We discovered ours a week before mum was due to arrive, and he had been on board for at least two days before we saw any 'evidence' of him. However, once we had found the 'evidence', we couldn't stop finding the 'evidence'. He had been everywhere, and the problem on a boat is that there is 'everywhere' for them to go. If they can't find food, they start chewing anything in sight, wires, upholstery and even my favourite starfish sandals...this meant war.
So we went and bought four sticky rat traps - the idea being that the rat/mouse is lured by the food in the middle of the trap, it walks across the sticky stuff, and then its feet and are stuck firmly. That's the theory. The reality is that having placed said sticky pads in the obviously places Mr Ratty had been, the next morning we not only found evidence of Mr Rattyt in our cabin, but also paw prints straight throught the sticky stuff and out the otherside.
'Ah, you need to buy the cage traps...you need to put chocolate, no salami, no cheese...in it, that will get him, guaranteed overnight', so everyone said. So we bought two and no they didn't work. The chocolate, cheese and salami were still in place the next morning. What to do? Whilst scratching our heads and searching Google, for other options, we checked under the bilges to a sticky trap we had laid and forgotten to check. Well blow me down, there he was, stuck, flat on his side, still squeaking. It was all too much for me and I had to get off the boat while David sorted it out - sorting it out meant getting out his big, solid fishing gloves, a large plastic bag, and at arms length 'export said vermin'.
Now we had to find a quick and, dare I say, painless, way to put the poor thing out of his misery. And so we found another use for boat planks...they're not just getting on and off your boat...I leave the rest to your imagination. Needless to say the boat was scrubbed from top to bottom and we don't leave any hatches open, especially when we're on Rat Island.
Moving swiftly along, Before mum arrived we spent a few days with Ian & Jenny, and 'Franny Dog' and spent another 'awe inspiring' day driving around the stunning island of Lefkas. It also happened to be Ian's birthday, which made it all the more special while soaking up the views from the very top, before a lovely lunch on the edge of a cliff, under the shade of some trees. 
At the top, we happened upon a chapel. Yes, right at the very, very top. The views of the islands were, as always, amazing, and inside the chapel was pretty stunning as well. It is obviously maintained by 'someone' as there were candles and incense burning.
One particularly interesting view from the top was of the 'Mickey Mouse' radar ears perched on another mountain top! I'm sure they do a very important job of receiving and/or transmitting, but I'm not entirely sure, so I asked David...he thinks they military communication dishes, but who knows! Of course, as we had a car for the day, we had to finish off the day with a trip to Lidl to stock up on all the necessary items we can only get from there...dinner in town was very nice too!
The following week mum arrived and we had a really lovely week with her on board, apart from the 'incident' which we don't mention. Needless to say she can now say she has truly had a 'boat bite' and what a corker of a bruise it was. Hopefully the many friends she met helped her to enjoy her stay and forget about the 'incident'. Photos of the bruise are available on request, but require written authority from mum!
Then came our next guests on board - Jim and Lynda. The plan (always subject to change as Lynda soon found out). 'We'll stay on board three days, then move to a hotel for a relaxing final few days', Lynda said and this was the original plan. 'Ah, but its Regatta week and we have a spare space for a willing helmsman' came our reply...'we'll see how the plan works out'.
They arrived on Sunday night, around 9pm, but as this is Greece it took the to-ing and fro-ing of texts and about an hour's wait, to get Jim and Lynda to the right part of Nydri, but they arrived just as we were ordering another drink at the bar...After a few more drinks, dinner and a good night's sleep we planned the week's events.
The weather was forecast to change/increase that afternoon/evening and we had planned to get a spot on a dock in Nydri...that all changed. We took Jim and Lynda out for a sail and to show them their hotel from the sea. It was also a good way to get Jim back in 'boat mode' and see how much Lynda like being on a boat. The wind, as always was changable - for changable read 'direction boxing the compass and strength from nil knots gusting to 20 knots'. We had a reasonable time 'sailing to the wind' (unheard of normally as you are usually going somewhere and the wind is either non-existent or 'on the nose') for about an hour and then we looked at the clouds above the mountains...time to get back to a safe place for the night.
Too late! By the time the sails were in, the wind was howling and the rain was falling so hard that it was actually flattening the sea. We had to put full wet weather gear on in a matter of minutes and, for the first time ever, put our navigation and steaming lights on during the day. I can honestly say I have never seen rain like it anywhere in the world. It was unsafe to try to get back to a dock (not that anyone else had gone anywhere and there were no spaces), or even to the anchorage. Lynda went below, Jim and I kept a look out and David safely motored the boat around a holding pattern until a lull appeared and we could try to get somewhere to anchor. Vlicho was our only real option, and we weren't happy about it - it is known not to be a good place in a southerly storm (check out you tube and you'll see what I mean). We managed to get ourselves into Vlicho and anchored before the next burst came through. The anchor held fast, but the wind was so strong that it was pushing the boat sideways. We were wet, tired and hungry - only one thing to do in these circumstances - a bacon sandwich.
The storm passed in a couple of hours and we stayed safely tucked up in Vlicho for the night, having been treated to a lovely meal at the 'Seaside Restaurant', before planning the next day.
Tuesday was a very enjoyable day, a surprisingly nice sail in the morning over to Meganisi for lunch, and an even more surprisingly fast sail back. I made the suggestion to the 'boys' that perhaps they should go out tomorrow on Solent Clipper, as they were in fact going to be racing her on Thursday in the Regatta.
Not sure why none of us had thought of this before!
And so it was that Ian (Skipper - middle), Jim (Helmsman - right), David (Tachtician - left) and Fran the Dog (Mascot - below) entered the Southern Ionion Regatta.
The Team now have 'salty dog' stories to tell their friends and families for many ages to come. But when all is said and done, apart from the debarcle with a couple of catamarans 'which must have cost us a least 20 places...' they came a very well respected 58th. Lynda, Jenny (unfortunately missing the whole event as she had to be back in the UK), and I are very proud of their efforts. I do feel however, that they should have got 'Prettiest dog over the line'.
For the rest of their stay, we hired a car and drove Jim and Lynda around Lefkas, (one more time, but it is still an astoundingly beautiful island) and then left them to enjoy the comforts of their Resort Spa Hotel, with its many pools and restaurants before they headed back to normaldome of the UK. We had a great time with them on board.
Before I begin the finale of the tomato challenge, I wanted everyone to know that Fran the Dog is an exception dog. Loyal (not sure who to most tho', she can be found on anyone's boat if the incentive is right), friendly (especially to those who will give her as much fuss as possible) and attentive(? not if your name's Ian). 
However, she is the most remarkable when she goes swimming. And I'm sure Ian and Jenny won't mind me sharing with you photos of Fran going swimming and then attempting to get out of the water when she has finished...
Finally onto the tomato challenge. Well as no-one actually produced a tomato, there is no actual winner.
Jenny's (off the boat Tashinga, who is now safely back in South Africa), hers went by the wayside weeks ago, something to do with a birthday celebration which overtook all efforts to keep her poor tomato plants alive. Jenny's (Solent Clipper - challenge setter), hers unfortunately, despite her best efforts, went by the wayside while she had to go back to the UK and Ian (Skipper) unfortunately mis-read her instructions of 'feed Baby bio to toms once a week until I return', and gave them an overdose of full strength Baby bio every day - at least they died happy.
As you can se from the photos (then above and now below), he grew and grew, he even grew four little flowers, but no tomatoes came forth. In the end, as we knew we were coming to Messolonghi this weekend, I gave him to a good home in Nydri, on the dock we use, they grow lots of flowers and vegetables. They have promised to take good care of him, and I can have visiting rights next year if we're passing! This is how big he grew - it may have been something to do with the size of the pot that wouldn't allow the flowers to turn into fully fledged tomatoes...who knows. But he's in a good home now.
We are now back in Messolonghi, getting the boat ready for winter. We have three weeks before our flights back on in October when we look forward to catching up with our family and friends back in the UK...but I'm sure I'll write one more blog before we leave. Watch this space!
