A very late start to the sailing season this year. What a strange time with lockdown due to Coronavirus and sadly both weddings postponed but we look forward to great times next year!
We eventually flew out on 29th July, spent a VERY hot couple of days in the boatyard (42 degrees) cleaning and applying antifoul to the undersides.
We met Peter on October Song- the boat next to us and had a couple of very good, traditional meals with him at Panos, just outside the boatyard.
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We then motored across to Preveza quay where we put the sails on, inflated dinghy and scrubbed the decks - they had collected a layer of sludge from the dust in the boatyard. We also cleaned the topsides and applied Aglaze so she is looking good!
As we are leaving the Ionian this year and heading round to the Sporades area, we visited a few favourite spots on our way. This, of course, had to include Spartahori on Meganisi.
Dinner at Stephan and Gerry's - expected as they help you moor on their quay - and very nice too!
An amazing lightning show that night! No rain or thunder - just the light - flashes every 30 seconds or so.
The steep walk up to the village of Spartahori above the bay for breakfast the next morning.
A quiet spot around the bay from the main quay - very serene compared to the town with so many boats, crossed anchors, cross winds making it difficult to moor and cross voices giving often unneeded advice!
Goodbye Ionian - for a while but I am sure we will be back!
Heading to Oxia Island at the mouth of the Gulf of Patras. Flat seas and little wind meant a motor sail over.
The sun setting over the Ionian.
We left Kioni at about 11.00am with the intention of sailing all day and night to arrive in Galaxidhi.
Sailing under the huge Rion bridge at 1.00am (sorry about poor quality photo but difficult at night when the boat is moving!)
This is where it changes from the Gulf of Patras to the Gulf of Corinth.
This is a daylight photo of the bridge, taken when we were last here in July 2015.
At 1.8 miles long it is the longest fully suspended, multi span cable-stayed bridge in the world.An incredible feat of engineering as the water here reaches a depth of 65m, winds can be 70mph and it is an area of fairly regular earthquakes. The piers are built in such a way that they can move laterally on the seabed to absorb the shocks.
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Our intention of sailing all night was thwarted by the thunderstorm getting closer and closer. Watching horizontal forks of lightning and vertical flashes just ahead, at 1.30am we decided to head in to Trizonia to take shelter. Not easy navigating into the anchorage in pitch dark but we dropped the hook and managed to get a few hours sleep.
All was calm in the morning!
Trizonia marina had improved a fair bit since our last visit many years ago - they have removed the sunken boats which were taking up a lot of space and it now seems to be quite a busy spot. We stayed on anchor outside of the marina in the beautiful, quiet bay there.
Early morning light in an empty bay
Fish farms as we rounded the corner towards Galaxidhi.
After a day at anchor in Trizonia to sew new cushion covers and test out the outboard motor on the dinghy, we set off again and had a good sail for 24 miles to Galaxidhi.
Anchored off the town of Galaxidhi. I love the "piled up" houses with the cathedral at the top.
The main town quay in Galaxidhi.
After stripping down the outboard - again - the slow running jet was cleaned out and we could take the dinghy across to the town and enjoy iced coffee and fresh orange juice.
Love their footpath signs!
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