TonyMS
Active member
- Joined
- 16 May 2001
- Messages
- 710
- Location
- Winter St Ives, Cambs; summer Ionian
The Ionian, and in particular the Ionian in high season, has had a lot of negative comments on this forum of late. By way of an antidote, I thought I’d recount our recent mini-cruise from Mesolongi to Preveza, anti-clockwise round Corfu calling at Erikoussa, to Lefkas. In summary, for anyone who has better things to do than read my rambling account: we covered 293 miles in 16 leisurely days; all except entering and leaving harbours, the Mesolongi and Lefkas canals, and about 12 miles (3 hours) midday calm was under sail; we had no difficulty finding space to anchor anywhere; we met and chatted to some delightful people – French, Italian and English.
Day 1 saw us motoring out of the Mesolongi canal, to begin a very slow reach westwards out of the Gulf of Patras, As the wind gradually increased it headed us, till we had a beat through the channel behind Oxia in F4, then, with a reef, a thrash in a F5 NWly to the bay behind Petala, where no other boat was closer than ½ mile.
Day 2 took gave us a beat past Dragonera in F2/3, then a single board in a westerly F4 to Kastos, where we tied back to the beach, although there was space on the east quay.
Day 3 allowed us to lay the NE corner of Meganisi, where we had to motor for ½ hour until we met the N wind. A beat in a F4 took us to the entrance of the Lefkas canal, where we decided to anchor in the bay to port rather than motor into a head wind.
When we left the N end of the canal next morning, we had a F2 northerly, which took us to the reef guarding Ormos Ag Nikolaos, then backed F4 to let us lay Preveza, where we anchored in Hospital Bay. We booked our winter mooring and provisioned.
On Day 5, we watered the boat from the town quay lawn sprinkler, and set out hoping to reach Paxos. However, the strengthening wind headed us, and we ended up with a beat in a F4 to reach Parga, where there was room for us to nudge into the beach.
Day 6 gave us an easy sail to Lakka, where we met some friends for drinks on their boat.
Day 7 we spent walking and swimming.
On Day 8, as we left Lakka, the wind died and a thunderstorm started over the mainland. So we drifted for ½ hour until it had gone, then enjoyed a NEly close-hauled to Garitsa Bay. When we poked our nose in, we found the sea only a bit bumpy, so anchored in 3m in sand in the SW corner.
On Day 8, we landed the bikes to visit the market and Lidl, then sailed with winds all over the place to Ag Stefanos. There we found a spot to anchor inshore but it took 3 goes to get the anchor to bite in the thick weed. Then we were hit by a thunderstorm, probably only F5/6 for ½ hour, but enough to leave most of us inshore needing to reanchor. Probably better holding further out.
On Day 9, we had a slow beat out of the Corfu Channel, then along the coast, until the wind backed and strengthened, giving us a difficult beat to Erikoussa. It was difficult because the wind appeared to head us on each tack. Anyway, we eventually arrived to find there was space in the harbour, but prefered to anchor in the bay in 6m (outside the swimming buoys) on sand, with shelter from W through N to NE. However, during the night an unforecast easterly F5/6 made the anchorage mighty uncomfortable, though not unsafe.
We’d intended to stay longer in the “faraway” islands, but I didn’t want to risk another sleepless night, so we ran in a perfect, strengthening NWly to Palaiokastritsa, where the tiny harbour was full, but we found room to anchor in the tiny bay to the north. No swimming buoys here – we shared the bay with swimmers, pedalo navigators, hired motor boats and glass-bottomed tripper boats. Everone was in excellnt humour, and there was no danger at all.
Day 10 we spent swimming, walking up to the lovely monastery, and taking the dinghy round the nearby coves.
Day 11 started with a slow close reach heading S along the lovely coast, and then the wind gradually veered and strengthened F4 to give us a wing and wing run to Lakka, where we found a spot near the beach with plenty of room to swing clear of everyone else.
Day 12 was spent lazing. Around 20:00, there was a sudden, short storm - maybe F6 or 7, but I wasn't looking at instruments. It caused lots of shouting, and several boats having to re-anchor, but nothing like the serious damage they had in Gaios. Luckily we had no other boats too close, and none nearby dragged.
Day 13 had light southerlies, so we just enjoyed a beat to Mongonisi, where there was bags of space to free anchor. A French yachtsman rowed across and showed us a video he’d made of Razzmatazz as we’d raced neck and neck last year in a F5 off Ithica. Absolutely brilliant, and he’s promised to email it to me.
Day 14 started with light easterlies, then we motored for about 20 minutes, until the forecast SW came in F2, gradually increasing F4/5 allowing us to catch the 5 o’clock opening into Lefkas. There was a space on the quay exactly the right size for us.
Day 1 saw us motoring out of the Mesolongi canal, to begin a very slow reach westwards out of the Gulf of Patras, As the wind gradually increased it headed us, till we had a beat through the channel behind Oxia in F4, then, with a reef, a thrash in a F5 NWly to the bay behind Petala, where no other boat was closer than ½ mile.
Day 2 took gave us a beat past Dragonera in F2/3, then a single board in a westerly F4 to Kastos, where we tied back to the beach, although there was space on the east quay.
Day 3 allowed us to lay the NE corner of Meganisi, where we had to motor for ½ hour until we met the N wind. A beat in a F4 took us to the entrance of the Lefkas canal, where we decided to anchor in the bay to port rather than motor into a head wind.
When we left the N end of the canal next morning, we had a F2 northerly, which took us to the reef guarding Ormos Ag Nikolaos, then backed F4 to let us lay Preveza, where we anchored in Hospital Bay. We booked our winter mooring and provisioned.
On Day 5, we watered the boat from the town quay lawn sprinkler, and set out hoping to reach Paxos. However, the strengthening wind headed us, and we ended up with a beat in a F4 to reach Parga, where there was room for us to nudge into the beach.
Day 6 gave us an easy sail to Lakka, where we met some friends for drinks on their boat.
Day 7 we spent walking and swimming.
On Day 8, as we left Lakka, the wind died and a thunderstorm started over the mainland. So we drifted for ½ hour until it had gone, then enjoyed a NEly close-hauled to Garitsa Bay. When we poked our nose in, we found the sea only a bit bumpy, so anchored in 3m in sand in the SW corner.
On Day 8, we landed the bikes to visit the market and Lidl, then sailed with winds all over the place to Ag Stefanos. There we found a spot to anchor inshore but it took 3 goes to get the anchor to bite in the thick weed. Then we were hit by a thunderstorm, probably only F5/6 for ½ hour, but enough to leave most of us inshore needing to reanchor. Probably better holding further out.
On Day 9, we had a slow beat out of the Corfu Channel, then along the coast, until the wind backed and strengthened, giving us a difficult beat to Erikoussa. It was difficult because the wind appeared to head us on each tack. Anyway, we eventually arrived to find there was space in the harbour, but prefered to anchor in the bay in 6m (outside the swimming buoys) on sand, with shelter from W through N to NE. However, during the night an unforecast easterly F5/6 made the anchorage mighty uncomfortable, though not unsafe.
We’d intended to stay longer in the “faraway” islands, but I didn’t want to risk another sleepless night, so we ran in a perfect, strengthening NWly to Palaiokastritsa, where the tiny harbour was full, but we found room to anchor in the tiny bay to the north. No swimming buoys here – we shared the bay with swimmers, pedalo navigators, hired motor boats and glass-bottomed tripper boats. Everone was in excellnt humour, and there was no danger at all.
Day 10 we spent swimming, walking up to the lovely monastery, and taking the dinghy round the nearby coves.
Day 11 started with a slow close reach heading S along the lovely coast, and then the wind gradually veered and strengthened F4 to give us a wing and wing run to Lakka, where we found a spot near the beach with plenty of room to swing clear of everyone else.
Day 12 was spent lazing. Around 20:00, there was a sudden, short storm - maybe F6 or 7, but I wasn't looking at instruments. It caused lots of shouting, and several boats having to re-anchor, but nothing like the serious damage they had in Gaios. Luckily we had no other boats too close, and none nearby dragged.
Day 13 had light southerlies, so we just enjoyed a beat to Mongonisi, where there was bags of space to free anchor. A French yachtsman rowed across and showed us a video he’d made of Razzmatazz as we’d raced neck and neck last year in a F5 off Ithica. Absolutely brilliant, and he’s promised to email it to me.
Day 14 started with light easterlies, then we motored for about 20 minutes, until the forecast SW came in F2, gradually increasing F4/5 allowing us to catch the 5 o’clock opening into Lefkas. There was a space on the quay exactly the right size for us.
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