BLOG 2
SPRING CRUISE
OF THE IONIAN 2022
PART 1
Ionian Recce: 26 April to 1 June 2022
We have just flown back to Preveza (on the west coast
of the Greek mainland) from the UK where we had been for Helen’s stepmother
Mary’s funeral. At 96, she’d had a ‘good innings’ and had been in relatively
good health. It was therefore ‘unfortunate’, to say the least, (but not
surprising) that after falling, hitting her head on a washbasin, and lying on a
cold bathroom floor, conscious but unable to move, that Mary declined rapidly.
Mary Gwendoline Hughes
2.3.26 – 15.5.22
R.I.P.
Our gloriously over-hyped NHS Support Services were
fully aware of her situation and condition from the start but even so took 20
hours to attend to her! She was then immediately admitted to hospital and never
made it back to her apartment in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
In mid-March we’d flown to Leros in Greece, where our boat Island Drifter (ID) has been based in Moor&Dock’s boatyard, in order to repair, service, and clean ID before launch, followed by a ten-day family holiday cruise with our younger son Will, daughter-in-law Lesley and 7-year-old granddaughter Emmy.
Will and
Emmy chatting over lunch on Pandeli beach, Leros
Thereafter, given an unusually good weather forecast, we immediately headed west from Leros, across the Aegean Sea, around the rugged southern capes into the Southern Ionian Sea, and up the west coast of the Peloponnese into the North Ionian Sea – 443 miles non-stop in 76 hours.
Route:
Aegean to Ionian
Having spent up to five months (in total) in each year
for three years cruising most of the Greek Aegean islands and coastline, our
objective on this cruise was to carry out a recce of the Greek islands and
mainland coast of the North Ionian Sea.
The area divides up logically into three areas, from the South: 1. The Inland Sea; 2. Corfu and its satellite islands; 3. The Greek mainland from Albania to the Gulf of Patras.
Northern Ionian
Sea
INLAND SEA
We made landfall on Kefalonia in the ‘Inland Sea’. The
‘Sea’ is that area of water enclosed by the principal islands (from the south)
of Zakinthos, Kefalonia and Levkas to the west and the Greek mainland to the
east. Other smaller islands are encompassed within the Inland Sea and there is
a range of ports and anchorages within the area.
The Sea, and indeed the rest of the Northern Greek
Ionian waters, are tailormade for charter and flotilla sailing together with
dinghy sailing schools. With noticeable exceptions, it is still off the
principal tourist routes and certainly when we visited, out of season, tourism
was not an issue, either on land or the water.
ZAKINTHOS (ZANTE)
We’ve yet to visit Zakinthos (although we shall),
since we passed it during the night on our way north. It has always been an
island of strategic importance in view of its position at the southern entrance
to the Gulf of Patras and thence Corinth and Athens.
Its huge central plain surrounded by a range of
mountains benefits from the rain that is fed down from them. Hence, although
the Ionian islands in general are significantly greener than those in the
Aegean, Zakinthos is even greener than its neighbours.
KEFALONIA
We eventually made landfall at Sami in Kefalonia – the largest Ionian
island, being some 30% larger than Corfu. It is large enough to still have some
‘real’ towns and atmosphere – as well as resorts – and Sami is the principal ferry
port for the island. Kefalonia also has an international airport.
During WW2, like its neighbours, the island was
initially occupied by the Italians, who were succeeded, after Italy’s
capitulation in 1943, by the Germans. 5000 Italian troops were, on Hitler’s
orders and after their capture, massacred on the island by Axis forces, as
chronicled by Louis de Bernières in his novel
‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’. Subsequently, most of the filming of the book was
done in Kefalonia.
The day after we arrived in Sami, we took time off to
visit the adjacent Antisami
bay anchorage, where we relaxed for a few hours, before moving on to Efimia, the island’s former
port which was destroyed in the 1953 earthquake.
Virtually all the island’s towns and villages were
levelled in the 1953 earthquake. The one exception, Fiskardo in the northeast of the island,
was fortunate in being built on a clay base and hence its fine Venetian
buildings framed by cypress trees remain intact.
ITHACA
While sailing up the channel between Kefalonia and
Ithaca, we chose to bypass the latter for the time being. We are conscious that
no other island in the Northern Ionian carries more historic associations than
Ithaca and we’ll be back!
LEVKAS
The evening before we left Fiskardo, a British couple
arrived and dumped their anchor and chain across both our own and our three
neighbours’ chains. This is an occupational hazard in Greece. The accepted
practice is for the offending boat to leave first, which usually resolves the
problem. In this case, next morning, the officious couple, when asked when they
were leaving, replied that they weren’t and that we’d have to delay our
departure! Neither we nor our neighbours accepted this suggestion. It eventually
took two dinghies and five men to untangle the mess, while the conceited couple
watched from their bow. The only satisfaction we got, was that we dislodged
their anchor during this exercise, which no doubt forced them to re-anchor –
which is what they could easily have done in the first place to let us all out.
Once we got out of the bay, we sailed across to Sivota, an almost
land-locked bay surrounded by hills, on the south coast of Levkas. Once a small
fishing hamlet, Sivota has been developed into a popular yachting holiday centre.
Little did we realise that this would be one of only
two times that we have been able to sail in the Ionian to date! We now appreciate that there is generally not
a lot of wind in the Ionian (although it does arrive from the northwest punctually
around noon at between a Force 2 and 5 for a few hours most days).
We berthed next to Paul and Colette White, whom we’d
previously met and enjoyed the company of in both Efimia and Fiskardo in
Kefalonia. They were on a 3-week ‘Owner Charter’ with Sunsail. As owners of a
Sunsail boat, they can charter an equivalent model to their own ‘free’ for up
to 12 weeks in a year from any Sunsail base in the world. Owners have two
options: either to receive a fixed amount of revenue each month over
approximately five years; or pay significantly less for the yacht at the outset
but receive no monthly income. With either option Sunsail pay for operating
expenses, dockage, insurance and maintenance. Paul and Colette have been ‘Owner
Chartering’ for over fifteen years with different companies and appear to be
very happy with the arrangement.
We Med-moored with lazy lines on Stavros’ floating
pontoon for free (including electricity and water). In return, one was, not
unreasonably, expected to eat at least one meal at his taverna.
The next day, since it rained all day, we stayed on
board and caught up on admin and maintenance tasks. We now also know that the
Ionian islands are greener than those in the Aegean because they get more rain!
From Sivota we motorsailed to Vlihko Bay, a hurricane hole on the
southeast coast of Levkas. We went there not only to check out the hurricane
hole itself, in case we have need of it, but also to look at the three
boatyards located in the bay. The ‘hole’ appeared to offer excellent shelter
and holding. Having said that, we are conscious that a significant number of
boats sank or were damaged there in the 2020 Medicane when anchors broke free,
and boats dragged into each other or onto the shore.
Vlikho Bay – hurricane hole in Levkas [© Google Earth]
Although the boatyards were all right, and indeed priced similarly to M&D in Leros, they are relatively small, and boats are crammed together. Not exactly what we were looking for since we want to work on the boat both before and after a cruise.
On our passage to Vlikho we had motorsailed up the
strait between the islands of Levkas and Meganisi. It is said to be one of the most
attractive channels in the Ionian. The mountains in the background and steep
sea cliffs of the former contrast with the flat, heavily wooded island of
Meganisi. On passage we passed the cave on the Levkas shore that featured in
Hammond Innes’ thriller ‘Levkas Man’.
In the past, Meganisi was said to have been notorious
for smugglers of goods, recently cigarettes. In even more recent years,
however, human cargoes are said to have become a more lucrative trade. (No
proof; all hearsay.) Its west coast is renowned for its caves and sandy beaches
fringed by cypress trees. Although we bypassed it (for the time being), we have
noted it down as a place well worth visiting later.
From Vlikho we motored up the east coast of Levkas to Lefkhada, at the northern end of the island. There we
anchor-moored on the town quay since we had no wish to pay 72€ per night to stay in Levkas Marina. Lefkhada is the island’s largest town
and its capital with some 30,000 inhabitants.
Levkas is only an island by virtue of the canal that
runs through the salt marshes of the mainland, to which Levkas is connected by
a long causeway which crosses the canal by way of an unusual floating/lifting
bridge.
The Peleponnesians used to drag their boats over the Levkas isthmus. The
current canal was opened up in 1904 with British help. It has since been
improved and, more recently, dredged and widened.
As with many other Ionian islands, the old Venetian
buildings of the town were flattened by the earthquakes of 1948 and 1953, which
spawned all sorts of eccentric ‘earthquake proof’ buildings throughout the
islands, in addition to many concrete monstrosities. In Lefkhada’s case, the
ground floors are built ‘normally’, while the upper storeys and roofs are
constructed of corrugated-iron sheets on a wooden frame. Most are painted in
bright colours.
During the ten days during which we were based in
Lefkhada, we cleaned and polished the rigging, masts, deck GRP, fitments and
brightwork.
We also checked out the marina’s boatyard and support
services, before making a day trip in Island Drifter to Preveza and back to view
the three excellent boatyards there. Based on what we’d seen and our previous
knowledge of Corfu’s facilities, we took out a year’s contract with Aktio
Marina opposite Preveza, which includes two lifts in and out. While more
expensive than either M&D in Leros or the boatyards in Vlikho Bay, it does
have the benefit of being close to an international airport with significantly
cheaper and more frequent direct flights to the UK. (The downside is that the
airport does not operate between November and March. However, it is relatively economic
to travel to Athens by bus or taxi and take a flight to the UK from there.)
On 15 May, Helen’s brother Mick phoned to advise that
Mary, their stepmother, had died that morning. Once the date of her funeral was
confirmed for 31 May, we booked return flights from Preveza to Gatwick and
arranged to leave ID in Cleopatra Marina in Preveza for the five nights
that we would be away. (We do not leave our boat unattended overnight either at
anchor or on a public quay.)
PAXOS
Once we had made the above arrangements with Aktio
Marine, we decided to spend the next fortnight continuing our planned cruise north to Corfu and return
via the adjacent mainland, on the way back to Preveza to catch our flights to
the UK.
We split our passage to Corfu into two day-sails,
stopping the first night in Lakka
Bay at the north end of Paxos. It was well protected from the prevailing
NW wind, and the water of the bay, which was surrounded by high wooded hills,
was the most incredible translucent turquoise colour. It is said to be one of
the most attractive bays in the Ionian.
Paxos (5 miles long) and Anti-Paxos (1 mile long),
which we passed on the way, are idyllic little islands, although there are only
two good overnight anchorages – both on Paxos. The islands are unusually
verdant and still largely unspoilt. They have an upmarket reputation and are
reputed to be the most expensive places in the Ionian.
CORFU & ITS SATELLITE ISLANDS
CORFU
Corfu was Homer’s ‘beautiful and rich land’. Mountains
dominate the northern half of the island with a steep and dramatic coastline
and a rolling expanse of interior countryside. The island flattens out further
south. It was one of the first islands to attract mainstream tourism in the
1960s. Hence many of its otherwise excellent bays are now surrounded by dense
holiday developments, and the beaches covered with rows of sun-loungers and
umbrellas. In season many anchorages are plagued by jet skis,
parasailing speed boats and tripper boats. Even so, a surprising amount of the island still
consists of olive groves, woodlands and mountains.
There are only two safe overnight anchorages on the
west coast, which is open to the prevailing NW wind. We chose Palaiokastritsa Bay,
where we had a package-holiday in the mid-seventies. The bay and surrounding
area we found almost unrecognisable. It has evolved into a major tourist
resort, whereas we had been in what was then the only hotel! Even so, it was
still possible, at least out of season, to appreciate the bay’s natural
beauties: the same monastery on a rocky bluff still overlooks the harbour; the
beaches are surrounded by steep cliffs, and the sea is crystal clear.
There are no safe overnight anchorages on the north
coast, so we left in the dark to get round into the channel between Corfu and
Albania at a reasonable hour. The 1-mile-wide channel has four bays on the
Corfu side, all of which are well protected from the prevailing wind and have
good holding. We anchored off the beach in the unusually quiet Kouloura Bay. Indeed, we had
it to ourselves for both the day and night, and the wood-fringed beach was
virtually deserted. The bay is adjacent to where Lawrence Durrell lived with
the first of his four wives in The White House, which is now a museum.
At anchor close to the beach in the small bay of Kouloura
We’d once picked up a boat from Gouvia Marina, some six
miles south of the anchorage at Kouloura Bay, and delivered it to Glasson Dock
in Lancashire. This time we pulled
briefly into the marina to top up with fuel (2.20€ per
litre) and to purchase various items from their excellent chandlery, run by a
Greek Londoner. The enormous marina has 1250 berths and, being in the same
group as Levkas Marina, is equally expensive. We therefore did not stay there!
However, to be fair, they do offer two hours of free mooring for their fuel and chandlery customers – not
something every marina does.
We continued for a further ten miles due west to the
small yacht club-owned marina at Port Mandraki. It is located at the foot of the Old Town with
its Venetian fort and barracks.
The Old Town is divided from the Corfu mainland by a
narrow canal (once a defensive moat) now used by local boats. The island’s
famous cricket pitch is just the other side of the bridge over this canal.
Our next port of call on Corfu was Petriti, at the southeast
end of the island. There we had to anchor because the little harbour was full
of flotilla boats, the first flotilla we’ve come across in the Ionian. The
season is only just opening up for flotillas, although the charter boat season
has been running for a good month.
Our anchorage was fairly shallow. We had less than a
metre of crystal-clear water under the keel. However, the holding in the sand
was good. The location is described in the pilot book as an ‘attractive
unspoilt backwater’. Clearly it has ‘moved on’ somewhat since the book was
published!
NORTH MAINLAND COAST
The north Greek mainland coast between the Albanian
border to the north and Preveza to the south is backed by the towering, rugged
Pindus mountains which run across the centre of the mainland to the north
Aegean Sea. For the most part they drop abruptly into the Ionian Sea, except
where rivers have deposited silt to create coastal plains, such as at
Igoumenitsa and Preveza. There are several safe anchorages in large bays along
the coast. On our way south we stopped in two of them, Plataria and Parga.
Plataria, to where we sailed the 12 miles from Port Mandraki,
is five miles south of Igoumenitsa where we had stayed when we drove to Greece on
a camping holiday in 1970. Once a small fishing village and local ferry port
(before WW2), it is now a major ferry and commercial port. We had previously
stopped there to get the car repaired after a hairy drive over the mountains
from (the then) Yugoslavia. This time we gave it a miss!
The holiday resort of Plataria is at the end of a long
bay. The harbour is unusually large. The north quay was filled with long-stay
boats. We therefore anchor-moored on the quay adjacent to the hamlet itself,
together with a few other owners and charterers.
The area was surprisingly quiet until 2300 hours when
eight relatively elderly German men on a chartered catamaran produced an
accordion and sang (badly) for the next couple of hours. After a while, the six
Polish men on a neighbouring charter boat got fed up with this, fetched out a
guitar and competed in terms of volume! We had another drink or two, closed the
portholes and went to bed.
Parga, our last port of call before Preveza, fortunately proved to be a large
sandy bay with good holding. Fortunate since the port was tiny, rocky, and
fully occupied by a flotilla. In truth, we were more comfortable at anchor than
we would have been had we attempted to join them.
It is justifiably claimed that Parga is one of the
most attractive locations on the mainland coast, topped with an old castle and a
village straggling up the hills behind the two picturesque bays divided by the
fortified headland. Unfortunately, its picturesque nature has attracted
developers and consequently its beaches, in season, are crowded with bodies and
umbrellas and its bays churned up by various watercraft. Fortunately, we were
out of season, and it was pleasantly quiet.
We left Parga at first light for Cleopatra Marina opposite
Preveza, where we’d booked the boat in for five nights and from where we were
flying back to the UK from the nearby international airport. We arrived at
midday and because of the strong currents that run through the marina were
actually helped into our berth by the marina’s marinero in his RIB.
There we picked up a lazy line and moored stern to the quay.
We spent the rest of the day and a couple of hours
next morning packing and getting the boat ready to be left, before taking a
taxi to the airport. We were concerned
that our EasyJet flight might be delayed or even cancelled following their recent
announcement that their flights and staff would be reduced by a third.
Fortunately, unlike all the other airlines’ flights, some of which had already
been delayed (for unknown reasons) for six hours, ours was roughly on time.
However, it was impossible to get a seat anywhere, given the vast numbers
waiting for their flights.
UK
From Gatwick we travelled by train into London where
we stayed with Lesley in Will and Lesley’s flat. (Will and Emmy had already
left for the half-term holiday in our beach chalet, leaving Lesley, who had a
job recording a multi-accented audio book the next day, to travel with us up to
Suffolk for Mary’s funeral.) We stopped off for Monday night with Bruce and
Jill, Mike’s brother and sister-in-law, in Mendlesham, before travelling the
next day to the West Suffolk Crematorium.
Mary’s son John, who lives in France, had organised a
dignified Service of Celebration and a Reception in a local hotel afterwards.
John also gave an informative eulogy for his mother, who’d clearly had an
active and interesting life. After graduating from Edinburgh University with a degree in biology and bacteriology, Mary
was later recruited on to a small panel of scientists who successfully produced
a British vaccine for polio. In later years she began a new career as a Careers
Advisor at Cambridge University. She married Helen and Mick’s father Tony in
1988 and they enjoyed twelve fulfilling and happy years together, before his
death in 2000.
Funerals are an opportunity for families to get
together and we did!
We drove back to London after the Reception and stayed
overnight in Will and Lesley’s flat before travelling to Gatwick next morning.
Regrettably our flight to Preveza was delayed by three hours (which included
half an hour waiting on board for the plane’s toilets to be emptied!). We were
informed by the Latvian pilot that the delays were ‘because of the shortage of
personnel at Gatwick’. During our time in the UK, EasyJet, who’d previously
announced that they were reducing their own fleet and personnel, advised that
they had done a deal with a Latvian airline (also using Air Bus 320s), to cope
with fluctuations in demand. Finally arriving back in the marina at 2300 hrs
local time, we breathed a sigh of relief when we saw that ID had
survived without us!
We now plan to visit at least some of those locations
we have bypassed to date, especially those recommended by long-term Ionian
sailors whom we’ve met. In particular, we aim, time permitting, to explore the
Gulf of Amvrakikos, the mainland coast between Levkas and Oxia, including the
small islands of Kalamos and Kastos, and the larger islands of Zakinthos,
Ithaca and Meganisi. We’ll lift out into Aktio Marine by the end of June,
service ID, and fly back to the UK on 7 July. Thereafter we aim to have
the summer (on and off) in our beach chalet in Calshot and return to Greece in
mid-September for a further two months’ exploring the Ionian, this time looking
at specific locations in more depth.
Awesome, maybe we will catch up with you in September 😊 x
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to that! And a shower maybe?
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