Cruise Reports The Greek Ionian - cruise report with lots of pics

[Hardmy]

Kato Katelios has a nice bay, but one should be aware of lots of dangerous boulders. I snorkelled around, and I would advise to roughly follow our trace. Acquaintances from ours with 1.30 m. draught hit a rock not much more East to our trace.

The harbour is in typical unfinished greek fashion. The entrance is silted, there only around 1.60 m. depth left. The height of the quay is low, in strong winds the fenders would probably pop out.

In Kato Katelios, we picked up friends who came with a taxi from the airport. BTW, Argostoli airport has a lot of flight connections with the UK, e.g. with Sleazyjet and Ryanscare.

We then continued along the E-coast of Keffalonia direction N. We had some 35 kts wind gusts, but in those sheltered waters the sea didn't really build up.

A pause in Peri Pigadi, an islet on the E-side of Ithaca, with its own pier and famous for its rats.

Another nice swim stop, S of Vathy on Ithaca.

Kioni on Ithaca. One of the hotspots of the Ionian, a pretty village and good eating opportunities. Always windy, we had some difficulties to moor the boat. I guess it must have been very entertaining for the spectactors.

Everybody leaves just before noon, so its probably the best time to get a spot inside. Note the little abandonned SY on the far right. Because most harbours are free, some people just leave their boat rotting away while taking up valuable space for visitors:

 

[Hardmy]

Sorry, I am a bit slow. Here is Atokos, the one house bay. The setting is nice and therefore a popular place. Interesting things happen in such busy place. For example, a charterer who tries to anchor with its sails still set. Seen also two other SY's with sails completely wrecked. Sorry, no pics of that. They got lost when I changed my mobile phone, so I rely only on those saved on the phone of my wife.

Busy at the beginning:

Gets more empty in the course of the afternoon (the run for a berth in the harbors around...):

Kastos, E-coast. A very green island with some pleasant walking opportunities.

Kalamos, N. Hilly and lots of pine trees.

The smell of the forest comes to the boat, so wonderful! Our ladies were able to enchant the fisher catching octopus with a sort of stick.

So he gave us one of those as gift.

My pal and I were responsible to kill the beast, prepare and cook it. Needless to say, that we are both handicaped with cooking and so on. Called the hotline in Prague (a friend running a fine restaurant) and followed his orders à la lettre. The result was surprisingly tasty!

We then left the boat in Nydri for other members of the family,

they took her over for 2 weeks, then we would have the boat lifted again in the yard in Preveza. Gives me full peace of mind and is cheaper than staying in the water anyway. We do not not feel the need to be on the water in July/August when everything is crowded and it is too hot anyway. Much better time for trekking in the Alps!

We flew then back to work from Corfu:

I will continue this thread with the other places we discovered in September / October. So stay tuned!

 

[Tranona]

And I hope, the chaos will never change, Tranona! And its not as bad as it sounds, one needs just to act a bit anticyclic Where are you based now, if I may ask? Did you leave Greece?

The original plan was to spend 3 or 4 years cruising after we retired and we started on that plan in 2008. however in late 2009 I was diagnosed with cancer in one kidney and the other was weak. so with the uncertainty about the future i sailed the boat to Spain and then trucked it to UK, rather than try and sell it out there.

Recovered enough to use the boat a bit here, but it was really a bit too big and starting to need work so put it up for sale. Then needed a serious heart op after which I was much better - but no kidney function. So part exchanged boat for a new Bav 33 and used it a lot, working around my kidney dialysis.

Now have a transplant kidney so will soon be fully mobile so can use my boat even more. Would be nice to think of having another boat in corfu, but getting a bit too old to make that kind of commitment. However planning to go back for a holiday in May. What I like about Corfu is that there is plenty on the island to enjoy as well as the boating.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: The Greek Ionian - with pics!

Another brilliant cruise report hardmy. Your photos are always excellent. Do I understand correctly that all your photos are taken with a mobile phone? Please keep the reports coming; you seem to be living the cruising lifestyle that many of us would like to live but for one reason or another cannot

 

[Hardmy]

Re: The Greek Ionian - with pics!

You have successfully fighted severe illnesses. Tranona, now I really hope you will find a way to relocate to Corfu again and enjoy life.

Deleted User, we became lazy and the Nikon Reflex remains at home and we just use iPhones. Quality improves very fast. BTW, nothing really complicated with cruising. It only needs a bit of additional planning, its also joyful anticipation! And the flight connections between the Ionian and the UK are much better than in D. Preveza-London 1x a week. Preveza-London up to 10x a week. Same for Corfu or Keffalonia... You have no excuses!

 

[NormanB]

@All, I tried to reload the pics which seemed not working. Dunno what is the problem, because all pics have the same rights.


Yes, the local grape variety is called robola. We also visited a winery and could try many different wines.



May-June and September-October are the best months. The only downside is the weather which needs to be more monitored and the lack of flights to the smallest airports.



Not so many shopping here, it’s actually the very reason why we like the area. There is some shopping in Argostoli maybe Vathy on Ithaca but much less than in Corfu town anyway (will write a report about that). Not too many nightlife hotspots either. The lack of infrastructure makes it much more fun. The harbors and town quays are not organized. You always moor in med style with your anchor. There are some places where you can get water, or even leccy, but not often. That’s why I have my 300W of solar panels, and I don’t use the aircon anyway. Fuel ist not a problem at all, I have found my reliable suppliers and will share the contacts at the end of the report.

You buy excellent vegetables and fruits (but also olive oil, honey and so on) from local formers or the village market. When on anchor and you waive to a fisher, he will come along and sell / give some of his catch. Every other village has a bakery and/or a small supermarket. Chasing food is actually part of the game.

And then you have an infinite choice of tavernas. Not that you will find very sophisticated food there (of course in bigger towns or Kioni and so on there are also “real” restaurants), but produce is mostly fresh and the setting always beautiful.

Of course is the Ionian close to you French guys. I’m waiting for you. And the route towards the Ionian is also a reward as such!



What do you mean Tranona, with the Ionian not being geared for mobos? Actually, the Ionian is the perfect area for mobos. There are very few winds! Speak to the charterers, they use more than 50% of the time their iron donkey. The problem I see in the Ionian, is the avalanche of flotillas. When a battalion of those invade a small town quay, one must stand guard to avoid being damaged…

Funny that, it is the Flotillas and Charters that invigorated the area

 

[Hardmy]

I am still sorting out the pics of our second 2016 trip in the Greek Ionian. I am using google photos instead of photobucket, hope that all pics can be seen.

So, as mentioned somewhere before we do not like med boating at the height of the season. The boat is securely waiting ashore. This was also convenient to carry out a couple of small jobs:
- A new stainless steel anchor protection for the bow (the new Mantus is pointy and there were some small idents in the gelcoat)
- New bow thruster (24v) and new hotel (12v) batteries. All gel.
- I discovered small quantities of diesel seeping out from the inspection hatch on top of the port fuel tank when I fill to the brim. So we dismantled the thing and put it back with appropriate sealant.
- A new faucet for the forward head.
- A new VDO rudder sender.
- Changing a push-pull cable for the port gear on the fly.
- Changed the seals of the Benett trim tabs (port started to leak)
- Sealing the anchor locker (with heavy rain, some water was dripping into the bilge).

At arrival at the boat, I was pleased to see that all jobs had been carried out (it doesn’t always go that smoothly). The launching at Aktion boatyard went also smoothly even if I wasn’t used to see the boat on a trailer. It looks more dangerous than it is.

New stainless steel bow protection:

Gold!

The trailer

We immediately left for Levkas. The bridge opens every hour, so boat traffic jams may build up. At least, the approach from the North has been well dredged finally. Re the bridge, it is actually a ferry “F/B Santa Maura”. So the island status of Levkas remains and the additional subsidies continue to flow

Like a string of pearls in Levkas channel. Dreding works was going on, so no buoyage in sight.

So we went to Nydri in order to meet our czech liveaboard friends. Nydri is where the bigger vessel is moored. On the opposite side is Tranquil Bay, and the big lake on the right is called Vlikho Bay.

It looks like to be a very safe place, but allegedly due to the topography some sudden storms can come out of nowhere:
This one was in 2012. A big catamaran who just completed its circumnavigation did capsize:

This was on 07.10.2016, we were with our boat moored on the town quay. With 60 meters of chain out, we luckily didn’t sustain any damages:

The forecast said, that southerlies were to be expected. After having picked-up my parents, we once again decided to go in an anchorage on N-Ithaca which is normally not usable:

A swim stop in Atheras.

Because of the big spaghetti of lines and moorings one the seabed, one must take care where the anchor falls. And do not try to moor at the breakwater. Rocks are protruding near the waterline.

Rocky W-coast of Keffalonia

 

[Hardmy]

Posting again the pics which did not want to appear in the previous posts. Posts, I could not edit:

Meganisi. The playground in Vathy harbour:

N-Ithaca, the windy and unprotected anchorage:

Ithaca, the bay NE. The hills behind are good for a walk:

Kato Katelios anchorage trace:

Kato Katelios „harbour“ trace:

 

[vas]

Ithaca, the bay NE. The hills behind are good for a walk:

lovely report and pics, keep them coming please!
Got to find a lot of time to sort out pics and post a couple of reports from this year's days onboard, doubt will make it before the end of Feb though...

Care to tell us how you managed this panorama? It's fairly high up above the radar arch...

cheers

V.

 

[Hardmy]

Yes, no worries Vas, will post more as soon as I have time I am also looking forward discovering your trips around Volos, because I am still thinking about moving my boat in your area within the next 2 years.

The pano was made while standing on the cockpit overhang (I have 3x100W of solar panels mounted there).

 

[scubaman]

Fantastic! Looking forward to the next instalment :encouragement: .

 

[Hardmy]

Before leaving Keffalonia for Zakynthos, we spend a night on the hook on the S-coast of the island in front of the To Enetiko taverna where we had a good dinner (sorry no pics).

Next day, we left at 07:00 am (we broke our own record) because we wanted to arrive at the wreck bay before the crowds.

It evolved from that:

To this:

So in all, it wasn’t uninteresting, but the whole thing is a bit overrated. I guess, pics from a drone would have made a difference.

We left to find the sea for us alone again:

On our way on the W-coast we did some cave reconnaissance. But none of them are chartered, so we didn’t insist and go to the very end.

At the SW tip of Zakynthos flies the biggest greek flag (80 kg / 670 m2 - not enough wind to entirely deploy it)

Just beneath a wonderful anchorage ideal for a swim stop:

There are several small “tunnels” which the sea drilled through the rocks. It is possible to snorkel through them. The pics don’t do justice to the turquoise water.

The Lagana bay in the South of Zakynthos is supposed to be a sanctuary for turtles, the famous beach where they lay their eggs is nominally a national park but crowded with tourists. Very sad to see what human activity inflige to the nature. Rules apply also to boats. Anchoring is permitted only in the west, this is where the pic has been taken. Some areas are completely a no go, but most do not bother.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Thanks again Hardmy. At this time of year I need something to remind me why I throw so much cash at my boat

 

[Hardmy]

Thanks Deleted User! You know, for me scrolling through all those pics and posting them is a therapy to bridge the winter season

So, back to Laganas. Here is the map, which shows what is allowed and not allowed:

Zakynthos. The main harbour is busy with ferries and vessels of all sorts. We moored as usual for Greece with anchor on the NE mole, where we paid a fee to some guy. But it is not sure whether he was entitled to do so. The NW quay for example is probably free, but noisy because of the road (chartlet: courtesy of cruiserswiki):

CG patrol boat executing pirouettes for some religious festival?

The richly adorned cathedral

Besides offering a wide choice of tavernas (or even restaurants) Zakynthos town is also very convenient for replenishment:

There are a couple of opportunities along the E coast of Zakynthos for a swim stop or even to stay a night on anchor if the weather is settled. But nice places are often visited by boats overloaded with burnt flesh and of course with screaming loudspeakers. Unfortunately SWMBO deleted the pics with the roasted flesh on my phone, left is only this (again, the drone would have been super):

We spent a night in Ag Nikolaos on the NE coast. Nothing special there, besides this local guy on his Lombardini selling honey and other fresh produce from his farm nearby. The place is actually more designed for ferries, so the wall is around 2 meters high. One of the first time went alongside and being able to get in/out from the boat without a step.

There are some interesting sea arches (or how should I call them) and caves on the NE tip of Zakynthos. They can all be discovered by dinghy. But there are lots of tourists boats around passing with 20 kts a few meters from you while being on anchor. It would be pointless to shout or complain, they are Greek skippers therefore it’s their place, and they would not understand why I get angry. For them it’s totally normal to operate boats in this style or run engines and propellers in the middle of swimming people. Even if I didn’t dare to swim farther than 2-3 meters from our boat, thanks to the clean water, I was still able to see propellers spinning around with my goggles.

Zakynthos was an interesting experience, but the island is very much oriented to land based tourism. Very few private boats, no flotillas at all but so many tourist boats! To be honest, we were not unhappy leaving Zakynthos for returning to Keffalonia again.

 

[Hardmy]

One evening on Keffalonia, we lit a bonfire with flotsam and grilled souvlakis from a local butcher as well as corncobs. Such a magical moment, it reminds me scouting times which is already a couple of years ago! We feel very fortunate to enjoy this beautiful moment with such clear night without light disturbing watching the stars. Needless to say, that we left not a single trace of our passage, and buried the ashes deep in the sand.

Another day we decided to split in two groups, wife and parents wanted to do some “trekking” and I was to bring the boat at a meeting point. They had great difficulties to make progress through the thick vegetation. But from time to time, they were able to follow some goat trail.

I tried to follow their progress with binoculars, but I wasn’t able to spot them at all. But they shot some pics of me.

Who would have thought, that they would even come across a wild turtle!

We met in this bay. They were completely exhausted, dehydrated with legs completely scratched. But still in very good mood.

That's all for tonight. I'll try to continue with some more Keffalonia and Ithaca in the coming days.

 

[MapisM]

Fantastic report indeed, many thanks for sharing the experience with us! :encouragement:
And don't forget to include it (unless you already did) in the sticky thread of cruise reports.

Memo to self: must find the time to search for my own old reports and post them there, too... :ambivalence:

 

[Hardmy]

Keffalonia, cont’d:

In some of those bays, there is no other choice than using landlines. Because of the involved faffing, we call it “Generalstabsübung” (general staff exercise). Actually when we are only a crew of two we try to avoid it, but even with 4 people it is a bit cumbersome. We use chain to throw over rocks and then attach lines. It avoids chafe and allows placing the line exactly where you want. If we do not use the dinghy, somebody swims the lines from the boat with fins, the chain being floated with 1 or 2 fenders. If we use the dinghy, the mother boat waits at some distance until the dinghy crew laid out both warps. Only then, the mother boat anchors and meets with the dinghy and its two lines (euhhm, was I clear enough?).

In previous posts, I already started to hint that I have mixed feeling towards charterers. Mixed because, on one side, I also started one day and chartered a couple of years. And I feel grateful towards to all boaters who were patient with me. Of course, at the beginning I messed up things many times. There is lack of experience, an unfamiliar boat, members of the family loudly interfering and so on. Hence, I really feel for people in this situation that’s why I always offer my help to untangle anchors with my dinghy, swimming lines to the shore or running around docks to help with mooring, etc.
BUT, on the other side, I don’t like behavior not linked to lack of experience, like inconsiderate people playing loud music in a secluded bay, emptying the holding tank when you swim, etc. This boat below dropped its anchor right on top of ours. It is already enough unpleasant when your anchor gets fouled our breaks out when free swinging, but it is even more problematic when the stern of our boat is moored with landlines and it should be easy to understand that it would end on the rocks if it happens. So I swam to them, and politely tried to explain the situation but they decreed that it was not a problem. So we left the bay (the next cove N and S were completely empty), still they didn’t want to move their boat and it was a pain to recover our anchor which was located right below them. There was neither shouting nor any aggressiveness, it’s just this egoist “I don’t care attitude” which is sad. Such type of behavior is most often seen with charterers, and this has nothing to do with lack of experience. The offending boat (I changed the wiper arms this winter

Anyway, since 2 days we noticed a small water leak under the bed of the owner’s cabin aft. It was soon clear that one of our fresh water tanks was leaking. So we needed to visit Syvota and meet our engineer there. We removed the offending tank, and continued on one tank only. It still gives 3 days of autonomy, so all fine.

We then headed back south to N-Ithaca. Compared to all other Ionian islands, Ithaca is certainly always more windy. And compared to the Aegean, the Ionian landscape is much greener!

As usual, off we went for a walk.

Nothing spectacular, it’s just that I like that kind of atmosphere:

The warm October evening sun provided for good mood among us, hence we were not closely monitoring the time passing. Nevertheless, I was checking different weather forecasts in order to assess whether we would be secure for a night in this beautiful but unprotected place. I try to be prudent. After only two seasons in the Ionian, I have already seen 4 boats washed ashore because of sudden weather changes and/or because unwise choice of anchorage.
Finally because of the contradictory forecasts I decided to take what I thought to be the safe decision, we weighed anchor and headed to a couple of coves I spotted on the chart. Logically, all good bays were already full (we were way too late). Some others were free, but way too deep to anchor. So we moved reluctantly into Frikes harbor, albeit I said myself that we’ll never visit this place by boat because of the “tsunami” which is mentioned in all pilot guides. It comes one or twice a day without warning. The culprits are the new generation ferries: 30.000 GT barreling with up to 30 kts in those sheltered waters. They pass far enough that you don’t realize that a wave will come.

We moored med style, just next to an English yacht that just arrived before us. We fastened our stern lines, and just then hell broke out and boats started to wildly jump in all directions. I wanted to install additional cross stern lines (or are they called spring lines), and my dad was helping me. He kneeled on the passerelle in order to pass a warp beneath it, but the boat violently snatched back. My dad lost his equilibrium; fell on the dinghy 1.80m. below, rebounded against the quay wall with his head first and finally disappeared in the dark water (it was night) between the wall and the bathing platform. I didn’t even think 1 second and jumped fully clothed in the water as well in order to recover him. I only partially pulled him out, because he didn’t lose consciousness. But he was clearly disoriented, his head and a leg was bleeding. We were extremely fortunate that a Dutch family (3 doctors!), really fantastic people, took over and immediately started with stitching his superciliary arch. They did a truly amazing job; I don’t know what we would have done without them. The onboard operating room:

Misery did not resume altogether. It was clear that something was wrong with his leg; he couldn’t move it and we had to drag him through the boat. Trying to arrange a visit in the nearest hospital on the mainland proved to be much more complicated than expected. As soon as I called them, they hang up because they could not speak English. After several attempts, I reluctantly dialed 113 where finally an operator lopped Levkas hospital in the call. It was funny hearing him shouting at them in Greek. So we were finally able to arrange a rendez-vous in Nydri next morning, on the emergency quay just in front of the coast guard office :-/
This is less than optimal. In Greece, one must be very careful not to involve the CG when incidents happen on boats, because they need to be investigated by law. The boat can even be impounded and it triggers much additional paperwork/costs (or worse, it can even end in court. I know personally somebody who endured this feat). Hence all communications went over mobile phone and not over the VHF.

In Nydri, "discharge" of my dad with help from some local friends went well and despite the attraction caused by the ambulance the CG officers kept hidden in their office during the whole operation (like if they want to avoid opening a file). Our luck!
Anecdotally, there wasn’t any doctor left in the hospital (on Friday morning) and they wanted to keep my father for the week-end. So my dad explained them, that he was a doctor himself and instructed the staff how to x-ray his leg. He eventually had the pleasure to diagnose his own broken leg:

Parents were due to go home next day anyway. In Switzerland, he underwent an operation to install a screw. He is still limping a bit, but it evolves in the good direction.

Big lessons learned for me:
- Anticipate and do not wait the last moment to move in a place you are unfamiliar with.
- Wear inflatable life vests, at least if it gets dark or when a maneuver is expected to be more complicated.
- As a skipper, assess the risks (e.g. will I be crushed between the quay wall and the bathing platform?) and think before jumping in the water to recover a MOB. You might be more useful on the boat.

Next comes Kalamos / Kastos.

 

[vas]

sorry to hear of your dad's problems
we also have a high speed large (as in 120m at least) cat doing Volos Skiathos Skopelos daily and passing well outside Trikeri village port managed to sink a few fishing boats. Wasn't at all bothered no matter sueing and reports to port police.
Same thing with damaged fishing boats in Skiathos (IIRC). End result some "boys" got the captain one evening in Skiathos and send him to hospital...
Eversince, he's a smooth operator when near ports, not smooth enough though in Volos port were he doesn't follow the 5m speed limit.
Lovely report keep it going!

cheers

V.

 

[Trundlebug]

Fantastic report Hardmy, it's a truly magical area and really interesting to hear about your adventures.
Many thanks again.
I'm waiting for a mention or photos of Scorpios, yes I know it's a private (formerly Onassis') island but it used to be permitted to briefly anchor & go ashore on one small beach.

Onassis used to have 8 Mokes on there....

 

[BartW]

In some of those bays, there is no other choice than using landlines. Because of the involved faffing, we call it “Generalstabsübung” (general staff exercise). Actually when we are only a crew of two we try to avoid it, but even with 4 people it is a bit cumbersome. We use chain to throw over rocks and then attach lines. It avoids chafe and allows placing the line exactly where you want. If we do not use the dinghy, somebody swims the lines from the boat with fins, the chain being floated with 1 or 2 fenders. If we use the dinghy, the mother boat waits at some distance until the dinghy crew laid out both warps. Only then, the mother boat anchors and meets with the dinghy and its two lines (euhhm, was I clear enough?).

thats the way we almost alway's anker in Croatia,
usually closer to the shore
and very often its swmbo who does a swim, as she knows the procedures and the knots and all that
(we just tie a rope around a tree or a rock or a occasional tie bar )

regarding inconsiderate behaviour, I perfectly understand what you mean,
Croats can get angry very quickly, and shouting !
staying calm and friendly, and not get exited about their agressive tone is my tactic,
and offer help with anything that I can do.
last season I had two occasions where I had put on my dive gear to untangle ankers from neighbours that were very unconsiderate with their anchoring

I'm sorry to hear about your dad, luckyly all ended fairly ok,
coming summer my mum will be with us onboard for a week in Amalfi region (81yo:ambivalence

your post makes me remember that I should make a report from our adventures in Croatia the last tree summer seasons,
and update the BA rebuild thread, as I also had to repair a connection on the fresh water tank, quite some time ago.

many thanks for the nice report.