Monday 25 June
Olympic Marina - Lavrion

It really is our last day on board now and various cleaning tasks have to be undertaken - the wind is still blowing relentlessly so at least it isnt too hot doing our chores. We did manage a cycle ride into the town of Lavrion earlier as, apart from venturing out to watch the footie last night, we were beginning to feel a little stir crazy.  Although the football match made me feel something other than stir crazy and no mojito this time to help it along. Believe it or not I drank water!

A new anchor chain has been ordered and the Captain is about to email a list of jobs for the boatyard to carry out while we are away, including the delights of cleaning out the 'poo' tank - we thought it was the sewer outlet in Patras but feeling a little anxious now that maybe it was us.

 

We are booked into a nearby hotel for tomorrow night -  which is supposed to be 5* - for a hopefully relaxing afternoon and evening before heading for Athens airport on Wednesday and an endless journey home - really hoping it wont be quite as painful as the last time when we managed to catch quite the slowest train from Clapham Junction to Brockenhurst that has ever been on the SW Trains network.

View from the back of the boat at Olympic Marina, Lavrio

Friday 22 June
Olympic Marina, Lavrio

We stayed five nights at anchor in the end in Poros as those sailing boats didnt decide to leave that pontoon until this morning - when we left too. And the water held out.  

View from the beach

The first three hours of our crossing were good and then at about midday the wind kicked in and after that it was very much a 'Gordy' situation with the spray going right over the top of the boat to the aft deck.  We are now safely in the marina but it is still blowing (5.45. p.m. here) at about force 6 and the Captain is disgruntled - it is his turn after all. Not least because somehow the black water tank is coming back up into the engine room - the Captain has changed his name to the T(h)urd Man. I think it has to be time to come home now!  

Leaving Poros Friday a.m.

Sequel comes out of the water on Tuesday 26 and we fly home on Wednesday.  We are looking forward to coming home although we have had many reports of bad weather. Despite the howling gale here it is still hot. 

Tuesday 19 June
Poros

We decided to leave Old Epidavros on Sunday afternoon despite the wind forecast, if anything the wind had dropped.  We were a bit late in making the decision but attempted to leave at about 1.30 p.m. only to find we were firmly stuck by two lines which had crossed our anchor chain.  We had heard about this happening in various places, usually when a flotilla is in port, but had hoped we would avoid it.  Fortunately the rep from the Sailing Holidays boat that was one of the culprits was on hand in his dinghy to help out and he also managed to remove the chain and anchor of a fishing boat which we believe another flotilla boat had carelessly dropped over our anchor chain after they had disengaged it from theirs!  The whole thing took just over half an hour and was all very exciting. 

Crossed anchors

It then took just under 3 hours to get to Poros, a small island just off the Peloponnese, which again we had been told was lovely and that we would prefer it to Epidavros.  There was loads of room on the town quay but unfortunately our anchor chain is not very long and it was too deep close to the quay for us to anchor there - there is a pontoon where we could have gone alongside but it was, and still is, occupied by sailing boats that do not seem to want to go anywhere so we had no alternative but to drop our anchor in a small bay opposite Poros Town where it is shallower. And it is lovely.  We have been here for three nights now and they have been the quietest and darkest we have experienced.  The Captain has got the dinghy out and he rowed us over to the town yesterday morning - because we didnt have any fuel for the engine, not because he was keeping fit - we found the fuel man on the pontoon (and those sailing boats not going anywhere - in fact we have hardly seen any sailing boats with their sails up even when it is windy - and when it is windy they all seem to scared to go out - what is that all about?) and we decided we much preferred it where we are at anchor as it is so noisy in the town and very crowded with tavernas and tourists.  We came back to the boat and rowed across to a small beach and had a lovely afternoon lying on sunbeds and actually swimming in the sea. We were even more adventurous last night and went out in the dinghy in the evening to a taverna, supposedly for a meal, but really because the Captain was anxious to watch the footie - again.

On the pontoon at Poros Town for a coffee and shopping trip

Forecast still for very strong winds so think we will now be here until Saturday - we are taking very quick showers to make the water last - start practising Matt & Heather!

At anchor in quiet, sheltered bay opposite Poros Town

Sunday 17 June
Paille Epidhauros, Peloponnese

Corinth Canal and into the Aegean Sea

We left Galaxidhi just after 6 a.m. on Friday morning heading for the Corinth Canal which is the most expensive canal in the world to sail through and like a lot of other things in Greece in disrepair.  We made very good time to the canal and then had to wait for two hours at anchor to pass through.  It is very impressive and incredible to think that it was originally dug out by the French in the 1890s and is 90M at its highest point.

Corinth Canal

We then headed for a small village for the night only to decide it really was too small for us and had to turn back to where we are now which is delightful and there is everything we need here.  Epidhauros is renowned for the Greek theatre about a 15km drive away and we visited the theatre yesterday morning (again with very many American youngsters). 

Greek Theatre

It is very windy and the forecast is for it to remain so until Thursday - we are dithering at the moment whether to go or not - the sailing part is fine - it is the mooring when we get to a destination which is a cause for anxiety and a lot of shouting.  The weekends seem to be change over days for the sailing charter companies and there are two where we are now. So may be better to leave it until tomorrow.................

Old Epidhaurus - not a bad place to have to stay

Thursday 14 June
Galaxidhi, Gulf of Corinth

We left Patras on Tuesday by about noon.  We had enjoyed our three days there and were entertained by Greek dancing in a small ampitheatre just across from the boat and watching all the hundreds of students drinking endless cups of frappé in all the cafes that surrounded us, accompanied every now and then by pungent wafts of sewage.  We were joined on our last night by the very big boat that had made such a mess of mooring in Ay Efimia.  In fact it managed to take up the whole of the other side of the pontoon on which we were on.

Patras from the Fort at the top of (about) 300 steps

We headed for the Gulf of Corinth and a small island called Trizonia which had been recommended to us as being a 'lovely spot'.  I am beginning, belatedly, to get quite suspicious about other peoples' idea of a 'lovely spot'.  We knew that there would be no electricity or water but had no idea that the place was more like a boat graveyard.  The whole marina basin looked like it had been deserted, although there were other boats like us in transit spending the night, and I was very disconcerted to see two masts sticking out of the water from a yacht that had sunk over three years ago now, right in the middle of the basin, and then we were told there were another three that had sunk but were not visible. here was a number of other abandoned boats which must have been there for years and shamefully more than a few had British port names on them. But then surprisingly just on the other side of the island was a lovely little bay with pretty tavernas so the situation was salvaged a little.  

Trizonia

We beat a hasty retreat from there early on Wednesday morning to head for Galaxidhi, where we are now, which is a huge improvement. We were, however, moved off a perfect spot we chose for ourselves as we were told that a large 30M boat was expected - we feel like we are being followed now.  But it is so hot - at the least 36 degrees, possibly 40 and it is impossible to move without being drenched in perspiration. It is also impossible to escape the football as the Greeks love it and it is on in every bar, cafe, taverna.  I was persuaded by the Captain to watch The Netherlands -v- Germany last night in a very modern, trendy bar across from the boat with Frank Sinatra crooning and a large Mojito cocktail - unfortunately the music changed to house/garage/you wouldnt want it in your shed music, Germany won and if I had had another Mojito I would have fallen off the bar stall.

 

Today, despite the heat, we have been to Delphi - the centre of the world according to Greek mythology.  About half an hour away in a taxi from Galaxidhi and not to be missed. Overwhelming - and overwhelmed by American tourists.

The theatre at Delphi with the Temple of Apollo

Tomorrow, finally, we set off for the Corinth Canal and the Aegean Sea.  We have been watching the weather forecast and think we are about to experience our first Meltemi but hope to find somewhere reasonable to sit it out before heading for our final destination just east of Athens before heading home on 27 June.

Tuesday 5 June Fiskardo, Cephalonia 

By the marina, Porto Vathi, Meganissi

We left Meganissi early having had a lovely three days there. We got the bikes out each evening and cycled around the coast to the next port a couple of times and into the centre another night - it was too warm during the day to do so - and the views were fantastic. Really loved it there. It took three hours to reach Fiskardo and we had determined to arrive early here i.e. before noon, as it is a very popular harbour and hard to find a place to moor. And it was almost full even at 11.30 a.m. We finally decided on a spot after the third attempt of reversing into a place with me dropping the anchor each time and then having to bring it up again (not manually!) - which I had never done before - it was exciting to say the least and we are still talking to each other.  We will probably only stay one night as we are on the town quay, practically in a taverna and it is a very public place with no water or electricity. On the plus side only 5 euros to stay here!

 

-almost in the taverna

 

Fiskardo

Friday 01 June
Meganisi

We had five nights in the end at Lefkas. For the first couple of days we were aware that the weather at home was lovely while it wasn't very warm here and apart from the storms on the first day we had rain on Tuesday as well.  By Wednesday things were looking up even though the wind was still quite chilly and now finally the weather is how you would expect it to be, but we were also waiting for six new batteries to arrive from Athens.  We were so impressed with Andreas who found a supplier and organised for the batteries to be delivered, and they were actually with us on Wednesday, and then we waited for the batteries to charge and finally this morning we had five lights! I cannot tell you anything about ampere hours despite the fact that I havent heard about much else for the last few days.

We left for Meganisi at noon today after the Captain had been twice to the Port Police who were not at all friendly and demanded to see again the insurance certificate despite the fact that he had already seen it on Monday - the same official.

Meganisi

And Meganisi is everything we were hoping for - a very small marina run by an English girl from Carlisle - it is very picturesque and we will stay here until Monday and then head for Fiskardo, Cephalonia.  At least that's the plan at the moment - things do seem to have a habit of changing.