Sailing Day 10 and 11

September 12 and 13:  We left Sivota just after Betsy spotted a pod of bottled nose dolphins swimming and leaping in the outer harbor.  The morning began with the guys taking a leisurely trip to the bakery for coffee and pastries.  We spent some time slowly motoring out of the harbor and watching the dolphins feeding - they rose showing their dorsal fins, but occasionally one would jump out of the water or flap with its tail.  We were joined by (or we joined) many other boats who were doing the same thing.  

Captain Ron is heading the boat north so we return to Corfu on schedule Friday evening.  As a result, we had a rather short cruise planned to a bay on the north side of Meganisi.  On the way, we diverted over to a sea cave.  Several of our passengers chose to swim over and into the cave.  Then we went on around to the east side of Meganisi. The sea  was too calm for sailing, so we motored all the way.  We drew into a quiet harbor with only a few houses inland and wonderfully clear water.  We had visited the cove a few days earlier on a walk from the village of Vathi and thought it looked appealing.  We laid down the anchor off shore and tied onto  a big rock onshore for double security.  The rock was set at the water's edge just below a large property in the process of being developed.   When we had walked by previously, it seemed to be inactive but today there was a small construction crew at work.

Everyone swam in the clear water spotting fishes and then we had dinner onboard.  Phil helped Jan prepare a big pot of chicken chunks with jasmine rice, flavored with cumin, raisins, tumeric, and celery seed.  It was accompanied by fresh tomatoes with feta cheese.  The moon rose over the boat as we ate, casting a beautiful glow on the bay. 

The next day we left our nice, quiet bay and motored back to Levkas Marina in order to position ourselves to transit the swing bridge and to refill our fresh water tanks.  Our route took us around Meganisi, just north of Skorpios (Onassis' island) and along the eastern shore of Levkas, past the villages of Nidri and Nikiana.  We traveled most of the canal separating Levkas and the mainland.  About midafternoon, we pulled into the marina which was a homecoming of sorts - we stayed here 3 nights waiting out last week's storm.

Betsy, Jan, Ron and I walked from the harbor, along the canal to the swing bridge, and around the lagoon to the windsurfing/kiteboarding beach.  The beach was not sand, but rather pepper corn sized rocks that were very unstable for walking.  We "postholed" about a half of mile to a swimming area/beach front resort.  I went swimming and we all enjoyed a drink.  We walked back to the marina, completing over 6 miles.

That evening, we returned to Ey Zyn, a restaurant we enjoyed on our first visit to Levkas.  The food was again excellent.  We retired early so that we could have an early start in the morning and pass the swing bridge at the 8 o'clock-opening.   

Sailing Day 9

September 11:  It is the 15-year anniversary of 9/11, though there has been no mentioned of it here.  We sailed from Vahti, Ithaca to Sivota on the southern end of the island of Levkas, a distance of about 20 nautical miles.  We motored to the 'inland sea' and played around with the sails.  Ron wanted to try out reefing the sails - there are three positions for reefing, and we tried each one.  There are 3 specific lines attached to the mainsail, each one simultaneously holds the main sail down and pulls the trailing edge tight.  The winds were quite light (6 knots or less) and with reefed sails we barely moved, but it was good experience.  

We fully raised the main sail, pulled out the jib, and sailed 'a beat' for a while, then turned toward our ultimate destination on a 'broad reach.'  We achieved speeds of about 3 knots, with the sails barely remaining filled.  But with the engine off, it is very peaceful even if we are not moving fast.

We motored into a hidden bay, which turned out to be very popular - Sivota on the southeast side of Lefkas.  The rounded end of the harbor is ringed with concrete quays and we parked in the '6-o'clock' position in front of the Ivironi taverna.  It took two tries to get the anchor in the right place and to hold in the mud,  with help from other boat owners.  The mooring was pleasant, with showers nearby (for 2 euros apiece) and a great covered portico in the taverna 20 feet from the boat for drinking.  Betsy and I swam at the beach a little ways down the quay, took showers and relaxed with drinks on the portico.  We had dinner at Stavros fish restaurant, around the quay at the 10-o'clock position.  We had a table at the edge of the second level with a great view over the harbor.  After a generous salad, Phil had a grilled whole red snapper and Betsy tried grilled calamari stuffed with tomatoes and feta.  Both entries were good.

We came back to the boat for a quiet, calm and restful night. 

Sailing Day 8

September 10:  Today, the weather was fine and the winds calm.  We motored the whole way to the island of Ithaca and its pretty  port of Vathi.  Strangely we went from Vathi to Vathi.  "Vathi" in Greek means "deep," presumably a characteristic of the natural harbors.  In any case the distance was about 22 nautical miles.  We left around 9 am, stopped for lunch and a swim a little after noon, drifting, and arrived in the harbor around 3 pm.  Our speed averaged 6.7 knots.

We were cruising through the Thalassa Sea, which is a wide basin fringed by islands.  The islands remind us of the San Juans,  with fewer trees.  They are surprisingly bumpy with mountains rising one to two thousand feet above the sea, and harbors tucked into deep bays.  They were formed from volcanos and limestone uplifts, The soil is thin and stony yet the isles still look very green.  The uplands are covered with shrubby flora called maquis and often prickly.  Where people have built villas, they have planted cypresses and eucalyptus trees and olive groves.  The tides in the Meditterrean are insignificant but the islands have bathtub lines of bare rocks where waves have scrubbed off the vegetation and soil.

In deep water, the sea is an amazing shade of dark cobalt blue.  In shallower or sandy areas, it is a paler turquoise shimmering with white highlights in the sun.   It is salty enough that even Phil can float easily and just cool enough to be refreshing.  Massive cloud formations hung over the mountain tops.  The forecast said lightning was possible midday but we saw no sign of it.

  

At Vathi, we checked out a north side mooring area, but it was full.  We went over to the main town quay and was able to "Med moor" to it.  This type of mooring is very similar to using a lazy line on the bow with two stern lines, except in place of the lazy line, we use the boat's anchor to secure the bow, dropping it about 3 boat lengths from the sea wall, then backing up to the wall.  This type of mooring as well as that using a lazy line puts the boat close enough to the pier that we can use the gang plank to disembark and embark off the stern.  No ferrying with the dinghy is necessary.

After securing the boat, Betsy, Jan, Ron, Varis and I hiked uphill to a couple of churches and great views back over the town and the harbor. We walked about 3.5 miles with 600 feet of elevation gain.  It was hot and this was far enough.

The island of Ithaca is the legendary home of Odysseus, who was the leader of the island-state of Ithaca in around 1500 BC.  Homer also lived on the island around 800 BC and is presumed to have written about Odysseus' role in the Trojan war in the Iliad and his great journey home in the Odyssey.  Others in our party took a taxi to an archeological site on the northern part of Ithaca that is claimed as Odysseus' Palace.  Although there is scant archeological evidence to match the different sites described in the Odyssey, sailors can still recognize the winds and currents described by Homer. 

We had happy hour and then dinner on board.  Betsy, Jan and I collaborated on sausage, onion and potato sauté with sides of sauerkraut, green pepper, and carrot sticks.  We had to cook the sauté in two batches to have enough to have enough for 8 people.  It was hot in the galley, so we ate on the outdoor lounge/cockpit deck, where it was much cooler.  

After dinner we strolled through town after viewing a 'super yacht'  just down the quay from the Debs II.  After researching on the Internet the name of the ship, I discovered that it is a 55 meter long yacht that is available for rent - for only $187,000 per week.  Check it out; it is called the Shooting Star-London.  It has 6 state rooms with "lots of volume."  In town, we bought gelatos and a Christmas souvenir ornament for the year, a miniature Greek sailing boat.

Sailing Day 6 and 7

September 8 and 9:  Thursday, the foul weather began around 3:30 am with heavy rain.  The wind was not as bad as the previous day, but the reports around the Ionian Sea was that everyone was staying put for the day.  There were reports of 6 foot swells, waves crashing over 5-foot sea walls, and marinas that were full of other ships.  So, we stayed in Port Levkas, too.  After taking a shower in the marina bathhouse,  Phil slipped on the wet plank while getting back on board the boat, sprained a toe, and dropped one of his crocs into the water.  We watched the croc get blown across the harbor but Jan and Phil were able to retrieve it with a boat hook when it got close to the quay edge.  

The group ran errands in the morning and Phil brought back some dinner plate-sized fresh donuts to share.  After a light lunch that include fresh watermelon, most of the group watched a movie on Phil's iPad - Men Who Stare at Goats, with George Clooney, Jeff Bridges and Ewan McGregor.  It was a dark comedy and we had a few good laughs, though the screen is a little small for 5 people.

The rains let up by late afternoon which allowed us to go to dinner and stroll the town a bit before retiring for the day.  We anticipated a busy start the next day since we had to leave Levkas.  Charter boats are supposed to return to their home ports by Friday evening so the boats can be turned over to the next party on Saturday.  The Moorings base at Levkas would not have room for us (we'll get to do this drill next week).
   Today, Friday, we got up early, completed the prep on the boat, including topping off the water tanks, emptying the garbage, tossing the dinghy overboard, and draining the storm water out of the main sail bag.  We departed efficiently and motored southward toward the Island of Meganisi.  The weather was wonderful with a few clouds and lots of sun.

We shut off the motor and sailed for about 2 hours in the area immediately north of the Island Meganisi.  The winds were variable from about 8 knots up to 16 knots with boat speeds of 4 to 8 knots.  The crew was more skilled and efficient in raising and lowering the sails today.  We stopped sailing and drifted during lunch outside of the harbor entry for where we were staying overnight.  We swung around Skorpios, an island formerly owned by Aristotle Onassis, now owned by some one else.  We saw the home he built for Jackie, from a distance because large signs said that "approaching, anchoring or mooring is prohibited."  We cruised by, got a photo, and quickly motored away.  We easily continued into the harbor of Vathi, which is a very nice village and the marina (Odyseas Marina) is well-equipped.  We squeezed in between two boats in a space a bit too narrow for our wide boat, though we pushed in.  The mooring uses a "lazy line" on the bow and 2 stern lines; the boat is backed in.   

Betsy and I went swimming, then walked with Jan and Ron around the harbor to the next bay to the northeast.  We returned for a dinner at a quayside restaurant, outside noted for fresh fish.  We worked on this blog to a blaring sound track of golden oldies from the marina taverna - earplugs will be needed for a while tonight.

Sailing Day 4 and 5

September 6 and 7:  A crashing thunderstorm started in the middle of the night, followed by torrents of rain that lasted well into the day.  Everyone chose to hang out inside the cabin - reading, snacking, and chatting.  Betsy started advance work on a Nicoise salad by boiling potatoes and eggs.  At some point, Phil pulled out his iPad to run the movie Minions for the group.  It's a "prequel" to Despicable Me, creating a backstory for the silly critters, working on the premise that they need to serve the most evil boss they can find.  Although presumably a kids' movie, the jokes and 1970s music connected with our gang, creating a new clutch of Minions fans.

When the wind and rain subsided mid-afternoon, we escaped outside to stroll around town. We visited a grocery store and a bakery (for a small town, there are a lot of bakeries), but most of the shops seemed to be closed already (Tuesday early-closing?).  

Betsy and Jan as a team finished preparing the Nicoise salad, which was accompanied by fresh bread and olive oil.  We began dinner with an Ouzo tasting, the licorice tasting wine (apertif).  Phil had brought back a small bottle of locally produced Ouzo and a bigger bottle of mass-produced ouzo, which was claimed as the best available, and we tried both.  There was no consensus on which was better - a 50-50 split on preferences.  Later that evening we had baklava for dessert, another local specialty.

Wednesday started with an ominous red-orange sun, but the wind had dropped.  Because further foul weather was predicted, we chose to remain at Lefkas for another day.  Phil and Ron visited a telecom store to get their devices working again - fortunately the fixes were simple and quick.  We then stopped at a bakery and a coffee shop to get breakfast treats that we carried back to the boat.  The rest of the morning was spent on boat chores, like refilling the water tanks and getting minor repairs done.  Betsy assembled a Greek salad for lunch which we had with raisin bread.

Because the day continued dry and calm, we joined Ron and Jan for a walk. Phil led us through town and uphill to a monastery with terrific views east over Lefkas and the marina, north over the lagoon, and west to a beach. Curiously, the monastery had a little zoo with exotic birds (including various chickens, a turkey, and a peacock), some sort of deer, and a few squirrels (one with gorgeous red and gold coloring). We walked back downhill, past some attractive villas, to the stoney beach.

A handful of guys were preparing to launch their kite boards, so we watched while they inflated the leading edge of the kite, donned the waist band that anchors the harness, then picked up and tested the rigging controls and kite.   They carried their boards down to the surf, set the kite at the right angle, and fell back into the surf before setting their feet on the board.  Once set, they adjusted the kite and took off across the water.  Kite boarding looks fast and fun, once mastered.  There were also the remnants of several historic windmills on the beach whose purpose was unknown.

The buildings around Lefkas are 3 or 4 story structures, with pastel-colored stucco on the exterior and concrete blocks and concrete framing on the inside. They are not very old, but we spotted at least one ancient Greek Orthodox church with lots of gilt inside.  The pedestrian plaza has many souvenir shops, cafes, and restaurants as befitting a vacation destination, and the quayside is lined with fish restaurants. The buildings-In the main part of town have wrought iron balconies on the upper floors, reminding cz of New Orleans.  Stray cats and dogs wander all around. The cats beg for food at the eateries? I do not know how the dogs get by ( although some have collars and presumably owners) . On the outskirts of town we saw some pathetic looking sheep and a few goats patrolling a junk yard. Vegetation includes fragrant shrubs, palm trees, and long needled pine trees.

The marina where the Debs II is moored is enormous, modern, and well-equipped.  We have access to toilets and showers, a swimming pool, garbage bins, a grocer and a chandler, as well as repair services.  The first night was covered under our Moorings lease but the other 2 nights cost 73 euros each, based on the length of the boat.  Because of the weather, the marina is packed. We can see hundreds of masts from our prime spot near the footpath to town.

After our 7-mile walk, we arrived back at the boat in time for a dip in the swimming pool, happy 15-minutes, and dinner at the Lighthouse Restaurant, with a jolly owner who recited the whole menu to us.  We strolled a little in town.  Phil bought a sporty new bathing suit for 15 euros.  

We retired early after ensuring that the boat was battened down.  Around 3:00 am, another round of storms hit with high winds and lots of rain that lasted all morning.  We think the storms had been predicted, but were expected earlier.

Sailing Day 2 and 3

September 4 and 5:  Today (Sunday),on our first full day of cruising, we went from Petriti to Longos, Paxos, motoring the whole way.  Paxos is the first island south of Corfu.  We departed around 11 am and arrived at Longos by 2:30 or so.  We dropped anchor and then dragged a line from the stern to loop around a rock near the shore.  Everyone went swimming.  Betsy and I swam over to the town pier and walked along the harbor front, with pastel-colored stucco bars, cafes and tavernas (full restaurants).  We determined that there were space to back the boat up to the town breakwater/dock and encouraged the captain to relocate.  Betsy and I watched from shore as Ron and the crew moved over.  Obviously we could not help with the move.  It took three tries to get the anchor at the right place and to get backed to the dock.  I went swimming again and rinsed off at the back of the boat.  Varis and I bought some water from the only town market.  We are drinking lots of bottled water.  

By the end of the afternoon, the pier was fully lined with yachts and there were a few boats anchored in the bay.  There were also vacationing Greeks on the island who had taken a ferry from the mainland.  We had dinner at the recommended cute 'taverna' on the waterfront along with the many other sailing groups.  We strolled briefly around town and retired to the boat for the evening.   

On Monday (Labor Day), we traveled from Longos to Levkas Town, located on the island of Levkas.  Our strategy was to travel far south to a safe port because a strong storm was forecast to arrive sometime Monday night or Tuesday.  We motored most of the 40 nautical miles but did a 'test' sail a couple of miles outside of the swing bridge/canal that separates the mainland from Levkas Island.  It was a good refresher for raising and lowering the sails and for tacking.  We were killing a little time because the swing bridge opens every hour, on the hour except for 1:00 and 3:00 pm and we knew we would not make the 2 o'clock opening.  So, we had to wait for the 4 o'clock opening.  We joined the 15 other boats milling about in gusty winds just north of the swing bridge. We ultimately dropped the anchor and sat still for 40 minutes.  Just before 4:00 pm, we weighed anchor, and followed the other boats through the passage.  The Debs II was the last boat through; immediately the swing bridge closed and the automobile backups cleared in about 10 minutes.  We puttered down the canal to the marina, were directed to our 'parking' place along the pier, and moored the boat, using a lazy line on the bow and two stern lines.  I was instructed on the proper rope technique on the cleat - OXO.  We shouldn't use a locking loop.

The Levkas Marina is Moorings' other base in Greece.  After securing the boat and having a meeting to talk about how things were progressing, we took a dip in the marina's swimming pool and cleaned up for dinner.  We had a nice dinner at a recommended restaurant on the water opposite of our berth (Burano).  I had sausage slovaki and Betsy had chicken slovaki (chicken bits on a skewer).  The latest weather forecast was for lots of rain and strong wind overnight, and for possibly several more days.  Mooring's sent me a message which I received on my phone.  My SIM card worked for the first time since Corfu.  I was able to hotspot my iPad and computer so I received e-mail, paid a bill and checked on some other things.

We retired and indeed a thunderstorm struck at 4:00 am.  The rain followed. 

Sailing Day 1

September 3:  A busy day getting possession of the sailing yacht - Debs II.  Each person had a role.  Betsy was part of the shopping team and spent a couple hours at the store finding the items on the grocery list.  The team filled 5 carts (check-out and bundling took an hour itself).  Betsy charged a portion of the food purchase at 117 euros.  First thing, after breakfast, we carried all our luggage to reception for the taxi pickup.  Varis went with the luggage to the Moorings Marina Base and sat with it for rest of the morning.  Betsy walked to the store (AB Supermarket).  I joined Ron to sweep the villa, walked to the marina base and received the boat technical briefing.  The briefing took about an hour and half and covered the operation of the various systems on the ship - electrical, toilets (head), engine, instruments, radios, sails, dinghy and motor, windlass (anchor), and others.  

The next task was to inventory the ship's furnishings, dishes, and safety items.  We selected berths (Betsy and I got the aft, port cabin).  We then waited for the grocery delivery which finally occurred at 2:45 pm.  We quickly schelped and stowed the groceries.  We got quickly underway and motored about 12 nautical miles (nm) south to the little village of Petrita.  We anchored in the bay - it took 2 tries to get the right amount of anchor chain out and set securely.  

We had a quick swim and after two shuttles trips in the dinghy had dinner at the Limecello Taverna which was right on the waterfront with its own dock.  We both had fish - red mullet for Betsy and grilled swordfish for me.  It was well after dark when we putted back to the yacht, with Jan holding out a flashlight for guidance, enjoying the yacht lights around us and the stars up above.  After getting back we arranged our clothes in our little cabin - a bit tight but everything got stowed.