Grubbing About on Board

I didn’t write much once we returned to Spain in January or at all during the month we spent back in the UK afterwards. There just didn’t seem to be very much to say, to be honest. But now we’re back on the boat I thought I’d better get my finger out.

A very welcome site to wake up to – view from our hotel room

It was only this morning that we came aboard, having indulged in the luxury of a night in a hotel. Neither of us begrudge it, though. The thought of having to somehow access a bed on the boat after a late arrival and a long day of traveling was beyond daunting. You see, when a boat is “put away” for the winter, left to cope with the inevitable bad weather and potential consequences, a lot of work is involved.

Anything that the wind could get hold of – sails, dinghy,  bimini (provides shade in the summer) as well all the loose items like buckets, brushes and soft furnishings have to be stowed below. A cold, unventilated interior is asking to be affected by damp so anything that might go mouldy needs to be protected, usually by wrapping them in plastic bags, and moved away from the walls. These all have to go somewhere and every bit of space is utilised including the floor of the heads (bathroom) and the beds.

If the boat is to be lifted out onto the land every item that might either break or cause damage has to be secured in some way. Electricity is disconnected, water tanks emptied and the toilet flushed through with chemicals to clean the pipes and holding tank.

Neil let’s down the bathing platform so we can board from the pontoon

From all this you can probably gather that the boat is pretty much uninhabitable without a lot of work to put it all back together. Mostly dirty, back-breaking work at that. Bruises, cuts and​ broken fingernails are all par for the course. Even doing the minimum late at night is not to be recommended.

 

So that has been our day today. There’s still a lot of cleaning and provisioning to be done but we’ve both had enough for the time being. It’s T-shirt weather, at least for now, and it’s wonderful to ditch the shoes and get out the flip flops. Plus a little drink is called for. 

More Lefkas

Yes, we’re still in Lefkas so the only thing to add is a few more photos. This will probably be the last post from Greece until next sailing season but, never fear (I knew you were worried), the blog will continue.

As is typical in Greece there are lots of cats about, many of them street urchins and some very much the worse for wear. This little one is understandably nervous.

An attractive spot overlooking the lagoon to eat out. There are even flamingos to spot (too distant for me to get a decent photo) but you might not recognise them without their familiar pink plumage.

Most of the small squares in the old part of town tend to be utilised for parking and this is the only exception we’ve spotted.

Above: The narrow streets of the old town are very much a community and not just geared up for tourists.

Below: I’m often drawn to the rather picturesque quality of wooden boat left to “return to nature.”

Lefkada Living

The floating bridge swings open for the canal traffic. It’s the essentially temporary nature of the bridge that allows Lefkas to keep island status rather than being part of the mainland.

Having taken refuge in Lefkas Marina to sit out the recent Medicane, we’re reluctant to leave for the remaining days of the season. We initially postponed our departure because of the a wet few days following the storm then stayed on to enjoy the town during the sunshine. Now the days are racing by and with the threat of more rain in the days preceding our flight it seems like a good idea to get all the jobs necessary to put the boat “to bed” done while the sun shines. Mind you, we’re not exactly rushing and there are certain jobs such as putting the dinghy away that can’t be done until the last day (it lives in the main cabin over winter).

Togetherness in a shady spot

It has to be said, though, we like it here. The town is the main one on the island so is still very much a place where people live as well as catering for the influx of tourists over the summer months. It’s a very sociable marina with both a full time live aboard community and those like us who only want to be on the boat while the weather holds out. So there are lots of evenings out where we’ve met some lovely people and always someone to ask about things like launderettes. I also need a filling so it’s a good time to get that sorted before any pain kicks in!

There are plentiful tavernas but this is probably our favourite – THE best house red wine in the Ionian and cheap!

Bikes are really popular

And scooters. Not all are classics like this one, though!

Oh, and did I mention there’s shore power?

Autumn’s Arrival

Lefkas Marina at sunrise

In complete contrast to June, September has been glorious but autumn arrived while we were in Vassiliki. Yes, I feel I can be that specific. You see, we’d been sweltering up until then, pretty much day and night. But that evening, while waiting for our red snapper to be served at a favourite harbour-side taverna, I had to fetch a fleece. I know, right!

Vassiliki is popular for all wind driven water sports because of its reliable breeze

To be fair, we go to Vassiliki because it’s breezy even in settled weather making life on a boat so much more pleasant. There’d been a bit of of a breeze in most places recently but this was the first time there was a definite nip to it.

Much of the housing in the older streets of Lefkas Town is made of corrugated metal but some timber frames still exist.

We’d had a few days in Lefkas Marina to sort out our new berth and generally get to know the town a bit better. But with the weather set fair, an anchorage called. We watched the Southern Ionion Regatta race go by from our spot in a small bay near Nidri before heading heading for Vasiliki to do our washing.

Mare’s tails sunset in Bungalow Bay

With the cooler wind came the first indication of a more threatening forcast. We took our chance for a last night at anchor in Bungalow Bay before heading back to the marina. Now here we sit with a Force 8 setting my nerves on edge and lots more to come. September is going out with a lion’s roar. 

And We’re Back

The decision to change marina bases from Corfu in the northern Ionian to Lefkas further south changed the plans for summer. I’m not a fan of the Greek summer temperatures​ or the crowds of peak season and would always choose to get away. However, as our marina contract ended inconveniently on the last day of July somebody had to be there to move the boat out. That someone was, of course, Neil.

Single handed he sailed Desi non-stop from Corfu to Bungalow Bay and then on to Sivota, Lefkas. As I’ve mentioned previously, there have been some changes to Sivota recently that have not been in the best interest of the liveaboard community. The space on the town quay has been further reduced by the addition of yet another pontoon this summer but Neil was lucky enough to find somewhere to settle until I made the journey back.

So it was to Sivota that I returned around midnight on Sunday, a Sivota that even the taxi driver had never seen before. A day to recover with a meal at the Family taverna – still as welcoming despite their obvious fatigue – and we were ready to leave. With not only the temperature rising but also the humidity, an anchorage seemed the best solution. Well, yes and no…

Bouncing Along

Dawn brought the swell. Ligia had been beautifully calm the previous day and, to be fair, there wasn’t much wind that morning but it was out there. The dark clouds also promised rain so definitely not the sort of day I’d normally choose to anchor. And as the thunder rumbled around us on our crossing to Meganisi I seriously considered asking Neil to change our plans.

We had a rendezvous with friends we hadn’t seen for a while, however, and it did look brighter ahead. Low and behold, as we approach the small island it was like a different day. Even so, as we tied up to the quay in “Little” Vathy just to pick up supplies it did seem a shame to give up our spot.

But Abilike Bay was everything we could have hoped for. Tied to the rocks, nobly assisted assistant by Christine swimming out with our line, this was the very best side of Ionian sailing: great company, free flowing wine and the best night’s sleep I’d had in a long time. This is why we keep coming back. OK, so the next couple of evenings were a bit bumpy but even I wasn’tconcerned. Mind you, the plentiful barbecued food and more than enough free flowing wine might have helped.

We didn’t go far after that, just back around the corner to Vathy quay. Now that’s when the swell really came in! The waves had us bouncing quite violently and there was this occasional this. With the depth gage reading some 3 meters when we tied up it took us a few bangs to realise it wasn’t just the water hitting the bathing platform but the rudder hitting something very solid beneath it.

Lengthening the lines to shore and pulling back on the anchor away from the quay did the trick and calm finally returned in the early hours – lulling us into a second night of bouncing. At least we were ready to leave the following morning!

A Tale of Three Harbours

Vasiliki quay has space – at the moment

It is undoubtedly true that the Ionian is becoming more crowded. I understand that a lot of foreign boats have left Turkish waters due to the uncertainty of the political situation there, some some 1,000 I’ve been told heading for Greece many to the Ionian. There are far more charter and flotilla companies than a few years ago, all with bigger boats – many catamarans – and each individual flotilla seems bigger than I remember it.

Add to this the increase in independent land-based tourism, particularly to some areas that had previously not caught the eye of the big companies and it is not surprising the whole experience is changing. These once small fishing harbours that only developed to cater for their boating visitors have had a rethink.

Fiskardo on Kefalonia now seems to give boats a very low priority. A pontoon that was damaged in a storm has not been repaired or replaced and the quay is crowded and full very quickly. Even taking long lines to the rocky shore, once a favourite of ours, will find you as close to neighbouring boats as on the quay as Fiskardo’s reputation means every charter and​ flotilla crew wants to go there. That’s not to say that you won’t receive a welcome from the shop keepers and taverna owners who will still happily take your lines when your stern is nosing its way amongst their tables. Business is obviously booming.

Until very recently it was rare to see a land based tourist in Sivota on Lefkas but apartments and villas are rapidly being built in the hills around the harbour. Additionally, a flotilla company has made it their base and the quay has changed accordingly. There are several pontoons attached to restaurants who let you moor free of charge if you eat in their taverna. Some of these have been there for a while but the difference now is that there are more than enough boats wanting to take up the offer so the owners only want those with large crews staying one night.

With the lazy lines of the pontoons preventing access to a significant amount of the quay ever more deep water berths are being swallowed up by small motor boats. These either belong to regular land based visitors or are the little self drive boats hired out for a few hours at a time. The owners of these lay bouys and lazy lines blocking off the spaces for when the boats are out.
The remaining spaces seem to be taken by liveaboards who, having got a place, are reluctant to move. On our last recent visit we managed to nab a space between the latest pontoon and the rapidly spreading rental boats. For the first time ever in Sivota there was no one to take our lines. Neil had to call over a passing tourist who was willing enough to help but had obviously no idea what to do.

Neighbouring Vasiliki has taken a different course. Renowned for its strong winds, the resort has long been popular with younger visitors wanting all the water sports the guaranteed breezy conditions​ allow. The hotels, apartments, bars and cafes are well established. Now, though, a new breakwater is being built with a privately owned marina due to open in three months time and the old inner harbour, that was alarmingly shallow, has been dredged to a more comfortable 2.5ish meters.

The new breakwater in Vasaliki

This is all no doubt welcome to the struggling Greek economy and the port authorities are, rather belatedly catching on. Sivota, with no Port Police presence (we did see police cars patrolling for the first time, though) continues to remain free to tie up to the quay. Fiskardo will take a hefty mooring fee from private boats, certainly enough to make you think twice, while offering a reduced fee to charters.

Vasiliki seems to have taken a middle way. Earlier in the season we heard reports that the quay was taken up by non-moving boats but, with settled winds forecast, we still decided to check it out. We arrived to find an almost empty quay that gradually filled up around us. That evening the port authorities visited each boat, checking paperwork and charging a modest nightly fee, not enough to put most short term visitors off whilst dissuading those that have taken root.

I do wonder how long it will last, though. Today a flotilla​ from one of the smaller companies came in – for the first time according to the lead crew. The skipper had to bring each boat in himself as the afternoon wind is strong enough to be a worry. But when the new breakwater is complete maybe that won’t be such an issue. It remains to be seen.

View From the Bridge (OK, Cockpit)

I thought I’d share a few photos just to show the variety of places we go to. All have their charms. 

First, a recent favourite: Bungalow Bay. That’s not the name on the map, of course. It doesn’t tend to be high on the list for those who only come out here for a week or so and I wouldn’t like to be one to advertise it! 

Not every stop has quite such a pretty view. This is what we looked out on when we tied to the quay in “Little” Vathy on Meganissi. 

Don’t let this put you off, though; the view from Ian and Bobbie Streten’s “Sundowner” deck was very different – thanks for letting me use the picture, Ian. 

Sometimes you are the subject of boundless fascination or even the main source of entertainment. This was on the beautiful Assos, Kefalonia​, which is more of a land-based tourist destination as it is only suitable for boats in very settled weather so most people aren’t used to being around boats. 

Finally, early morning at anchor in Vlicho, a spot well known to the live-aboard community but rarely visited by those holidaying in nearby Nidre. 

What Desi Did Next

With some blowy weather forecast we headed for our ‘go to’ place in the the Southern Ionian, Sivota on Lefkas. As it turned out, the worst of the weather didn’t materialise, although there was obviously more wind outside the harbour, but we never mind spending time in there.

Eventually, though, the pretty little resort of Fiscardo called to us. We usually choose to tie to the rocks and dinghy ashore, preferring what tends to be a quieter spot with easy swimming access to the noise of the quay. This time, however, with the weather still decidedly changeable and the sea definitely failing my big toe test, the quay seemed a better option. The pontoon which only a couple of years ago provided extra space has now disappeared and the better spots were already taken up so we had no choice but to tie outside a taverna, the passarelle touching down amongst the tables.

Despite this and the incessant Zorba music, Fiscardo didn’t disappoint. It is probably my favourite stop in the Ionian, rather gentrified and with prices to match, but still worth the harbour dues. It even has a better class of tourist tat. This is the place to buy your chic summer dresses and thick Turkish towels if you don’t mind forking out the readies. I’m always tempted but compromised with a rather pretty fridge magnet. Now all we need is a fridge to put it on. Oh, and a kitchen, of course.

Next stop was Kalamos and the bay of the deserted Port Leone. Abandoned after an earthquake wrought havoc, it is now given over to boats and fishermen who have a habit of laying nets and almost blocking access, a real propeller hazard for the unwary or those arriving in the dark. Again it was a bit on the chilly side and the katabatic wind not particularly pleasant so one night was enough. The following morning we tootled the couple of miles to Port Kalamos itself.
There was a fair bit of wind as well as rain forecast for the Ionian with just a small patch of blue (indicating light winds) over Kalamos and neighbouring Kastos. This probably played its part in the frenzy that developed that evening. We’ve been here several times, often in peak season, and have never seen it so busy. Two flotillas, one of them unexpected, along with numerous charter boats and all arriving relatively late in the day (the owner occupied crews made sure to get in early) created, what turned out to be, very well organised chaos. This is all thanks to an amazing taverna owner who skillfully made sure every boat dropped enough chain and had a place to go to. How he managed it is something to behold. Inevitably there was anchor chain spaghetti the next morning but again George was there to make sure no anchor was uprooted. We’re not in any hurry to move off.

All quiet at the weekend – pretty Kalamos