ifalos Panayia

[waverider]

Recently my wife and myself chartered a yacht and sailed the North Ionian waters (Corfu, Paxos and mainland coast) About 2 miles off the coast of Paxos there is a reef called ifalos Panayia E020,23722 N39,20694 where some yachts have been badly damaged or worse sunk due to poor navigation. Sailing near the area this reef is hard to spot as there is no signs of waves breaking on it. Myself I did not sail to near this hazard and kept to my waypoints entered in my G.P.S.

I wondered if anyone using this forum had further info or better still some pictures of ifalos Panayia, I have surfed the web but not been successful of any sites with detail.
Any info would be appreciated.......W.R


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[steve_cronin]

As you say, it does have a bad local reputation. I always give it's P.A. a wide berth - I have it as a hazard wpt on the chart table GPS and it is shown on the CeMapNT+ cartridge which powers the helm plotter. The latest Heikell shows it.

Since we draw nearly 2m I never enter Gaios from the south (OK there IS depth but not much room for manoevre) but keep well off until the northern entrance & the ferry berth open. This action can take us near to the reef so we need to be very careful.

Incidentally, floating fishing lines are a particular hazard also off If. Panaii and with a setting sun are very difficult to see.

Although Gaios is a regular calling point of ours, my real niggle with the place is the differential charging for berths dependant upon one's flag.

The reef is a bit like the Pierre Au Vraic in the Swínge or the Rocher des Anglais, I believe. It's forbidding reputation keeps people well away so there aren't many photographs taken!

Steve Cronin


<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion

 

[rich]

My Garmin says,39-12-509N 20-14-598E

<hr width=100% size=1>http://www.jersey-harbours.com

 

[Benbow]

That appears to be because the first post was degrees and decimal degrees, you seem to have given degrees and minutes (and decimal mins or secs ??) But neither mentioned the units ! I have noticed that people usually give positions over the radio as strings of numbers, I always assume these are degs, minutes and decimal minutes because these work better with most charts, but assumptions can be dangerous !!



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[waverider]

Thanks for your reply Steve_cronin.....yes this reef was well avoided by us, especially as the Imray chart stated it was 19th century datum! We were sailing a Westerly Seahawk her draft 5'9" but found the narrow entrance of Gaios Ok providing the boat was smack in the middle of the channel. The harbour that did cause us a bit of concern though was Sayiadha, shallow and narrow with wind on our port beam meant we had to enter witha bit of speed with our teeth clinched waiting for the keel to ground! (which it didn't thank god)

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[waverider]

@ Benbow....When navigating I would only use degrees and minutes and decimal point! I posted the position in decimal in the hope that someone abroad would pick up on that position to answer my thread m8!

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[Davy_S]

You could not have missed it last September, there was a large ship aground on it!

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[beachbum]

It's one of the few things that get flotilla lead crews twitchy...

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Nobody is perfect.
I am nobody.
Therefore I am perfect.</font size=1> /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

 

[waverider]

@ Davey_S .....Spose u didn't get any pics of it then m8?

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[Davy_S]

No unfortunately not, we had just set off from Mongonisy on our way to Parga and it was very swelly, everyone lifejacketed up and hanging on! When we got to Parga there was no room at all, all peeps were hiding from the swell so we had to sail up to Sivota. Got in there ok, plenty shelter, but not the weather for photography.

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[waverider]

@Davey_S ....Yes Parga is a busy place, we used the bay left of the castle where we beached the boat as there was no room at the key. A bit worrying after the boat was made fast though, as the Italians were trying to squeeze three flymo's into the gap between us and Dutch motor sailor. But after a bit of ranting and raving and giving them a free lesson on how cleat up a line things settled down for the evening!

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