RupertW
Well-known member
Well, at the airport after a 2 week trip (cut down for work reasons) from Sani marina in Halkadiki to Brindisi.
The most continuously windy Med cruise we've done and had to push to get to Lakka in 9 days with some prolonged strongish wind sailing (40 knots plus on western side of Corinth canal) and some idyllic anchorages being more like white water than turquoise swimming pools. A few bits broke but we knew where to go to get engineering done fast (Patras) and other bits fixable by me.
But after 2 seasons in Greece we are now totally comfortable with stern to with anchor not the laid lines we are used to in Croatia. Dinghy hoisting takes moments and other boat routines down pat. Also sailing our rather sluggish boat much flatter than faster than before so all good except we made at least 2 howlers due to complacency - neither of which we would have done when more nervous.
Firstly we didn't have a Plan B for windy dusk arrival at Galaxhidi if no space apart from 'anchor outside' until about an hour before arrival when we identified an anchorage south or Itea marina but stupidly didn't fancy either so spent a night of strong gusts and 8 miles fetch tucked into the mouth of the inner old harbour with shelter from all but the 30 degrees the wind was coming from. And about 10 second to impact on the harbour side behind us if we drafted (4:1 scope in 2.5m depth). The anchor held as it always has but we did an anchor watch all night which the 2 of us almost never do.
Secondly was last couple of days after a 2 day break at Lakka - forecast winds dead ahead for 130 miles to Brindisi so we plan on 5 knots average as usual (twits), forget to read the pilot book bit about 1-3 knots current against us and to compound it all put BOTH the spare diesel cans into the main tank instead of leaving a sancrosant last can in case our fuel consumption calcs are very wrong (they have always been accurate to 10% before).
36 hours later and tack angles of 130 degrees against the current we are getting a diesel can being flung across to us in the very bouncy approach to Brindisi in near darkness which I then neatly divide into thirds - one to the tank, one to the side deck as the wind sprays it and one to my wife's face and arms as she holds the funnel. An hour later it's us tied up, beer and G&T and the whole thing an anecdote. Weird hobby.
The most continuously windy Med cruise we've done and had to push to get to Lakka in 9 days with some prolonged strongish wind sailing (40 knots plus on western side of Corinth canal) and some idyllic anchorages being more like white water than turquoise swimming pools. A few bits broke but we knew where to go to get engineering done fast (Patras) and other bits fixable by me.
But after 2 seasons in Greece we are now totally comfortable with stern to with anchor not the laid lines we are used to in Croatia. Dinghy hoisting takes moments and other boat routines down pat. Also sailing our rather sluggish boat much flatter than faster than before so all good except we made at least 2 howlers due to complacency - neither of which we would have done when more nervous.
Firstly we didn't have a Plan B for windy dusk arrival at Galaxhidi if no space apart from 'anchor outside' until about an hour before arrival when we identified an anchorage south or Itea marina but stupidly didn't fancy either so spent a night of strong gusts and 8 miles fetch tucked into the mouth of the inner old harbour with shelter from all but the 30 degrees the wind was coming from. And about 10 second to impact on the harbour side behind us if we drafted (4:1 scope in 2.5m depth). The anchor held as it always has but we did an anchor watch all night which the 2 of us almost never do.
Secondly was last couple of days after a 2 day break at Lakka - forecast winds dead ahead for 130 miles to Brindisi so we plan on 5 knots average as usual (twits), forget to read the pilot book bit about 1-3 knots current against us and to compound it all put BOTH the spare diesel cans into the main tank instead of leaving a sancrosant last can in case our fuel consumption calcs are very wrong (they have always been accurate to 10% before).
36 hours later and tack angles of 130 degrees against the current we are getting a diesel can being flung across to us in the very bouncy approach to Brindisi in near darkness which I then neatly divide into thirds - one to the tank, one to the side deck as the wind sprays it and one to my wife's face and arms as she holds the funnel. An hour later it's us tied up, beer and G&T and the whole thing an anecdote. Weird hobby.