on the beach! A night there in this quaint little town was followed by  a long downwind sail back to Khalkis. The force four wind kept us going at a good speed for the 25 mile sail and Corine trailed the fishing lure even though we had never previously caught anything. What a surprise when she caught a good size Horse Mackerel. Later it was followed by two more so our tea was guaranteed for this night.

The bridge at Khalkis only opens between 10 pm and 4 am for traffic reasons but they cannot predict exactly when the fast currents will relent enough for a safe transit so you have to wait with the radio on. Apparently nobody has ever been able to predict the effect of this tidal phenomenon and even Aristotle is said to have hurled himself into the raging waters in frustration at not being able to work it out. Our call came at 10 pm luckily, and much to our relief as the northerly winds were setting up an uncomfortable swell on the mooring. Tying up on the other side of the bridge for the rest of the night was much more comfortable.
A long downwind sail the next day took us to Karavos where we had been before. A pod of dolphins joined us for a few minutes and played at the bow on the approach to the harbour. The town which had previously been buzzing with Greek tourists was now dead and very end of season. The taverna that I promised Edward and Corine would be nice was empty but we managed to get the owner to cook us what was a tasty meal as well as an amusing evening. We had to tie up alongside the harbour wall here and the now strong wind was pressing us on. So we had to spring off backwards into the wind and we set off on what turned out to be a very lively downwind beat of 20 miles in force 7 winds. The anchorage was sheltered at its upper end when we arrived but later and all night gusts from the mountains hit us first one way then the other, recording up to 41knots at times. An anchor watch had to be maintained all night. Anxious to get away the next day we sailed to the  harbour of Marmari where we hoped we could get some rest. We set off with the Genoa sail set partly reefed in  a force 6 downwind which rapidly rose to 7 and for the last half of the 20 miles it was force 8 to 10! The last 6 miles was around a headland and we thought it would give us some shelter but as we turned with the wind more on the beam the sea was a maelstrom. We were doing well over 7 knots of boat speed which hastened the trip but we  had up to 48 knots of wind and the seas were tumultuous with spume being carried in clouds over Pelagia. We were all glad to see a harbour and a space in front of a fishing boat where we could moor head to wind with a friendly fisherman there to take our lines. The only gale warning given on Greek radio was for a different area!

The next day was still very windy so we stayed on in this town and decided that the final leg would be direct to Lavrion to get Edward back for his flight. The wind did ease and the next day we set off on the final leg in a force 6. We had a fast and wild ride 27 miles to Lavrion with winds mainly force 6 gusting 7 and a big sea running all the way down the Evia channel. We finally arrived at Olympic Marina to end our 2015 cruise on an exciting note. Whoever said the Mediterranean Sea was always calm!

This year we have completed 1177 nautical miles and explored many areas of Greece from the Ionian to the Northern Aegean. The conditions have ranged from the benign to the utterly horrendous and it is the speed with which such conditions can change that caught a lot of people out. Our various crews all coped well, especially the last two who were not expecting to be so challenged but have learnt a lot. I hope you have enjoyed sharing our cruising experiences yet again through these logs.

Pelagia’s Greek Oddysey, part two Athens to the Northern Sporades

We returned to Pelagia mid August together with Pat’s sister Margaret. It was very hot when we arrived and good weather continued throughout Margaret’s three weeks with us. Before sailing away we had a day visiting Athens , the Acropolis and the Parthenon and then it was set sail northwards. The problem with going north at this time of year in Greece is that the prevailing winds are northerly and as it turned out we logged 300 miles to Skiathos in the Sporades islands with the relentless upwind tacking when it should have been only 200 miles. The first night stop was at Porto Rafti on the mainland, a large attractive bay with green mountains around, but spoilt by tourist developments. The anchor holding was not good but we eventually got dug in for a secure night. Next day we sailed across towards Evia Island, the largest of the Greek Islands and anchored amongst a stunningly beautiful group of small islands near one called Nisos Xero. 

The next morning we saw a classic old motor yacht flying a huge white ensign so I think we had royal company. Tacking again the next day , 25 miles against a force 4 wind brought us to Almiropotamou bay on Evia Island. At the protected head of the bay we were alone at anchor with only campers ashore for company. Swimming was wonderful as the sea temperature was 28 degrees. Still tacking North we arrived at the port of Karavos and tied stern too the quay with only two other yachts. We had a long hot walk to get shopping but the town was delightful and full of very nice Greek tourists. Not a British holidaymaker in sight! We selected a taverna to have a meal, it had no menu in English but the nice lady who owned it assisted us with our order and even discouraged us from eating too much. The wonderful meal came to the princely sum of only 29 Euros for three of us, including wine!

A long leg the next day of 35 miles upwind again brought us to Khalkis, the capital town of Evia Island. Here we had to arrange a transit through the road bridge which only opens once a night between 10 pm and 4 am. Having registered and paid your fee you have to wait listening to the VHF radio from 10 pm until called. Luckily our call was not too late at 12.30 and the yachts and two small ships were efficiently called through the bridge in order. We tied the other side of town beneath the waterside bars and luckily they closed at about 2 am so we could sleep.

From Khalkis we tacked again up to a bay on the mainland called Skorponerou. It was a magnificent anchorage set all around amongst high green clad mountains and only a small beach bar with apartments on the shore. After a lovely quiet night the weather looked a little threatening and we waited a couple of hours before setting off to sail to Ormos Amirou. This bay set amongst small islands off the mainland shore looked as peaceful as it could get with only a redundant fish farm in view, but party music wafted across the bay during the night we know not from where. We needed supplies and water, so the next leg was to the town of Loutra Ahdipsou, where we tied to the town quay, well provided with electric and water points. There was only one other yacht as the good thing about this area inside Evia is the lack of yachts. The town was heaving with Greek holidaymakers but it was all good-humoured and not too loud The next day we motored along the north western end of Evia and rounded the tip into the Orei channel. Here the North East wind kicked in at force 5 and we were tacking again. Our intended bay looked too 

uncomfortable to anchor in the brisk wind so we tacked on another 14 miles to a small very sheltered bay further on. The bay looked wonderful with only one other yacht anchored. Nothing could disturb the peace of this idyllic setting and we went to sleep after a good meal expecting a long quiet night. Unfortunately six loud Greeks decided to have a fire on the beach and argued loudly all night!
The Skipper was getting a bad reputation for choosing noisy places so we decided to go and get supplies at the little harbour of Orei a few miles up the coast. Anchored stern too in the harbour it was fine and the town was very charming. We were just going for a swim in the nearby bay when a yacht fouled our anchor and dragged it up. We had to quickly untie, go out and re-moor after untangling an anchor or two. Early evening saw all the youth of Greece assemble on the quay and make noise until the early hours, followed by Bazookie music throughout the remaining hours. So much for a quiet town! Tacking in the force 5 wind the next day eventually brought us to our bay off Kiriaki only to find it the perfect setting, but full with two yachts in the tiny bay. Plan B and we went into another bay 5 miles away. This time a wonderful spot with only a small select bar on the beach which actually closed at 8 pm. The bay of Loutra was set at the head of an inlet tucked behind a hill upon which sat an old tower said to be built by Achilles and it was from here that he is said to have sailed to Troy.

From here it was a hard beat up to Platania, 30 miles in a force 5 . It did not look as if we would get any shelter in the bay as we arrived with the quite choppy conditions, but anchored just inside the single harbour wall was enough to stop the seas. Platania was a lovely small holiday town, clean and well maintained with excellent shops for supplies. A short sail the next day brought us to Skiathos Island, the first of the Northern Sporades chain. Koukounaries bay, renowned as having the best beach in the Aegean, proved to be a busy anchorage. Ski boats and every form of water sport tried to rock us violently until dusk and a peaceful night followed.
From Koukounaries we motored around the coast of Skiathos Island to a bay called Siferi. With only one other yacht for company we spent a couple of quiet nights here once the waterskiing had finished for the day. Ashore the little town was clean and well kept and had an excellent supermarket. Margaret still had a few days left so we sailed across to Skopelos Island in a force 6 gusting 7 wind doing 8 knots and set about anchoring in Panormous bay where you have to tie to the shore in the limited space.
We got settled in nicely and were able to watch the antics of four charter yachts that took two hours to get their lines ashore.Our concerns started when two large charter yachts tied themselves together both with anchors down on top of ours. It turned out they were swapping anchors for some mysterious reason and eventually left the bay but not without our levels of angst being very high.a great sail the next day back to Siferi bay was to be Margaret's last night on anchor before going into Skiathos town from where she would fly home.
This part of the trip totalled 314 nautical miles. After Margaret leaves, Pat and I will cruise the rest of the Sporades islands before returning here to pick up friends to sail back to Athens

Chris Richardson

Pelagia’s Greek Odyssey 2015 part one

Pelagia started her 2015 cruise in early May when launched from Preveza in the Ionian sea. All did not go smoothly as a dead starter battery slowed things down but was soon solved with the amazing chandlery at the boatyard which had a good selection of batteries. This was probably caused by a faulty battery charging system which I had already planned to replace. A seized pressurised water pump was the next thing to change and then we could finally get the boat ready for her voyage. We were making for Lefkas island and the smaller island of Meganissi for the first couple of weeks as Pat’s brother and his wife were joining us there to day sail with us whilst they stayed in a nearby hotel each night. A few days of gentle weather enabled us to re-commission everything and to get used to a new electric anchor winch that had been fitted. That proved a great benefit and much less strain on the Skippers arms and back!

We based ourselves in the small village of Spartachori for the visit of Brian and Valerie so we could take them back each day for their hotel on the nearby hill and we could eat mostly at the Taverna on the quay. The weather was largely benign that week except for a blip in the middle when rain and storms were forecast so we stayed on land that day exploring the village and using the facilities at Brian‘s hotel. We were able to take our visitors on four short sails to different bays where we could swim and then sail back on the afternoon breeze. The best winds were on the first day when we had been to Kalamos island and we had a brisk force four to five on our return. A good introduction to sailing for Brian and Valerie and they loved it. The other days were lighter winds but still enjoyable and we even managed a complete circumnavigation of Meganissi island. A very enjoyable week for us all.

Now at the end of May, Pat and I had to sail on to Cephalonia to meet Ann who was joining us to make our trip to Athens via the Corinth canal. We stopped overnight on route at Frikes on Ithaca and then went on down to Euphymia where Ann would join us. Just before Ann arrived, Pat and I were going for a shower at some facilities near the harbour when a loud bang was heard accompanied by the sound of many car alarms going off and many birds taking to the air. We were told that it was a small earthquake, not uncommon on this island which sits on a fault line. Ann was in her taxi from the airport and her driver confirmed he felt the car moving, a great welcome for her!

Our trip to Olympic marina near Athens was about 250 miles and we needed to get there both for Ann’s flight out in 12 days time and for our return to the UK two days later for a wedding. Our first day was a gentle sail down to Poros on the Cephalonia east side. It was a very hot day and we managed a swim when we got there but the afternoon breeze was bringing a swell into the harbour so we moved Pelagia to a more sheltered part of the harbour as she was bouncing and dragging her anchor out. The next day an early start for the longer trip into the Patras gulf on the mainland initially was light breeze motorsailing but by lunchtime we were able to sail downwind at good speed towards Mesolonghi . This town where Lord Byron died in the early 19^thcentury is accessed down a narrow dredged channel through the salt marshes, still surrounded by fisherman’s houses on stilts in the water, similar in style to Asia rather than Greece . We anchored in the small harbour bay very well sheltered but not inspiring scenery and we decided not to go ashore that night.

The next day promised an upwind beat to Patras town in a forecast force 3 -4. It started off as such but rapidly became a force 7 with a short steep sea funnelled by the narrowing channel as we approached Patras and the Rion bridge across the gulf. We finally motor-sailed to get into Patras in what we hoped would be a sheltered harbour as indeed it turned out to be. The town of Patras, the third biggest town in Greece and a large ferry port turned out to be very poor, dilapidated and un-inspiring.

From here we had to motor under the Rion road bridge after seeking permission to transit the bridge and you are directed as to what span to use. Finally we could sail and we had a superb upwind beat in force 3 winds all the way to the small island of Trizonia. The harbour here was full of old derelict boats including one sunken ketch with masts sticking up out of the water and a collection of resident sailors taking advantage of the free mooring for their old decaying yachts many of which will never go to sea again. This harbour was however on a very attractive island with a clean and well maintained water front with charming Tavernas.

We had to set off the next day as time was pressing to get to the Corinth canal and we motored out into a flat sea with no wind. Only a mile or so out we lost drive although the engine continued to run if somewhat unevenly. I quickly stopped the engine allowing the boat to drift and dived in to check that I did still have a propeller! What a relief when it was still there, but it turned out that the ‘clamp on’ shaft coupling had slipped and worn so that it no longer turned the prop shaft. I managed to tighten the clamp with enormous effort enough to get it to run and we limped back to Trizonia harbour. Luckily with this design of boat the propeller shaft will not come out of the boat totally so we cannot lose it, but there is enough movement in it to completely remove the coupling without lifting the boat out of the water. The coupling was worn half a millimeter oversize and would no longer grip the shaft. With help from the Hallberg Rassy agents in the UK, I found that this part has been redesigned by Volvo and I got the new part number. Delivery would however take 4 days as there was not one in Greece at all. We had to move on if we were to get our flights home with still 100 miles to go and a canal to motor through so I had to find a temporary solution. I wound the shaft with aluminium cooking foil liberally coated with some Loctite thread sealant until I had built it up enough for the coupling to grip. After several hours in a hot engine room it worked!

After a two day delay we were on our way but lack of wind forced us to motor just when we would rather rest the engine and sail. For 2 days we motored, anchoring one night in a lovely bay on the north side of the Corinthikos channel , and the second day getting into the small yacht harbour in Corinth city itself. There was some vibration from the engine but it was still working. Early the next morning we obtained clearance to transit the Corinth canal together with a flotilla of other yachts. This canal built in 1881 is 3.5 miles long 28 metres wide and 79 meters high cut through the limestone cliffs. The trip is quite dramatic although the limestone walls are eroding fast and require much repairing to keep them safe. Entering over the hydraulic lowering road bridge we are herded by radio instructions to keep us close throughout the trip and minimise the opening time of the bridge at the other end. Our nerves were on edge hoping the engine would not let us down at this point or it could be very expensive to get towed out. We made it and having paid our not inexpensive dues at the other end we were in the Aegean sea. Wind allowed us to sail to our first chosen bay where we tied to a quay at a Taverna. Our obligation was to eat there that night and although the bay of Korfos was picturesque, the meal was one of the worst we had experienced so far.

A lovely sail the next day took us to an anchorage on the island or Aigina . A very impressive garden on the cliff top in the bay had a very lifelike scarecrow overlooking us and it was some time before we realised it was not on onlooker. Later that day a helicopter landed in the garden so it was owned by a wealthy person probably from Athens.

The final day to sail to Olympic marina started with light following winds but by half way it freshened to a head wind of force five. Ann took the helm and relished tacking towards our final destination where we arrived after a seven hour sail which clocked nearly 40 miles. Ann was able to catch her flight the next day and I set about getting our part delivered to fit before we had to leave. Given the state of Greek finances at the moment this was a challenge as Volvo would not release the part until they had the money in their hands. Thus I had to deposit the cash in a bank and immediately tell them so they could draw it out and then courier the part to me. The part arrived the next day and it took me 2 hours in the engine room in 36 degrees to fit it. They have changed the design considerably and maybe there have been problems with this part in the past so hopefully this one will work for a long time!

So our first period this year was stressful whilst still being interesting. We logged 450 nautical miles in the five weeks and we shall return to Athens in August to carry on the adventure in the Aegean.

Pelagia’s final Ionian fling.

We returned to Greece at the end of August and had Pelagia lifted back in the water. Pat had a big shock when she saw a rock about the size of a golf ball hanging on one of the curtains inside. Obviously some insect had built a nest and there was a pupating grub inside this rock structure built of grit stuck together. We did not leave it to see what emerged as it looked large and dangerous! Whilst England had started an Indian summer, Greece was plunged into storms and rain. 

Pelagia in the rain

We sat in Cleopatra marina watching the rain and the lightning for the next 2 days!! We saw one yacht coming in when dark with no lights and it turned out they had lost all electrics in the storm so lucky to get in safely. That was the second yacht we heard of that experienced the same problem. All my portable instruments go in the oven when a storm is around to act as a Faraday’s cage and protect them. Finally it cleared and we were able to sail up the Gulf of Amvrakia, a stretch of water about 20 miles long going in from Preveza. It is said to have more fish, turtles and dolphins in here because of the ideal conditions. We sailed gently to a bay at the far end of the gulf where there was nobody else in the anchorage and we could watch the wildlife which included many Storks flying over. We had a wonderful quiet night on anchor. The following day we sailed back to the small town of Vonitsa still within the gulf and anchored off the town. On route we were treated to a display by 3 dolphins that stayed with us for about 15 minutes, a great treat. Vonitsa looked like a pleasant holiday town but behind the façade it was run down and incredibly poor.

Vonsita

We sailed back to Cleopatra marina where we waited for Zorana to join us for the next two weeks. The weather seemed more settled and we set off on a trip including many places we had seen before, this included the islands of Levkas, Meganissi, Kalamos, Ithaca, and Cephalonia. We had a bad forecast again after a few days and we scuttled into Frikes on Ithaca to shelter from a violent storm which we sat out for the next day watching other boats entering in dreadful conditions. At least the rain was warm! It did finally settle down a bit for Zorana’s second week and we had some good anchorages. One new place we visited was Vathi on Ithaca which was very pretty and a lovely anchorage in the middle of the small town.

Port Vathi

 A wind came up in the night on that anchorage and we said to Zorana that we would have a lively sail the next day up to Spartakhori so we all prepared for it but as soon as we got out of the bay it virtually dropped and we sailed intermittently with motoring to get there to meet our friend David in his boat. Swimming was great at this time of year with water temperature of 24 deg. and we had some lovely nights on anchor. Finally we arrived back in Lefkas marina where Zorana left us. Lefkada is actually an interesting town with many of the houses having upper floors made of tin sheeting. This was a precaution against earthquake damage. Many of the shops in the main street are pretty coloured tin upper stories above the shops.

Lefkas tin shops

Our final week was spent working on the boat, in between the by now regular rain storms! We are lifting out at Preveza Cleopatra marina for the winter to return home on 2^nd October. We have added another 190 miles logged in September to our total for this year making a total of 1170 nautical miles for 2014 and added two more countries to the list that Pelagia has experienced. Sadly Greece has had the worst summer locals can remember ever. We had some glorious days, as we should, but one could never relax as storms came back regularly every week or so and we constantly were looking for ports of refuge. Thank God we were in Greece this year because Croatia has been even worse!

Sunrise over Port Atheni, Meganissi

Pelagia sails Argostoli back to Preveza

In Argostoli we were joined by Keith ( Vice Commodore of Whitby Yacht Club ) and his wife Irene, who would be with us for one week of this 3 week period. They had a great introduction to Mediterranean mooring when on their first evening a 15 ft wide motor cruiser tried to berth in a 10 ft wide space next to us. The combined anger of the surrounding yachtsmen finally forced them to try elsewhere! From Argostoli we set sail for the north end of Zakinthos island and after some motoring a fine breeze gave us a good sail to the so called sheltered bay of Ayios Nikalaos. Anchoring was not successful in the gusty bay so we went alongside the concrete jetty which was fine until, as about to start our meal, we were pressurised into moving up for a charter yacht to be near their friends. The bay looked nice enough but the wild music until 6 in the morning rather coloured our view of the place. At least a nice little man selling his wares, honey, olive oil and wine brightened the day a little.

Back to Cephallonia island the next day with a good sail most of the way to Poros town. Tied stern to the town quay we happened to be next to a round the world sailor from Scotland, Frank Mallard, now living aboard his boat in the Med and had once been secretary to Whitby Yacht Club in the 70’s. This narcoleptic little town was so welcome after the noise of the night before. Next day we motored with no wind to our favourite little bay of Andreas on Ithaca. We tied to a rock amongst a few boats but we had to move ropes several times in the now fluky wind across the bay. All settled later and we were able to watch the antics of the wild goats coming to drink what must have been a spring near the sea. Last port of call for Keith and Irene was Eufimia, anchored and tied stern to the quay. Other boats anchored over our chain which only gave problems when we came to leave. This town was celebrating their saint’s day and a party on the quay was attended by most of the town with Greek music and fireworks, great fun. Keith and Irene were able to watch us leave and helped to get the diver from the harbour to sort chains before we could lift ours and proceed. Back to Frikes for us and tied alongside the harbour wall as recommended. To our surprise some were stern to the wall with anchors across the harbour, not as suggested here and surprise, surprise as the afternoon breeze strengthened they all dragged and there was panic as they tried to berth alongside.

We wanted to see a much described bay on Atoko island known as ‘one house bay’ and when we arrived there only one other boat was at anchor. It was blue water and lovely scenery on this now deserted island and we swam thinking maybe we were lucky because you could only get about 6 boats in here.

 One hour later there were 17 yachts and an 80 meter charter super yacht moored almost on top of us! Once the late afternoon squalls got up people were dragging anchors, fouling anchors on the big ship and all the fun of the fair! We decided that for peace of mind that night we had to go and hoped we could get a berth in Spartkhori before dark. A great sail in a force 5 beam wind took us there and we were greeted with the last available berth followed by a quiet night.

We had received some bad weather forecasts and the next day proved right as storms and rain set in so we stayed securely there. Next we sailed out to another small island of Kalamos and the bay of Porto Leone. 

Here we anchored in beautiful surroundings near a deserted village. The village had been abandoned after the 1953 earthquake when their spring water supply dried up. The church there is still kept up by visits from other towns every Sunday to clean and maintain it. It seems strange to see a beautiful church amongst the ruins of splendid houses. From there we sailed to Sivota but the town was full and we continued the good sail up to Vlihko bay near Nidri to get supplies. Nidri is a much spoiled tourist town and we were glad to get back into Vlihko bay to the quiet swimming area. With just a few days left to get back to our lift out in Preveza we tried 2 more anchorages. The first, Port Atheni on Meganissi island looked perfect and our position in the corner of the bay was ideal. Sadly a French boat and a Russian yacht also thought so but tied to the shore thus restricting our swinging space and forcing us to move 50 yards out. A birthday celebration in one of the tavernas until 2 in the morning also marred the enjoyment. Our faith was restored by the final bay, Varko on the mainland where a quiet sandy beach fronted a beautiful view and it was serene and calm with only goat bells for music. The perfect end with a relaxing day.

Finally we motored up the Lefkas canal to the marina to complete some maintenance tasks ready to finally go to Preveza for our lift out. Pelagia will stay here for August whilst we fly home avoiding the increasing crowds and the intense heat. This season we have logged 980 miles over 3 countries and taken Pelagia to her spiritual home of Cephallonia

Overnight Race from Sunderland to Whitby! 27th/28th June 2014.

Glorious sunshine and blue skies greeted us on the Thursday morning for our early departure from Whitby.  This being my very first overnight race, I felt tremendously excited as well as a little apprehensive about what lay ahead.  Having packed plenty of warm clothing and gallons of hot coffee and soup we were ready for any climatic conditions we might encounter in the North Sea!!

Due to the lack of wind Dave and I were obliged, reluctantly, to motor Double D to Sunderland.  However, this gave us ample opportunity to take in the incredible coastal scenery, wildlife, and more importantly, time to revise vessel lights!!!  Thanks Dave!! 

Being accompanied by Icon proved most enjoyable too for this outward journey.  Exchanging the odd words of banter, whilst in bantering distance, made time fly by.

Sunderland came into view six hours later, and approaching the marina was a welcome sight.  However our joy turned to disbelief when we were informed that there was only room for one vessel!! Oooops!  Thankfully, after a good deal of Neil’s persistence, a berth was made available and we moored alongside our Icon crewmates.  We made full use of the marina`s facilities; eating and drinking and enjoying our visit.  

By late afternoon on Friday, we had our full complement of crew.  Adrian Fusco joined us.  It was to be his first overnight race too.  All of us were eagerly awaiting the race start.  As the start time drew ever closer, I began to feel a few butterflies, how dark would it actually be? and, would I be able to stay awake??  

We had checked weather conditions during the day and our worst fears were realised,  LIGHT WINDS!!  Frustration!!  Well at least everyone was in the same boat, figuratively speaking, and as it turned out, we all were, almost. 

At the start there we all were, jostling and bobbing about, using boathooks and fenders to stop the boats colliding as we literally inched closer to the start line. Forty minutes later (which seemed an eternity) everyone finally crossed the start line.  Hooray we`re off thought I.  Gradually the north easterly winds picked up and we began to race!!!

As the light faded and darkness fell,  I was amazed that it was still possible to make out other boats against the skyline.  I couldn`t believe the myriad of lights along the coast as we passed Teesside, and realised how baffling it could be.  Very steadily the winds began to increase until we were making a healthy 5/6 knots.  It felt fabulous and a real thrill when we realised we were keeping up with the rest of the fleet!

One of the most magical moments was when Dave told me to look over the stern and I was able to see the phosphorescence that he`d told me about, shimmering and glistening in the murky waters below!! AWESOME!!!

Gradually tiredness took over, and I managed to grab some sleep below deck, drifting off to the sounds of the boat as she skimmed the water.  An hour later,  I emerged to see the wind farm was still remarkably in view. 

Then a mysterious red light appeared almost dead ahead. At first it appeared as though it wasn`t too far in the distance.  After a while, however, as the light improved and dawn was breaking, Dave realised it was the light above Whitby harbour on the cliff top!  Thank goodness he`d identified where it actually was!!  The dark definitely plays tricks with your eyes.

As we sailed closer towards Whitby our course took us between boats that were steering out into the North Sea and others that were hugging the coastline.  We noticed that we had made considerable ground and were lying around 4^th place.  Fantastic! not far to go, we could finish amongst the top half of the group.  Alas as the finish line approached we were scuppered!!

The wind dropped and we began to struggle to make any ground over the water!!.  We could see our position slipping away and couldn`t do anything about it.  Even though we were bitterly disappointed,  I was relieved to have completed my first overnight race.

 I`m now looking forward to cruising to the Farnes in July and here`s hoping the weather is kinder to us!!

Mel Russell

Double D

W.Y. C. Summer Cruise North Sat 19th July 2014

Hello all,

Well, at last I have sat down with tables and charts, the results of my labours, the dates and tides are below.

Sat 19th July - H.W. 09:59 - Whitby to Hartlepool - We intend to leave on the extra bridge, at 1300.
Thus getting the tide north, and possibly having to wait for sufficient water to enter the Hartlepool lock.

Sun 20th July - H.W. 10:47 - H'pool to Newcastle City Marina - 27N.M. - Leaving about midday seeking the tidal assistance to the Tyne mouth, then the flooding tide to assist up the river Tyne to the City Marina. Will have to book a bridge opening at the Millennium bridge

Mon 21st - Rest Day in Newcastle

Tues 22nd - H.W. 1256 - Newcastle City Marina to Amble - 27N.M. - Leaving on the Midday bridge

Wed 23rd - H.W. 13:42 - Amble to Farnes - 28N.M. - I am keen to visit the Farnes, and weather dependent anchor overnight at Lindisfarne

Thurs 24th - H.W. 02:09 & 14:35 - Lindisfarne to Eyemouth - 17 N.M.

We are keen to travel all the way to the Firth of Forth, and Queensferry, all being dependent on tide and weather.

The return journey will most likely start on Sunday 27th , to conclude in Scarborough by Friday 1st August, for the race the following morning.

I will welcome any observations, or comments, and would like to know if anyone intends to join in for any of this cruise.

Best regards
Dave Broughton
R.C.C.