We emailed our Christmas greetings mid December and received many in reply – good news from all around the world! Another year over and an exciting 2025 ahead of us! This year we plan to visit the USA and Cuba in July and August. At the end of the year we plan to sail down to Tasmania and cruise around the island for a month.
The Schady-Muller mob on Warriewood beach.
December, as for most of us, was a busy month. Michelle came back from Fiji and is staying with us until she has lined up her next project. We spent time with the girls on the beach as well as attend various events with our sailing friends.
Stumpy the lizard visits the Sail Cruising Division Xmas lunch.
It was good catching up with old friends from South Africa and local friends over lunches, as well as our neighbours at 153 Garden Street, in Warriewood.
Dec. 2024; Reini, Lynne, Annie and Dirk.
Dec.1983: Reini, Lynne, Annie and Dirk.
To work off all the festive food and drinks, I did a lot of cycling, Annie a lot of gym and together, we did walks and swimming along our local beaches.
Annie doing her laps in the Narrabeen rockpool.
Annie and Michelle enjoying the sail down the coast to Sydney harbour.
The girls asked us to sail down to the harbour for the New Year fireworks and we had the pleasure of meeting a lot of their friends. We ended up spending 10 days on Sydney Harbour (Port Jackson), before sailing back.
The extended family anchored in Rose Bay for the fireworks. Welcome Evan!
Another spectacular show, viewed from Esprit. Also, midnight ringing in Annie’s 70th birthday! (looking good and many more birthdays, my love!)
We celebrated our friend Gavin Birch’s 80th birthday for lunch and music on the Zephyr charter boat, cruising on the Pittwater.
The excellent duo performing on Gavin’s birthday cruise.
Dusk- Zephyr returning to Newport wharf.
Our friends Jim and Gail Petrie arrived at their apartment on New Year’s Day. Over dinners, we caught up with their Cape Town news. We visited Pretty Beach for two nights, did a coastal walk to Maitland Bay and attended a Joe Camilleri and the Black Sorrows concert in Gosford.
Gail, Jim and Annie on the Maitland Bay walk.
Joe Camilleri and the Black Sorrows at full tilt.
Australia Day on the 26th January fell on a Sunday, with a public holiday on the Monday. We started the festivities with champagne and canapes at the RMYC and ended with the SCD members at Bonny Doon beach.
Part of the Australia Day crowd.
Michelle, in the meantime, discovered that some of her frequent flyer points were about to expire. So off she went to Sri Lanka on a two week surfing holiday – evidently, the new Bali for surfers and yoga lovers. Latest news is, she was having a whale of a time.
View of the surf from Michelle’s accommodation.
Annie is getting excited about the prospect of becoming a grandmother on or about the 5th February. I have asked her to hold back until the baby has arrived. We will report back with the deets on gender, weight and name in our next post.
Before we set sail back to the Ionian islands on the Monday, Sunday the 28th October turned out to be a most interesting day. Galaxidi was festooned with Greek flags, school children were marching in their school uniforms and families were filling all the eateries in town for lunch. On enquiring what the occasion was, we were told it was Oxi (ohi) day which means “The day of No” in Greece.
Galaxidi waterfront.
During the second world war, on the 28th October 1940, the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, through his ambassador in Athens, demanded Greece allow Axis forces to enter Greek territory and occupy certain unspecified “strategic locations” or otherwise face war. The Greek prime minister Ioannis Metaxas allegedly answered with a single laconic word: όχι (No!). This resulted in the Greek nation putting up a spirited resistance to the Italian invasion, which humiliated Mussolini and which according to Churchill, changed the course of the war. The day has since been celebrated as a family day. We enjoyed the festivities and another day in Galaxidi.
Galaxidi – Ships figureheads to support this little roof.
Sailing out of Galaxidi.
On the Monday, a favourable 24 to 28 knot easterly had us steaming along on a broad reach to cover 60 nm out of the gulfs of Corinth and Patras at an average speed of 8 knots, and tie up in Mesolongi at 5pm. We walked into this “ordinary” town the next morning to buy groceries and wine, before motor sailing to Ormos Marathia the next day and then on to Kastos island, the following day.
Sailing back under the bridge.
Mesolongi – architecturally challenged.
A classic Onassis yacht “Christina O” being refurbished in Mesolongi harbour.
Sunny days with very little wind followed, allowing us to explore the numerous bays on the east coast of Meganisi island, before tying up in the main town of Vathi harbour, .
Tied up to the harbour wall in Kastos.
Sundowners at the old windmill in Kastos.
Vathi harbour.
We were next to the Dutch boat Onan and its skipper Nol Schade, who we previously met in Kastos, where we were the only two boats tied up at the harbour wall. Noel has been running charters in the Ionian for the last 20 years and is a great source of information.
Esprit tied up for free in Vathi.
We had the opportunity to top up our water tanks and clean the deck, which had accumulated a lot of dust. After two days we set off to explore the east coast of Levkas and visited the pretty harbours of Sivota, Nidri, Vlikho, Nikiana and Ligia before motoring through the Levkas canal between the island and the mainland.
Approaching the road bridge over the Levkas canal.
Bridge open – a narrow passage.
Worried skipper – about a half metre clear on both sides.
We anchored in Levkas to buy more Vodafone data, and then motored the short distance to Preveza. Here we anchored to wait for the easterly that was predicted for the following day, to take us north towards Corfu.
Anchored off Cleopatra marina – lots of boats on the hard.
The easterly wind provided a good sail as far as Parga on the mainland, where we explored this lovely town before crossing to the island of Paxos (Paxoi) to tie up to the town wharf of Gaios – another gem of a place.
Sailing in to Parga.
Parga town nestled against the hill.
Walk up the hill for a view from the monastery.
The walk down again.
House with a proud gardener – my size of garden.
Parga harbourside.
Until recently, Paxos produced little else except olive oil, for which it it famous. At one time, Harrods in London only sold olive oil from Paxos. Now, tourists and flotilla sailors crowd the island in summer. This is understandable, as the island is beautiful and the locals are very friendly.
Gaios town square from the water.
Gaios harbour from the hill – small Panayia island with the lighthouse in the background.
Town wharf in Gaios – Cath and Allan’s Jeanneau 41DS “Destiny” from Kent in the UK, next to us.
Entrance to the lighthouse on Panayia island off Gaios.
After two days we sailed to Lakka, a town on the north coast, which is picturesque with almost impossibly clear turquoise water over the sandy bottom, below the olive clad slopes of the hills.
Lakka village from our anchorage.
Turquoise water from our anchorage.
Walking through the village.
Sunset walk around the bay.
The short 7 nm crossing to the island of Corfu followed, where we tied up in the fishing harbour of Petriti on the east coast. Locals stopped by to chat and find out where we from. All these villages gave us the opportunity to stretch our legs with long walks during the warm and clear autumn days.
Petriti fishing harbour.
The nights were a different story, as now at 40 degrees north of the equator, we could feel the northern hemisphere winter coming on. Our usual spooning at night, now resembled spoons stuck together with Bostik.
Another 11 nm got us to the main town of Corfu (Kerkira) where we tied up at the Nautical Club of Corfu (NAOK Yacht Club), right next to the old town. Being out of season our berth alongside was free (no water or electricity, but showers, clubhouse and café).
NAOK Yacht Club.
Esprit on the breakwater right next to the old fort of Corfu.
Before setting out to explore the town, there was an urgent issue to attend to: We got word from Lucy Connop who uses our Holden Barina in our absence, that NSW Revenue was after my blood. It has to do with taking democracy seriously and citizen’s obligations.
Australia legislated compulsory voting in federal, state and local government elections in 1924, the fine for not voting is currently $55. Ignore the penalty and the fine goes up to $120. Ignore it again and your driver’s licence and vehicle rego is suspended. All of the above happened in my absence while sailing.
Fail to vote fine: $120
But wait there’s more: When I was interviewed for Australian citizenship years ago, I agreed to my rights and obligations as a citizen, which under obligations also listed doing jury duty when requested. Same story – fine for failing to do this is currently $1,650 and by ignoring the penalty, it has increased to $1,755.
Fail Jury duty fine: $1,755
It was critical to request an annulment of these fines – I was unaware of it due to my absence from Australia. (I also don’t have that sort of money to throw away) I eventually found an email address for the Sheriff of the Court on the NSW Revenue website and submitted my motivation (and Annie’s) for an annulment of the fines – hold your breath, we will keep you posted.
Corfu is a luxuriant green island, lying close to the Albanian mainland in the north and opposite the Greek mainland to the south. Since 1200 BC Corfu has been colonised by the Corinthians, Rome, the Byzantine Empire, Norman, Sicilian and Venetian rulers. When the French took over Corfu in 1797, they laid out a regular street plan, constructed arcaded buildings and a second Rue de Rivoli, far from Paris. The British occupation began many public works and introduced fruit cake and cricket. Today Corfu reflects many of these influences in its special Corfiot culture. The few photos below, will illustrate this.
Cricket pitch in the middle of Corfu old town
Old town 1.
Old town 2.
Old town 3.
Old town 4.
Old town 5.
Prince Philip, the Queen’s husband was born on Corfu and the author brothers, Lawrence and Gerald Durrell lived here and wrote extensively about their love of this island.
Lawrence Durrell – his younger brother Gerald called “Corfu, the garden of the Gods”
Since I first visited Corfu some 40 years ago, I have also had a passion for the place. Annie and I spent a week here just before kids. The old town is still as beautiful as ever and this time we spent five days here and rented a car to explore the north of the island.
The old fort at sunset.
Entrance to the fort.
View down to the yacht club – Esprit on the breakwater at the left.
View across town – cricket field in the center.
French colonnaded buildings.
Entrance foyer of the excellent Corfu Museum of Asian Art.
Japanese lacquered objects.
Coffee at Paleokastritsa in the north west of the island.
Visiting the olive press at the monastery in Paleokastritsa.
The weather changed overnight on the Thursday and we departed Corfu on Friday the 16th November, beating into a cold and rainy south-easter and swell. After 20 wet miles we anchored in the sheltered bay of Mourtos on the mainland and enjoyed hot showers and stiff Metaxas. In the afternoon we walked into town for Greek coffees – no sooner did we get back to the boat, than the rain came down again.
Mourtos town.
And rain it did – for 3 days and nights! We were well sheltered between an island and the mainland, but offshore, the wind was howling. Eventually on the Monday there was a break in the weather and we had a brisk 46 nm sail down to Preveza, to tie up to the town wharf. It took another two days for this system to blow out before we could explore the extensive inland waters of the gulf beyond Preveza inlet.
Venetian tower in Preveza.
Two fixer uppers, or waiting to be turned into apartments?
We sailed to Vonitsa in the south east and tied up to the town quay for free – water included. The next five days gave us the opportunity to prepare the boat for wintering at Cleopatra marina. I drained the engine and saildrive oil, replaced the oil, fuel and fuel/water separating filters, replaced the water pump impeller and checked belt tensions and starter battery electrolyte levels.
Vonitsa causeway to chapel on a little island.
The Chapel.
Autumn view into the gulf.
Also managed to clean the dinghy inside and out and flush the outboard engine, while Annie did the laundry and sorted out the boat generally.
Out she comes.
Friday, November the 30th came around and it was time for Esprit to be lifted out of the water, for a four month rest. We had been sailing for the past 22 months, since leaving Cairns in northern Queensland, and having seen some amazing places and meeting some very interesting people, we were also ready for a break on land. We will spend two months in South Africa and two months in Australia, before continuing our cruising in April 2019.
Parked in the marina by a very competent crew.
View from Esprit’s deck.
Cleopatra Marina stores a 1,000 boats in their shipyard for winter, the two neighbouring marinas also store around a 1,000 boats each. Quite a business.
Greece has been great and in the four and a half months of cruising here, we have covered 2, 034 nautical miles (3, 767 km) – see our cruising map below.
After collecting my passport with a new 90 day Greek visa from Spyros at Police headquarters, we cast off from Zakynthos harbour with a good following wind to sail to Cephalonia, the biggest of the Ionian islands. The plan was to stop in Poros in the south east of the island, but the wind blew straight into the harbour, so we carried on to Sami harbour, 12 nm to the north which was sheltered from the unusual south easterly.
Statue in Sami – Captain Corelli or a very slim fisherman?
Annie has ambitions to buy this big fishing boat.
The major earthquake of 1953 effectively demolished every town on Cephalonia, except Fiskardho in the north, presumably because of the underlying clay in the north. Sami was rebuilt and is a lovely town where the film “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” was made. The narrow Ithakis channel separates Cephalonia from the island of Ithaca – according to Homer, this is the island home of Odysseus.
Two sister Jeanneau in Foki Bay.
From Sami we crisscrossed the channel to visit anchorages on both islands, eventually anchoring at Port Polis on the northwest side of Ithaca, before crossing to Fiskardho the next day to anchor in the lovely Foki bay. Later in the day, another SO 439 anchored next to us, with Chris Evans and Rose Bowey from Adelaide in South Australia on board – also our vintage in age! They took delivery of their Jeanneau at the factory in La Rochelle, France about 18 months ago and were pleased to hear we have come this far without major problems.
Rose, Chris and Annie at 200 BC Roman graves.
Foki bay anchorage deserved a two-day stay, during which time we walked to Fiskardho for coffees and some groceries. Fiskardho was chockers with charter yachts and it was amazing to see up to 50 yachts a day sailing past our anchorage. We spent pleasant times with Chris and Rose having sundowners and a BBQ.
Autumn was setting in and although we have clear sunny days, the evenings calls for jumpers – Annie also pulled out our summer duvet, so nuddy sleeping is on hold. The sea temperature is still a very pleasant 25 deg C, so we swim every day. Having exchanged notes with Chris and Rose on cruising areas, we set forth to explore the east coast of Ithaca, where we anchored at Limani bay just south of Frikes on the first night. In the short 11 mile sail we must have passed upwards of 70 yachts, sailing in flotillas and having fun.
Small Kioni harbour, full of charter boats.
Further south, we turned into Kioni harbour for brunch, before anchoring at Vathi harbour for a two-day stay in picturesque surroundings. Vathi bay is large and sheltered from the winds from most directions, with adequate room to anchor off the town, which wraps around the top end of the bay. It offers some good walks along the shore to exercise our legs, as well as a 6 km coastal walk to the entrance to the bay, where we spotted the chapel of St. Andrew while sailing into the bay.
St Andrews chapel from the water.
Vathi town.
More Vathi town from our anchorage.
Vathi village street.
We walked past the yacht club where young kids were training in Optimist and Laser class dinghies, reminding us of the days we spent on the water while Karen and Michelle trained in the very same classes. At one of the beaches we passed, was a lifeguard tower with a fireman’s pole to slide down, for quick assistance to swimmers in distress. The pole should have been stainless steel, as the rusted pole will result in severe injuries.
Sunday sail training.
Fireman’s pole – it seemed like a good idea, at the time.
Walking to the chapel.
Annie taking a breather.
At night we listened to the local music from the bars, which was different to the Greek music in the Aegean, being more Italian in influence, with passionate romantic harmonies. On the third day we reluctantly left, to take advantage of the prevailing wind and sailed the 43 nm to the Greek mainland. At the entrance to the Gulf of Patras, the northern shore has saltmarshes and sandbars, so we had to motor up the 2.5 nm dredged channel to the spacious harbour of Mesolongi where we anchored off the yacht club on Sunday 21st October.
We had to spend the following three nights at anchor here because a 35 knot easterly with rain kicked in, making sailing into the gulf, virtually impossible. Mesolongi is an architecturally challenged town, with its claim to fame being, that the poet Byron died here. The only entertainment we had was a cargo vessel tied up close to us with two cranes offloading six huge wind turbines onto low bed trailer trucks.
Approaching the bridge.
On the Wednesday we woke up to a sunny day with light winds, which allowed us to set sail for Navpaktos, 35 nm away. By 1pm we reached the strait of Rion and Andirrion, only one-mile-wide with Venetian forts on both sides. The impressive suspension bridge across the strait completed in 2004, is the longest cable stayed bridge in the world at 2,252m with an air height of 25-45m (Similar design as the ANZAC bridge in Sydney).
Venetian fort on the north side.
The north side of the bridge.
An unusual sight – a yacht actually sailing.
We sailed under the bridge to enter the Gulf of Corinth and continued to Navpaktos where we anchored off the beach – the harbour being too small for boats over 12 metres.
Navpaktos (Lepanto) from Esprit.
Navpaktos (Lepanto) is a captivating place, with the minute medieval harbour under the shadow of a Venetian castle. Before we could go ashore, we had to sort out the freshwater pump which delivers water from the water tanks to all the taps and showers – without a working pump, we are in trouble. For some reason, the pump decided to stop working and no amount of switching valves between tanks, would get the water flowing.
Annie and her offsider decided to strip the pump expecting to find a blocked or stuck impeller, which should be easy enough to fix. The pump is of course mounted in a diabolically difficult space to get into. After an hour, we got it out, stripped the pump and hello – what is this? A diaphragm pump, which I have never clapped eyes on before. All the parts were cleaned and inspected and after reassembly it takes another hour (and cursing) to mount the pump again. We hold our collective breaths and turn it on again – it works! Don’t ask me what I have fixed, as I do not know. Anyway it was 6pm and time for a soothing red wine.
Entrance into the harbour – Esprit outside on the left.
Fishing boats in the harbour.
The following day we go ashore early to climb up to the castle, which evidently is the best preserved castle in the Mediterranean – 45 minutes later and 250m higher, we reached the top to admire the view. This area was settled around 2,000 BC and the castle construction was started around 500 BC. The battle of Lepanto in 1571, was fought off the coast here, when the Ottoman fleet was defeated by a coalition of Christian countries.
View down to the harbour.
Halfway up to the castle.
View back towards the bridge.
Entrance to the top fortifications.
At the very top.
On board the Spanish galley “Marquesa” was a 24-year-old Spanish marine, Miguel de Cervantes who received three gunshot wounds—two in the chest and one which rendered his left arm useless. Cervantes later started writing and is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world’s pre-eminent novelists. His novel “Don Quixote” has been translated into over 140 languages. In the little harbour of Navpaktos stands a statue of Cervantes to remind us of his service in the battle of Lepanto.
Statue of Miguel de Cervantes.
Our next anchorage was on the small island of Trizonia, before enjoying a fabulous downwind sail to Galaxidi, where we anchored in the harbour. This tranquil harbour, hemmed in by a pine-studded peninsula, is one of the most pleasing in the Gulf of Corinth. It is a useful safe harbour near Delphi which can be reached by bus.
Galaxidi street.
Galaxidi – colourful flowers.
We stayed here for three days, enjoying the laid back atmosphere and catching the bus to Delphi on the Saturday. Delphi was regarded by the ancients as the centre of the world. Its spectacular site amidst ravines, rocky bluffs and sheer cliffs on the side of Mt Parnassos contributes to its air of mystery.
Starting in Delphi village.
Walking towards the Delphi archeological site.
Looking back towards the coast.
Information at the entrance.
Model of the original site.
Delphi takes its name from Apollo Delphinios, when the god was worshipped in the shape of a dolphin. The Delphic oracle was famous throughout Greece. The French school began excavating the site in 1892 and a museum next to the site houses most of the important finds. Truly, a must-visit place in Greece. I am uploading just a few of the 95 photos I have taken.
Beautiful mosaic floors.
Start of the sacred way.
The retaining wall for the Temple of Apollo – craftsmanship as good as at Machu Picchu in Peru.
The remains of the tripod of Plataea with the temple of Apollo behind.
Looking down at the base of the temple of Apollo.
Temple of Apollo with the floor recess where the oracle of Delphi resided.
The theatre of Delphi.
At the very top, the stadium with the track 178 m long. The athletes must have been knackered by the time they got to this altitude.
The museum – philosopher on the left.
The Naxian Sphinx.
Statue of the athlete Agias (330 BC)
Bronze incense burner (460 BC)
The bronze statue of the charioteer – the most important exhibit in the Delphi museum (474 BC)
On Monday, a favourable easterly will carry us back west to the Ionian islands, to continue our cruising.
We couldn’t really motor from Navplion after the cyclone, due to a stern line caught in the propeller, but fortunately there was a good wind to sail the short 10 mile hop to Astrous on the eastern Peloponnese coast. We arrived to tie up next to about 12 other yachts in the harbour – the crews of which were shell shocked after the cyclone hit them. Evidently, the winds here peaked at 60 knots with waves breaking 5 metres high over the harbour breakwater to swamp some of the boats. We were glad to have been 10 miles north.
Astrous harbour.
Astrous is a gem of a place, with lovely walks, friendly people and tavernas serving traditional food. We stayed for two days to dry things out, do the washing and fill the water and diesel tanks.
Astrous town from the Venetian castle.
Michelle dived to clear the prop of rope and fishing lines, as the water was settling down and visibility improved. Our next stop was Kiparissi, 38 nm further south on this magnificent coast. We met up with James Foot and his partner Wallace for sundowners on Esprit. Rob Wallace put us in touch with this exceptional water colour artist.
Michelle cut all of this from the prop.
Kiparissi houses along the harbour.
Kiparissi: Esprit tied up to the small mole.
Doing the 5km walk to this remote chapel south of Kiparissi.
Looking back to Kiparissi.
Couldn’t resist ringing the bell.
Chatting with a friendly Scottish expat over coffee.
Taking the very expensive shortcut through the Corinth canal from the eastern Peloponnese to the Ionian islands in the west was a consideration, but we were rewarded by the most beautiful mountains and greenery of the eastern Peloponnese, which we highly recommend. The following day we sailed to Monemvasia, which was an unexpected and beautiful surprise for us. Monemvasia is a humpbacked island (likened to a little Gibraltar) connected to the Peloponnese by a causeway. On the south side of the island is the ancient town which was first settled in the 6th century AD.
Sailing past the village of Monemvasia.
Esprit tied up in the harbour with Monemvasia in the background.
Approaching the gate to Monemvasia.
Narrow cobbled streets.
Earthy colours.
More beautiful textures.
The town square with one of numerous churches.
Watching Michelle and Annie return from their walk to the fortifications on top, while enjoying my breakfast.
Castles and walls, old houses, narrow cobbled streets, churches, arches and coats of arms – untouched by the passage of time. We explored this magical place and had breakfast at a small taverna, before walking back across the causeway to the new town. After stocking up with provisions we set sail to round the south eastern tip of the Peloponnese and anchor in Frangos bay in the south of Elafonisos island.
Map of Monemvasia town.
On Friday the 5th of October we cast off in a freshening easterly to cross the gulfs of Lakonikos and Messiniakos for a 66 nm crossing to Maratho on the south western corner of the Peloponnese. I should have stayed in bed – two competitive sailors in the shape of Michelle and Annie left me with white knuckles. With a fully reefed main and 25% of the jib out, they managed to surf the waves, hitting 13 knots in a 33 knot north easter, on the aft quarter. After rounding Cape Tainaron, it got wetter, as we were now on a broad reach. A stiff whisky was called for when we anchored at Maratho, having averaged 8.25 knots/hour.
Michelle thinking she is sailing a 49er.
What better than a chilled bottle of Lambrusco to celebrate a good sail.
Followed by a game of chess.
The next morning, we had to motor past Methoni, all the way to the Strofadhes islands (Arpia and Stamfani), a distance of 50 nm. From fresh winds one day, to nothing the next – that’s sailing. One consolation was a Bluefin Tuna the girls caught on a trawling line.
Motoring past the fortifications of Methoni.
Michelle with her catch.
After a quiet night off Arpia, we motored the last 40 nm to anchor in front of Freddie’s Beach Bar at Tsilivi Beach on Zakynthos at 4 pm. We had a warm welcome from Robert and Ritsa Wallace, old friends from Cape Town and their staff, before enjoying a sumptuous dinner.
Arriving at Freddie’s.
Welcome drink with Rob and Ritsa at Freddie’s with Esprit in the background.
First course: Meze platter.
The Schengen visa rules allows Annie with her UK passport to stay in the EU Schengen countries indefinitely, whereas my Aussie passport has a limit of 90 days in these countries, after which I have to leave for 90 days. My 90 days expires on the 15th October, so after two previous unsuccessful attempts to extend the visa, Ritsa facilitated a meeting with the local police, who deals with foreign passport holders. Unfortunately, the official who interviewed us must have had a difficult morning dealing with refugees, so he didn’t want to know about my problem. After a prolonged argument, he agreed to consider this again the following Saturday.
Robert at sea.
We used the rest of the week, to take Rob and Ritsa for a sail to Wreck beach and the Blue caves and they in turn drove us around the island to show us all the sights.
Wreck beach.
Michelle, Ritsa and Annie.
Esprit anchored below the spectacular limestone cliffs.
The ladies enjoying the water.
The anchorage off Freddie’s Beach Bar became untenable due to an onshore north westerly on the Wednesday, so we motored to Zakynthos harbour for a sheltered berth.
Rob’s tours: View of Zakynthos town.
View from Rob’s friends taverna.
Buying produce from Dimitri and his daughter.
Windmill near the northern end of the island.
More spectacular coastline.
Visiting the St. George monastery.
Michelle flew back to London on the Thursday after her three-week visit. I managed to get the required documentation ready for my meeting with the official on the Saturday, which Ritsa again facilitated.
The meeting went well and I was issued with a 90-day visa. This was a relief, as we were also wearing the Wallace’s threshold out after a week. We will now head north to explore the rest of the Ionian islands, before leaving Esprit in Preveza at the end of November. Cheers for now.
Our view from the cockpit for six days – quite pleasant.
After six days in Milos, the wind relented and we were able to set sail to Hydra. The extra days were useful to clean and fix things on Esprit and explore Milos by car. We drove up to Plaka and climbed up to the highest point on the island to visit the Venetian castle and the church at the very top.
Plaka village with the Venetian castle top right – let’s go.
Working our way up.
The view from the top is worth the climb.
On the way down – just as many steps.
Beautiful pebble paving in the village.
I was wrong – you don’t need a 2 metre wide alley to place taverna seating.
The catacombs – excavated from the volcanic pumice stone.
The family crypt – this one could accommodate six corpses.
The Roman theatre.
Reconstructed remnants of the scene buildings behind the stage.
Some of the reconstructed marble seating.
The site where the Aphrodite of Milos was discovered.
Aphrodite repatriation petition.
We visited a number of sheltered beaches on the south coast where there are some volcanic hot water vents in the shallow waters, just off the beach. Pollonia village in the north west of the island was very windy.
Smart driver.
Provatas beach on the south coast.
Pollonia village.
Klima village.
View from south of the bay back to Plaka.
These two old guys were fishing next to Esprit every arvo. The cats are waiting for their share.
We booked airline tickets for the end of the year and for Esprit to be slipped and stored on the hard in Preveza, western Greece, at the end of November. This will also give us the opportunity to have the rudder and steering system checked, the hull pressure cleaned and the topsides polished. It will take some of the pressure off me, with Annie always listing things I need to fix. I have explained to her a number of times, that when I say I will fix something, I will fix it – she doesn’t have to remind me every six months.
Back in London on the 21st September, Michelle and Karen were revving it up on Karen’s 30th birthday. This milestone was celebrated with 30 friends at a buffet lunch at the top of the iconic “Shard” building and concluded with an all-night party at the Royal Albert Hall, where DJ’s of the “Inner Visions” label performed.
Party time – Michelle and Karen.
The plan was to visit the islands of Serifos and Kithnos to the north of Milos, before crossing to Hydra, but the wind was on the nose, with a big sea after the six-day northerly blow. So we set off on the 22nd for the 68 nm sail to Hydra, to complete our crossing of the Aegean Sea. As sometimes happens, we had a mixed bag – the first 35 miles was on a terrific broad reach, averaging 8.5 knots. Then the wind dropped to a whisper and we had to motor the remaining 33 miles, before anchoring in the bay of Agio Nikolaus in south Hydra.
Hydra harbour.
Hydra harbour 2.
There were some seriously big gin palaces anchored in the bay and a competition was on to see who had the most water toys. We were glad to leave the next morning and motor to Hydra harbour, which was full to overflowing, so we turned around and motored for a mile along the coast to Mandraki bay, where we tied up stern to the shore. By the time we got back from our walk to Hydra town to buy provisions, there were more than 50 yachts tied up, or at anchor in the small bay. First night excitement amongst a flotilla of charter catamarans rafted up together, had them partying through the night – about 50 metres from us.
Mandraki Bay.
The next day, Monday, Michelle and two of her friends, Monica and Luke from Sydney arrived by ferry from Athens, to join us on the boat. The weather forecast didn’t look very good, with a very strong weather system developing from the north, potentially turning into a cyclone between Greece and Italy. As a precaution, we sailed to the sheltered bay of Porto Kheli in the gulf of Argolikos Kolpos, to get out of the main blast. The following day we motored deeper into the gulf to Koiladhia, as the weather deteriorated.
Luke, Michelle and Monica.
Windy weather forecast – Esprit anchore at the black wind speed flag.
Discussing the weather – concerned sailors.
Even in this sheltered bay, the wind was gusting at 25 – 30 knots which was OK, compared to the 40 – 50 knots offshore. The locals informed us this was the worst they have seen in 40 years and that cyclones were very rare in this part of the world. We spent a sleepless night with katabatic gusts hitting the boat and rocking it about. By morning, after going ashore to climb a mountain for exercise, our three young guests decided to take a bus to Athens to go and see the sights, rather than spent their time waiting out the storm.
Michelle & Monica on top of the mountain.
Milos to Navplion.
After studying various weather forecasts, Annie and I decided to motor sail to the top of the gulf to Navplion on Friday, to be out of reach of the cyclone as it tracked back from Italy, crossing just south of the Peloponnese. We tied up to the town jetty at 12 pm just before a crowd of boats came in looking for shelter.
Friday 12pm – cyclone forming between Sicily and the Peloponnese. Esprit tied up at the flag.
The harbour in Navplion was crowded, with yachts crashing into one another to tie up to the wharf which was in the teeth of a 20 knot northwester. In the melee, our portside primary winch overwound with a mooring line, bending the stripper arm, imploding the stripper arm support and twisting the three screws. We cast off in a squall at 6pm and anchored in the big outer bay of the harbour, as a swing anchor under these conditions is infinitely safer than being tied on to a concrete wharf. We had a peaceful night.
Friday midnight – cyclone approaching the Peloponnese and Crete.
First thing on Saturday morning I got onto the web to search for Harken 46 self-tailing winch parts, as we could not set sail without a working primary winch. A call to Yannis at Tecrep Marine in Piraeus harbour confirmed that he had the parts, so Michelle who was still in Athens, kindly took a train down to the harbour to collect the parts. Next thing, the Coast Guard arrives to tell us and some other yachts on anchor, we are not allowed to anchor where we are, but should tie up at the wharf – clearly more concerned with rules than safety. It was quite tricky backing into the wharf in 18 knots of cross wind and the rain bucketing down.
Saturday 12pm – the eye just south of the Peloponnese.
Saturday 5pm and the wind from the northeast has built up to 30 knots and it is mayhem with all the yachts tied up to the concrete wharf, bouncing off the wharf and into one another. The two yachts tied up next to us drag their anchors and crash into us, before casting off from the wharf. Take 2: At 6pm we cast off again crashing into the next boat in line on our port side, before anchoring again in the harbour, with a mooring line fouled in our prop. The wind now gusts at 40 knots, double the predicted wind strength, with rain squalls so heavy, visibility is down to 50 metres. I am cursing the Coast Guard and the Harbour Police – we should have stayed at anchor in the harbour. The wind spray off the water is sometimes heavier than the rain.
Saturday 6pm – very close, wind 20 knots predicted – hitting Esprit at 40 knots actual.
Saturday 9pm – cyclone passes Esprit at the black flag with 19 knots of wind.
Sunday 3am – cyclone moving across the Aegean.
Sunday 6am – cyclone dissipates over Turkey.
All our sailing gear and clothes are drenched at this stage, so Annie and I take turns in our cossies and lifejackets to keep watch until 10pm, when the wind starts to drop. By 11pm we are able to sit down with a stiff whisky and by midnight we have tidied up the boat and hit the sack as the wind has dropped to 5 knots. Sunday morning, we wake up to a flat sea and a steady drizzle – we have survived Cyclone Xenophon (also called Zorba by some) and celebrate this with a strong coffee and rusks. Cheers for now.
Naxos is the largest and most fertile island of the Cyclades and has an interesting history. It was sacked by the Persians in 490 BC, became a Venetian duchy for more than 300 years in 1207, fell to the Turks in 1566 and became Greek in 1832. On the approach to Naxos harbour, the marble arch which is part of a temple to Apollo is prominent – begun in 530 BC, but never finished. Marble is plentiful on Naxos.
The marble arch with the town in the background.
Naxos town – Venetian castle at top left.
Annie at the arch.
The warren of alleys, arches and tunnels around the Venetian castle on the summit of the hill in town, is the most fascinating part of the town. It was the up-market end of town and many of the entrances sport coats of arms from the time when Naxos ruled over the surrounding islands.
The old market street.
Oh look – this alley is 2m wide, we can put taverna tables out here.
Alleyway with rooms over.
Fascinating spaces.
A small square.
Walking up to the castle.
View from the top. Paros island in the background.
Exiting the castle through another gate.
Evening promenade.
Annie and an ancient marble statue.
Budding Onassis – I had to buy a stone to take this photo. I bought the one with the lips – EU 2.50.
We spent two days exploring the beautiful old town and the castle before setting sail in a building wind, to Paros, only 5 miles to the west. The north facing bay at Naoussa on the north east corner of Paros was untenable in the strong north wester, so we sailed down the west coast to the main harbour at Paroikia. There is a sheltered bay to the north of the ferry harbour where we anchored with a number of other yachts.
Paros town from our anchorage.
The old windmill.
When you stepped off the ferry in Paros back in the seventies, your first port of call was this old windmill. It was then the police station and information office. Dozens of backpacks would be stacked against the wall outside, while their owners would go off in search of accommodation. With the advent of online booking, the windmill and the moat around it has lost this function – it is still an attractive landmark to welcome you.
The little church.
A hundred metres to the left the little church is still as pretty as ever. The old town has lost none of its charm, but as one would expect, the town has grown around the bay to accommodate the masses of tourists. We did some shopping and Annie had her laptop seen to by a local computer shop – the fellow reloaded her MS software for free . I discovered a very palatable 3 litre cask Retsina at EU 6.70, so bought a couple of casks.
Old town.
More old town.
Beaches around the bay.
Annie bought and shocked me with a ventilated fedora, as she was getting worried about my dark complexion. She knows I hate anything on my head, as it makes my head overheat, but she insists this hat won’t do that. In triumph she posted a photo to our girls on WhatsApp – who cracked up, saying that I look like an Italian pimp. Confusing opinions – what is a man to do? We’ll see if the hat survives.
Aargh!
After two days in Paros, we set sail and carefully navigated the narrow and shallow Paros channel, between Paros and Anti-Paros, dodging vehicle ferries between the islands as well as dozens of kite boarders. Once through and out of the lee of the islands, the wind picked up to 18 knots and we had an exhilarating 24-mile run to Ios. We were lucky to get one of the last open stern berths on the public jetty, in the small harbour. It was like a Jeanneau SO 439 convention – three of Esprit’s siblings tied up next to us. Now, I did say we won’t re-visit the fleshpots of our youth – but we did want to visit Thira (Santorini), to take photos of that magnificent setting. Ios happens to be on the way south – so, we are having a little sticky beak.
Last berth in Ios harbour – next to a SO 439.
More SO 439’s.
Ios harbour from a church nearby.
The church nearby.
Architecturally, I like these organic forms.
Walking up to the chora – this little church.
Near the top – I can count 6 chapels or churches.
View down to the harbour.
The main church in the chora.
A well deserved frappe in the minute town square.
Ios town is still charming, but geared towards the younger set, with more bars than tavernas. In fact, pub crawl tours are on offer, with most pubs offering five Jaeger bombs for EU10, or buy seven shots and get a free T-shirt. The island’s beaches have also become de facto nudist beaches among the younger set. After a bumpy night in the harbour due to all the ferries and a strong Meltemi, we did our climb up to the chora (main town), walked around the harbour and then sailed down to Manganari beach to be in the lee of the island in the 30 knot northerly. Manganari with one taverna, has grown a lot since we camped on the beach.
Manganari beach -crystal clear water
Now with beach loungers and umbrellas.
Calamaria!
Walking back to the boat after lunch.
During the night the Meltemi gusted up to 30 knots, with Esprit slewing from side to side – not conditions conducive to a good night’s sleep. By midday the next day, the wind abated and we went for a long walk along the bay, before having lunch at a beach taverna. Delicious calamari and salads washed down with the house wine. A good night’s sleep followed. By 8am the next morning, we set sail for a smooth run to Thira (Santorini) and a cruise around this giant volcano.
Santorini map.
The principal island is Thira, shaped like a new moon encircling the rim of the crater, now filled with water. To the northwest Thirasia forms another part of the rim and in the middle, a black mass of cinder and lava (Kammeni and Nea Kammeni) is the volcanic plug. Thira is steep-to, dropping sheer into the sea from 150 – 300m and keep going down for another 300m. Since the great eruption of about 1,400BC (Calculated as three times greater than Krakatoa in 1883), the volcano has remained active. It has erupted eight times since then and in 1956 a massive earthquake destroyed many of the buildings at Finikia and Thira.
Starting with Finikia in the north of Thira.
Finikia from the south.
Annie and Thira.
Thira from a distance.
Tripper boats anchored off Nea Kammeni.
Potamos on Thirasia.
Thira and the Atlantis legend – Plato first recorded the Atlantis legend that has baffled historians to the present day. Thira could be a candidate. It may be that the Thira explosion effectively destroyed the Minoan civilization on Crete and the other surrounding islands. Adding to the puzzle of Thira, is that not a single inhabitant has been found buried in the ash and pumice of the excavations at Akrotiri in the south of Thira.
On a mooring next to these gin palaces below Finikia.
Anchoring is virtually impossible due to the great depth, but we found a spot close inshore at Ormos Riva in the north of Thirasia island. A perfect evening with the lights of the towns on the crater rim glittering like stars, got us in the mood for a bit of dancing on the deck, to ABBA going full blast. A couple of Metaxa nightcaps made us sleep well. The following day we set sail for Folegandros, about 23nm to the northwest.
Karavostasi, the harbour of Folegandros is a sleepy hollow with crystal clear water. A few middle aged tourists – mostly Greek, (which is a good sign) and a few tavernas. We didn’t fancy the one hour walk up to the chora, so we did a walk around the bay and finished off with dinner at a rustic taverna on the beach.
Karavostasi harbour on Folegandros.
Perfect spot for paddle boarding.
Leaving Folegandros at sunrise.
The free Wifi at the taverna alerted us to some heavy weather coming, so we set off early the next day to sail and find shelter in Adhamas harbour on Milos, the southwestern most island of the Cyclades. Milos is an ancient volcano which, like Thira, long ago erupted and scooped out the giant bay. In the first world war the large natural harbour was a British naval base.
Google map of Milos.
It was during the Hellenistic period that the Venus de Milo (the Aphrodite of Milos) was sculpted, and is probably one of the best-known pieces of ancient Greek sculpture. The statue was found in the late 19th century by a farmer collecting old Greek stones for field walls. He negotiated to sell it to the French consul, but before a French ship arrived to collect it, the Sultan’s governor forcibly took the statue and put it aboard a ship bound for Istanbul. After a brief skirmish, the French got the statue back on board a French ship.
Venus de Milo.
It is said it was during this skirmish that the Venus de Milo lost her arms, which were spirited away by a local. The arms haven’t been found since and probably shouldn’t, lest it change our accepted perception of the armless beauty art historians are so familiar with. Photos of the statue adorn every shop on the island.
The Plaka chora above fishermen’s cottages.
Annie bought an Octopothi for the BBQ from the fishmonger.
Chapel at the cemetery.
Vaulted graves.
Some of the Greek navy ships tied up to have shelter from the Meltemi.
We took a bus up to the chora to buy more data from Vodafone and visit amongst others, the local cemetery where the departed are housed in vaults of various sizes. We spent the next three days waiting out, hopefully, the last of the fierce Meltemis.
View from the chora.
Ancient theatre.
View across the crater/bay.
A decent walk up to the highest chapel.
We didn’t mind, as Milos is a most agreeable island and we could spend the time doing some maintenance on Esprit. We will next report from the Saronic and eastern Peloponnese.
