Back to the Start: 2016

We sadly bid farewell to Jumping Fish Bay in Greece

The Windjammers have experienced our shortest season yet, cruising in an area with few places for us Aussies to “run & hide” given Schengen’s time limitations of 3 months max.  Still “weather” experiences kept us on our toes too and ensured a modified float plan.  This sadly entailed excluding Southern France (the Mistral consistently blowing with regularity & some ferocity this year) although we managed time in Corsica before taking a familiar route through the Balearics back to Lagos in Portugal.

Discovered style in Barcelona,
architect extraordinaire, Gaudi.

And hunky types in Naples
(Yes, it's Hercules)

Italy’s west coast made good its promise of few anchorages so our travels were essentially moving from marina to marina with longish stops to take in major historical sites.  Somehow, we still never seemed to have sufficient time for our “must do” list.  At least we managed to see (but not climb) some seriously interesting volcanoes and enjoy one or two bottles of local plonk (I'm not sure there's an Italian equivalent for this word).  The history was fascinating, the art incredible, people generally friendly and scenery, especially along the northern coast, quite unlike the “Med” we had grown used to.

The view over La Spezia was too good to miss

So, this blog and photo fest is due for a long Mediterranean lunch break with the possibility of a further delay before the start of next season as our vague plan is to cross back to Trinidad.  This requires avoiding hurricane season (June to Nov) and some big steps to get to a Canaries or Cape Verdes springboard.  So our timings will need to be adjusted and we just may have to experience a winter...brrrrrr!

And Italy kept us very busy;
too much to do, so little time!
Pisa. Is this really a quiet day? 

In summary, the 2016 season started in Preveza, Greece with a very short stop in Sarande, Albania.  Thus began our weather experiences and first change to the float plan… At least the weather gods were kind to us as we slid across to Sicily.  Nicely ensconced in Syracuse, we learned of Italy’s transport shortcomings but managed to make the crossing to Malta for a most enjoyable land break.  

Historically, the Messina Strait has been a sailor’s nightmare so we shouldn’t have been surprised to feel its wrath.  Swordfishing locals though, gave us a farewell salute as WJ3 battled steep waves generated by wind against current - Charybdis at play!.  At least we weren't rowing, like Odysseus, Jason (of the Argonauts) or Aeneas. (This is your history test....)  Then our anchor wanted to stay in Vulcano but after some wrestling and with a much improved weather outlook on offer, we convinced it to join us in crossing to Italy’s west coast to begin the slow crawl northwards. 

Colourful towns, festive moods

We took longish stops in Torre del Greco (Naples area), Rome, and La Spezia (Tuscany) before modifying the float plan again to include Corsica for a few days sailing down its eastern coast. Sardinia's tip provided shelter before striking out for the Balearics and back to Spain. 

With long strides along the Spanish coast we quickly made Gibraltar, where the weather gods again smiled giving us the right winds and tide to sail through notorious Gibraltar Straits.  Another interesting weather system from the far NW (UK) threatened the Atlantic coast but we made Lagos, Portugal before it took its toll.  Tucked up in the marina we hardly even noticed it! 

Our yearly figures confirm yet another distance marathon and come in as follows:

From: Preveza, Greece Lat/Long: 38:57.09N 20:46 .04E  Date/Time: 03/06/16: 1745

To: Lagos, Portugal Lat/Long: 37:06.45N 08:40.27W  Date/Time: 23/09/16: 1045
Time Taken: (this year): 383 hrs  Distance: (this year): 2248.5nm
Distance Total: (since 2008): 18,278.5nm  
Weather: Challenging weather this year, mostly Mistral generated, kept us on our toes
Fastest Speed: We had a mixed bag with some really great sailing weather and some really dreadful conditions too.  But it’s the Med!  And mostly motoring continues at a sedate 6 - 6.5kts.

We will post as plans for 2017 develop, so keep tuned to this space!

And a few stray volcanoes on our way.  A busy year indeed!

“Look at Me” Fleet

Corsica to Sardinia: A foot in both worlds

Porto Vecchio

Bastia is still quite a ways up the east coast of Corsica (Cape Corse) and we had a long way to go along a coastline promising little in the way of decent anchorages until its south-east corner.  Again, it seemed most were heading north, heralding the end of August and the end of peak holiday season.  Our mission was to get to Porto Vecchio and wait for good weather to visit Bonifacio.  The Bonifacio Straits are another unpredictable wind machine, so we crossed our fingers.  Porto Vecchio was a fabulous, well-protected anchorage but we could not linger.  Besides it was Saturday and every man & his dog was out in a boat.  A race was on too; a collection of vintage craft, at least 3 gaff-rigged and certainly some timber, floated in light morning airs around the islands off the coast.  Anchorages were full of “look at me” boats, others created high wakes called “rooster tails” whilst fast ribs, full of tanned young men in speedos, went looking for bow bunnies – it was beginning to look a lot like the Amalfi Coast all over again. 

Wild landscape at Corsica's southern end

Bonifacio from the Straits

We plodded on to Bonifacio, wondering what lay ahead.  It’s quite a spectacular setting but the harbour is beyond hectic.  Still, the Cap’n took us in for a discovery run and we even noted the possibility of a med moor in a little bay (Calanque de Catena) where Odysseus’s ships were destroyed by the wild and aggressive Laestrygonians.  Now, heroic challenges came from a different quarter!  A 50’ catamaran was determined to take up the whole channel and an immense hot water boat (maybe 100’) squeezed itself onto a dock meant for something much smaller.  As GS snapped a few quick photos of this very pretty town, the Cap’n dexterously sidestepped a flotilla of craft flooding into this narrow waterway - all set on finding a berth.  

We decided enough was enough and left the chaos behind for a safer, less popular anchorage over in Sardinia.  Well, you can’t always be right – the bay was alive with nasty brown jelly-fish (no swimming) and at night the wind turned directly into the bay (no sleep).  

Cave at the entrance to Bonifacio

And the start of visible fortifications

Into Bonifacio Harbour - it looks so serene in the photo!

Fortifications and "commercial dock" for ferries

It was easy then to get up very early and make for Stintino, our launchpad for the Balearics.  A couple of Frenchies were anchored off the marina entrance there so we decided to join them.  It took a few goes to get the anchor set (sand over rock) but in the end she held.  Being Sunday, everyone was returning to their berths at the marina, and we had quite a vantage point to watch the goings on.  Eventually, the Cap’n went ashore to scout out a weather report (we’d had no internet since Bastia).  A very helpful lady at the local yacht club checked for us - still clear, with a blow (Mistral) expected in two days.  Another early start was scheduled for the next morning….

Nearing our anchorage in Capo Testa, Sardinia.  So, it's back to Italy, again!

Roman Encounter

Day 3: And our Best of the Rest... of Rome

The Spanish Steps are closed!  What do we do now?

Back into the city and our Metro stop was Spagne (said "sparn yah").  Can’t you always tell a tourist by their pronunciation of names….  From there it was only a hop down to see the Spanish Steps.  All closed off to the public in the height of the season for restoration!  Yes, that’s just Italy for you!  Tourists stood in a daze, waiting perhaps for something to happen.  We took brief note of the boat shaped fountain (by Bernini’s father) and Keats’ House where he died in 1821. 

An opera singer serenades us

Italy was of course, incorporated in the Grand Tour when young men of good fortune came to study the classics and find themselves.  Perhaps the closest we (Australians) ever came to such a literary epiphany was the artists colonies on Hydra, Greece ("Peel Me a Lotus” by Charmian Clift & yes, I’m probably being rather mean!). Now a museum dedicated to Keats, Shelley and Byron, it’s on every trail of every literary buff in town.

Our jaunt took us down Via Frattina, deep in fashionista heartland.  Big Names kept popping up and so did price tags too.  Even the buskers kept the experience up a notch; an opera singer serenaded us with great gusto.  We did stop for brunch; delicate sandwiches and teeny coffees, right opposite YSL in nearby Piazza San Lorenza in Luccina.  The people watching was well worth it.  

Someone (a very rich someone) was buried in this once.... Museo Nazionale

Hercules looking grim

From there it was a reasonable stroll to the Museo Nazionale Romano: Palazzo Altemps**.  Just to confuse you, museums seem spread over a number of buildings, making good use of the available palazzo (palaces).  The Palazzo Altemps was a fantastic combo of palace and museum so we were able to see how the other half really lived, as it were!  You also find yourself wondering about the might of the Church too as many of the pieces are from the Ludovisi Collection.  He was just one of many Cardinals, wealthy families & others who amassed significant private collections over the years.  Aside from the quality of the collections in the Palazzo Altemps, its best feature (for us anyway) was that it was not crammed full of visitors.  This meant the First Mate could have a quiet chat with Hercules; there were several renditions of him, so it took a while….

Odysseus - at last a portrait
(Ulysses to Romans) 

Our next move was those Omni Tickets** to the Vatican.  As previously mentioned, finding the Roma Cristiana office was quite a quest but we knew it was our only hope of getting into the Vatican Museum in August (this year!).  We decided to walk via the Tiber River, passing Ponte Sant Angelo wondering if we would ever have time to call at the mysterious Castel (we didn’t).   Eventually we found someone who pointed us in the right direction and with tickets (not for Wednesday, that’s the Pope’s Audience Day) confirmed for Thursday, we jumped the #40 bus (said to be pickpocket central) to the Station.

**Our Roma Pass gave us discounted entry to Museo Nazionale Romano Museum.  Aside from using the Pass on our first day, this was the only other paid entry fee we used it for (given our very full but time-poor  schedule!)  We certainly got great value for money when calculating everything including our transport costs.  As to the Omni Passes, the included bus ride gave us a quick overview of Rome (all stops churches) though luckily, a stop for us at the nearest church to the station.  I doubt I would ever use these again.   However, paying for skip the line"" into the Vatican was most certainly worth it ! 

Castel Sant' Angelo built in 135AD for Hadrian
with Bernini's angels ceremoniously lining the bridge

Rockin’ Round the Amalfi Coast

At anchor in Cape Palinuro

Amalfi Coast, Italy

Legend, myth and history continued to journey north with us.  Our first stop was the most idyllic setting of Cape Palinuro where only 4 of us could squeeze into a delightful little harbour for a peaceful night’s sleep.  Palinurus, helmsman of Aeneas’s ship, fell overboard here, exhausted from battle with Scyla and Charybdis.  A shrine in his memory is said to have been raised nearby.  In case you were wondering like me, Aeneas is a Trojan hero, who led exiled Trojans to settle near Rome.  He is considered the ancestor of Romulus and Remus.  Julius Caesar also traced his lineage back to Aeneas as did King Arthur of Britain.  Just who could make this stuff up?

Further up the coast and anchored in the midst of a flotilla of happy day trippers, we considered popping in to Agropoli, closest port to the famous Doric temples of Paestum.  Frightened off by public transport connections and our ever-slipping schedule, we decided against spending a day at these classic Greek temples and continued on for an afternoon glide-by of the modern-day hedonistic dream, the Amalfi coast, instead. 

One of the picturesque towns along the Amalfi coast

So, these are the rocks made famous by singing Sirens!! 
Odysseus had himself tied to the mast to hear those infamous Sirens sing!

This coastline is rather steep and for many, it’s a case of looking down.  For us, it was looking up and up.  Massive cliffs drop vertically into the sea, punctuated by the odd ravine laden with quaint villages and remnants of fortifications.  After Turkey and Greece, hillsides seem lush with greenery and sculptured umbrella pines.  The famous Amalfi coastal drive weaves its way around and through all this and you can appreciate why this setting has been a favourite holiday destination since ancient Roman times. 

We joined a watery “highway” at the base of the cliffs, seriously overloaded with craft of all sizes, and learned very quickly of an apparent trend to disregard, well, rules of most kind really!  Very nearly nervous wrecks, we decided to stay for a night even though quiet spots were a rare commodity.  We lasted only 30 minutes in our first anchoring choice; life was hectic being tossed by swell rebounding from cliff walls from what seemed like a zillion passing day tripper boats,.  The next anchoring location was over 140 feet deep.  As we only have 320 feet of chain (not a good ratio for peaceful night’s anchoring in this chop always preferring 5:1) a decision to take a mooring at Nerano was easily made.  But not before the hours it seemed to take to re-raise ALL that chain back into the anchor locker.  Just as well the winch forgave us for the workout it got in Vulcano Porto. 

Capri in the early morning heat haze

You could probably guess that we still did not sleep well despite the mooring.  The chop only vaguely settled at night.  Craft whizzed around us at full speed, and Mother Nature turned on a localised thunder storm whilst mini katabatics whizzed over the cliffs right above us.  

So we set off early for a quick round of Capri and a gawk at all the super yachts and their flotilla of “toys”.  This locale, a stage backdrop, is perfect for the jet set.  DH Lawrence, perhaps a little unkindly, described Capri as “a gossipy, villa-stricken, two-humped chunk of limestone, a microcosm that does heaven much credit, but mankind none at all".  Somehow we missed the Blue Grotto (not that we could have stopped) and after threading our way through even more super yachts too big for the marina, we noted a darkening sky.  Something needed to be done about our jammed main sail as it was unable to be furled back into the mast.  Mid channel seemed the perfect spot according to the Cap’n, so we made a brief, if not tense, stop to fix it.  Well then, it’s on to Torre del Greco with just a few more things to repair.

(In case you were wondering about the Ulysses/Odysseus difference, Odysseus is the legendary Greek King and hero of Homer's "The Odyssey".  Ulysses is the Roman version of his name.  Stephen Fry (2024) has written a wonderful and easy to read version of this famous story.  His 3 other related books (Mythos, Heroes, & Troy are equally as entertaining!)

At least we don't have his maintenance (or fuel) bills!

A Reason to Celebrate

Isola Vulcano, Aeolian Islands, Italy

Having reached the Aeolian Islands was celebration enough, but our best excuse for a night on the town was the Captain’s birthday.  Given that we had not climbed the volcano or bathed in the sulphur mud baths (said to be completely restorative.  Sure!), GS had a few entertaining ideas for the day.  

We settled however, for a visit to the small supermarket and a fish dinner at the King of Fish, right on the bay and directly under that smoking, smelly furnace.  Most visitors to Vulcano appear to be day trippers; there’s a huge fleet of ferries always on the move making the small port somewhat swelly.  Their departure also meant that we were able to have a perfectly placed table and good service.  We finished up with a lemon gelato at the dock and a moonlight dinghy ride across the bay. 

Early next morning, all provisioned up and with improved weather conditions to boot, we headed off for the west coast of Italy.  Not before a struggle to free the anchor though, which had managed to wrap itself around large rocks and grumpily refused to budge!  Just as Cap’n Diver Dan threatened to launch the hookah unit (diving without tanks), it freed up.  So, with wafts of an overheated anchor winch filling the bay and calm conditions returning on board, we left for another long day of motoring

WJ3 at anchor under Vulcano's rim

This small group of islands is steeped in mythology.  They are known as home to Aeolius, god of the winds who gave Odysseus a bag of contrary winds whilst Vulcano is the home and forge of Vulcan. Stromboli is said to be the ancient lighthouse of the Med, guiding sailors to the Messina Straits, and on to battle with Scylla and Charydbis.  Whilst there is some derision placed on those endlessly quoting Homer (& that would be me), it is just so fascinating that here before us are landmarks that inspired even the earliest of voyagers.

Seen on of a school wall in Gozo: 

"We cannot change the wind
But we can adjust the sails"

Or just turn on the X@!%!! motor. Again!” the Cap’n muttered….

Early morning Stromboli dressed in cloud with its smoking plume at top

Flight from Messina Strait

Navy Training Ship in Syracuse Harbour

Isola Vulcano, Aeolian Islands, Italy

The time came to push on from Syracuse.  The stillness over the marina in the early morning was matched only by strong winds and swell (not forecast of course!) outside the heads.  GS did well to rally but ensured the bucket was within arm’s reach.  So we bashed and crashed our way north hoping that conditions would settle as we neared the protection of Italy’s big toe.  Let’s just say that not a lot of people were making this their chosen direction. 

Looking up & up for Taormina

Mt Etna, sultry in her cloud cover

After not much discussion and even less headway, we decided to call it quits and made for one of the few anchorages on this coast, Naxos, and set the hook in lovely sand (GS is SO over a glutinous, muddy anchor & chain) under the cliffs of famous Taormina.  Taormina perches high on the side of a cliff with amazing views over the Straits and some wonderfully green, if not steep, hilly, country.  We decided we didn’t need either another climb or to see more Baroque architecture (or churches) despite D.H. Lawrence having lived there, so our water view “up” would be just fine.  Besides that, we sat with an entrancing view of Mt Etna (possibly very clear because of the evil winds that day).  So we swam in quite cold waters and tried to eat a little after our bucketing ride – let’s just say waistlines are diminishing!

Charybdis in action

We left again in the early morning to escape the onset of strong winds and had a wonderful glide (under the iron horse) until we hit the Strait exit, where strong north-westerlies and an adverse current set up a challenging experience for "little” boats.  Cap’n Undertow skilfully guided us inshore (oh, so close) so we managed to lessen its effects; at one stage WJ3 was showing 7.3kts and only actually doing (speed over ground) 3.7kts.  We skirted Charybdis, watching the autopilot struggle against the pull from strong whirlpools & eddies and kept a wary eye on darting swordfishing boats.  

You can just see the man at the end of the very long bowsprit

Driver and lookouts up in the crows nest

Driven like a Grand Prix Maserati – all speed and testosterone - these souped up and amazingly agile craft dash and dart after their quarry, sleeping swordfish.   Pity the swordfish that are skewered with a trident (possibly Neptune’s own) and any naive tourist who potters in their path.  That of course was us!  Just as we thought we had escaped the worst of the rat race, we had a boat (at speed) on our clacker, just a tad too close for comfort.   An international incident (and a  broken boat) was averted but not before the high-riding skipper left us with a much, much-too-close bowsprit salute as a final reminder of who really owns these waters… 

Then it was on with more bashing into the wind – for several hours – to our next anchorage, Isola Vulcano.  Again, we were the only ones mad enough to keep up the grind.  Just on dusk, we settled into a very busy and exceptionally deep anchorage under the cloud capped and smoking rim of Vulcano.  The air is fragrant with the smell of sulphur gases and the bay rocks and rolls to the comings and goings of a vast number of commercial craft, but we didn’t care.  With the anchor set, we scoffed the last of our (almost hard tack) provisions and fell asleep, rocking in the swell, dreaming of the little whale (a pilot whale?) we saw heading for a tasty fish supper at the Straits.  “Watch out for those crazy men with harpoons!” GS called after his wake.

Anchored under a smoking Isola Vulcano

Bunkers Galore

Preveza, Greece

Our journey from Korinthos (Corinth) continues:

 

Ancient Korinthos (from out at sea)

We had left Korinthos, making for Itea, and another seemingly abandoned marina.  Tied to the wall, we could safely leave WJ3 and head for the hills.  You would think, would you not, that having been exposed so far to the best of Greek bureaucracy, we would learn. Just don’t ever ask about banks...

Our Cap’n pedalled to the bus station to coordinate timings for our Delphi visit.   Next morning, bright and shiny at 7.45, we presented ourselves.  “It’s Saturday,” she said.  “And?” said our Cap’n, starting to get a little terse.  The bus left at 7:15. Of course it had, this is Greece!  Back to WJ3 then for a three hour wait for the next bus….  Luckily there were seats available.

Marina at Itea_WJ3 over on far dock

Our woes did not stop there.  After Delphi, we stopped for dinner at an Itea quay-side restaurant.  Let me tell you, it was the worst food we’ve had in seven years.  Just to add insult to injury, it came with a hefty €50 bill!   Next morning, we left Itea very early. Only to blow out the main sail.  (More detail on the Cap’n H460 site, soon-ish, he’s busy organising repairs and fixing things!).

Our next little anchorage in Trizonia was very charming – a little Dangar in the Korinthos Gulf.  We were understandably a little taverna shy so didn’t bother with tying up at the dock (I think another free one?).  Here we rested two days, hiding from strong westerlies, until we pushed on for a planned stop at Messolongi.  Conditions had been calm, and we fair slid under the Rion-Andirion Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world and quite a dramatic sight. 

Trizonia with steep hills on the mainland behind

Reading more "repair manuals"_relaxing on Trizonia

Rion-Andirion Bridge with car ferry
(cheaper than using the bridge apparently)

Getting that ICW feeling all over again!

Despite the afternoon breeze building, we decided, being something of old hands at bashing INTO it, we’d continue on to Ithaca, home of Ulysses.  Once there, we found a lovely little nook, festooned with yellow buoys for swimmers, but with enough room for us.  Katabatic winds found us, as did the thousands of other boaties in the Ionian – it’s Pitt Street on the water here.  Despite limited space, two other boats crept in front of us, crossing our anchor chain.  We had been warned about August and the Ionian.  We left in the morning with a dramatic flourish (No! Was that anchor woman being yelled at??) and glint of perspiration on our neighbour’s brow. 

Lefkas Canal & the race is on...

The day was brilliantly mild, with yachts criss-crossing picturesque waterways, so rather than stop at Lefkas, we kept going through the canal and on to Preveza.  Aktio Marina is our 2014 haul-out yard of choice, so aside from making ourselves known, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to slow down for a few days and have the main sail & Bruce’s outboard seen to.  We’ve been invited dockside at Aktio until the repairs are made, the Cap’n has found an extensive chandlery, the washing’s been done, galley’s restocked, shore showers are hot and all’s well with the world.

Aktio is historically noteworthy, having been the gathering place of Marc Anthony & Cleopatra’s combined fleets; their sights set firmly on Italy.  It was here (Actium) that Octavian firmly trounced them, his ultimate triumph was to eventually become Emperor Augustus.  Cleo went home to find herself a little viper.

Preveza sunset and gathering place for ambitious Cleo & the lovely Marc

From: Korinthos, Greece Lat/Long: 37:56.493N 22:56.180E Date/Time: 25/07/14: 0845

To: Preveza, Greece Lat/Long: 38:57.173N 20:45.844E Date/Time: 30/07/14: 1630
Time Taken: 166nm (28.5hrs) Distance (this year): 812nm (139.5hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 14145nm   Weather: Good run although not much sailing time (again!)
Fastest Speed: Averaging 6-6.5kts – amazing what a little engine juice does 

Meltemi Moments

Peloponnese Peninsular, Greece

Nice evening view over the Kalamata Marina from Yachting Café

Having extracted ourselves from hedonistic marina life, we ambled down the Mani coast, one the fingers of land that make up the Peloponnese Peninsular.  There is no doubt that the scenery is dramatic; GS snapping away at every rock or mountain that made a promising picture. (Warning to all who suffer our slide show overkill, this year is likely to produce yet another one.) 

Punting through the Caves of Diros

We made the Caves of Diros (Pyrgos Dhirou) by lunchtime and decided, given both the Guide & Pilot’s glowing reviews, we would stop for the experience.  By 2.30pm we had walked and punted our way through 1500m of underground waterways and caves brimming with ceilings of frosted stalactites – with obligatory commentary in Greek….  We were permitted to walk through some areas of these truly memorable caves, lingering at the exit, if only to maximise time in natural air-conditioned comfort.   In some of the caves, archaeologists had found evidence of prehistoric settlement.  We could only imagine how surreal these caves must have been to them, invoking mystery and magic.  Is it any wonder that nearby Cape Tainaron is home of the mythical Gates of Hades?  And of course, where driven muscle man, Hercules captured Cerberus, to complete his twelfth and final labour!

WJ3 on the hook (behind the fishing fleet) Diros Caves

With a nasty swell coming into Caves bay we decided to round Cape Tainaron instead to seek shelter in a well-protected and cute Porto Kayio, meaning Bay of Quails.  I’m not so sure that any self-respecting quail would live in these strange, sparse mountains but it seems that plenty of brothers do.  From their perch high up, they must only wonder at the worldly goings on in the four modest beach-side tavernas lining the cove.  And laugh, as the yachts at anchor are pelted all night long by katabatic winds sweeping down from the mountains.

Porto Kayio (Quail Bay)

Our next stop was Elafonissos, an isolated island with abundant clear turquoise waters and very little sea life.  This did not stop an influx of visitors, winnebagos and seasonal resorts.  It’s high season after all!  An overnight stop here put us well up with the ways of the Meltemi too, a wind system something ordinary tourists don’t have to worry about.  We were up bright and early after one of us didn’t sleep well, to round fearsome Cape Maleas, whose reputation even Ulysses feared.  (Well, it did blow him off course for some ten years!).  We rounded it in complete calm, waving at the brothers up high in their secluded monastery and annoying local fishermen by going too close to their traps. 

Do you think the Brothers saw us waving?

Our destination was the rocky fortress of Monemvasia, a Gibraltar-like natural fortress built by the Byzantines in 6^th c.  We had great plans of climbing up to Ayia Sofia with its reputed magnificent views over the countryside and Aegean waters.  Sadly, GS had taken the fast way into the anchor locker, and in doing so had scraped a shin and twisted her ankle.  Walking was not on the agenda, so Monemvasia was added to the growing “later list”.   

Monemvasia

We reflected on the mysteries of Greek weather systems, as allusive as mythological gods, whilst holed-up in another small bay, firstly hiding from the Meltemi and then setting up the riding sail (to prevent swinging on anchor) to counter forceful katabatic blasts. All from different directions!   Little wonder then, we set off in the early morning calm for better shelter (and provisioning) at Porto Kheli (or Heli or Helios…  There are at least 3 or more ways of spelling Greek names – bear with us.).

This is water 20 feet deep (with various watery pug marks)
looking down from the back of WJ3 at Elafonissos

 

From:  Kalamata, Greece Lat/Long: 37:01.446N 22:06.327E Date/Time: 29/07/13: 0815

To: Porto Kheli, Greece Lat/Long: 37:19.409N 23:08.975E Date/Time: 1/08/13: 1400
Time Taken: 153.5nm (27hrs) Distance (this year): 1971.5nm (316hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 12796.5nm   Weather: NE (day); SW perhaps (at night) 
Fastest Speed: 7.5kts;