Ionian sea, Greece: Lefkas - Zakintos, Sep 1 - 15, Weather ? Berthing & Anchoring?

[SMaturin]

Ionian sea, Greece: Lefkas - Zakintos, Sep 1 - 15, Weather ? Berthing & Anchoring?

Hello,

From your experience:
- What weather one can expect around Lefkas - Kefalonia - Zakintos islands during the first two weeks of September? Sudden local winds of force 5,6 and more ?

- Please also advise good places to land in this area. Are there any marinas here (except Lefkas marina) with laid moorings tailed to the quay and pontoons? Or mostly when one goes stern/bow to the quay, one needs to use anchor instead of laid mooring?

Thanks!

 

[Tranona]

Re: Ionian sea, Greece: Lefkas - Zakintos, Sep 1 - 15, Weather ? Berthing & Anchoring

Excellent choice of timing. Crowds with children will largely have gone. Weather will be perfect. Usual calm mornings and NW breeze in the afternoon as dominant pattern

Buy a copy of Heikells Ionian pilot and you will see moat of the main places to go (and the lesser ones). In two weeks you have a choice of north through the Levkas canal or south, or both. Look on the Sailing holidays website and you will see the routes they do for their flotillas. Your charter company will also give you a guide of places to go - but you can plan the broad shape in advance.

Almost all stern to quay using anchor. Very few laid lines - they spoil the fun. Bit of a marina in Preveza and big one in Gouvia Corfu but really not worth using for holidays. Some harbours like Sivota on Lefkas have marina type facilities under construction, but almost all the best places are stern to quay or anchor.

Enjoy.

 

[vyv_cox]

Re: Ionian sea, Greece: Lefkas - Zakintos, Sep 1 - 15, Weather ? Berthing & Anchoring

Berthing stern-to using the anchor is actualky far easier than with lazy lines. Just make sure you drop it perpendicular to the space you are aiming for.

 

[AndrewB]

Re: Ionian sea, Greece: Lefkas - Zakintos, Sep 1 - 15, Weather ? Berthing & Anchoring

Berthing stern-to using the anchor is actualky far easier than with lazy lines. Just make sure you drop it perpendicular to the space you are aiming for.

"You're over my anchor". "The anchor is slipping and now we'll have to do it all again". "I've run out of chain and I'm still 10 metres from the quay". "You're dragging my anchor out". "Your anchor isn't holding, and now you are now leaning on me". "I seem to have pulled up this anchor (these anchors) with mine and I can't untangle them". All said in a cacophony of misunderstood languages.

Not to mention the additional fun and games if there is a strong cross wind.

Sorry SMaturin, but there are only a few places in the Ionian that have laid lines, nearly all listed already. But lying back to a town quay on your anchor does become much easier and less argumentative once the August crowds have departed. There are plenty of places where you will want to do this, and you will soon get used to it.

- Pick somewhere without a cross-wind for your first attempts.
- Find your gap, move as far as possible out from it and start to reverse.
- Position someone right up front who is watching the gap which you plan to enter, directing the helmsman left or right. He/she can tell the exact moment to drop the anchor, which will be when your boat's bows are half way between between the neighbouring boats of the gap and about 5 boat lengths from the quay.
- If you don't get into the above position while reversing, start again. Don't just drop the anchor a couple of boat lengths out, or directly in front of a neighbour, in the hopes it will be OK.
- Get your chain down as quickly as possible as you reverse into the gap so that the boat does not drag the anchor. It does not matter if you put out too much as the extra can be pulled back in when you arrive.
- Remember an aft fender as well of course side fenders. It is permissible (even if a bit newbie-like) to hang onto one of the neighbouring boats for a few moments as you arrive, until your aft ropes are sorted.
- Almost always someone ashore will come and help secure your two aft ropes so you don't have to take a risky jump.
- Haul in your anchor chain and make sure the anchor has a good hold.

 

[vyv_cox]

Re: Ionian sea, Greece: Lefkas - Zakintos, Sep 1 - 15, Weather ? Berthing & Anchoring

I agree Andrew. As with most worthwhile activities in life it takes practice to do it well. But I still maintain it is easier to berth stern-to on your anchor than a lazy line in any wind. In Leros Marina the marineros will push your boat against cross winds to line it up for the lazy lines.

 

[jordanbasset]

Re: Ionian sea, Greece: Lefkas - Zakintos, Sep 1 - 15, Weather ? Berthing & Anchoring

Agree about stern to o anchor is easier than lazy lines. Am never worried about the former but when I come into my marina berth with a cross wind, especially if my neighbouring boats are absent, I always get worried about getting the lazy line on quickly enough.

 

[SMaturin]

Re: Ionian sea, Greece: Lefkas - Zakintos, Sep 1 - 15, Weather ? Berthing & Anchoring

"You're over my anchor". "The anchor is slipping and now we'll have to do it all again". "I've run out of chain and I'm still 10 metres from the quay". "You're dragging my anchor out". "Your anchor isn't holding, and now you are now leaning on me". "I seem to have pulled up this anchor (these anchors) with mine and I can't untangle them". All said in a cacophony of misunderstood languages.

Not to mention the additional fun and games if there is a strong cross wind.

Sorry SMaturin, but there are only a few places in the Ionian that have laid lines, nearly all listed already. But lying back to a town quay on your anchor does become much easier and less argumentative once the August crowds have departed. There are plenty of places where you will want to do this, and you will soon get used to it.

- Pick somewhere without a cross-wind for your first attempts.
- Find your gap, move as far as possible out from it and start to reverse.
- Position someone right up front who is watching the gap which you plan to enter, directing the helmsman left or right. He/she can tell the exact moment to drop the anchor, which will be when your boat's bows are half way between between the neighbouring boats of the gap and about 5 boat lengths from the quay.
- If you don't get into the above position while reversing, start again. Don't just drop the anchor a couple of boat lengths out, or directly in front of a neighbour, in the hopes it will be OK.
- Get your chain down as quickly as possible as you reverse into the gap so that the boat does not drag the anchor. It does not matter if you put out too much as the extra can be pulled back in when you arrive.
- Remember an aft fender as well of course side fenders. It is permissible (even if a bit newbie-like) to hang onto one of the neighbouring boats for a few moments as you arrive, until your aft ropes are sorted.
- Almost always someone ashore will come and help secure your two aft ropes so you don't have to take a risky jump.
- Haul in your anchor chain and make sure the anchor has a good hold.

These are just excellent instructions, thank you very much!
I've done a lot of parking stern to with lazy lines sailing in Turkey and Croatia , in crosswinds also, but never with the anchor instead. Visited Corfu and Crete before but never sailed in Greece. This is my first time, just me and my wife (as usual on vacation) Sun Odyssey 36 The only thing we are really missing now, our true friend and competent crew French bulldog, who left us at 14 years of age... really miss him.

Many thanks to everybody for your help !
Steve

 

[Adrian]

Re: Ionian sea, Greece: Lefkas - Zakintos, Sep 1 - 15, Weather ? Berthing & Anchoring

And get yourself a pair of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06Y5YPLHM/ref=pe_3187911_189395841_TE_dp_1
Bluetooth headsets, very difficult to hear the helmsman from the bow with the engine running and the chain chugging out, they have revolutionised our mooring and anchoring, in fact I'd go as far to say they are the best thing we've ever bought for the boat.