4^th August 2010

After Svein had successfully filled the last two 25 litre diesel cans we waited until 14h00 and went into town to collect our bridge permit. When we arrived at the Customs we were told that we were too early and had to come back and see the Commandant between 15h00 and 17h00. As we had expected this we went off to do the last bit of shopping that was needed. We came back the the Port Police Authorities at 15h00 to be told that it was not yet time and could we please wait. As you imagine the fact that the bridge had been closed for 3 days meant that there was quite a queue building up. We waited patiently and eventually an officer appeared and was ready to go to work. We had initially been the first in the queue but a polite French man decided to pass in front of us. We believe he may still be waiting there as he presented a €200 euro note to pay a bill of €18.69 and needless to say they had no change. We then got our own permit and escaped to have a well earned drink. We met up with some Italians who were also waiting for the bridge but in the opposite direction and they gave us some useful tips about anchorages. We returned to the boat and got here ready for departure.

At 22h00 we were duly called up on the VHF and told to prepare the boat and hoise the anchor as the bridge would be opening in 15 minutes. As everybody was given the same instructions there started to be a little hustling amongst the 14 odd boats waiting to go through. Evenually the bridge opened and the commercial vessel was allowed to go through first followed, in theory, by the motor yachts and then the sailing yachts. However by this time everyone was extremely anxious to get through and ignored the instructions. So to add to the bustle came instructions from the Authorities for the sailing yachts to go through faster. We got through at 22h30 and continued on our way.

Our initial plan had been to sail (read motor) through the night but after a few hours we encountered very strong head winds that reduced our speed to 3 knots at 2000 rpm and very choppy seas. We decided to go for an anchorage and continue the next day. At 02h30 we were anchored outside the town of Larimna. A dirty oremining town but at least we did not have to look at the chimneys and were able to get a short night’s sleep in a safe anchorage.

5^th August 2010

We were up bright and early and left the anchorage to look at more pleasant surroundings. We continued to head NW under engine and inevitably had the head winds – although this time they were not so strong. We motored through the day and rounded the tip of Evia into the Orei channel in the early afternoon. We now had an East wind – straight on the nose – so we decided to make for an anchorage that was calm and in pleasant surroundings. We chose the bay of Vathikelon. We anchored in a corner and enjoyed the peace and calm. We went for a swim in the blue waters and Svein was treated to a special dinner of “gesiers” for all his hard work. In the late afternoon we were joined by a rather expensive Spanish 112ft sloop. Apparently it is one of the biggest Swan yachts built. She was elegant and had such a lot of clever features like the flush portholes in the hull and the gangway that also fitted into the hull when not in use. So tonight we are in regal company in the anchorage under the stars. We are hoping that the passage to Skepolos (the Mamma Mia island) tomorrow will bring up more luck with the winds and we can sail a little. We are slowly but surely approaching our final destination of Lesbos.

At 21h15 the crew was fed and watered and rested, the baot was ship shape so we raised the anchor and set off North for our first night passage of this journey. There was no wind and the sea was calm and apart from dodging the many tankers that were using the early part of the route we had an uneventful journey up through the south part of the Kolpos Petalion strait.

At 04h30 we approached our destination – a small protected by on the island of Evia called Voufalo. We dropped anchor and went off for some shut eye.

2^nd August 2010

The next morning Svein discovered that we had anchored next to a wreck! It was marked by a small empty plastic water bottle and consisted of a small boat that had sunk from the stern and bow was sticking up about 2m below the surface. We were lucky. Anyway we decided we did not like the anchorage that much so decided to press on.

We continued up the strait and were to be able to sail for 3 hours. It was a very tight tack to start with but then the wind gradually came round so we had a long stretch up to the town of Alverion. Here, as we rounded the corner, we had the wind at 20 kn on the nose so Perkins was brought into action again. Again the trip was peaceful until we reached the town of Ereitria where we played dodgem cars with the ferries that were plying between the town on Evia and Oropos on the mainland.

We round Ak Avlis in the early afternoon and carried on under the bridge that opens into the bay where the town of Khalkis is to be found. The area is full of very heavy industry ranging from shipyards to cement factories so, at a first glance, does not seem very inviting. We approached the quay at Khalkis so that we could register to be able to go through a small bridge that spans the town. A “friendly” Greek customs officer came and told us that the bridge would not be opening before Wednesday so could we please go and anchor. This we did and we are now anchored under a fort that overlooks the bay. We decided that we deserved a dinner out in town after completing nearly 100 NM in under 24 hours. To reach our destination in time we will probably have to do another long stretch as all the advantage has been lost by the closure of the bridge.

3^rd Auguat 2010

We have explored the town whilst we are waiting and Svein is in the process of filling up with diesel. A difficult process as he has to take the cans into town one by one in order to have them filled. We need to ensure that we have enough fuel to get us to Lesbos, if we are unable to sail all the way, and the prospects of finding diesel further up the strait are quite remote.

Tomorrow, between 15h00 and 17h00, we will go and register with the port police so that we can get through the bridge and we should be leaving Khalkis somewhere after midnight as they only open the bridge in the evening so as to disrupt the traffic as little as possible!! How many boats will be going through is not sure but several turned up yesterday and more today so it should be an interesting procedure.

At 08h00 we were up and ready to go in the water. The harbour staff eventually arrived at 10h00. They lifted the boat in the slings and Svein was able to antifoul the support spots and under the keel (after he had scrapped off the mussel farm!). At 11h15 we were in the water and ready to leave the boatyeard. We made our way out of the slip and headed East. It was very hot, even on the water, so around 14h00 we stopped on the little island of Fleas to have a swim and to revisit old haunts. This is a spot we found in 1994 on our first visit to Greece. It had not changed and we were able to anchor and have a swim. After a brief stop we continued on our waywere able to sail for about an hour but after that the wind changed to SE and then E so we had it on the nose and had to motor. We rounded the point of Souminon around 16h00 with quite a number of other boats. We then had a choice of heading North towards Lavrion or heading over to Kea. We chose the latter and in strengthening winds and choppy seas we came into Kea late evening. We anchored in coal bunker bay just at the wind dropped. We had a quick meal and went to bed as we were both tired from a full day out in the fresh air.

1^st August 2010

This morning we launched the dinghy and headed into Korissia in search of supplies and diesel. As far as the diesel was concerned we were very lucky as there was a motor yacht refuelling and the diesel lorry agreed to supply us also. It turned out to be at a very reasonable price as well. In the meantime Caryn went in search of a supermarket and bakery. She found an “AB” and was able to stock up on liquids, as the stock was seriously depleted, and some food. We are now ready to venture further North into the Eviva channel. On returning to the boat we had a well deserved swim once we had put away the shopping and then treated ourselves to a lunch of “foie gras”. This was some of the stock that we had brought with us from France last year. It was really appreciated as we sat on deck in the sunshine savouring it. We will wait until the north wind has died down this evening and then do a night passage into the channel.

Bright and early we set out for Asprakis boatyard to haul out the boat. After a short but very bumpy and windy trip round to the North of the island we were in the travel lift at 10h00. The lift out went well and after a pressure wash we were chocked up and in place on land by 11h30. The Greeks can be efficient. We organised the work to be done, hired a scooter and by 16h00 we had painted the first coat of anti fouling. We both then enjoyed a good shower on land (our first since we had left Mesolonghi). Another first was that we connected to land power for the first time since our departure. The solar panels and wind generator supply all our needs but to boot up the main computer takes a little too much power so whilst we are here we will do the work that we have been putting off.

The next morning Svein put on the second coat of anti-fouling before he went into Aegina to get our lift out permit from the port police. Whilst he was in town Caryn caught up with the washing and on his return set to scrubbing down the dinghy in preparation for the revamping. During this time Svein worked on repairing the top sides and sprucing them up with some paint. As the temperature was steadily rising and it was very hard working in the current heat we took a break and went off for a deserved swim. On our return Svein began to repair our spare water pump (you never know) and then proceeded to work on the dinghy by giving it two coats of primer and then the first coat of Coelan. The dinghy is now bright yellow (to match the anchor). Tomorrow the next coats will go on. All in all a great deal of work done in a very short time.

30^th July 2010

We rigged up a shade to cover the dinghy so that we could carry on painting in the heat and sun. Over the course of the day 2 more coats of Coelan were put on. It really makes a difference and hopefully will extend its lifespan. Late afternoon a French boat that we had seen in Aegina harbour came to the boatyard for their liftout. They will be spending the winter there. After a discussion it was decided that they would take over our scotter hire so the owner and Svein drove into town together. The first stop was the port pollice so that we could get an exit stamp and the French could complete their formalities. Too much for a Friday afternoon so they must go back the next day. They then visited the scooter rental and Svein also had a quick session on internet to send out some urgent emails. They got back to the harbour to discover that all our papers had been left in the port police so Svein quickly returned to get them back.

Bright an early Svein proceeded to change the toilet pump that had started to play up seriously. Caryn woke up to find the toilet in pieces so the only solution was to stay out of the way and go for a long swim in the crystal clear water. Everything was eventually put back together and we now have a properly working toilet! We eventually left the anchorage late morning and started motoring towards Aegina (our destination for the day). The wind blew up but unfortunately was very fickle so we were only able to sail for an hour. We motorsailed past Poros and arrived in Aegina around 17h00. There was room in the harbour but as luck would have it the wind blew up from the North making it very difficult to anchor. After several attempts , where we were consistently blown off track, we found a spot where we were able to moor. Sortly after settling in we had a visit from the harbour authorities and for the first time since we set out we had to pay a mooring fee (€11,77) that consisted of an arrival fee and a mooring fee. “If you stay longer it will be cheaper tomorrow”. Svein had spent several months in Aegina in 2006 refurbishing a boat for a Norwegian friend so he was anxious to contact old friends and see the changes in the town. We wandered around the streets and he found his marks – there have been very little changes since his last visit. We dined in the restaurant that he always used and where he was remembered. The next day he wandered off to see the local chandler (who also remembered him) to order some additional products for the Coelan system that we have used on the deck. We now want to use it on the dinghy and some other equipment on the boat. We then shopping and found a present for the latest addition to the Vigne family – Arthur who arrived on 21st July and was born in Kalamata. Svein bought some bits and pieces from the chandler so that he is not idle whilst we wait for the delivery of the Coelan products – hopefully on 27th but all depends on the current strikes in Athens. Nobody knows how long they are going to last!!!!!! After a lunch in town and a snooze and a very brief rain shower Svein installed the new hour counter for the engine. He also replaced the broken buzzer and key on the engine and installed a new switch to enable us to remote control the anchor wince from the cockpit. Whilst mooring we discovered that the remote control button to lower the chain was not working.Everything is now installed and working. An invasion of Dutch charter boats arrived during a strong gust of wind so it was fun and games to get them moored. Two were moored near us but the rest (6 in all) dropped their anchors over ours and then backed into a nearby quay. We are convinced that we will have problems tomorrow when they leave. After a very early start to the day – we were up at 5am to lay out another anchor as ours was dragging (thanks to the charter boats) – we went into town and faced the post office. This was very efficient, clean and quick. So with our package posted we hired a quad and went on a tour of the island. Svein met up with old friends on the North of the island where he had worked previously and we enjoyed a good lunch in Souvavli. We even visited some old ruins as the photos will attest. It is not in our habits to visit old stones but this monument was well worth the trip. It is the sanctuary of Aphaia above the headland of Ayia Marina on a hill offering a spectacular view of the sea, and as the guide book says ”worship on the site goes back to prehistoric times around 1300BC when it a was associated with a female fertility deity as is clear from the finds brought to light by arcgaeoligical excavations”. Aphaia, the daughter of Zeus and Karme, fled to Aegina and hid in a cave to avoid the attentions Minos who was in love with her. She was only worshipped on Aegina. We finished off the tour by visiting Agia Marina. A horrible place that was no longer the deserted town that Svein knew but had become a busy holiday resort with lots of noisy hotels and a beach full of parasols and sunbathing beds. On our return to the boat we discovered that the charter boats had gone but inevitably had pulled up our two anchors. There was no choice but to change moorings which we proceeded to do whilst the wind was calm. Hopefully in our new spot we will be well away from the charter boats as we are tucked in among locals. We collected our products despite all the strikes in Athens and Caryn treated herself to a visit to the beauty parlour. We have also had a serious change of plan. Tomorrow we go to the North of the island to take the boat out for a serious clean of the underside and to antifoul her. In fact we have had such a good offer from the shipyard that it is too good to refuse and it will also save us money in the long run as we will save on fuel for the next stage of our trip. We should be there for a small week which also coincides with a bad weather front coming over the area where we would have been sailing so instead of being holed up in a harbour waiting for it to pass we will put it to good use and work on the boat.

After stowing away the bicycles and filling with water we left the mooring in Monemvasia with the intention of sailing along the coast to Kiparissi. However after a short time motoring the wind blew up from the South South East and we had the perfect wind to take us further North towards Hydra. It blew between 12 and 14 knots steadily all day and on reaching the island of Dhokos it started to gust so we reefed and started the engine to round the island; We sailed at a steady 6 knots all day and late evening we reached the anchorage of Ormus Skindos on the island of Dhokos. We anchored in deep water and on the third attempt the anchor took but not before we had raised a plastic doormat that had hooked itself onto our anchor, After a light meal (cooked by Svein) we sat on deck and enjoyed the tranquility of the evening whilst watching the full moon rise over the bay.

As very strong head winds are forecast for today we are staying in Monemvasia for the day. This will also enable us to see the rest of the celebrations in the evening. We spent the morning cycling to the old restored town of Monemvasia and wandering through the narrow streets appreciating the scenery and the view from the terraces. It was hard work getting there battling against a head wind (as always) and cycling uphill but the reward was worth the effort.

We are planning to leave tomorrow (weather permitting) to proceed North so more to come later.

As the winds to round the last tip were forecast for later in the day on waking up Svein again dived to check the keel and found the water cooling intake for the engine nearly blocked. This he cleared and he also finished cleaning the keel.

We raised the anchor around 10h00 and headed for the dreaded tip of Maleas. We had light winds and round the head with no problems at noon and headed into the Aegean and up to Monemvasia. We arrived early afternoon and were fortunate to find a mooring in front of the coastguard boat.

We had arrived in time to see the celebrations for the independence of the town. On 23^rd July 1821 the town was the first to be freed from the Turks at the start of the war that ended in 1827.

After a lazy morning (for me) and a busy one for Svein who checked the outboard again and a quick wander round the small hamlet we raised anchor and headed out. After just half an hour the wind picked up (from the right direction) and we were able to sail all day reaching Ormus Frangos (Elafonisos island) early in the afternoon. We anchored in crystal clear blue water and immediately went for a swim.

We left Pilos early and headed further South rounding the end of the first tip when we passed Methoni. We did not stop but carried on under engine. As we passed the bay to Kalamata the wind picked up and we were able to motor sail the rest of the way to Porto Kayio until 20 minutes before our arrival when the engine developed a problem. As the wind was then in a good direction we proceeded into Porto Kayio and anchored under sail. The first attempt the anchor did not take but did so on the second. Svein examined the engine and found that a draining screw in the raw water system had come loose. Fortunately he was able to fix it and everything was back to normal, After the keel scrape we had gained 1 knot in speed which was very appreciable.

We raised the anchor early and left the bay to make our way to Pilos. Unfortunately we did not have the right winds in sufficient force so we motorsailed all the way and again did some 50 nautical miles arriving late in the evening but we managed to get a good mooring (one of the tips from Pxysis).

Whilst here we bought a new diving bottle and Svein cleaned the keel from the different growths that we had accumulated in Mesolonghi.

Bright and early we left Mesolonghi saying goodbye to our friends on the quay (Aqua Domus, Van de Voe and Tootsie). We headed down the channel under engine and it stayed this way until we reached the headland of Pappas where we were able to stop the engine and sail for several hours on our way to Katakolon. The sea graduallt became blue and after just over 8 hours on the water we anchorded in the bay of Katakolon. Our neighbours were Pyxsis (also from Mesolonghi but who we had originally met in Trizonia in 2009. Karen and Richard came over for a drink and gave us several useful tips regarding the Poloponnese. The next day we stayed at anchor and Svein scrapped the waterline and serviced the outboard. We also wandered ashore once the dinghy had decided to behave itself and we did not have to be rescued a second time by Richard.

We are now getting ready to leave Mesolonghi to continue our travels so after a very long silence it is now time to put pen to paper again and give you a rundown on what has been happening.

Going back to December we had a disastrous trip to the UK because of the weather. A late arrival in Heathrow followed by a 2.5 hour wait for the luggage and a very heavy snowfall that prevented traffic from arriving or departing from the airport meant that we had to spend the night at the airport. The first train out took us to Paddington where we caught another train to Henley. The snow prevented us from moving around so Christmas was very quiet. We caught our plane back at the end of the week but unfortunately, despite every precaution, Caryn’s wallet was stolen at the airport. Fortunately we discovered it rapidly and were able to stop the cards (but not before nearly €900 were used in the duty free) and the bank insurance meant that we were fully reimbursed.

The procedure to replace the cards started with a visit to the Greek police to make a declaration. As nobody was able to speak English we had to go away and wait for a telephone call. This came around 18h30 sp we duly presented ourselves at the station and made our declaration via a mobile telephone call with the policeman’s son (who spoke English). Explaining the loss of French and Danish bank cards, Norwegian driving license and French health documents whilst holding a British passport had them a little stunned but they duly took down the information and the next day we returned to receive the typed Greek declaration! Not really a process we would like to repeat.-

In January Caryn started the long process of dental treatment to replace her bridge so there were weekly visits to the dentist as the preparation work was done. Implants were duly placed and eventually the whole procedure was finished in mid-June. Although a lot poorer the cost much less than anywhere else, the work was very professional and everybody is happy.

The cold weather appeared with some rain and winds although the winter as a whole was very mild in comparison to the rest of Europe. We could see snow-topped mountains around us but we had no snowfalls and the temperature never went below 0°.

In February Svein got a call from our friend Laurent asking if he could help him take their boat back to France as they had a buyer. So on 12^th February he duly set off to Kalamata by bus to join the boat. It was supposedly a two week trip but he eventually returned at the end of March! Very strong head winds and general bad weather made for a difficult crossing and Svein did the last stage on his own as Laurent had to return to work as Captain of the supply ship in Angola. As Svein had been holed up Port Saint Louis for a few days before finishing in Port Camargue he got all the necessary jobs done there, caught up with friends and was then able to catch a train from Montpellier to return to Greece. Anne Laure (Laurent’s wife) had by then arrived to finalise the sale. Whilst Svein was away Caryn travelled to Kalamata for a long weekend with Anne Laure and Antoine during which we shopped for maternity clothes for her. The weather was so good in late February that we had a BBQ and sunbathed with her parents on their camping site.

Svein had hardly got his bag unpacked than Caryn got a phone call asking her to help out her old company as one of the assistants had had a heart attack. So Caryn packed her bag and traveled to France for one month (all expenses paid) . She spent the month in La Napoule (near Cannes) working in the office there. It also enabled her to spend some time with Alexandre (then living in Antibes) and he was able to sit and pass his power boat license whilst staying in Caryn’s flat. The trip was blighted by cold weather but it was good to be able to work and realise the being retired is not so bad after all.

At the end of April Caryn returned to Greece. It was time to start the serious work of repairing the deck. We were not leaving the harbour before it was finished. Svein began by caulking the joints with Sirkaflex and plugging the screwholes with teak plugs, repairing and replacing the bad wood and sanding down everything. In the middle of the work we wre kindly asked to change mooring spot as the noise of the sander was too disturbing. This we duly did and got tucked back into our original mooring at the entrance of the marina away from all the hustle and bustle of the pontoons. The mamouth job took him up to mid June. Svein got this stage of the work completed just before his two week trip to Norway where he met up with other members of the family to help his parents move into a new flat in an old people’s complex.

On his return (with a new computer – again!! and a new external hard disk) we started on the process of covering the boat to protect the next stage of the deck work. We crossed our fingers that the waterproofing product was still viable as we had bought the products in France before we left and Svein was worried that they were no longer usable. Fortunately they were and two coats of primer and 5 coats of “varnish” later we now have a stunning new deck that should keep us free from leaks for the next 10 years.

Back to the local events taking place during the first few months of the year. Whilst Svein was delivering the boat to France we had a few days of very strong winds that were sufficient to start to unravel the Genoa at 04h00 in the morning. Fortunately Dave (Cape) and Colin (Tasman) – both moored nearby – heard the noise and came on board to stop the damage. It was another 12 hours before we could get the sail down and it was duly delivered to the Hilary (Pax Nostum) for repair.

Burns night was also celebrated in the Clubhouse with the haggis being piped in and traditional Scottish fare served for dinner. It was concluded by a short concert with Scottish ballads and Scottish dancing.

Greek Independence Day (in April) is taken very seriously here as the town is considered to be the birthplace of Greek Independence so all areas of Greece are represented in the traditional procession through the town. There are two parades of everyone in their national costumes (different for each region) – one takes place on Saturday night and the second parade on Sunday is assisted by all the Ambassadors and country representatives present in Greece. It is a colorful and very lively display of national pride.

In May there was a celebration to commemorate the exodus of the men from the besieged town up into the mountains. Again everyone was dressed in national costume but this time the majority of the parade was devoted to horses who rode through the town to music played by the gypsies. The horses were very impressive but not the same can be said of the music. Svein has put out a video on our site covering this event.

The marina dog has a litter of 8 puppies. Luckily 2 found homes but one died and the other 5 had to be put down. Many tears were shed when this happened but it was impossible to keep them all and even less viable to have one on board any boat. As always stray dogs are a major problem in Greece.

Our working corner of the harbour is very industrious as we have Ted on Tootsie repairing his center lift keel and Rachel (Van de Vöe) sorting out her new rolling furler system for her Genoa. Most evenings we take it in turn to cook for everyone and are frequently joined by Russel – our Australian troubadour – who will be staying in the harbour a little longer as he is still working on boats that have been left here for the summer but if all goes well he will be returning to Australia in September.

We have also been continuing with the weekly BBQ but instead of 14h00 (when it is really too hot) we have switched to 18h00 when it is cooler. There are usually several participants and the maximum attendance has been members from 14 boats. Again it is a useful opportunity to exchange ideas and gain information for new places to either visit or avoid.

Swimming has become an important part of life as the temperatures have been rising since May. There have been excursions to the local beach on a daily basis and also visits to the local mud bath which is reputed to be good for all ailments. Fortunately the mud does not smell too bad. When it has not been possible to go to the beach as it is impossible to cycle that far in the heat we have been able to swim from the boat or from the slipway so we are both getting plenty of exercise.

All the liveaboards have now left the harbour although some have decided to return for the coming winter others have continued on their way. We are nearly the last to leave. We have enjoyed our time here and have made many new friends which we hope to see some time again in the future.

We also had the surprise and pleasure to catch up with our friends on Fuga whom we met in 2004 and not seen since then. They are currently cruising the Ionian and came into Messolonghi. We are able to catch up on news and curry information for our next stage of the journey.

We shall be wending our way round the Peloponnese and then heading for Lesvos. Our friends from Sweden (Lisa and Ronny) will be arriving there mid-August for a week’s holiday. It should be a great reunion as we have not seen them for a few years.

We have left Mesolonghi and started our visit of the Gulf of Corinth. We started out in bright sunshine and no wind and made our way towards the bridge spanning the entrance. After a couple of hours we picked up the current and passed under the bridge at a speed of 8,5 knots. After the bridge the wind blew up from the west and stayed with us until we reached the island of Trizonia. As usual it stayed with us until after we had moored but fortunately our friends on “Jespan” had arrived before us and were on hand to help as well as an Italian couple. Once safely to quay we set off to explore the island and made our way to the square where the taverns were to be found. This was also where we found a small supermarket and the taxi boat over to Hania on the mainland (10 minutes away). The atmosphere is friendly and the surroundings spectacular.

We have been spectators of a local wedding and crossed to the mainland to explore Hania although there was not much to see there. Since our arrival we have experienced strong East winds so have stayed tucked up in the harbour waiting for a change so that we can continue our exploration of the Gulf.

Galaxidhi

After our few days on the island of Trizonia we have continued our exploration of the Gulf of Corinth and have made our way to Galaxidhi, a delightful town that lies on the North coast of the Gulf near Itea. We were welcomed by the harbour personnel who helped us to moor. We also met up with “Jespan” who had left Mesolonghi at the same time and had also visited Trizonia. We felt that an evening out was in order so explored the town until we found a restaurant and had a typical Greek meal – Kleftiko.

The next day, under a warm sunshine, we went exploring the town looking for the different shops and generally getting a feel of the place.  Local produce was on sale in small shops in the streets and we managed to find everything we needed. A walk around the head on which the town is built brought us back to the harbour. We were unlucky with the weather the next day when it rained but were able to wander round the town again in the evening. Sunday brought strong winds so our depature was delayed but we were able to enjoy a long walk out to the entrance to the bay leading into Galaxidhi. Here we found an international statue dedicated to the wives of seafarers.

Monday dawned and bright and early we said goodbye to “Jespan” who was continuing on to the Corinth canal whilst we were heading back to Mesolonghi to start the work on the boat.

A fantastic day’s sailing where we reached 8.5 knots with only the genoa!!!! The right wind from the right direction and after nine hours we were moored again in Mesolonghi harbour where we will stay for the winter.  This was the perfect day to close our sailing for this year.

We like Mesolonghi! We are still here and have been doing some work on the boat and enjoying the town and its attractions.

As far as repairs go: The water tank that sprung a leak has been fixed, the engine has had an oil change, the toiler pump has been changed, the floor has been varnished and both the bicycles have been repaired (essential as the distance into town is a couple of kilometers). The ropes have also been washed, the stays all controlled and adjusted, the genoa repaired and the step behind the steering wheel has also been repaired. Svein has also been called upon to exercise some of his many skills amongst the boats coming here to winter or just passing through.

We have got to know the town a lot better and with the help of some locals have found a very good cheese shop, a laundry (again essential for washing bedding and towels) and some good eating places. We have also tried the local swimming areas and had a mud bath. The mud stank like rotten eggs but one became accustomed after a short time although whether it does any good waits to be seen.

We also were invited to the official opening of the marina complete with religious blessing and a party to follow.

It is very easy to get into a rhythm here as the weather is still very hot (over 30°) and quite humid but the harbour is free (so far) and we have electricity and water. There are a number of boats coming ashore for the winter and also boats coming through each day using the harbour as a stop before going either East or West. We have seen a variety of nationalities (French, Italian,German,English, and Greek) but everyone is very friendly and there is a good atmosphere.

The harbour is still being built up and has not reached its full capacity yet but as this is Greece things are going slowly. Since we have been here we have seen some showers and toilets opened, the water brought to some of the quays but we are still waiting for the electricity to come to the quays although the state electricity company surprised us all by installing 3 pylons, a transformer and connected them all up in just 2 days. It looks as though the next stage is for the harbour to bring it to the quays.

We had some excitement when a firefighting helicopter (looking like a wasp) scooped up water from the canal in order to fight a fire up in the hills. Later that night the fire engine came to the outer perimeter of the harbour as a fire had been started in the bushes but fortunately it was quicky under control and there was no danger to the harbour installation or the boats.

It is our intention now to visit the Corinthian Gulf before coming back here in October to start work on the deck.

We weighed anchor and proceeded to make our way to Mesolonghi to wait for them. Our luck was not with us and we motored all day with a head wind. However the trip was interesting and we saw very varied countryside coming into the Gulf of Patras.
We had thoughts of Port Napoleon on our approach to Mesolonghi as we were surrounded by very flat land with salt marshes and the entrance to the harbour is via a long canal. There was however a very big difference in that the canal is bordered by old fishermen’s houses on stilts that have now been converted into holiday homes. It was very colourful and each home had its own quay. We reached the harbour that is partly Dutch owned and moored alongside.
The harbour has been under construction for many years and is still not complete. For the moment there are pontoons but no electricity or water and the buildings are not ready so there are no facilities. However the staff are very helpful and there are quite a few boats moored. The fact that we do not have to pay anything for the moment also helps!
We have met up with people we saw in Argostoli and Astakos as well as finding a boat that we had seen in Port Napoleon last year. If and when the harbour is finished it will be a very good one where people will be able to winter before deciding on their next port of call.
We walked into town to explore – a very long way – and when we got back to the harbour the first thing that Svein did was to repair the punctures on our bikes! Next time we will be cycling into town. At least we can say that we are getting plenty of exercise. We have also had a small thunderstorm and some slight rain which did everyone a lot of good as the humidity level is very high here. However the sun is now out and the temperature is getting back to normal.
Mesolonghi is a university town that comes alive in the winter and is definitely not known as a tourist town although some Greeks come here for their holidays. It is a pleasant town to wander around and has a wide variety of shops that cater for the locals. The surrounding countryside is also interesting and in the canal the locals go frequently to cover themselves in the mud that has therapeutic values for rheumatisms. We also tried the local bathing spot although it was more like taking a warm bath in muddy water so were far happier with the swimming pool that we were able to use in one of the local hotels.
Since we have arrived in the harbour we have already seen some changes: two showers were opened and some electricity outputs have been installed and connected. It would seem that they are getting there slowly but surely. There are certainly boats taking contracts for the winter.

After our neighbour, who was rafted to us, had departed we also left the quay to make our way over to Ithaca island where we were due to meet up with Laerke again. The day started out well and we were able to motor to the head of the bay and drop our anchor in Marathia Bay to go for a swim and wait for the wind to blow up. This duly happened so we were able to leave the anchorage under sail without starting the engine. We set curse for Ithaca but were unlucky with the wind direction and had to hold a very close tack (something C’est la Vie does not like) in every strengthening winds. We rolled in the genoa and took 2 reefs on the main and battled through the stiffening sea to reach Kioni on Ithaca. As we were approaching we got a call from Laerke to tell us that the harbour was full of charter boats and there was no room. We then started to go South to find an anchorage for the night. We eventually anchored in Kaminia Cove but there the story did not end.
Just as we were finishing dinner on Laerke we saw the two boats approaching each other in such a way that Svein was able to hop on board ours. We were both drifting so we again weighed our anchors and started off to find another anchorage. We came into Pigadhi bay in the dark. When you are sailing in the dark you suddenly realise how few boats use anchor lights at night!!!! Again we were not very lucky but I managed to get back on board and we then started trying to anchor. After several attempts we eventually managed to get a line ashore so we were sure that we were safe for the rest of the night which by this time was getting very short!!!!!
We woke next morning to crystal clear water and lovely surroundings which made the hassle from the previous night worth the while. In the meantime Laeke had returned to Nidri to collect the spare part but when Svein went to install it – it was incomplete. A piece had been left behind so they weighed anchor and returned to Nidri again to collect it.

We waited to leave Kastos until the wind had blown up and then made our way across to the mainland. We managed to sail for 2 hours today and in the afternoon we reached the town of Astakos at the end of the bay. Not a tourist town but not one to be recommended either. We decided to treat ourselves to a dinner out but the restaurant we chose was not a wise choice. The prices announced outside did not match the prices on the menu and in the end we walked out in disgust after we had waited over an hour for Svein to be served a dish that had been recommended by the owner of the place. He ended up eating a Pita Gyros!!!!!!!

We agreed to meet up with them at another point and so whilst Laerke went back to sort out their problem in Nidri we made our way down to Kastos island to wait for them. The best about today is that we have been able to sail for nearly 4 hours.
We had visited this island when we had been out on the charter boat with the family and really wanted to go back there. However by the time we arrived the small harbour was full of Italians so we anchored outside the harbour in clear water. After dinner we took the dinghy into the quay and wandered around the small hamlet.

This morning we left Nidri once again to make our way over to Meganisi where we were invited out to dinner to celebrate Neils’ birthday We anchored in Port Atheni at lunch time and then spent the afternoon making a birthday cake. Cakes are not something we make very often on board so we were taking a chance but it turned out to be edible and looked very good with its chocolate icing and silver decoration. We enjoyed a typical Greek meal in a local tavern overlooking the bay.
Unfortunately by the time we got back to the respective boats the flotilla members were having a disco night at one of the other restaurants (opposite the boat) so it was a little noisy. We only had to listen to the music until 1am so we were able to get a good night sleep in the end.
We decided not to spend a second night in this bay so made our way round to Abelike Bay where it was not too crowded and there was peace and quiet. We also took advantage of getting some washing done.
On the way round to the bay the calibration tests were carried out on “Laerke” and we then discovered that there was an additional problem so that they would have to return to Nidri to get it sorted out.