julians
Well-Known Member
yes agree, when you have such nice cruising grounds on your doorstep , it causes you to lack the motivation to travel further to other nice cruising grounds.
Cruise report Kefalonia to Kalamata Aug/Sept 2022
- Thread starter Hooligan
- Start date
yes agree, when you have such nice cruising grounds on your doorstep , it causes you to lack the motivation to travel further to other nice cruising grounds.
benjenbav
Well-Known Member
So I thought I would give it a go and apologies if pictures don’t come out or it is just too boring. I have always enjoyed reading the threads of cruise reports by others and my trip to the Southern Peleponnese was largely inspired by Hardyme and his really interesting reports. By way of background we are based in Lefkas Marina which I can highly recommend so a similar starting point to Hardyme but i will miss out the spots down to the bottom of Kefalonia where this thread starts from. The Ionian is truly a great boating experience. It can largely be defined by three cruising areas: Corfu, Paxos and A Paxos, Lefkada to bottom of Ithaca, and bottom of Kefalonia to Kithera. The beauty about the latter is that it is not frequented by the fleets that you need to wrestle with further up and it has a real feeling of remoteness which in turn makes one feel that you are having a real adventure!! Which is what this money absorbing game is all about I think. So we start in Argostoli
This is on the town quay and seems to attract lots of photographers like me. Here is the boat - my previous one was called Hooligan hence the name but superstition means I am reluctant to change this one especially after what happened last time - for another day.
Argostoli is a lovely town IMHO and very different to the glitzy feel of Fiskardo to the North where the cool people go
Next stage of the journey was a short chug up to the top of the inlet about 6 or so NM which has great reviews on Navily. We spent a night there under the white cliffs which is a lovely sheltered anchorage. While the water looks less inviting as it is green this is just the weed on mud. For anyone who goes there is a great Taverna called Three Umbrellas. Easy to find, just take the tender towards the three loungers and sun umbrellas that are sitting in the water. What is slightly different is that the water shallows out about 200m from the shore which means that you need to anchor the tender in most cases and wade ashore. Pedro the taverna owner is quite a character.
Next stop was Sparta which is the South side of Kefalonia facing Zante. This is a spectacular anchorage that is rarely too crowded. The water is great and there are restaurants all around which are really local and friendly. This is the third time we have been here and gone to the same Taverna and the guy recognised us which is always nice. He even refused to accept our tip as he thought it was too much which tells you that this really is a local friendly non tourist commercial family restaurant.
Here is another photo of the bay
I will stop for now and see if this actually downloads properly! Happy to also stop if too dull
Two questions, if I may:
1 Would it be possible (or, at least, relatively easy
) to link the plot of your cruise from your chartplotter? It would help those like me who don’t know the area to visualise it.2 What boat is Sophia? I’m sure many will identify this from the stern-to pic, but I’m quite hopeless at that sort of thing. ?
BruceK
Well-Known Member
That's fantastic! What a trip! I had wondered where you'd dissappeared to. Talk about the best of both worlds. The weather here in the Welsh Med has turned. The last few weeks Conwy Bay has been a mess so a perfect timing too.
Greg2
Well-Known Member
An enjoyable read - many tanks for sharing! ?
We have sailed in the Aegean and the Ionian and this has whetted my appetite to return.
We have sailed in the Aegean and the Ionian and this has whetted my appetite to return.
kashurst
Well-Known Member
Great trip -- thanks for posting the pics. Lovely boat - Fairline?
Hooligan
Well-Known Member
Hi. Re 1 am not sure how I could do that but let me find a way on my Navionics and post. My actual chart plotter on the boat went into the dark zone literally halfway between Zante and Pylos because I had wrongly assumed that my SIM in the plotter included the whole of the Ionian!! That was dumb. Re 2, yes, it is a Squadron 65 and IMHO an outstanding boat. I just went to the boat show and tbh for a 2013 boat it really holds up well versus the new crop.Two questions, if I may:
1 Would it be possible (or, at least, relatively easy
2 What boat is Sophia? I’m sure many will identify this from the stern-to pic, but I’m quite hopeless at that sort of thing. ?
Hooligan
Well-Known Member
I may ask for some advice re the Aegean which I hear can be a challenge due to the Meltemi. The Ioanian as you know is quite benign, Medicanes aside!
Hooligan
Well-Known Member
Yes. The S 65. Super boat and this year I was lucky not to have any major breakdowns. I always feel that the key things other than the engines are the generator (wife wont get on if no aircon!), the water pump (I carry a reconditioned spare), and the anchor (could not recommend the Rocna enough). Speaking of the anchor, we ran the boat out in early June to blow away the cobwebs. Went to a great bay in Kalamos which is opposite Ithaca. Went to anchor in circa 18m so was planning on dropping circa 70 m. Had dropped 40m and the windlass just stopped. Nothing. Boat populated by old people like me so now a choice - pull up the chain by hand and risk several heart attacks, or let out enough to be able to tie back and hope to fix it. Took a gamble and dropped about 90m in total and tied back. A very nice gentlemen saw our pfaffing about and came over to see if he could help. By chance he was the real Tom Cruise ie a F18 fighter pilot top gun. He established that it was not the solenoid but the actual motor. So we took the top off, filled it with WD40 and applied the hammer to a specific point ie gave it a whack. Boom, worked perfectly for the rest of the trip!! I did replace the windlass and now have a spare after reconditioning the old one and in case anyone wonders what I would have done had i not been able to get it working with 90m of chain down, well I reckon two options. Either drop it all out with a buoy attached to the end and come back to get it later, or try to raise it by using the electric winches at the stern. I probably would have started with the latter but thankfully the WD40 and a hammer did the trick. Long answer to a short question, apologies.
Hooligan
Well-Known Member
Hi. This gives an idea from Navionics.Two questions, if I may:
1 Would it be possible (or, at least, relatively easy
Davy_S
Well-Known Member
I hope you don't mind me showing a photo of the three umbrellas, (i was there last week)
Hooligan
Well-Known Member
I suspect that there was a moment in August when you were having a good old laugh at us Med boaters!!! I looked at the weather one day and it was 6 degrees hotter in the UK!!!!
benjenbav
Well-Known Member
If you had used the stern winches it would probably have been handy to have something to protect your gel coat. If you’d buoyed it, by the time you got back you could easily be down one Rocna and 90m of chain. I reckon that finding a helpful fast jet pilot was the best option. ?
vas
Well-Known Member
nice report Hooligan, well done!
probably missed it, but would be nice to give the time of the trip, July, August, Sept?
I'm asking as in Greece sea is as full as it can ever get during the 15th Aug week (biggest vacation after Easter and Christmas for the orthodox christians) so tend to avoid going boating during that week. Reason being that everything except entertainment shuts down and depending on how the 15th fairs within the week you get 7-12 day vacation for all.
I'd also move the map on the first post to make it easier to follow and edit Xante to Zante everywhere as I thought I've missed something (haven't been there for decades!)
cheers
V.
probably missed it, but would be nice to give the time of the trip, July, August, Sept?
I'm asking as in Greece sea is as full as it can ever get during the 15th Aug week (biggest vacation after Easter and Christmas for the orthodox christians) so tend to avoid going boating during that week. Reason being that everything except entertainment shuts down and depending on how the 15th fairs within the week you get 7-12 day vacation for all.
I'd also move the map on the first post to make it easier to follow and edit Xante to Zante everywhere as I thought I've missed something (haven't been there for decades!)
cheers
V.
Hooligan
Well-Known Member
Hi. Trip was Aug 18 to Sept 4. We actually started from Aug 14 in Lefkada and as 15 th was a Monday you are right ie very busy that whole week. But interestingly I tend to find that if you avoid Meganisi and Fiskardo or Kioni that week then it tends to be ok and certainly the moment we got past Fiskardo it was pretty empty. So even that week when we got to Argostoli it was very open and at the top of the inlet near 3 Umbrellas there were only 3 boats including us. Good idea re map and I missed the Xante Zante. First time around the spell check turned Ionian to Iranian so I did get that one!!
Hurricane
Well-Known Member
Sorry for the late reply - we have been cruising ourselves.
Only over to Ibiza for a week or so but the weather wasn't in our favor this year.
I will write it up later because we had an interesting technical challenge.
That issue meant that we did as you said in one of your opening posts and "pootled" virtually all the way.
Being a similar sized boat, our figures were much the same.
25 to 30 litres per hour per engine - ranging from 10 to 11 knots.
@jrudge - you should try it - you certainly wouldn't use £4000 on a trip from Cala D'Or to Ibiza and back - if you pootle.
We are still more than 50% full after running over to Ibiza and back to/from Sant Carles.
Anyway, back to this thread.
Fantastic pics - I'm on the boat for another month or so but when I get home, I'm going to plot and examine your route carefully.
Thats my kind of cruising.
As I said in my PM to you, we have a lot going for SCM - friends etc - and can get here by car so it is probably unlikely that we would ever go that way.
However - never say never - and I will look at it carefully.
I understand from your PMs that it isn't expensive to keep your boat in that area so it is very do-able.
Anyway, thanks for the thread - and keep those lovely pics coming.
Mike
Only over to Ibiza for a week or so but the weather wasn't in our favor this year.
I will write it up later because we had an interesting technical challenge.
That issue meant that we did as you said in one of your opening posts and "pootled" virtually all the way.
Being a similar sized boat, our figures were much the same.
25 to 30 litres per hour per engine - ranging from 10 to 11 knots.
@jrudge - you should try it - you certainly wouldn't use £4000 on a trip from Cala D'Or to Ibiza and back - if you pootle.
We are still more than 50% full after running over to Ibiza and back to/from Sant Carles.
Anyway, back to this thread.
Fantastic pics - I'm on the boat for another month or so but when I get home, I'm going to plot and examine your route carefully.
Thats my kind of cruising.
As I said in my PM to you, we have a lot going for SCM - friends etc - and can get here by car so it is probably unlikely that we would ever go that way.
However - never say never - and I will look at it carefully.
I understand from your PMs that it isn't expensive to keep your boat in that area so it is very do-able.
Anyway, thanks for the thread - and keep those lovely pics coming.
Mike
benjenbav
Well-Known Member
I had to change a brief comment about your anchor
as autocorrect rendered it “Roxana” rather than “Rocna”. Not sure what Roxana is but vaguely think The Police had a song of that name way back in about 1979? ?
Hooligan
Well-Known Member
Look forward to hearing re the near sinking. Sounds, well fun!! Not. Never say never
. Ps can someone tell me how to transfer this thread to the Cruise reports? And thanks for all the responses.
jrudge
Well-Known Member
[QUOTE="Hurricane, post: 8053465, member:
@jrudge - you should try it - you certainly wouldn't use £4000 on a trip from Cala D'Or to Ibiza and back - if you pootle.
We are still more than 50% full after running over to Ibiza and back to/from Sant Carles.
[/QUOTE]
Now we are stabilised we do pootle if the sea is calm. If not there is still some motion and it is nicer at speed.
Kids don’t like it. Partner is fine as long as it is a nice day
@jrudge - you should try it - you certainly wouldn't use £4000 on a trip from Cala D'Or to Ibiza and back - if you pootle.
We are still more than 50% full after running over to Ibiza and back to/from Sant Carles.
[/QUOTE]
Now we are stabilised we do pootle if the sea is calm. If not there is still some motion and it is nicer at speed.
Kids don’t like it. Partner is fine as long as it is a nice day
EricJ
Well-Known Member
Great report and fantastic cruising grounds. I cruised part of that area in June by sailboat and it was amazing. Fiskardo does fill up early, also outside the holidays. We were with many others anchored on the north side with a long line to the shore. It got a bit bumpy in the morning when the wind had turned. Vathy was beautiful too with a bit more space.
BartW
Well-Known Member
waw what a great post,
very interesting reading, Vas beat me asking when was it, and I'm amazed how little boats there are in that region end of august,
in that period we were on the boat in south sardegna, and while that area is not too crowded over all, still at the end of august much more boats than your area,
in a few years we will probably bring Blue Angel back to south Croatia, and from there, this region is for sure on the destination list,
your 's and hardmy's posts are saved for inspiration
may I asc, why do you switch your stabilizers "on" only occasionally ?
ours are "Alway"s on, while cruising or at ancor, ...
so when we cross another boat, or whatever unexpected swell, we are alway's stable
very interesting reading, Vas beat me asking when was it, and I'm amazed how little boats there are in that region end of august,
in that period we were on the boat in south sardegna, and while that area is not too crowded over all, still at the end of august much more boats than your area,
in a few years we will probably bring Blue Angel back to south Croatia, and from there, this region is for sure on the destination list,
your 's and hardmy's posts are saved for inspiration
may I asc, why do you switch your stabilizers "on" only occasionally ?
ours are "Alway"s on, while cruising or at ancor, ...
so when we cross another boat, or whatever unexpected swell, we are alway's stable
