Blog

Blog 2024.3

It took a while to finish this 3rd blog. It was a busy but fascinating summer with many great guests on board: family, friends and new friends. 4315 km traveled this summer. It has been good. Moreover, both sails are torn... These will be major expenses again this winter... :-(

Panormus bay.

A large but unprecedented bay in the Gulf of Corinth between Galaxidhi and Trizonia. With the prevailing westerly wind it is perfectly sheltered. However, there are only some weekend stays. No shops or taverns...

We go ashore with the dinghy and then walk to the next village:

Erateini. No sailors or foreign tourists here. A tavern with mermaids. We also find an authentic ouzerie. There are a few elderly people sitting on the terrace. The landlady is also elderly. We want to order a drink, but no one understands English. Greek only. The only thing they do understand is Ouzo. Apparently the only drink they have. But she does bring a bottle of ouzo, a large ice cup and a large bottle of cool water. For a bargain price. The Greeks still try to have a chat: with sign language... The real Greece!

2Rock bay:

Steep cliffs, a small beach within swimming distance, beautiful nature. At the top of the cliff there is a food truck and a wooden terrace with a beautiful view of the bay. There are 2 rocks at the entrance to the bay, hence the name.  The bottom is sand and rocks. So you have to be careful where you drop anchor, but that is not a problem because the water is crystal clear. 2Rock Bay is known by sailors and is quite full in the summer. Because there is almost no wind and therefore seems to come from all directions, the boats rotate around their anchor. In the evening we came within less than 2 meters of an Italian boat. Following Italian tradition, he started cursing and shouting that we had to move. I answer calmly but firmly that we are not moving. Relocating anchor is not without risk because you cannot see the bottom at night. After a while the Italians go to sleep and so do we. To be safe, I'll put up some fenders... In the morning everything seems fine. 😀

Ormos Oxia:

Anchorage between the mainland and the islet of Oxia (rocky, uninhabited). Quiet bay with a long sandy beach and a beach bar. From the beach it remains shallow for a long time. So you don't land with dry feet with the dinghy. The beach bar turns out to belong to a campsite. There is a beautiful wooden terrace on a beach with sun loungers and parasols. The service is very amateurish and the toilet is in a wooden building on the campsite. Idyllic and beautiful, but at nightfall the mosquitoes attack. As small as thunderflies, but the mosquito bites are itchy... Mosquitoes do not like salt water, but a river runs through the campsite...

Mytikas:

Mytikas is a village on the mainland opposite the island of Kalamos. The old harbor has been flooded. The quay walls are half a meter under water. No idea how that came about. But a new port has been built. This is only suitable for small motor boats, but there are also 6 berths for sailing yachts. These were of course all full. That is why we moored on the outside of the quay. Anchor out and stern at the quay.

It is a strange village, not touristic at all, you only see Greeks and a few Italians. No one seems to speak English... There are a few taverns along the pebble beach.

That night at 3am I wake up to a loud bang: thunder and lightning all around. And a fierce crosswind. I'm going outside to look. The anchor is scratching. The back of the boat touches the quay and the bow goes all the way to the left... I turn on the engine to keep the stern from the quai. This way I can keep the boat for a while, but the storm continues. 2 hours straight. The sailors on the other side of the quay also come to watch. They are 6 boats against each other and are holding up reasonably well. 1 of them, an Italian, asks if I need help. We lay a long line from the center cleat to the quay so that the boat cannot turn any further. Meanwhile, the street lights go out. It becomes pitch black except for the flashes of lightning. Then it starts to rain heavily. It's falling from the sky. I run inside and close all the windows and luckily I find a sailing jacket. Back outside. The wind shifts and the storm slowly passes. 😀

At 5 am I crawl back into bed but I haven't slept much anymore...

Ithaka en Odysseus

Frikes is a small harbor on Ithaka, Odysseus' island. We have dinner in the Odysseus tavern. There is a painting of Odysseus and the Sirens. I thought those Sirens were mermaids, but in the painting they are birds of prey with the head and torso of a woman. Like a harpy. I looked that up and the painting is true. The story is about a rock formation where the Sirens live. They seduce passing skippers with their beautiful songs. They then crash on the rocks and drown.  Odysseus also had to pass here on his 10-year journey home from Troy. However, he came up with a trick: he had his crew wear wax ear plugs. But he himself wanted to hear those songs. So he had himself tied to the mast and ordered his crew to sail quickly past the Sirens whatever he ordered. That's how he survived. In retrospect, it makes more sense that those enchanting songs come from a bird than from a fish... So more likely a harpy than a mermaid. ;-)

By the way, do you know how the Trojan War started?

With a quarrel between 3 women, goddesses in this case.  Hera, wife of Zeus, Athena, goddess of wisdom and war and Aphrodite, goddess of love argue over who is the most beautiful woman. Ultimately, they believe a man should decide. Paris, son of the Trojan king, is the chosen one. As is often the case in a competition, they try to influence the jury.

Hera promises him power, Athena military fame and Aphrodite the most beautiful woman in the world.

He chooses Aphrodite. She didn't mention that the most beautiful woman was already married. Namely with Menelaus, king of Greece...

During a state visit by the king of Troy to Menelaus, Paris meets the beautiful Helen. He kidnaps her and takes her to Troy. Menelaus does not accept that the Trojans simply take away his wife. He calls on all Greeks to go to war against Troy to retrieve Helen. Odysseus and Achilles, among others, participate in the battle against Troy.  This war would last 10 years...

Olympia

While the Olympic Games are in progress in Paris, we visit the place where the Olympic Games originated in 776 BC. The Olympic flame is still lit here in the temple of Hera.

Hera is the wife of Zeus.

The archaeological site is very extensive and also includes the temple of Zeus. This temple contained the statue of Zeus. 1 of the 7 wonders of the world. The statue was made of ivory and gold and 13m high. Too bad nothing remains except some images...

Keri Beach

Keri is southwest of the island of Zakynthos. The anchorage is in a large bay on the edge of a nature reserve with a view of Maratonissi Island (turtle island) on one side and Cameo Island on the other.

Cameo is a small horseshoe shaped island connected to the land by a wooden bridge. A cable is stretched between the ends of the horseshoe from which large cloths hang. No idea why, but it is special.

Tourist boats constantly sail from Laganas and Keri to Maratonissi Island. They hope to see the Careta Careta turtles there: large sea turtles weighing 80 to 100 kg...

At the southern cape there are steep cliffs with picturesque beaches.

We rent a scooter and visit Cameo Island, an olive oil press and a wine tasting.

Agios Nikolaos

Located on the north side of the island of Zakynthos.

It is not a village, but the departure point of the tourist boats to the Blue caves and shipwreck beach. About 20 yachts can moor at the quay. Dimitri manages the quay as well as the tourist boats and the gas station. You don't have to pay a mooring fee and you get free electricity and water if you eat in his sister's restaurant. However, the water is not drinkable, as is the case on the entire island...

We're having bad luck with our windlass. We can lower the anchor, but not raise it again... Fortunately, Dimitri has a few places with mooring lines. These are mooring lines that are attached to a heavy concrete block on the bottom, which you attach to the front of the boat, so you don't need an anchor. Heavy thunder is forecast that night. I have a chat with Dimitri and ask if it is safe. No problem, he says. The wind comes from southwest so we are sheltered.

That evening in the restaurant indeed lightning and rain heavily starts. We go to sleep around midnight. At 2am I wake up from a thump. The boat collided with the back against the quay. I start the engine to stay away from the dock. It's thundering with pouring rain and I'm only wearing swimming shorts. Christel is also up. Panic everywhere among the neighboring boats.

The wind is now coming from the south-east and is causing waves of 1 m that are lapping against the quay. Dimitri has arrived. And the lights of his car illuminate the dock. He provides us with a thick ball fender and helps with laying an extra spring and pulling the boat further from the quay on the mooring lines. Everything seems under control now: Just keep accelerating for a few hours and wait until the storm is over. But our Czech neighbors' boat is now in trouble. 1 of their mooring lines breaks and their anchor scratches so that their bow lies diagonally against us. As a result, our boat also tilts and hits our other neighbor's catamaran.  Moreover, we collide again with the quay on one side. I shout to the Czechs to lift anchor and leave. But they don't respond. They carefully keep their fenders between our boats, but the boats go up and down 1 m so that doesn't help...

After calling 10 times, they finally take action and leave. 😀

A little further along the quay there is another Belgian boat. They are less lucky. They have no mooring lines and use their anchor. But their anchor scratches and they go diagonally and eventually alongside against the quay. There are other boats next to them on the quay. They have to leave backwards and make laps at sea. It's raining so hard that they can barely see anything...

They have damage to both the front and the back of their boat.

We only have some scratches on the back of the rubber bumper.

The next day, Dimitri tells us that the concrete block of the mooring lines has shifted. Those must have been tremendous forces...

Trizonia

An island of a few km in size. A harbor with many winter visitors and abandoned boats, so to speak, wrecks. But they cleaned it up. There is a harbor master now and I have never seen so many boats there. And that in mid-September.  There is a nice beach with cozy taverns. It's a full moon. The last stop before we leave the water in Aigio. But even this morning when we want to sail to the winter storage, a thunderstorm arises. Not predicted.  :-(

The climate is ruined. This is not normal for Greece: in 2 weeks I have already had 4 such nighttime thunderstorms! And then again this morning... I have plan to come home before September next year. Had 2 storms in September last year...🤨

click on the picture below

Blog 2024.2

Kavaliani 

Kavaliani is a small uninhabited island between Evia and the mainland. 

You have to come within less than 100m to see the entrance to the harbor. There is room for only 3 boats. There is 1 fishing boat when we arrive, but it leaves in the evening to fish🎣. There is an asphalt road along the harbor. We walk around the island. We don't meet anyone. The asphalt road is sometimes overgrown by weeds and shrubs. A surreal environment. It's pitch dark at night but we can see a lot of stars⭐🌟. 

Evia: 

Upon arrival at Karistos (Evia), the harbor master warns us that meltemi winds will blow for the next 4 days. It is better to book a berth for 4 nights. All ports will be full to shelter from the meltemi. 

We are there for a day, waiting for the wind to calm down, but then we decide to sail to the island of Kea. The wind increases to 24 knots (6bft). But we sail downwind only on the genoa. The waves are coming behind. The boat rocks, but remains under control. Wonderful sailing and... We are moving forward! 

Viking ship:

We are in Karistos on the island of Evia, when a Viking ship sails in. We can tour the ship. Saga Farmann is a replica of a Viking ship that sank near Oslo. It has been recreated with the tools of the time. It has a draft of only 1.3 m and has no keel. That's why they filled the bilge space with 10 tons of rocks. It has a square sail and therefore cannot sail against the wind. That's why they built in a few electric motors. That's cheating, but they sailed all the way from Oslo to Evia! There is no cabin, so the 13-person crew has to sleep under a canvas. Amazing those Vikings at the time to sail to America with such a boat...

St John's Bay

Agios Ioannis or St Johns Bay is located in the north of the Gulf of Corinth. The coast is very steep with high mountains. That means you get adiabatic winds there. A strong offshore wind that blows from the mountain tops to the warm sea. The weather forecast calls for 7 to 47kn wind! Must have been a comma error... When we left Corinth the wind was moderate, but further north it increased to 24kn at the head. So only half of what was promised...😂😂 It was a really tough cruise with heavily reefed sails and eventually had to turn on the engine.

The bay itself is well sheltered and there is a buoy where we can moor. There are a few small boats moored at buoys but there is no harbour, just 1 house and 1 tavern...

The water is clear and good for snorkeling.

Repairs: 

It sometimes happens that the toilet is clogged. But this time it pumps empty, but does not suck in seawater for rinsing... 🤔

So suction does not work. I blow through the suction hose with an air pump and try again. Nope. But then I see that a fish is in the suction hose! He fits right into the hose and his head is in the pump. Never experienced that before! The fish must have accidentally been sucked in or he was curious about our toilet and swam in. That cost him his head! Anyway, fish was thrown back into the sea and the toilet works again! 😀

Anchor light 

The anchor light no longer works. We have difficulty finding the boat with the dinghy when we return from the restaurant. It still worked yesterday. The switch in the distribution panel seems okay so the problem is above... The anchor light is on top of the mast, 18.5m high. Want to take a look? The bulb is probably burned out. So it's best to buy a new lamp first. At home you would order it online and it would be in your mailbox the next day. But I don't have a mailbox on Atlantis and I doubt my postman will make it here...

In the port of Lavrio I find a shop for boat materials. I found an LED light now. That will last longer. 😀

With combined strength, Guy, Els and Christel pull me up into my hanging chair. Pretty scary up there. The seat is not really comfortable. But I can replace the bulb and it works again! 😀

A few hours later while sailing, however, the anchor light collapses, breaks in two on the boom and falls overboard. 😳

The lightbulb itself is still there and still works, but the fixture is gone. As long as it doesn't rain I can still use it...

Seawater pump

There is water under the engine. And therefore also in the bilge! The bilge room empties automatically with the electric bilge pump. But where does the water come from? It tastes salty. Seawater. The seawater pump that cools the engine is leaking! What now? We call Panos from our winter storage facility. He is willing to send a technician if we come to them in Aegion. We are located in Vrachati. More than 40 miles from there. Plus it's Friday and Monday is another Greek holiday! 🙄 Pentecost Monday this time! Orthodox calendar...

We have to be in Zakynthos next Friday evening. Christel has to catch her plane on Saturday morning and new guests are arriving that day.

From Aegio it is 4 days of sailing! Panos promises to send the technician on Tuesday morning. This should work out just fine! 

There is little wind. So on Friday we carefully motor to Diakopto. We anchored there for 2 nights to do an excursion we had wanted for a long time: a train ride through the mountains with a cogwheel train. The train tracks are extra narrow to get through the narrow tunnels and narrow bridges. Quite spectacular!  But unfortunately it is difficult to take pictures from the train. There is a winter sports center at the top of Kalavrita. You can ski there in winter. 

On Pentecost Monday we will sail to Aigio. Panos keeps his word and on Tuesday morning the pump is repaired with a new seal and bearings.

That same day we sail to Nafpaktos. There is a nice wind. 

Nafpaktos is a medieval port town. There are only a few moorings. So we anchor outside the harbor alongside many others. The wind is still picking up and it will be a restless night of sleeping next to the anchor alarm. (PS: that anchor alarm is on my phone 😉).

The wind also appears to be strong in the morning. We leave at 9:30 am and sail under the impressive bridge from Rion to Anti-Rion.

We have a strong tailwind and therefore decide to sail to Kyllini instead of Mesolonghi: 45 miles! (Normally about 10 hours of sailing).

We sail on a reefed genoa only. The wind increases to 32 kn with gusts up to 44 kn!

We fly over the 2 meter high waves. We even break our record with a peak speed of 11 knots! In less than 8 hours we reach our destination Kyllini. This way we gain 1 day and can chill out for a day on the large sandy beach of Kyllini.

And... finish our blog... ;-)

click on the picture below

Blog 2024.1

The departure date of May 1 is approaching. Holiday stress. Say goodbye to friends and family. What items should I bring? There are many jobs to be done before the boat can be launched. Order some materials quickly. What tools do I need? Quickly record some music for in the car and on the boat.⛵️

Packing clothes only takes half an hour👙.  My summer clothes are already at Atlantis.

Traveling always means encountering unexpected situations...

In Italy there is 1 major highway from north to south. Quite busy and the Italians drive like crazy. We eat our lunch in a parking lot and are accompanied by storks.

The intention was to stay with Antonio and Valentina in Bari. But her mother is sick. Terminal cancer...

She is now staying with them so we had to go to a hotel nearby...

Antonio himself is also ill. Virus in the intestines or something...

Bad luck...

I had a bad feeling when we got room 13...

Christel is also sick... ☹️

When checking in at the ferry, it turns out that I booked my ticket with a discount to which I am not entitled. So i have to pay 50 euros extra... 😕

Apparently it's Easter in Greece now. Orthodox Church⛪️. So no staff at the winter storage where the boat is located...☹️

We're going to have to find a trick to get onto the boat. And work on the boat will be postponed for a few days. Easter weekend here lasts until Wednesday. Everything closed until then...

☹️

But ...

the weather is nice. ☀️😎

Bad luck never comes alone...

On the ferry🛳 there was no place left for me to sleep on the couch. So I had to sleep on the floor💤. Actually I didn't sleep...

We did get on the boat Atlantis⛵️ on Sunday. But the promised repair to the windlass was not done. 

The said: We will talk about this Wednesday after Easter holiday...

But I want to get in the water in a few days! 😳

The deck of Atlantis is completely covered with leaves, seeds from olive trees and Sahara sand. So brush first      .

In the evening we went to the restaurant. But ALL restaurants are closed for Easter...

So we bought some cookies  🥐 at a bakery. Luckily we had bought a bottle of wine🍾 in Italy...

We've been living on cookies for a few days now...

No healthy Greek🍤🥗 diet so far...

We find a restaurant open on Monday evening! 😀

Finally real Greek food with Mythos, Greek beer.🍺👍

But the supermarket only opens on Wednesday, so we'll have to have cookies again for lunch on Tuesday...

Finally bought provisions on Wednesday. We have an appointment with the sail maker🙋‍♂️ for a new bimini. A difficult conversation🤨. Thursday evening again. Apparently he hasn't understood it yet because the holes for the solar panels are wrong again...😳🤨

The other work is finished😁, but Friday is another Greek holiday. So we can't get into the water until Saturday.

Phew, we're finally sailing again! 😀⛵️

After a tough sailing trip we land in Galaxidhi🏞. Nice village but the weather is not very good: cloudy, occasionally a drop of rain and only 22 degrees...☔️🌧

From Galaxidhi we make a long journey to Corinth. But the harbor is full. A flotilla of 12 boats occupies the entire harbor🚤⛵️🚤⛵️. So sailing back 7 miles  to Vrachati...

Another consultation and measuring with the sailmaker for the bimini...🙄 Then back to Corinth.

We have to wait another day there because the Corinth Canal is closed on Tuesdays apparently...

Corinth Canal:

The straight canal is approximately 6.3 km long, 23 m wide and about 8 m deep.

The stormy southern tip of the Peloponnese (Cape Malea) was a feared cape in ancient times. That is why freight ships preferred to be unloaded on one side of the isthmus, pulled 6 km on ox carts along the "diolkos" (a primitive railway line of which remains can still be seen) and launched and loaded again on the other side. This intense freight traffic created Corinth's wealth, and early plans were made for the construction of a canal.

The canal was finally open in 1893. From January 2021 to June 2022, the canal was not navigable due to a landslide.

Phew, we're finally sailing again! 😀⛵️

After a tough sailing trip we land in Galaxidhi🏞. Nice village but the weather is not very good: cloudy, occasionally a drop of rain and only 22 degrees...☔️🌧

From Galaxidhi we make a long journey to Corinth. But the harbor is full. A flotilla of 12 boats occupies the entire harbor🚤⛵️🚤⛵️. So 7 miles back to Vrachati...

Another consultation and measuring with the sailmaker for the bimini...🙄 Then back to Corinth.

We have to wait another day there because the Corinth Canal is closed on Tuesdays apparently...

Corinth Canal:

The straight canal is approximately 6.3 km long, 23 m wide and about 8 m deep.

The passage through the canal goes smoothly😉. A unique experience! Expensive: 265 euros!😲

On the other side we cross to Korfos.

We are moored on the quay of Papa George, a well-known fish restaurant. The scampi🍤🍤🍤 with ouzo were delicious! 😀

On the advice of our Dutch neighbors from Corinth, we sail to the island of Moni, near Aegina. It is uninhabited, but there are peacocks and deer living there 🦌🦌🦌which Christel is very happy with. We spend the night at anchor for the first time⚓️. Very turbulent. Gusts from all directions...🌬

Still slept well! 🙂

On Friday we will cross to Cape Sounio with the temple of Poseidon🏛. It remains cloudy, gray, windless and cold all day...😶‍🌫️😬

I even put on my long pants👖. First time ever in Greece. 😳

We anchor at the foot of the temple⚓️. We're getting another rain shower🌧. It looks like Belgium...🙄

We then decide to sail to Kea. The first island in the Cyclades🏝. The departure is very quiet with a headwind of 6 kn. But on the open sea the wind increases to 22kn on the nose!🌬(6 bft). We had to reef the sails, but we can still sail! 😀

Was this the infamous meltemi wind?🌪 No, because that arises in clear and warm weather with sheep clouds and can easily reach 8 bft.

We moor at the village quay of Korissia, small but cozy.

It's already dark at 9:30 PM when I come from the hairdresser🧔‍♂️. A 51-foot sailing yacht tries to squeeze between our boat and that of the neighbors, but there is not enough room. We show our goodwill and move up so that they just fit in. It's a charter boat with 10 Polish men on board. I tell their captain that the anchors are crossed. Their anchor chain lies over ours. Not true, they firmly claim. In the morning in daylight it clearly appears so. The captain👨‍✈️ apologizes and is prepared to leave for us. Problem solved.😉

It will be a wonderful sailing day to the island of Kythnos. Finally real Greek weather: radiant sun and nice and warm...🌞😎

Typical Cyclades village: white houses with blue windows and doors.

The next night we stay in a small bay on Makronissos. The largest uninhabited island in Greece🏝: 12 km long and 2 km wide. There are 2 beaches in the bay🐐🐐 with wild goats. It seems like the end of the world.  

We pick up our first guests in Port Lavrio and the sailmaker comes with the adapted bimini. Finally it's all right! Nice to have a good bimini again. 😀

click on the picture below

Blog 2023.3

Antikyra:

A village on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth. The Gulf of Corinth is 130 km long and about 10 km wide. Due to the tunnel effect, the wind can blow strongly from the west or sometimes from the east. When we moored in Antikyra there was a strong westerly wind. We are at anchor and with our backs against the pier. The wind comes straight on the nose. After a turbulent night we see that the wind has blown us closer to the pier. We pull the anchor up a bit, but a little later we are blown against the pier again. The wind is already going to 30 knots! We need to get out of here and lie down on the lee side of the pier. Not easy with this wind! We start the engine and lift the anchor, but it gets caught behind the anchor line of a local boat...

After a lot of struggling we finally get the anchor on board. We sail to the other side of the pier, drop anchor and head against the wind with the back to the quay. However, the anchor cannot get a grip on the bottom. So that's why there isn't a single boat on this side...

So, we moor alongside. Fortunately, one of us is still on shore and can pull the front of the boat against the wind to the quay. I do have a bow thruster, but it is to weak for this  wind...

A young Italian family with a smaller boat comes to moor next to us. It rocks so hard that it is almost impossible for them to get off board. I don't think they could sleep 1 minute at night. In the early morning they sailed towards Corinth.

A few days later the wind shifted to the east. It is still wind force 6, but we have a tailwind. On the genoa alone we sail at 9 knots! I found an anchorage spot to spend the night. It is a deserted, large open bay, but almost windless! It's strange while the wind is still blowing so hard half a mile further...

As a sailor of course you  need wind, but it doesn't always blow the way you want...

Once we were in a small bay on the island of Paxos. The small quay was full and we anchored between a dozen boats 10 to 15 m apart. At 7 o'clock in the morning someone knocks on the hull of the boat. Our neighbor: 'Your anchor is moving and you are approaching our boat!'

I come on deck and everyone is already up. A thunderstorm with rain and strong wind! Some other boats are also in trouble and there is suddenly a feverish rush. My crew, although inexperienced, responds quickly and adequately: the engine has already started and the other crew member is already at the windlass. We get away in time without a collision.

We circle around on engine for half an hour in a sheltered spot so that everyone has time to get dressed properly. Then the storm has already passed. No more rain! We can anchor again, but we decide to sail on to the next destination. We left nice and early and there is still a strong wind, so now we can make a longer day trip...

In mid-August I have an international crew: an Italian couple, an American and a Dutch lady. I'm the only Belgian...

We get acquainted and agree to all speak English. We quickly get along well. Antonio brings his harpoon gun. We sail to an uninhabited island and he goes diving. A little later he surfaces again with 2 large fish on his harpoon. That same evening they are on our BBQ! :-)

Ashore.

Slept ashore the first night. Still on the boat, but without the gentle rocking of the water. It feels strange after 5 months at sea...

The boat is located in a green spot between olive and lemon trees.

A few days of work now. Washing and drying sheets...

Difficult to dry because in the meantime storm Elias has arrived with strong winds and, above all, a lot of rain! There are many floods again, especially in the north of Greece.

The car doesn't start. The battery was dead after 5 months of standstill...

No problem, just use jumper cables and go to the supermarket.

But it doesn't start there again!

Then call ANWB: Where are you, sir?

At the supermarket of Aegium, Greece.

Where is that? Can you spell that? Can you send the location by text message?

Since when have you been on holiday?

May 1.

Oh but that's more than 150 days?? Then we can no longer repatriate you...

That's not necessary, I just need a new battery.

Well, we'll call the Greek roadside assistance for you then. Can take up to 2 hours, stay with your car...

The Greek roadman barely speaks 2 words of English...

Finally he charges the battery.

OK he says.

No wait! I switch off the engine and start it again: it doesn't make a sound!

Kaputt! He says. Would he speak German? 🤔

No, that's all he knows of German...

I ask for a new battery, but it is now 6pm on Sunday...

So let's drive back to our winter storage.

Panos, the man from the winter storage, gives us a 2nd hand battery for the time being and 2 days later they install a new battery. Now that's a service!

Now that we can drive again, we take a trip to Diakopto for a ride on an antique train through the mountains. But because of the storm he is not driving... On the way we see a group of flamingos along the coastal road!      

They make a typical chattering sound.

The first time we see them here in Greece...

The return journey to Italy goes smoothly. The ferry is on time.

We spend the night in San Marino near a shopping center. Enjoy cheap shopping and refueling. No more Greek food but pizza and limoncello. 😀

The next day to Germany (Black Forest).

We lose a lot of time in Italy: the highway between Bologna and Milan is closed and there are no detour signs...

It is already 7 pm when we drive across the German border and look for a hotel room. We find a cheap hotel just across the French border in Alsace. It is already 10 pm when we look for a restaurant. Everything is already closed in that French village...

Finally we find something in Germany: it looks like the canteen of the local football club. But it is pleasantly busy and very cheap and tasty.

The return journey through Germany goes smoothly and by the evening we are home and we get our traditional fries with stew and the Belgian chip shop.

Early November:

Been home for more than a month now, but I don't get used to it. Every day is gray and dark and raining... It makes me depressed and I also get a bad cold.

What a contrast!

In Greece 5 months of blue sky and 30 degrees...

We sailed 4440 km this summer in 524 hours.

We did have 2 storms in September:

Atlantis was already on shore during the second storm Elias...

Storm Daniel at the beginning of September caused many floods in Greece. Fortunately, that is no problem on a boat...

We were in the harbor of Petriti on Corfu. The waves came over the pier onto the boat. The lightning knocked out electricity throughout the village. A bit creepy at night on the street without street lights. They had put candles in the restaurants. But there weren't many customers there at the time...

The storm lasted a few days. We were unable to sail for 1 day. The next day there was still a lot of wind but less rain. After much hesitation, we left for Gaios on the island of Paxos. Quite rough sea in the beginning with headwind, but behind the cape we had half wind and things went quite well. We moored at the village square next to a mega motor yacht. Gaios is sometimes called the Saint Tropez of Greece: small but very fashionable. I went to the hairdresser there. Quite eccentric, he had to clear the room first. There was dense smoke. No idea what he was smoking there...

From Paxos we sailed on to Levkas in one go, a long day of sailing with strong winds and sometimes high waves, but we made progress. The next day in Spartochori on the island of Meganissi the weather had completely changed: no wind, blue sky and bright sun, a beautiful beach with a cozy beach bar and restaurant on the water. That is Greece! Enjoy!

While snorkeling I see something black swimming over the bottom. Fast as lightning. A squid? A little later he surfaces: a cormorant! Who would think of a bird swimming over the bottom of the sea...

Sirena.

The decision has been made: Sirena ⛵️🧜‍♀️, my sailboat in Zeeland, is for sale! It is against my heart, but it is not used enough. I'm better off making other sailors happy with it.

2 boats is 1 too many...

click on the picture below

Blog 2023.2

Peloponnesos.

From Zakynthos we sail to Katakolo on the Peloponnese. The strong wind has not completely died down yet and we get 8.5 knots under sail.

Katakolo is special because there is a train that runs to Olympia, where the Olympic Games originated in 776 BC. It is a large archaeological site with a museum. You can walk around in it for hours. What strikes me most are the images of griffins, centaurs, harpies and other combinations of animals and people. Apparently these were quite common at the time. Where do they come from? Did they really exist? Or pure fantasy? It's strange that they all look exactly the same. You wouldn't expect that if it's pure fantasy...

There are also many effigies of gods. They look just like humans. But the gods are depicted taller than men...

Did those gods really exist?

According to Von Däniken yes... His book The Odyssey of the Gods is interesting reading.

In the town of Olympia is an example of the first globe from the 3rd century BC.

What an accomplishment at that time! Eratosthenes had even calculated the circumference of the earth. At the time of Columbus, many still thought that the earth was flat... 18 centuries later!

Kyparissia: on the way we are joined by a swift. He demonstrates his acrobatics around the boat and seems to want to land but then doesn't...

The swift is a true acrobat in the air. It can fly in the air for hours. Food, sleep, sex, everything he does in flight.

In the harbor of Kyparissia we see many turtles swimming around! The village itself is on the slope, is not very touristy...

Pylos: is located in a large closed bay surrounded by beautiful rocks. The marina is chaotic: there is no management, it is full of abandoned boats and boats with permanent residents. At first we can't find a place until a young man from Tajikistan helps us find a mooring place. We give him a beer and get acquainted. He speaks very little English but tells us that he has been there for 5 months working on his boat. Monday he will finally leave for Rhodes.

Strong winds and rain are predicted the next day. So we stay for a day. We use this to explore the cozy town and to finish our first blog...

The strong wind has subsided. The morning is sunny and windless. We decide to sail back to Kiparissia and from there on to the Ionian Sea.

In Kyparissia we are welcomed by a local thunderstorm. The quay is already full. So we have to moor on the other side with a depth of 2.5m. Fortunately we only need 1.75m, but there can be a strong swell here...

The weather forecast indicates little wind, so we take a chance.

The next morning we sail to Katakolo. We have just docked and cleaned the deck of the boat when another violent thunderstorm breaks out.

Fortunately, we are already safely moored this time.

We sail the next day under a radiant sun to Zakynthos town. 🌞😎

From now on, summer has finally started! 😀

In Agios Nikolaos we can relax on the beach and swim while the washing machine is running..

Meanwhile, on the news we see heavy rain and flooding in Spain. That after months of drought. The same happened in Northern Italy. In the Netherlands and Belgium I have never experienced such a bad spring. Also here in Greece the weather was worse than usual. Global warming they say! Promise yes! Maybe we should produce a little more CO2? 😂😂

Don't complain, from now on great summer weather! 🌞😎

Frikes on Ithaka

We sail from our anchorage in Vlihko to Ithaca. 15 knots close to the wind. Tough but we are moving forward! Fortunately, the wind is less in the small bay of Frikes. Yet it is difficult to moor alongside between 2 sailing boats at the pier. We can just fit in.

Frikes can barely accommodate 8 sailing boats. There are 4 taverns and a cremerie. The village of Stavros is half an hour's walk away. In the village square is a statue of Odysseus and a model of his palace. That palace itself is a walk of half an hour, but we already visited that last year. This year we will visit the Maritime Museum of Stavros. There is a model of a sailing boat from the time of Odysseus. The hull planks were tied together with ropes...

The crew was at the oars. The slaves below. In the drawing they are blacks...

Sami also has a nautical museum with model ships, including the ship of Odysseus and the Titanic. There is also a ship from 1500 BC. There weren't many ports back then. The ships had to land on the beach and had a passerelle (gangway) to go ashore.

On the way to the museum, Christel finds a kitten on the road. Barely a few days old. She asks the neighbors if they want to keep and care for the pussy. The first send us away want nothing to do with it. There are many street cats here...

The neighbor across the street says after much insistence that he will take care of it. Oof.

Spartachori on Meganisi

Is an idyllic place. The boat is moored with the bow at the quay so that you can jump into the crystal clear water at the back. Ideal for snorkeling. There is also a beach with a cozy beach bar and a waterfront restaurant.

Christel finds a beautiful shell. A horn of 20 cm. It turns out to be a carnivorous snail. The animal is still alive so we take a picture and she puts it back in the water...

Abilaki on Meganisi

A picturesque bay where many boats anchor. At the very back is a small jetty of a restaurant. There can actually only be 3 boats, but we squeeze in and tie ourselves to a tree on the shore. The 3 boats that are already there are Sweden 🇫🇮 They don't know each other but it's midsummer night today and that's why they're looking for each other to sing and party together.

2 Rock Bay:

A well-known anchorage near Parga. There are 2 rocks in the bay hence the name. All around are steep slopes and even some waterside caves. It is great for snorkeling, clear water and many fish. On top of the slope is a food truck with a terrace. A beautiful view!

In the evening, however, a thunderstorm approaches. They also get nervous on the other boats. Everyone looks at the approaching storm... In the end it's not too bad: some dripping and increasing wind. After an hour it becomes quiet again. But the boat continues to roll violently. The waves are perpendicular to the wind direction. We cook a stew with chicken. A true challenge. Followed by a sleepless night. The next morning it's sunny again and 32 degrees...🌞😎

Mythological animals.

Griffins

A griffin has the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle.

Griffins drew the chariots of Apollo and Nemesis. They made their nest at the gold mines in the Gobi desert.

In the Middle Ages, griffins were common in heraldry. My English neighbors today also have a griffin flag: Oh it's a Welsh thing. They say...

Very coincidental just today that I write about griffins...

Centaurs

Centaurs have the body of a horse and the torso, head and arms of a human. So they have 2 torsos and 6 limbs...

They were considered a barbaric race that lived in the mountains of Thessaly and Arcadia.

The most famous centaur was Chiron. Very wise and just according to Homeros. He was the teacher of Achilles, Heracles, Perseus, Theseus,...

Harpies

Half woman half bird of prey.

Originally winged daughters of Electra and Thaumas. In the story of Jason and the Argonauts, King Phineus was punished by Zeus. He was put blind on an island with a buffet full of food, but whenever he wanted to eat, the harpies stole it from him. Eventually, Jason and his Argonauts freed him from the Harpies in exchange for the route to the Golden Fleece.

BTW: a harpy eagle is a real bird of prey from the Amazon jungle:  https://sgxl.nl/wauw-dat-een-grote-vogel-harpij-arend/

Greek cuisine

According to scientific research, the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest diet, especially the Greek, not the Italian (with pizza and pasta).

People don't bake with butter or margarine here, but grill on a charcoal fire: chicken, pork, lamb, goat, beef, scampis, squid, octopus, fresh fish, ... 

They eat a Greek salad with olives and feta cheese.

Some typical dishes:

Moussaka: like lasagna but without pasta with eggplant and potato pieces

Pita with gyros of chicken, pork, beef or lamb with fries and vegetables.

Stifado: stew with meat or rabbit and spicy tomato sauce

Pastitio: pasta dish with béchamel sauce and minced meat

Spetsofai: stew with spicy sausages and a tomato, red wine and honey sauce. Spicy seasoned!

Souflaki: skewer grilled on the BBQ with chicken or pork.

Kefalonian meat pie: with puff pastry and meat pasty

Tzatziki: Greek yogurt with cucumber and lots of garlic.

Roasted goat: goat on a spit

Chicken in red wine sauce

Tarama: fish eggs.

Shrimp Saganaki: scampis cooked in a sauce with melted Greek cheese.(Saganaki)

Grilled and stuffed octopus

Baklava: dessert with puff pastry and honey.

spanakopita : puff pastry filled with cheese and spinach

Ouzo: aniseed-based spirit.

click on the picture below

Blog 2023.1

Departure.

This year we are driving the car to Greece again 🚘. The plane is not an option. We have too much luggage: a new dinghy (rubber boat). Aluminum profiles, tools     🔧 to install new solar panels etc.

Good thing we have a 5 door. The car is full!  👝🛍

Sunday at 11 am everything is packed and we drive to Neuenburg am Rhein in the black forest 🌲🌲 between Freiburg and Basel. We book on the go with booking.com. It's a self check in hotel. We receive a code by email to open the hotel room. But this one doesn't work...

Now what?

After 4 unsuccessful attempts I notice that I booked for May 1 instead of April 30...😬🙄

After some searching, I find a phone number with the reservation. It's going to be okay! 😄 Luckily I was able to explain it in German. Italian would have been more difficult...🤔

The hotel room has an extra large TV screen 🖥 and we can watch Netflix 😉!

On the ground floor is a Vietnamese restaurant where we eat delicious duck with curry 😋.

The next day we drive to Rimini, a fashionable Italian seaside resort. We're staying 200m from the beach🏖, but it's not a beach weather. Pouring rain 💧☔️🌬 and strong wind all day...

Ancona the next day is only 1.5 hours away. However, the crossing has been postponed to 11:30 PM instead of 4:30 PM...

We walk about in Ancona: there is a miles long market today. Even bigger than the May market in our home village of Koewacht...

There is a choppy sea 🌊 but the ferry crossing 🛳 goes well and 22 hours later we land in Patras. An hour later we arrive at the winter storage. It is already dark and we have to enter through the back gate. Our boat is not in place!? 🤔 We search around the whole site. No Atlantis!

Now what?

We text to Panos, the manager: Atlantis has been moved and well hidden, behind the storage next to the orange tree 🍊. A ladder is ready so we can quickly board to prepare our bed. 🙂

The next day: cleaning up, preparing the guest bedrooms, making appointments with Panos about the repairs 🛠. In the evening we will pick up the guests, handymen actually, at the Kiato train station 🚆, an hour by car. We dine together in a typical Greek fish restaurant 🐟😋.

The next 2 days it's very hard work: sanding and painting the hull, unclogging the toilet   🚽  , placing a radar reflector at the top of the mast, arranging waterway tax (eTepai), stocking up on provisions 🛒 and especially installing the bimini and new solar panels...

Friday evening just before darkness everything is ready for the launch. We sail in the dark to Trizonia🌅, a small island 6 miles away.

There are no shops, but a beach and restaurants.

Saturday with tailwind to Nafpaktos. Only 2 sailing yachts can be moored in the medieval harbour. We have to anchor outside ⚓️. We sail in with the new dinghy. It's a nice cozy town with ramparts ⛰️ and fortress on the hill.

Sunday under the bridge 🚦⛵️🚨 to the Gulf of Patras with destination Messolonghi. An uninteresting sleepy village, but we don't go ashore. We sail the canal 🏞 past pole houses. We drop anchor and organize a BBQ🥓🥩🍗 on board.

We're having a music quiz🎶🎵 with Spotify📻. Frank can't be beat...

Monday we cross over to Poros on the island of Kefalonia. Poros is the first real marina we visit. We can fill the water tank 💧 and there is even a sanitary building with 2 degraded toilets. No shower, no shore power...

The village is 20 minutes away. There is a long sandy beach⛱️ and of course many restaurants...

On the way to the village is a nice cocktail 🍸🍹 bar between the rocks.

From Poros we sail to Argostoli on the other side of Kefalonia. It's sailed all the way to the city ⛵️. Argostoli is the capital of Kefalonia. It was rebuilt after an earthquake. And they did a good job: a long promenade with palm trees 🌴🌴, beautiful squares with terraces, a long shopping street...

We play poker with the chapeau🎲🎲 until late at night. But still we get up early to see the turtles in the harbor 🐢🐢🐢.

Then we sail in 1 leg to shipwreck beach on Zakynthos. Close to the wind with a slope of 20 degrees, but we are moving forward fast! 😀

If you see 10 photos of Greece, shipwreck beach is 1 of them: white beach with shipwreck surrounded by high white cliffs.

The water is crystal clear and deep blue🌊.

Normally it's full of tourists with tourist boats 🚤. But now you are not allowed to land or anchor there, so we take some pictures and sail on to Agios Nikolaos, a small harbor on the other side of Zakynthos. From here you can visit the Blue caves with a tourist boat 🚤 and snorkel there.

Zakynthos town. 

Our guests / handymen take the plane ✈️ home. We stay blown away for a few days in Zakynthos at wind force 8...🌬 We are anchored and with the stern on the quay. The wind comes on the nose and to the side. The anchor is therefore very loaded.

Quite exciting: the wind howls through the rigging. The boat wobbles on the waves. Our French neighbor's windmill is almost flying apart 😄. His batteries will be well filled...

Then the spectacle begins: the anchor ⚓️ of our Dutch 🇵🇾 neighbor has come loose. His boat hits the quay with its back. He must leave his mooring place. Due to the crosswind, however, he goes over the anchor chain of his British neighbour. The Brit has to turn on his engine so as not to hit the quay himself. He doesn't dare turn off his engine anymore and stays up all night...🙃

A little later another British boat gets into trouble. He is a young man with little experience. Fortunately, someone from the harbor comes to help him. They also sail out but get entangled in their neighbours' anchor chains... Everyone on board panics to hold off that British boat 😲  . Eventually it will lie alongside a little further, but its anchor chain is right across those of 3 other boats...🙃  

The next morning it is a bit quieter and that anchor chain is cleaned up. But in the afternoon the wind picks up again. Even a bit more intense than the day before... 🌬 Fortunately no more incidents 😀. oof

The next day we can leave for the Peloponnese...⛵️🙂

click on the picture below

Blog 2022.4

Sagiada.

Sagiada is a fishing port near the Albanian border. The village is a 20 minute walk 🚶. There is 1 supermarket and 1 bakery   . There are 3 restaurants and 2 bars in the harbor. And there is a webcam: https://www.webcameras.gr/loc_wc/webcameras.asp?ID=311🎥🥂

The port is free. There is no electricity but there is water. The harbor entrance is only 8m wide and 2.5m deep. So large yachts and catamarans cannot enter. So very quiet...

But just outside the harbor just in front of the quay where we are moored a motorboat is in trouble 🚤. His engine has failed (overheated) and he is drifting towards the rocks. His auxiliary motor (outboard motor) does not start either...

He pushes his boat off the rocks with an oar and tries in vain to start, but the wind keeps pushing him towards the rocks so that he has to push off again. A bald man who was fishing on the quay comes to the rescue, but doesn't dare to go into the water...

We do and pull the boat to the jetty.

So a bit of action in this quiet place.

But the big spectacle has yet to begin...

Soon the wind picks up to 6 bft💨. And a flotilla with 5 sailing boats comes in. The first is able dock after several attempts and with our help. The captain👨‍✈️ is the flotilla leader. The next boats have an inexperienced crew...

Despite the help of their flotilla leader with his dinghy, they all end up in a pile in the corner of the harbour. Their anchors are scattered across the harbour...⚓

In the evening the wind dies down and everyone goes dining talking about their adventure 🃏.

Euphemia

We sail from Meganisi to Sami on Kefalonia. A long journey. Upon arrival at 18:00, the wind picks up to 25 kn = 6 bft.🌬 However, the harbor is full because a large flotilla has docked. Those flotillas are very annoying. The harbors are not big and when a flotilla of 10 boats or so arrives...

Together with some other boats we are circling in the harbour not knowing what to do until the harbour master makes a sign that everything is full...😒

So we sail to the nearest harbour Eufemia 4 miles back. Plan B. This is even a smaller harbour and is therefore also fully booked!😦 Several boats are already anchored in front of the harbour ⚓️.

The good anchorages are already occupied. So we quickly drop anchor near the harbour entrance. ..Whew we're save 😃. After us a few more catamarans arrive and lay alongside the tugboats 🤔. However, they are quickly chased away and a little later they come to lay a large tow raft full of stones. The raft is only a few meters from us, but they don't tell us to leave.🙂

Lucky because we didn't actually have a plan C...🤭

In the evening the wind dies down and we can go to the village with the dinghy to have dinner.

The next day when we pick up our anchor it turns out that we are hooked to the chain of another boat because we anchored to close to the harbor 😕. But we know how to solve this and half an hour later we are on our way to Lazarus beach, a beautiful deserted beach, to snorkel...⛱ 

Patras on our way to winter storage.

The plan was actually to sail from Killiny to Mesolonghi, but the wind was good and we both don't like Mesolonghi... So we set sail to Patras: 40 miles!⛵. We arrived at 6 pm. No more harbour master , so moored at our previous place. Just when we started the anchor drink , a boat came by: you are on my place! So we left again, .. but no place left in the harbour... There was a strong wind and there are no anchorages...😵 Thunderstorms were predicted at night and strong winds the day after...🤔 They told us to go to the 'new' port. Never heard of it. That turned out to be just a small corner on the quay in the ferry port. There were already 5 boats, just 1 small spot left... We squeezed in with the help of the German neighbours. Oof.

It is very industrial but close to the center and we are safe.

Toilet troubles

A boat toilet is very different from a regular toilet on land. There is a limited supply of potable water on board💧, so seawater is used for rinsing. There is a hand pump to empty the pot and also to pump flushing water into it. The faeces simply end up in the sea.

One day Caroline says: the toilet is clogged. I can no longer move the pump. After a few minutes Christel comes into the cockpit and says voila! It's okay again!

Meanwhile, Bianca and Shirley swim around the boat 🏊‍♂️🏊‍♀️. Bianca says: hey there are leaves 🍂🍂 in the water. Eek no! It's... 

Why do they even use that toilet? I almost never use it myself. You can just do your needs during the morning swim, right? Then you don't even need toilet paper...

The fish love it. After a few minutes everything is cleared up.

Flotilla

You sail on your own boat (rented, but without a captain). But not alone. There is a flotilla leader who sails with a separate boat and plans the route and books the restaurant. Each boat sails at its own pace, but in the evening they all come together again. In case of problems you can ask the flotilla leader for assistance. The ideal combination between freedom and security.

A formula that is increasingly successful. But this success also has a downside. Many harbours and anchorages have limited space and when a flotilla of 10 boats arrives, everything is fully booked. Then you just have to find another place to moor... Very annoying.

Back home

This time we have a winter storage in Aigio in the Peloponese near Patras. There is no marina. They launch a trailer on the beach. You just sail the boat on the trailer and it is pulled ashore with a heavy tractor 🚜. While you are still on the boat you are driven over the beach, across the street to the boat parking. Simple but it works. It even went very smoothly.

After a few days of packing we leave for home 🏠.

First by taxi to the bus station in Aigio. Then an hour by bus to Patras. Then another 4 km on foot 🚶‍♀️🧑‍   to the ferry port with our luggage. We should have taken a taxi here...

We board the ferry in the evening and sleep on board on a deck chair and inside on leather seats. In the afternoon we arrive in Ancona Italy. We drink an Italian wine🍷 on a terrace and meet Jonas, a young German who has bought a boat in Greece and wants to live on it. In the evening we get on the Flixbus🚍 with him. We drive through the night and arrive in Frankfurt in the afternoon. Only half an hour late this year. We try to book the train ride on the bus, but that doesn't work...🤔 So we have to look for a counter in the Hauptbahnhof in Frankfurt. Time is running out. If we don't catch the first train, we have to wait 2 hours and we arrive in Sint-Niklaas in the evening. Then there will be no more bus to our home...😯

Finally found the counter. About 10 of them, but we are not alone we have to draw a number and wait... 20 min we estimate. Too late then. So just go to a free counter without waiting for our number.☺. Success! We still have 6 minutes to find the train. We had to run for it🏃‍♂️ but we managed!

Traveling by public transport is always stressful. I'd rather take my own car...🚗

Anyway: spent only 2 days on the road, slept 1 night on the ferry and 1 night in the Flixbus.

Back home!🏡.

This summer we sailed 3500 km in 4 months ⛵.

Now we can make plans for next year... ;-)

click on the picture below

Blog 2022.3

July 28 is an unlucky day.

On this day I wanted to send this 3rd blog.

We are on the city quay in Preveza and have Wi-Fi from the restaurant opposite .🙂

I actually write my blog on my phone in Keep, a kind of notebook from Google.

Today I wanted to delete a paragraph but due to my clumsiness the entire blog has been deleted...😨

There is no backup. So I have to rewrite everything...🙄

The day started with a discussion in the boatyard where Atlantis was located this winter. It was agreed that they would replace the hatch of the rope shed. They first asked 190 euros for this. When it was finally done, 2 months late, they charged 300 for it. After an angry email from us, we still had 250. But we stood our ground and after a heated discussion we managed to get rid of it with 190 euros.

Inflation also starts to count here. Not only the diesel price, but also the mooring fees in the ports. Here in Preveza we pay 15.70 euros today, last year 5.80...

But still not as expensive as the Netherlands I estimate 30 euros for Atlantis and in Italy and Croatia sometimes 130 euros and that was 2 years ago, before inflation...

Greek animals

Dolphins

We have often seen them in the Gulf of Corinth. They swim along the boat and in front of the bow, sometimes jumping out of the water. A pleasure to see. Sometimes it's a whole school. Or should I say herd because they are not fish but mammals. They are most closely related to cattle. But are perfectly adapted to marine life. Their nose has moved to the top of their head. In mammals, the esophagus is located behind the trachea. In dolphins, the windpipe goes right through their esophagus, which is sometimes difficult when they swallow a large fish🐡.

Turtles

Careta careta, these Turtles are 80 to 100 cm long, are skittish and sometimes come with only their head squeaking 😄. From a distance they look like a swimmer. They are carnivorous: crabs, crustaceans, fish... They are protected here in Greece by the Sea Turtle Society ARCHELON.

Restaurant cats

Every restaurant has one. They live on the leftovers that the restaurant visitors give them.

Some Greeks also give them food at nightfall.

They especially like the prawn heads 😋🦐.

Stray dogs 🐕🐕🐕 

you also see in the streets they are solitary and less number than the cats. But also looking for food..

They sometimes sleep on the street or walk around aimlessly, but they don't bother anyone.

Parrot and dog

In Antikyra we meet Elisabeth and Adriaan from NL👫.

Also traveling with the sailboat ⛵️ and in the company of Coco and Zorba .

Coco is sitting on deck on a stick and Zorba is walking around on the boat. When Adriaan walks the dog, she walks down the street with Coco on her shoulder.

Pleasant people who quickly make social contact.

Fishing

Fishing seems to be a national sport in Greece. In small fishing boats or just with a fishing rod along the waterfront 🎣. I wonder if they still catch something. In some places you see few fish, but usually in the harbor 🎏. In Spartachori on the island of Meganisi the water was crystal clear and I made some underwater shots with the Go pro📸. You see the same blue fish as in Croatia 🐟🐟. Apparently they know no borders. They swim in schools and are 20 to 25 cm long. When I wear blue swimming shorts, they spontaneously swim around me. 🙂🏊‍♂️.

Anchor troubles

Anchoring is always a bit of an adventure. You never know what's at the bottom. For example, we picked up a bicycle in Antikyra. It hung from our anchor when we picked it up about 50 m from the beach... How did it get there?🤔

In Vlikho our anchor chain was completely twisted around an old ship's anchor with 4 arms. Must have been from a large ship. It was very heavy and full of barnacles. How do you start with that? First pull up as high as possible with the anchor winch. Then Christel jumps into the water and I lower a rope with a loop. She ties the rope around the anchor. I couldn't lift it. So fasten it to the railing, release the anchor chain and then try to untangle. It took half an hour...

In Platarias we had double bad luck: the throttle cable broke when sailing out. I could still shift gears but no throttle... Bettina had to push a lever in the engine compartment to power the boat. So we docked again. And then we had to wait for a technician for 2 days to replace the throttle cable... When that was finally repaired, it turned out that there was a mooring rope around our propeller...🙄

So Christel and I dived under the boat to untangle the rope, but it was hopelessly stuck. Fortunately, our neighbor was able to get the job done with his scuba gear.

Epidauros

An amphitheater that could seat 12000 spectators. So well preserved that performances are still given today. The acoustics are phenomenal. When you light a match🧨 on stage, you can hear it all over the seats. They didn't need a microphone and speakers back then...🎤🎙📢

Near the theater is the Asklepieon, an ancient hospital🩺💊 and a temple in honor of Asclepius, God of medicine. They used mineral springs💧 and snakes🐉🐉 Hence the symbol of the staff around which a snake is twisted.

Antique Corinth

Just outside modern Corinth, ancient Corinth sits on an isthmus between the Gulf of Saroni to the east and the Gulf of Corinth to the west. Before the canal was built, everything was transhipped and transported to the other side. Sometimes with boat and all.

The oldest part is from the 8th century BC. The Temple of Apollo is the best preserved. About 550 BC. The columns are in 1 piece.

Unbelievable how they were able to carve it out and put it in place without any iron tools.

Mycenae

Here was the oldest high civilization of the European mainland. The Minoan of Crete was even older...

The citadel of Mycenae is from the 14th century BC. It is located on a hill. The walls were up to 14 m wide and were called Cyclopean walls by the later Greeks because they thought they were built by giants. They consist of gigantic stones. The entrance with the lion gate is still well preserved. Only the heads of the lions are gone. They probably consisted of a different material. Inside the fortress is a secret passage to a water supply cistern. This is connected by an underground aqueduct to a source outside the fortress. This enabled them to withstand a long siege.

The tomb of King Atreus is outside the citadel. It is also called the Tomb of Agamemnon after the Greek king and leader of the Trojan War, but this was more than 100 years later. You arrive at the entrance along a 33 m long stone corridor. It has a 9 m long capstone of 120 tons at the top... The tomb itself resembles a beehive. They have made a stone circle with a new circle with smaller diameter on it. And then another one until, at a height of 13.5 m, these are finished with a keystone. It's not clear to me how they managed to build this without it collapsing.

What strikes me is that the further you go back in time, the more impressive the buildings. They worked with gigantic stones. It seems as if knowledge has been lost over time, although you would expect that knowledge will continue to increase through exchange. Would they have had teachers at the time? The gods maybe? Or an alien civilization as Von Däniken claims?

https://youtu.be/NfKpZIMPiaw

As for that alien civilization, that's not as unlikely as it seems. There are so many stars and planets in the universe. It seems very unlikely to me that we are the only civilization. Suppose we are indeed the only one. That's really scary!

If aliens exist, they are probably much further ahead than us. Evolutionarily speaking, our civilization is very young. Unless you assume that a civilization only has a short lifespan. Maybe because it's self-destructive...

That was the philosophical note of this blog again...

See you next time

click on the picture below

Blog 2022.2

From Corfu we sail via Paxos back to the boatyard in Preveza. After a farewell BBQ on board, we put Johan ashore with the dinghy where his car is. He will tour the Peloponnese for another 10 days...

The next day we have dinner with Arthur and Adriana., a British/Romanian sailing couple we met last year in Margarona.

They will sail towards Corfu and we will sail towards Corinth. We will stop at our favorite BBQ place at Nidri, then Astakos, Messolonghi and Patras.

Patras is the largest city in the Peloponnese, very busy, with a long shopping walking street.

The marina is very basic; the toilets and showers are in the basement below the amphitheater. There is no toilet paper nor soap and not even lighting...

Coincidentally, there was folk dancing that evening in the open-air theater of the marina. Very exciting music that sometimes seems a bit Turkish, but the Greeks will never admit that.

We also visited the archaeological museum with beautiful mosaics.

Then we left to Nafpaktos, a medieval port town. We moor in the small harbor. Next to us was another Flemish sailboat and then the harbor was almost full...

The next stop is Trizonia; a small island with an abandoned marina. We moor alongside a concrete pier next to a large motor yacht

There is a strong offshore wind which makes mooring difficult. Why can't the man on that motor yacht not lend a hand by taking our mooring ropes? Motor yachties and sailing yachties don't mix well...

But then he comes to help. But he has no arms... Luckily his wife has arms and can help us, so it'll be okay. It's amazing how 'handy' he is with his feet...👣 This way he can hang the laundry effortlessly🤔 

In the evening someone comes to collect mooring money. But Christel sends him away: where was he when we had to dock? And there is no electricity nor plumbing! He drifted off without berth money...

Itea is a half-deserted port, no electricity nor plumbing, but water is available. There is not much to do in Itea itself. It was rebuilt after an earthquake, with wide straight streets without a center. 

Here we take the bus to Delphi. Impressive archaeological site🏛. From the 8th century BC there was an oracle here. A certain Sybille made prophecies from a rock..   That rock is still there. Right next to it is a pointed stone: the navel of the world🌎 Zeus flew 2 eagles and where they met was the center of the world. So that pointy rock in Delphi...

The site is beautifully situated between the mountains overgrown with olive trees and cypresses.

There is also an amphitheater and stadium where the Pythian games took place every 4 years, an equivalent of the Olympic games 💪👏

A philosophical reflection.

Thus, with the oracle, the Greeks believed in the predestination of fate. I think it's a depressing idea. So there is no free will. The gods determine your destiny. Fortunately, I don't believe in God. I think the world is at your feet. If you have some guts and perseverance you can achieve anything. The Beatles made a beautiful song about it at the time: Nowhere man:

He's a real nowhere man,

sitting in his nowhere land,

making all his nowhere plans for nobody.

Doesn't have a point of view

Doesn't know where he's going to

Isn't he a bit like me and you?

Nowhere man please listen

You don't know what you are missing

Nowhere man the world is at your command

He is as blind as he can be

Just sees what he wants to see

Nowhere man can you see me at all?

Nowhere man don't worry

Take your time don't hurry

Leave it all til somebody else lends you a hand.

I see many people stuck in their daily routine. Getting up on time every day, going to work, maintaining the garden, doing odd jobs around the house, cleaning, ... They are in their comfort zone and don't dare to leave. Those people are sometimes jealous that I tour in Greece all summer. But they can do that themselves too. If I can do it why can't they ? I am nothing more than them, it's a matter of priorities. Focus on what makes you really happy. Don't focus too much on money. Money is not that important. All important things in life are free: the sun, nature, friendship, love,...

To me you are not rich until you have the freedom to do what you want to do. It doesn't matter how big your house🏘or car🚙 is...

Hopefully I'll get some responses to these musings. Nothing more interesting than a philosophical discussion!

The Gulf of Corinth

The Gulf of Corinth is less touristy than the islands. There are people on the beach, but they are mainly Greeks. They always address me here in Greek. I am blending in...😀

Agios Isodorus: concrete pier overlooking the beach. In a beautiful quiet bay. There is a beach bar🏖 but no shops or restaurant.

When mooring in Antikyra we get help from our Flemish friends from Nafpaktos. In the evening we invite them aboard Atlantis🍷🍻. We have a nice drink and cool sailing stories ⛵️ are exchanged.

It's the hottest day yet 37 degrees or so. I'm installing the windcatcher. A tarp over the bedroom skylight to channel the wind in. But at 3 AM a strong wind suddenly picks up and the windcatcher blows away and hangs on the railing. So get up and at the same time, lay a spring and rearrange the fenders. After an hour the wind is gone again.

From Antikyra we sail east to Agios Isodoros with a moderate wind of 3 kn. At a narrow passage between 2 islands the wind suddenly goes to 23 kn😲! The boat leans strongly so that the gangway is completely submerged. Fortunately we got it under control quickly and we reefed the genoa and partly the mainsail. Inside, everything has been pushed to one side and has fallen off the table and what's worse, my cap (with that shark on from Haaijan ) is gone 🤔! The wind picks up to 25 knots or 6 bft. After an hour of fighting this wind we arrive at our destination. A narrow bay with 1 tavern and 1 house🏞. Very secluded and well sheltered from the wind. I don't immediately see a possibility to moor and I already want to turn back when a motorboat passes and tells us to moor at a buoy. The buoy only consists of 2 plastic bottles, but we commit ourselves anyway. The boat turns with the wind up to 10 m from the rocks but it is still 7 m deep there. So okay. Then we are attacked by a cloud of flies. According to an old man ashore, they are blown into the bay by the north wind. We dine in the tavern and meanwhile the wind has changed and the flies have disappeared.

After the morning swim I found my cap again (it got stuck on a mooring line at the back of the boat). My day can not be ruined!

We sail to the Alkionides Islands for a lunch stop and for snorkelling. The water is crystal clear and there are no other boats just a lot of seagulls.

After lunch to Kiato.

Stylish town with a shopping street and an old harbor full of fishing boats. Christel buys a fish from the fishermen for 3 euros and gets 2 more fish, that's how it goes here. A few days ago we got 3 brochettes for free 🥓 at the butcher...

Vrachati: a brand new harbor but there are only a few fishing boats and 1 Greek sailing yacht ⛵️ with Polish flag. There is no harbor management, no water or electricity, but also no mooring fees, so that's OK. There is no village, but there are kilometers of beaches with umbrellas, sunbeds and beach bars and amusement parks. This is where the Athenians come for a day trip with the family👨‍👩‍👧.

Then to Corinth: An old and tatty marina with some fishing boats and 1 sailing yacht.

Electricity and wateris available! That means we can use the air conditioning ❄️.

We can't find a rental scooter, so we take the bus to ancient Corinth.

It is a large archaeological site with museum, well worth the effort. In the museum, the 2 kouros statues particularly stood out: life-size statues of 2 naked young men. But I'm not allowed to take a picture of it... On the site itself the temple of Apollo🏛.

I wonder how they lived in the 8th century BC. and how such monolithic columns could have been carved and lifted. They have been there for centuries, while our modern houses rarely last more than 100 years.

We also visited the Corinth Canal; the connection between the East and the West of Greece. The canal is still closed after a collapse a few years ago, but should be reopened soon.

We made a video of a bungy jumper...

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Blog 2022

Departure

What do you take with you if you are going to live on a boat in Greece for 4.5 months?

2 knickers, 2 pairs of socks, 2 t-shirts and 1 shorts. Small sports bag. But also: a flagpole, 3 batteries of 32 kg each, a metal plate to repair the passerelle, tools: drill, saw, wrench set,...

Fortunately, we drive with a large van from Johan.

Christel arrives by plane 2 weeks later.

We leave in the afternoon and have a ferry the next day in the evening. We have to be there a few hours before. So 24 hours for 1400 km, but it already takes a few hours to get past Antwerp...

Many traffic jams and diversions. And many storms. Drove on until 2 am. A few hours sleep in the camper and at 6 am on the road again.

Italian highways are busy but we are making good progress and the sun is shining in Italy 🌞😎.

So still plenty of time to have a drink at the marina in Ancona.

Boarding is at 8.30 pm but it will take until 10 pm before we set sail.

We are the first to board, but the last to disembark in Greece...

When we arrive in Preveza it is already dark. So first go eat a pita on the promenade and drink a few large pints and sleep in the car again...

The next morning to the shipyard. Atlantis is still there!

Getting ready

Now a few days of hard work to get the boat ready to sail again.

Control of the work of the shipyard: windows closed, clamps replaced, engine maintenance, sail drive sealing, genoa sail repair,...

Then replace the 2 light batteries with 3 new ones: 3x 125 kWh instead of. 2x 145 kWh. Adjust battery cables and fix batteries. Fortunately, Johan is very handy here...

Install sails, bimini and solar panels.

Pay e-Tepai waterways tax via a Greek app and the post office.

The cool box does not seem to work properly, so renew the connection.

Renew the passerelle with metal tear plate and a piece of carpet.

Replaced car radio with a version with Bluetooth.

Install flagpole and steering wheels.

Have someone look at the ship's log and depth sounder.

Pump up Dinghy and test outboard engine.

Thorough cleaning.

And some other little things I forgot...

So 3 days of hard work and Atlantis could go into the water!

But the engine didn't work...😕

Turned out to be a problem with the weed filter seal. So solved quickly! And sailed to Vonitsa.

Perched on a rock!

Cozy village on the Amvrakikos inland sea. 

The next day we anchor in Vlihko, near Nydri. We enjoy a BBQ on board. Then calmly sail on autopilot to Vahti on the island of Meganissi. Halfway through, suddenly a loud bang and we are stopped! We've hit a rock! Never experienced! The rock is half a meter under water and is not on my map at all! According to my map it was still 80 m deep...

So we're lying on that rock. We quickly lower the sails and try to sail backwards on the engine. The rudder is crooked and blocked. So we sail in a circle back to the rocks! We raise the emergency tiller to free the rudder. Phew we're off! The boat is not leaking. Only scratches on the hull and keel. But we were shocked! I have now marked these rocks on my map. Apparently they do appear on the map of my neighbors in Vahti... The Greek captain of the charter boat next to us says that he sometimes takes tourists there to let them walk on the rocks. As Jesus walked on water...🙄

After Vahti we sail to Kioni on the island of Ithaka of my idol Odysseus. 

Then to Astakos where we arrive with strong wind (6 bft), the boat tilted to 30 degrees. We moor at the city quay.

Via Sivota on the island of Lefkada, Preveza and Paxos we arrive in Corfu on Sunday. We anchor in front of the city a few km from the airport where Christel lands. From the plane a short walk and a ride with the dinghy and she is on Atlantis.

Defects

It's always something on a boat... For example, the hatch of the ropes storage was broken last year. The boatyard would repair this by this season. But those Greeks only start a few weeks before we get there. Apparently the parts have to come from Athens and they haven't arrived yet... I agree that I will not wait for them and that I will come back 2 weeks later. But 2 weeks later... Still nothing... 

Meanwhile, the pull cord on the outboard motor had broken, so let's fix that already. And I agree that we will come by again within a month for that hatch...

But then the regulator of the camping gas leaks .... So we can no longer cook ...

All surveyed in Vonitsa, Preveza and Nidri. They don't have the proper model here... Apparently mine is Croatian or German (Bavaria) but not Greek...

So we just have to adjust the connection. We do need hot water to slide the modified hose onto the new connection. Difficult if you don't have gas, but we'll find a solution to that... Hopefully it will be the same connection in the next country as in Greece...

The dinghy deflates. That has been the case since last year, but now it is already flat after 1 day...

So buy a repair kit and do some work...

What will it be tomorrow?

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Blog 2021 3

Greek way of mooring

In Greece there are no mooring poles as in the Netherlands and no mooring lines as in Croatia... Not even in the marina. So you have to drop your anchor and sail backwards to the quay. At the quay you can attach the 2 rear mooring lines to rings ashore. Fortunately, often someone is on the quay to take your mooring lines. Otherwise you have to jump on the quay yourself to get the ropes through the rings.

Kioni

Kioni is the most beautiful village of Ithaca, located in a deep bay between high mountains.

It is therefore very popular with yachties. If you arrive late you will not have room...

So we arrived very early: 12:15 pm

Yet there was no more room on the quay. So we had to go to the other side and attach the mooring ropes to the rocks. You drop the anchor and then you sail backwards to the rocks. Not too close as it is shallow there. Then someone has to swim to the rocks with a long rope and tie it up somewhere.

However, there were a few swimmers in hats and they claimed the water for them and tried to prevent the mooring. So we shift the mooring rope and enjoy our anchor drink. 🥂

Next to us was a boat with a Greek family. The captain was an elderly man. He was the only one with sailing experience on board. It got busier and busier and a catamaran trying to dock, pulls the anchor off a few other boats, including our neighbor. With a gang of whining kids on board, he has to pick up his anchor and dock again. A Frenchman next to us connects a rope to our boat so that no one can lie between us anymore. A wise decision. It remains a spectacle all afternoon with yachties desperate to get a mooring and angry yachties who already have a berth, but whose anchor or anchor chain is being pulled...

Drowning

Agios Nikolaos is a small harbor in the north of the island of Zakynthos. A few houses, no real village. From there the tourist boats leave for the blue caves and shipwreck beach. The harbor is run by Dimitri as well as the gas station, the restaurant and the tourist boats. You can moor there for free and even get water💧and electricity⚡ for free when you eat in his restaurant.

We have 2 ladies on board that day without sailing experience. When mooring, Christel controls the anchor and I am at the wheel. I explained to the ladies that they should each hold 1 rope (mooring rope) and throw it to someone on the quay so that they can slip the rope through a mooring ring and throw it back. We are lucky: just next to our berth is a tourist boat and the tourists are in a queue to board. So people enough to take the mooring lines. :-)

We are close to the quay and are ready to throw the ropes when suddenly there is a great commotion. A child has fallen into the water! He is still wearing a diaper, barely 1 or 2 years old... His big brother immediately jumped after him, but he is only 5 years old himself. On the quay, a woman starts to scream hysterically and shouts: do something about it! But she herself does nothing. Then a young man jumps in and saves the kids. I fish his shoe out of the water and we can finally dock. That man turned out not to be the father of those children, but just someone who was standing in line. The children were there unaccompanied. Quite irresponsible i think...

Jump of a cliff

The last week we had 2 German ladies on board. A few days before they embark, one of them sends a message: she has just had a Tinder match with a man from New Zealand and asks if he could come too. No problem, plenty of room. He comes on board the day before to get acquainted. It turns out, he wants to jump off the cliff at shipwreck beach. Shipwreck beach is a super touristic location on the island of Zakynthos: a pearly white beach enclosed by steep cliffs of at least 100 m high. An old shipwreck lies on the beach. The water is crystal clear. It looks like a picture from a pirate movie.

So he wants to jump off the cliff with a parachute and land on the beach. You can't go back up from the beach, but if we could pick him up with our boat...😉⛵

That seemed like a nice idea to me! I would have liked to see him jump there, but there had to be no wind for this jump and so he wanted to jump between 6 and 7 in the morning. We arrived by boat around 11 am. Apparently the wind wasn't right and he didn't jump... Too bad. A few days later he sent a photo from the beach: he had jumped after all! We were already on Kefalonia, so we didn't see him again...

Laundry issues

One of the problems with life on a boat is that we don't have a washing machine. Actually, we don't have much dirty laundry: a few shorts, bathing suits and t-shirts. You can easily wash this by hand in the kitchen. But every time we have new guests on board, we have to change the beds and washing those sheets is another matter...

You cannot find a launderette in Greece, nor in Croatia for that matter.

There are laundry facilities in some towns. You have to drag all your laundry out there. They are quite chaotic, everything is piled up there and you are not sure that you will get all your stuff back. Plus it's not cheap...

Once we rang the doorbell of civilians who hung their laundry to dry. For a small fee they did our laundry.

On the island of Trizonia we had done our laundry to a hotel. It was already evening and we had to leave early the next day. They only had 1 small washing machine and we had at least 10 kg of laundry. They didn't have a dryer either, so they had to hang the laundry at night...

Best of all was with our friend Dimitri from Agios Nikolaos on Zakynthos: You can use his washing machine for free. It is a machine with Greek inscriptions though. The first time we had set up a program that lasted more than 3 hours... It was clean though! :-)

When our Dutch neighbors heard that you could use the washing machine for free, they also put their laundry in. Coincidentally, they had set up the same program. Then we had a chuckle ;-) They could only hang their laundry to dry overnight... :-)🙃

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Blog 2021 2

Fiskardo on the island of Kefalonia: praised in all travel guides. To be honest, I didn't want to go there: higly touristy, fashionable, chic people and above all a hell to moor. It is a small bowl with a quay on one side that is packed, with a lot of chance of crossed anchor chains. On the other side you can anchor with a long line to the shore. We arrive early in the afternoon and there is still a vacancy with a long line to the shore. Perfect landing! Proud that we succeeded! Right in front of our boat is our anchor ball to mark where our anchor is and to retrieve that anchor if it is stuck. But then a voice blares from the ferry's speakers that the orange buoy has to go. And a cop comes and says our anchor ball is illegal. The ferry is ready to start everyone is waiting for us to remove the buoy 😳. So quickly borrowed the neighbor's dinghy to row to it and untie the buoy... But would that rope sink? If it still floats there, it might get into the screw of the ferry and drag our anchor with it...🙄

The ferry sails right over it, but nothing happens. 😃👍

An hour later the outdoor shower breaks. The hose is torn open... Fortunately there is a shop in Fiskardo with diving and fishing equipment and they also have a shower hose. 😃 I am satisfied when the shower is repaired. But that night my electric toothbrush breaks down. Or rather, it's going so well that it doesn't want to stop... After tapping it for half an hour, it finally stops. So there is always something to do on board...⛵

One week with passengers

5 of them arrive in Zakynthos. After a short introduction and dividing the rooms, we go out for dinner in a restaurant with Greek live music.

The next morning we all go shopping together and divide the costs with the Tricount app. Especially breakfast and lunch, in the evening we go out for dinner.🥓🥩🌯🥙

Breakfast consists of Greek yogurt with breakfast cereal and coffee, tea and fruit.

We also eat lunch on board: a salad with tomato, cucumber, eggs, feta, tuna and balsamic vinegar 😋.

The neighbor's husband has been taken to hospital with salmonella and is being repatriated back to Austria. She asks us to help move her boat to another mooring. Of course we do! Boat people help each other 😃😀.

Then a short sailing trip along the coast of Zakynthos to Agios Nikolaos. There they can take a glass bottom boat to visit the blue caves. You can even dive and snorkel in it...  

Agios Nikolaos is not really a village but there are a few tavernas and a beach...⛱🏊‍♀️

The next morning we sail to Sami on the island of Kefalonia. It is a pleasant village and we moor on the quay along the promenade with taverns.

After an hour's walk along the beach you will arrive at the Melissani cave. With a subterranean lake. You can sail on it with a rowing boat.

The next day we sail past Fiskardo to Nydri on the island of Lefkada. We pass Skorpio, the private island of Onassis. Nydri is a lively seaside town. But we anchor a little further in Vlikho on a small inland sea 🏞. In the midst of the mountains🌄. We have a BBQ on the boat with souvlaki, chicken and swordfish . Super cozy at sea under the moonlight

But we get up early again. A short dinghy🚣 ride to Nydri and then a brisk walk to the falls. We take a refreshing dip at the foot of the waterfall. After the walk back down we drink a cold beer and have a swim in the pool bar 🏊.

Then we sail on to Vahti on the island of Meganissi. Again a cozy village with good food in a tavern at the waterfront.

Tuesday we sail along the cave of Papanikolas. We will have a swimming break 🏊‍♂️ to explore the cave. Finally we arrive at Kioni, the most beautiful village of Ithaca, the land of Odysseus...🤴

Wednesday from Kioni to Poros. Little wind, so a swim in the middle of the sea 🏊‍♂️🏊‍♀️ behind the boat in a sea of ​​275 m deep...

Poros is a ferry port🛳. The village itself is fifteen minutes away and is not at all touristy. With a central square where the children play 💏. There is a chic cocktail bar between the rocks by the sea....

Thursday another 4 hours sailing to Killini on the mainland and the week is over...

And we begin exploring the Gulf of Corinth...

Mesolonghi:

Very ungreek. Flat, wetland, salt production. At the entrance of the long narrow run-up channel are the stilt houses of fishermen. Next to the fairway it is only half a meter deep and fishermen are tossing in the mud to collect shellfish. There is hardly anyone in the harbor basin. A gang of children helps us moor along the quay. Then they ask if they can jump from the boat into the water. They are like a bunch of monkeys. They run wildly over the boat, turn the steering wheel and try all the buttons and also the binoculars... Then they ask for food and money and we can barely get them off board. They are not Greek, probably migrants from a migrants center or something... In the course of the afternoon they come by a few more times to ask for money. Then we see them on the boat next door taking a pack of cigarettes. There is no one on board. But Christel is chasing them with a large kitchen knife 🔪. Finally, they run away in shock. We hear from the neighbors that their boat has been broken into before...

We decide to stay put, but don't dare leave the boat alone anymore...

There is a strange atmosphere: there are many chic restaurants and a beautiful beach, but everything seems deserted...

And that on a Friday night...

By 10 pm the Greeks show up anyway and the terraces fill up. Party time with loud music until 3am...

Christel's action appears to have an effect, the children stay away from the boat 😅.

The next day to Nafpaktos in the gulf of Corinth. First under a large bridge. The longest suspension bridge in Europe: more than 2 km long and 40 m high.

Nafpaktos is a medieval port town. The harbor itself is small. It can hardly accommodate 4 yachts. But we are the only ones today!😃 From the boat we have a magnificent view of the surrounding city walls.

On the way to Galaxidhi we get another unexpected sight. Seaplanes skim over the sea to scoop up water and drop it over land to put out a forest fire.

Galaxidhi: we moore on the city quay. Many taverns along the quay, but the village itself is very shabby: narrow streets, dilapidated houses... There is only 1 small supermarket with a small assortment and high prices. No butcher or fish shop found. But Christel picked mussels! 😃

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Blog 2021: a difficult start

Wednesday: packing day. Quickly have the car checked, because this year we are driving by car to Greece.

No stress. But Henk's anchor has to come along. Can I also take Katrien's suitcase with me? And Kirsten's diving gear? Annick's fishing gear? The cool box for on the go? ...

In the evening Inneke comes by. She rides with us to Greece . We still eat pizza together 🍕 in the garden. Our freezer is empty again.

Thursday we drive about 1000 km. We stay in a beautiful apartment with a terrace overlooking Lake Como.

Friday to San Marino. There we stay in a chalet at a campsite with a swimming pool

Saturday we visit the old town of San Marino located on a mountain 🗻. Medieval streets with souvenir shops and beautiful views. We quickly buy some souvenirs for the home front and drive on to Ancona. The ferry leaves at 6.30 pm, but we have to be there 2 hours in advance to check the tickets and PLF forms. Vaccinations are not asked. Not at any border we passed, by the way...

After endless waiting we leave with 2 hours delay...

Slept well on deck and at 11 am we arrive in Greece. 🌄

We make a trip in Parga before we drive to the boatyard.

It's good to see Atlantis again. 🙂⛵

Some of the clothes we left behind are moldy despite being packed in plastic bags...🙁

Monday turns out to be a Greek holiday. All shops closed. But we have enough work to unpack, clean up and polish everything...

Tuesday: painting the underwater ship, collecting the repaired genoa sail, having a maintenance job on the engine,...

Wednesday launch 🌊. But then it was already 5 pm. So stay another night along the quay in the boatyard. Installing bimini, setting up sails... water ladder out afterwards, and doing a well-deserved swim 🏊‍♂️

We finally set sail on Thursday. To Vonitsa. Great to be able to sail again! 👍😃⛵⚓

Friday we sail on the Amvrakikos inland sea. But the windlass broke down.😢 So we had to pick up the anchor manually. 💪💪

After a nice trip we return to Vonitsa where we find a place alongside the mole and therefore do not need an anchor winch. In Greece you have to use your anchor almost everywhere.⚓ 😧

We meet Janos, a Hungarian with an old 2 master. He helps us dock. Problem with the windlass? Maybe a wire loose? I'll take a look. Hours later, he is still working and the windlass is completely disassembled. Neighbors John, a South African, and Craig advise dismantling the electric motor as well: it turns out it's burned! 😢

We fraternize on John's boat until 2:30 am and the next day we sail back to our boatyard. Looking for spare parts together with Bart. Without success, but in the end we get a replacement windlass from the boatyard.

We can sail again! 😃

Just in time because we have to be in Zakynthos on July 1st! Inneke flies home again and Katrien gets on ✈.

After a small farewell reception on board with Bart and Annemie, we sail to Nidri⚓. We reach the bridge at 5 pm at Levkas🌁 just in time and drop the anchor in Vlicho near Nidri.

We pass Skorpio, the private island of Onassis. The next day from Nidri to Sivota. We moor at the jetty of restaurant Stavros. Free overnight stay and good food 😋.

The next day to Poros on Kefalonia. We stay on the quay for 15 euros. Tiny village, but hip cocktail bar in the rocks on the water.

Around 3 pm the next day we land in the port of Zakynthos. So plenty of time. Inneke takes a taxi to the airport and a few hours later Katrien arrives.

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Blog 10: back home

The last day in the water another thunderstorm was predicted. This time we were in the marina of Preveza on time. 😃

Christel finally has a bite! After 4 months of fishing behind the boat, she had succes  in the marina of Preveza! Fish on the table in the evening!

🐟🐟🐟🐟

After a stormy night, we sail to the boatyard. The boat is put on a cart and pulled ashore with a tractor. Then we live on the boat in the boatyard for a few more days to prepare it for winter.

In between we have 1 day off. We rent a car and visit the roman city Neopolis and the beautiful coastal village of Parga. Normally very touristy, but now quiet at the end of the season.

I don't like flying🛩 It's bad the environment and for the climate. It is going too fast. Traveling is being on the way. Boarding and being at your destination a few hours later is too easy. You have no sense of distance and you miss so much on the way ...

OK, I also have a fear of flying. .🙄 At an altitude of 10 km, 50 degrees below zero and oxygen-poor air, locked in a metal box. Not for me🤔.

So we looked for an alternative route plan: Friday afternoon from the shipyard on foot to the bus stop. Then drive 1.5 hours to Igoumenitsa🚍. At 11 pm the ferry🛳 to Ancona, Italy. Arrival 2 pm. Slept well on the boat 💤🙂 It is a large cruise ship and there are not many passengers. 😃

At 7 pm the Flixbus🚍 to Frankfurt. Arrival 12 noon, half an hour late ... So hurry to book the ICE train from 12:29 and find the departure platform🚆.

At 4.15 pm we are in Berchem Antwerp 😃 So just 2 days on the road!

And now getting used to the climate and the corona measures of the Netherlands ... 🙄

And dream of the next sailing season ...

https://youtu.be/XdD3Qy5U2t0

click on the picture below

Blog 9: family visit

Corfu town, Mandraki port.

We get visitors! 😀 But Wouter and Olivia are unlucky: rain is forecast all week ... ☹

The first night around 3 am there is already a heavy thunderstorm: 🌩 Rain, hail, thunder and lightning. The waves rolled into the harbor and the boats danced on the water .. ⛵⛵⛵ Everyone awake! Fortunately, it is over after 1 hour. Myriam and Thierry were overconfident and anchored outside the harbor. Their anchor had broken loose and so were the other boats around them. That was a terrifying hour for them ... 😳

We then decided to stay in the harbor⚓ all week and rent a car to explore the island.

Mandraki port is located at the foot of the Venetian fortress🏰. Beautiful location. We can visit the fort for free and we even have a small beach. Moreover, we are close to the center of Corfu town.

In Palaiokastritsa we visit: the monastery⛪ and the beaches🌅. The next day, the Achilleion, the palace of Empress Sissi. Sissi was fascinated by the Greek hero Achilles, who defeated the Trojan champion Hector at the siege of Troy. In the stairwell hangs a beautiful painting of Achilles dragging the dead Hector away with his chariot. The garden is also beautiful with a large bronze statue of Achilles and sweeping views of Corfu.

We drive through hairpin bends to Pantokrator, the highest mountain in Corfu. More than 900 m and very steep. Near the top is the village of Peritheia. It is so remote and difficult to access that it has been abandoned. Only a few years ago, some taverns were opened there. We have dinner there in O Foro. The walls are covered with tapestries. We take a seat on a wooden bench and eat tasty regional dishes🥓🥗🧆. And then it is pitch dark ... We rely on Google Maps to guide us back to the boat. The roads are just wide enough to let 1 car through, but the track is deserted. The roads are sometimes asphalt, but often just sand. Without lighting. We drive straight through a dense forest and it seems as if the road is about to stop anytime ... Ghostly and fairytale-like.

But after 1.5 hours we arrive at the fort where our boat is. 🙂⛵⚓

When the weather improves we go to Glyfada beach🏖. There is a strong surf with high waves creating a mist. With the palm trees along the beach it looks like Hawaii ...

The last day we can finally sail ⛵😀

We cross to the mainland at Pagania on the Albanian border. A beautiful desolate bay, except for 1 sailboat at anchor and a number of fish farms🐟🐠.

I am glad Wouter and Olivia were still able to sail. ⛵😀😎

Platarias

On the mainland off Corfu. Port at a small village with a large beach and many taverns ...

Mongonisi beach on Paxos island:

Stopover to Preveza. But when we leave for Preveza we have 20 knots of wind and waves of 2 m🌊. We barely make 4 knots on motor and the crossing is 32 miles. This means that we have to motor for 8 hours dancing on the waves and we only left at 12 noon so: we return ... ☹

We stay here for almost a week, waiting for good winds🌫🌬.

Fortunately, in Mongonisi there is only a light breeze and almost 30 degrees ... 🌞. Only 1 tavern is open and the nearest bakery is in Gaios, an hour's walk🚶‍♀️. There is a beach and you can swim in clear water🏊‍♀️. Moreover, we are here for free on the quay. Here we can hold out for a while ...

Preveza

From a deserted bay to a spot on the bustling city quay. 😀 That is part of life on a sailing boat😉. Busy typical Greek town. With very cozy taverns. Even 1 with fragrant jasmine foliage🌸🌸.

Spartachora on Meganisi

Through the Levkas channel to the island of Meganisi. In the first bay we moor at porto Spilia, for free if you eat in the tavern. The village itself is located on top of the mountain. Whitewashed walls, narrow streets and a nice tavern, but no bakery ...

We have lunch in the beach bar downstairs. 😉😎

The next day we anchor for the last time in Vlikho near Nydri on Levkas and dine by the water in a romantic restaurant🥰

The last night on the water a thunderstorm is predicted. This time we are safe in Preveza Marina. 😉

In anticipation of the thunderstorm, Christel finally has success with fishing! 😀

4 fish 🐟🐟🐟🐟 and 2 extra received from an Italian colleague fisherman ...

Prepared and eaten during the thunderstorm 😋😀

The boat will leave the water early tomorrow. Another exciting day. But that's for the next blog. 😉

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Blog 3 (episode 3): Launch of Atlantis

Monday June 15:

European borders are finally opening! :-)

So Monday morning on our way to Croatia. We make stopover in Giebelstadt: the Bavaria factory.

Overnight in Passau on the Danube, because as Belgians we are not yet allowed to stay overnight in Austria. But there was actually no border control at all.

 On the Slovenian and Croatian borders, only check of ID card. So no problems.

We arranged a meeting on wednesday 8AM at the boat with a guy named Nino, because our contact Josko went sailing with Russian customers.

At 8AM Nino sends a message that he will arrive at 9.30AM. Finally he arrived at 10AM. Get used to the southern customs ...

He did not know of our wish list we agreed with Josko, he only wants to do the antifouling, but then we have to take care of the paint, brushes, etc. For the rest, we just have to call Josko ...

The life raft has been checked and has had an official inspection they said. Pick up in Split. But it turns out that the inspection company was still waiting for the order. So come back later ...

In the meantime I have found an outboard engine for the dinghy. But when I wanted to buy it the next day, it was already sold. So just come back Friday? But then something went wrong with the delivery, so could we come back on Tuesday?

The launch is scheduled for Friday morning. Meanwhile we will have to row the dinghy ...

Gas: Normally gas bottles (for the cooking fire) should be on board, but they did not have one ... So i  bought it myself. But the fire didn't work ...

After hours of searching, there seemed to be dirt in the gas pipe and the coupling piece was eroded. We were looking for the right coupling piece for days. Finally Josko installed another coupling. In the meantime, had to eat raw food ...

Friday 8AM launch: At 9AM the crane men were already there, early by Croatian standards ...,

Quite spectacular: we were on board when the boat took to the air and was put in the water next to the rocks. We had to sail away immediatly, but the cooling of the engine did not work ... Xe had to call Josko for advice: there was air in the cooling system, we had to fill it with water. Just in time or we would have hit the rocks ...

We have forgotten to pay the crane men, but that bill came later.

So Friday night the first night at anchor at Split. We had to leave early in the morning because the anchor was scratching during a sudden thunderstorm ...

Back at anchor at Kastela marina. I stayed on the boat while Abel and Christel went shopping. However, it became stormy again and the boat drifted back to a large catamaran that was also anchored there ... I saw them getting nervous there, but I could hold off the boat. Maybe we should be looking for a better anchor? Or is our anchor technology not yet perfect? Finally i bought a Rocna anchor to sleep better.

Sailed out at 7.30am on Sunday morning for a long sailing trip to Rogoznica for Abel's birthday. The wind soon picked up to 5 to 6 bft. The first real try of the boat. But the Atlantis did well: very stable, powerful engine, sails in good condition!

Now the holiday has finally started!

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Blog 2 (episode 2): Preparing Atlantis

Saturday March 7:

we drive to Croatia to prepare Atlantis for sailing.

The car is stuffed to the roof. When you open a back door, the luggage falls out…

The fridge, the petrol stove, bed linen for 8 people, kitchen utensils, tools, ...

We make a stop at a well-known address in Austria and on Sunday we arrive in Split.

It was good to see the boat again. :-)

Great weather: sunny and 20 degrees in the shade, but nice and warm in the sun. The airco on in the car…

But it was not a holiday week, we worked hard!

The first problem was the fridge, which was much larger than expected and could therefore not be placed under the table as planned… We found a creative solution: the sofa out and the fridge in its place. Then use the fridge as a sofa. ;-)

The rest of the luggage was loaded and stuffed away.

The engine has been thoroughly serviced.

The Lady Lana adhesive letters were removed and replaced with Atlantis and the mermaid logo.

At a dealer in Split we bought 2 semi flexible solar panels and a controller, good for 360 Wp together. The solar panels are placed on top of the bimini, but how should we attach them? After some inquiries, we found a sailmaker who can sew a zipper on the solar panels and the other side of the zipper will be on the bimini itself.

Everything finished on time! The last day I did the cabling. From the bimini down, through the deck to the rear and then under the bed to the controller that I installed under the card table.

We received an AIS (to track the position of surrounding ships) from Josko, the man of the former charter company of the boat. However, he has no idea how to connect it. So we have to find that out at home.

Due to the corona crisis, we have plenty of time for this ...

That virus has thoroughly messed up our plans. We are currently stuck in the Netherlands waiting for the borders to open again ...

Click on the photo below.

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