May 2018
As with all things boating, plans change. We were due to be
launched into the water on Wednesday 9th May, but we were no-where
near ready. After a number of long debates and procrastination, we postponed
our launch date, three times in fact. Finally, we ready, we launched on Monday
14th May.
For those who have never seen a boat launch before, I
attempted to make a video to give you some idea, and show what the interior of
our boatyard looks like.
Before Alhambra was (very professionally I must say) lowered
into the water in the slipway, we had arranged to stay on the quay owned by the
boatyard. This was quite handy really, because as soon as David started
everything up, we found that we had no depth gauge... 
This can be a bit of an
issue on a boat! It was also a bit of an issue as David had just fitted new
instruments and was now not sure if they were faulty or it was just the depth
gauge.
We had fully intended to stay a night, maybe two, on the quay, but who
knows how long it will be now...at least the sunsets are good.
As with all things boats and David, he went through every
possible reason why the depth gauge was not reading. Nothing seemed to be the
problem. The only practical reason could be was that the transducer was faulty
(clearly, these are David’s words and not my own). The only problem with it being the transducer
is that there is no way of testing whether it is faulty, apart from taking it
off, and putting a new one on.
Fortunately, we found a Raymarine supplier in Lefkas and our
friends, Steve and Bob, have a car with them and were up for a trip to Lefkas
(and a Lidl supermarket run could be incorporated into the trip, always a good
thing). Off we all trundled, finding the shop very quickly, David
went in to see if they could help. Steve, Bob and I stayed in the car, waiting anxiously,
well chatting and watching the world go by is more like it. David appeared
about ten minutes later with a bag of goodies, and highly recommending the
shop. (For the sailors among you who might want to know, the shop is called
Metronix).
Back on board, David plugs in the new transducer, hangs it
over the side, holds his breath, and watches the depth gauge as it sparked into
life. Success. All we have to do now is run the new cable all the way through
the boat, from the bilge in our cabin, all the way up to the helm. What could
be more fun! Living the dream, as they say.
Having finally made sure that all was ready, we had our last
suppers in the very nice restaurant near the boatyard, said our farewells, and
left Preveza on Saturday 19th May. 
We made our way through the
channel markers and to our delight there was wind, in the right direction, at
the right strength allowing us to sail nicely down to the Lefkas Canal in time
for the 2pm bridge. Bob had left earlier that day in his boat, and Steve was
driving their car to Vlicho to meet us that afternoon. (Steve isn’t ready to
launch his boat yet).
Once in Vlicho Bay we found a nice spot, just off the
port side of Bob’s boat, and duly joined them at the Yacht Club for a sundowner.
The following night was to be a belated birthday treat at my
favourite restaurant – The Seaside
The following morning, we headed up to the
pontoon on the Iris Hotel, for what turned out to be four nights, as we spent the
days and nights fixing final things on the boat and visiting old friends as the
season starts up.
This year’s plan is to go around the Peloponnese. We
circumnavigated this area back in 2015, but this time have decided to head east
and visit some of the islands. The problem is the Meltemi Wind (for further
reading http://www.sailingissues.com/meltemi.html
). This wind blows stronger than in the Ionian, but also for longer, up to ten
days at a time. You therefore have the chance of being ‘stuck’ in an anchorage
for a long period of time. But hey, we have another 4-5 months, who’s
counting...
Our first port of call will be Poros, on Cephalonia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalonia). We have
not been to Poros before, and the sailing guide does not give it the nicest of
reviews. Yes, the harbour is a major ferry port, there can be a swell inside
the harbour wall, and it’s not very picturesque. On the up side, not many
sailing boats visit. We are only planning one night, so not a problem. We will
visit Kioni on Ithaca on the way.
We left Little Vathi on Meganisi on Monday 28th
May, heading for Kioni. It’s Monday, not may charter boats should be around,
and if we get there before 2pm, we should be OK to get on the town quay... well
maybe not the town quay, but the little quay on the opposite side. Which we
did. Unfortunately, as we sat watching everyone else arriving
late, our anchor tripped out. However, a very nice couple on a Dutch Flotilla
lead boat helped David take up the anchor, drop the whole lot in the dinghy,
take it out and drop it again... still not holding. Repeat procedure. This time
it held. However, it is very frustrating and hard work.
Next time we will stick
to our favourite spot further out of the bay. The reward however is the view
from a little cocktail bar above a restaurant.
Next day, we wait to see if anyone has crossed anchors, no
one had, and we were away by 11:00 for the 20-mile trip to Poros. We arrived at
2pm, to find four other boats in the harbour. After a short while Fonda, the
harbour master arrived. He charged us €15 for the first night, and informs us
the second night is half price, and the water is free. Looking around the
harbour, the hillsides are sprinkled with beautiful villas, and the rainbow
colours of bougainvillea. What’s not to like.
Big dangling flying bug wasp things. That’s not what to like.
One flew into the cockpit. David duly goes to find the
electric bat, meanwhile I run around like a girl waving my arms around stupidly
and then... throw my phone in the water. Yes, let me repeat that, my phone
slipped out of my hand and straight over the side and into the sea. David, my
hero, runs, gets his snorkel and mask, jumps in (yes in the harbour water –
yuck), dives down and amazingly, finds it!
Unfortunately, as it is in my hand I
can feel it getting very very hot. We quickly take the SIM out and do
everything that Google tells you to do. But alas my phone is an ex phone (yes
it was an iPhone, no thebag of rice didn’t work. I believe the fact it was
switched on, and in salt water may have been its demise). Fortunately, I
brought a spare phone with me, and the SIM is fine...and fortunately, I had
backed everything up, so only a couple of photos missing.
A short walk from the
harbour we found a great little bar, actually built into the cliff face,
perfect view out of the coast. “I think we should stay another day and get a
car out.” I suggested. We asked Fonda if he could arrange a car. “Of course”. To
be delivered to the boat the following morning for €30 (all in). 
As the day
drew to a close, more boats arrived until the last one arrived at 9pm, and I
think we counted nearly 30 boats in the harbour. No-one goes to Poros!
Our day driving around Cephalonia was excellent. The island
is mountainous, green in places, barren in others, but what superb roads –
Jeremy Clarkson and the team need to come to Cephalonia and drive around in
something sporty, not a Nissan Micra!
However, David was in his element the
whole day. Most of the islands we have driven around have great views and windy
roads, but the quality of the roads are normally very poor. It is earthquake
central after all! However, Cephalonia roads
are in great condition, twisty and winding, the camber in the right direction,
smooth and lots of hairpin bends.
On our way out, we drove to Eufemia, a harbour on the east
side of Cephalonia. We have not sailed there, so just wanted to check it out
for future reference. It looks nice. We continued further on and drove over to
the west coast of the island and down a very steep hill (could easily have been
a black run for the skiers among you), to one of the most beautiful bays we’ve
seen. Only when we arrived at the bottom did we see a Finnish film crew were
filming a TV ad and there were marquees and transit vans everywhere. We decided
to have lunch back up the hill in the village.
We then drove to to Argostoli, the main town on Cephalonia.
It has a stylish promenade along the quay, a nice pedestrian shopping street,
and bridge that creates a lagoon.
Apparently, it is a sanctuary for turtles,
including the large one having a bite to eat as we walked along the bridge.
Next stop Lidl. This is the main thing you do when you have a car for the day,
you provision like there’s no tomorrow! Back at the Poros harbour, we check the
weather and plan our route down to Zante and onto the Peloponnese.
Thursday, 31st May and we head to Zante Town.
We’ve been here before and have a telephone number for the harbour master, so
we book our place.
We arrive around 2pm and find the fees have increased since
our last visit. €15 per night, plus €5 for water and €5 for electricity. Well,
we only plan a night, maybe two.
After a brief wander around the town, we
decided to eat out and found the same restaurant a last time, which although
has the same Greek food, they also have live music all evening. It was a good
night out.
The following day we decide to stay another night and found a very chilled out cocktail bar,
with prices to match. Well, they need to pay for the gold pineapples...
Which
then becomes another night.
So, when is a plan, not a plan...
Finally, after long
discussions, David and I are in agreement that we’re not really up for a trip
around the Peloponnese this season. Alhambra has been out of the water for two
years. Getting her ready in the boat yard was a month of very hard work, and
we’ve not finished yet. Did we really want to spend three weeks on long sails,
only to visit places we’ve already seen, to then go to an area where we may be
held up by the Meltemi... So after many hours of deep thought and reasoning, we
have decided to retrace our tracks and stay in the Ionian this season. We will
head up to Corfu and visit places we’ve not seen before, or been to in a long
while, and will take the season slowly and in a relaxed fashion.
So here I am, sitting on Iris Hotel pontoon, (about to go
for a dip in the pool), watching the weather forecasts, as some southerlies are
due tomorrow, deciding where to go next.
