On to Levkas and Corfu! Ahhhh, Corfu

On to Levkas….

We were originally planning on meeting Margaret in Levkas Marina on the peninsula of Lefkada. That changed to Corfu but we had the marina booked so decided to take the opportunity to get some repairs done.

We wanted to get an oil change (required every 250 hours) before we headed off to Albania and Croatia. Also, we had some surface issues and gelcoat repairs required.

Getting service is interesting. You have to find a reputable person/company fairly quickly and then make arrangements to get everything done before you leave…in Greece, where frankly schedules aren’t always adhered to closely.

We found a company to help us fairly quickly. The administrator agreed they could get an oil change done and if they had a cancelation they’d do it even sooner. They also thought they could help with Gelcoat repairs. Arrangements made we went off to do other things. The next day, a full day early, the service people came to address everything. I watched them closely so we could learn how to do this work ourselves. First, we enjoy doing these things and second, it costs a lot for service – usually 50-60 euros/hour and often it seems like a car dealer, the hours are more than I might think it should take. I ask lots of questions when the people come and learned about oil, locations of parts on the engine, tensions & techniques. All good.

All went well and we were ready to head out to Corfu and get Margaret and Ben. Leaving the Marina on a Friday, we managed to catch the boat beside us, catch the throttle under their life lines and rip up their pulpit (frame on front of boat) and bend a staunchion (sticks on the side of the boat that hold the lifelines). We also managed to pop the throttle off our outboard engine and it ended up at the bottom of the sea.

We quickly returned to dock, apologized profusely to our neighbor and made arrangements to have his boat repaired. We hoped to still leave that day but as the day wore on and the repairs seem to progress but very slowly, we realized we’d have to stay another night. We didn’t want to leave before his repairs were complete so we could ensure they were addressed and we could pay. 300 Euros later we had his boat fixed and settled in for the evening.

Early the next morning (530 am) we made ready to depart for a long sail to Corfu. First you go through a canal, then a swing bridge, and then head north. The sail overall was uneventful with some sail, some sail motor, and lots of motoring. By 4pm we were arriving in Mandraki in the city of Corfu which is a sailing club right underneath the old fort. A more dramatic location can not be found. You are below the ancient fort walls, on a jut of land with a small beach. Margaret and Ben managed to find us and we all went for a swim before heading into the city of Corfu to see what we could see.

It was great to have both Margaret and Ben on the boat. They make a great couple and are very supportive of each other. It has been difficult for the kids being far from home and we were glad that Ben was able to join.

I can’t say enough about Corfu. While it sees tonnes of tourists, it is among my favourite places. It seems to somehow absorb lots of tourists without feeling overwhelming. There are pretty sights, beaches that go forever, and a great variety of food. Somehow the old city of Corfu presents a warren of streets and side streets with restaurants, shops, homes, and churches. It feels genuine.

Big big wind was in the forecast so we left the relatively unsheltered Mandraki and went to Gouvia marina. Gouvia is out of town and a pain to get to so we rented a car for the duration on the island. Also because of the wind, we decided to tour the island by car rather than by boat. That plan worked very well. Gouvia had a pool which Theo enjoyed and we used to cool off in the heat.

While on Corfu we decided to visit a Palace where “for your eyes only” was filmed in a Casino scene and then watch the movie that evening. We learned that Corfu was huge for that movie and spotted many places from our island explorations. It is fun to see a place you’ve visited in a popular movie – somehow it makes that movie a bit more personal. We also went to a dune beach where we played in huge waves and enjoyed sand under our feet. Often the beaches are pebble so sand is welcome when we find it.

While the island was delightful, the service companies were not. Upon arriving at the marina we did our typical checking around and getting references for companies. We wanted to get our outboard functional again since we thought we’d be using the dingy regularly in Croatia. Also we were hoping to fix the air conditioning as the weather kept getting hotter and hotter (with a low of 30C) and Sheila was finding the heat unbearable.

We were quickly referred to THE air con guy and also the Yamaha dealership which serviced Tohatsu outboards as well. All started well…Yamaha guy came to see the engine and would email us a quote….air con guy would come Tuesday.

Tuesday followed up with Yamaha guy since he didn’t come back to us. Received affirmation he’d send an email with quote ASAP. Followed up with aircon guy who came Tuesday to check things out. Aircon guy said we’d have to replace seacocks (essentially a tap that allows water to flow through the hull to things that require water –there are many on a boat). This could potentially be done in water and they’d get a diver to look and see.

Wednesday I followed with Yamaha guy again who once again said he’d send an email. I called another company who referred me back to Yamaha guy. Usually a company would try to get things done but clearly no one wanted to work with Yamaha guy – they all referred me directly rather than take a service fee cut and get involved. I was frustrated and figured I’d have to start looking for the parts online. There was nothing from aircon guy either and I’d pretty much written off Corfu as a place to get service at all. We pitched it to drive to the waterpark with the kids, took a wrong turn, and voila we spotted a Tohatsu service place. I was dumbfounded – no one had mentioned this at all in the marina and it was practically next door. I stopped in, spoke with a technician who confirmed they’d fix it that afternoon. We immediately dropped everything, went and got the motor, and took it to the Tohatsu service. We picked it up about 3 hours later completely repaired and working even better than it had before the accident. Amazing. Then later Wednesday night, the aircon guy stopped by to fix the seacocks – they did the whole thing. Each place charged cash, did a reasonable price, and did quality work. Corfu went from the most frustrating place to get things done to a success story in the space of a day. I never did hear from Yamaha guy – useless as “tits on a bull” as they say.

So here we are with working air conditioning and an outboard engine. The next day, Thursday, we prepped the boat for the next leg of the journey, pumped up the dingy and tested the engine, and Theo made it his mission to learn how to run the dingy and outboard. By the end of the day he was quite good at it and will be ready to head out on his own soon.

Friday we simply had to go to port police, check out at customs, get some gas, put money on the phones for roaming in the non-EU countries we’d be in, and return the car. To give you an idea of the fun, you check out at the commercial port (you must drive or taxi). The port is huge and the port police are in one section and customs a completely different part of the harbor. At the port police they completed the paperwork and sent to customs. We then waited there until they had confirmation from customs that the fax, yes fax, had been received. Once confirmed they stamped our log and sent us to customs. Customs was a long hot walk across the tarmac of the port to a largely unsigned building surrounded by fencing and security – not designed for people with yachts but people coming from cruise ships. We found someone who shoed us away until we explained why we were there and he directed us to go around the building to another entrance and another door and wait for him there. We wandered into the busy building full of cruise ship tourists and tour hawkers trying to find customs. Sheila got directions from a customs officer who took us around the corner until we found the guy who shoed us originally. He had us sit and wait then escorted us to another office. At that office we were told to wait and were finally processed and the passports stamped. We were done. Getting out of that building again was a maze of misdirection as we couldn’t leave the way we came and had to enter with cruise ship tourists, lacking their pre-clearance card. Once we explained again why we were there they let us back in the country so we could return to our boat. 2 hours duration of being in offices and waiting for people, not including the drive there, parking, etc. We finished the other chores on the list, returned to the boat where they encouraged us to leave quickly since charters were coming in. We went to Albania later that day.

Kevin 

Ithica, Friskardo and Levkas

Ithica better explained, Friskardo, and then Levkas.

Ithica is among my favourite islands. It is casual, not INSANELY busy, and just has a vibe that feels right. The people are delightful…very genuine. There are many shops with interesting jewellery, clothes, arts but that said I don’t think we bought much. Often in the villages the places where the boats berth are right in front of tavernas and clubs and it can be quite loud. Ithica you are able to be a bit away from the more active restaurants.

We didn’t explore the island broadly. As always one could easily sail around an island for many days exploring islets, bays, and villages but our trip sometimes feels fast. We stayed in Ithica to give Theo some time to recover. It seems 24 hours was really all that was required. He was pretty fit the next day but we elected not to sail yet.

When we did decide to move on, we went to Fiscardo which is a relatively short sail (3 hours tops) from Ithica. Fiscardo is “on the path” of tourists as a must see village. It was not destroyed by war nor earthquakes and has some very quaint, original architecture. Having visited there 14 months ago, I was truly taken aback by how busy it was. The pilot had suggested getting there by noon, so we did, and found a spot. Many boats came after us and many inexperienced boaters were anchoring or attempting to anchor in what is pretty much a horseshoe bay. Boats are everywhere there is space and were layered 2 deep even with going stern berth. There were other boats rafted on the rocky, non quay side of the harbor. It was pretty festive, insanely busy on the water, and yes it is pretty. We met a great guy in the chandlery (sailing store) who was happy to sell us many odds and sods we required. He met the whole family eventually because we bought no only a few items for sailing but Theo bought a massive blow up shark as well. These little shops often have one or two things you may not have seen and can be very useful. The most useful that we hope to never use is a trip hook designed to help you raise a rode (recall this is the anchor chain) that has been put down over your own. This can be a frustrating drag when it happens. These tools are supposed to make recovery feasible because you can a least lift up the offending chain. I think of it as a 50 euro insurance policy. If you visit, I’ll show you. It is very exciting.

In Fiscardo we met Charlie and his family. They have been in the med for two weeks and we ended up talking for some time and helping each other at the quay. Our boat was too deep to bring all the way close to the quay. Theirs was not as deep but had a similar problem. We used our paraselle (the plank to go from the boat to the shore) on their boat which allowed us to bridge the gap and get to shore dry. We had to coordinate our departure and all was fine.

Some east coasters also came by to introduce themselves when they saw the Canadian Flag. Everyone takes comfort in fellow countrymen when abroad for some reason. Guess we all value our cultural identity.

My reflections on Fiscardo really brought home how much we’ve learned about sailing. We were able to deal with a very crowded harbor, many inexperienced captains nearby (I hopped on the boat 2 or 3 times with a boat hook ready to fend off colliding boats), and generally took it all in stride. As I’ve said before we are still inexperienced and that can be brought home really quickly (as it will in Levkas) but we are feeling much better about taking our boat around the sea.

TODAY'S LIFE ON THE BOAT

Itea to Patras and on to Ithyca

Well friends, as I write down my thoughts, I’m siting in the cockpit of the boat while berthed in Ithyca, the home of Odyseus. Let’s talk about “life on a boat.” Today we spent the morning in a courtyard café beside a power bar and sucking up internet. We charged the computer, phone, and bits of ipads. We updated apps, virus software, ipad software (attempted) and Sheila configured google accounts. We caught up on facebook, email, weather forecasts and marina bookings. And we ate food and drank coffee. Now it is around 1:30 pm and we’ve brought theo’s bed up for airing, washed (in a bucket) his sheets and some necessities. They are now hung up to dry. We had the generator on to charge the boat batteries – the fridge is killing us in this heat – and we’ve chatted with neighbours about life of sailing and anchorages nearby. It’s pretty universal to seek the story of someone who is living aboard as they are always a unique and interesting so we do casually meet a lot of people and some we keep in touch with.

What else is on my mind today? Perhaps we’ll get some water in the boat because the forward 240 litre tank is between ¼ and ½ full and it would be nice to have more. We are heading to marina where we’ll have to pay for it anyway so we could get away without it but we are using more (laundry in bucket and cool showers in the heat). I’m also putting out feelers for a mechanic in Lefkas for routine service and planning our route from Lefkas to Corfu. We are planning loosely about 2 weeks ahead as we go and getting a bit better at it. It seems for some places we need to book well in advance so we are starting to think about where we’ll be in Croatia already.

Life on a boat also has its stresses. Yesterday after a fun morning of jumping off the boat by swinging from a halyard (kind of like rope swings at the cottage at home) we set off and Theo became massively ill. He had a splitting headache, numbness in an arm, and an upset stomach – pretty much instantly. We had wasps nearby our spot (he is allergic) but he hadn’t been stung and we were stumped. We were at least 3.5 hours from anywhere (we had “anchored randomly” to use a Theo phrase which means we were anchored in a bay away from anything). We medded him up with what we had and watched….closely. Well he was sick to his stomach several times, fatigued, and generally miserable. Thankfully by the time we arrived in Ithica his head was feeling better. He was sick again so we kept a low profile, read and rested for some time. By evening he was starting to rebound and started to eat…and eat. We felt pretty vulnerable for a few hours being hours away from help. Today he is back to normal and eating lots.

Sheila was primary caregiver to Theo and that evening went out for a walk, food, and relax around Ithica while Theo and I made shadow puppets including one that was Darth Vader! So all that to say we thought airing his bed and cleaning his sheets would be good form.

So travels….We went to Itea frankly because we heard the marina was unfinished and therefore free (not entirely true but the reclusive person who works in the marina office for a few hours each day does not come to the boats to collect the fees – don’t know why). We didn’t pay. There is nothing in the marina of note beside secure berthing and a bus nearby to Delphi…so we took the bus. The site has a fabulous museum and located most of the way up the mountain, some commanding views with a temple of Appollo, a stadium, many treasuries (which held tributes from many nations), and a theatre among many other things. It was a tremendous site and well worth the bus ride up winding mountain roads. The cafes nearby where pearched on a cliff overlooking the valley. Wow.

From Itea we went to a small island, Trizonia (again free) where we were able to get laundry done for a reasonable fee and enjoy some tavernas overlooking a bay. It was a way point but well worth an overnight. There were liveaboards there who looked like they were there for many months. They had established a base of operations and the boats were of mixed vintage. I guess that is one of the places you can go to live very cheaply on a boat. To give a sense of it, there was a wreck inside the harbor/marina blocking access to many slips and that wreck had been there so long it was charted. There were permanently moored boats rusting and deteriorating away (some for sale if you want a big project). The dock had many holes where access had been made for power and water – there wasn’t any covering so you wouldn't want to walk on it the dark without a flashlight. Finally, the area dumpsters were near the docks and on the walk to the tavernas, the smell completely carried me back to my childhood and I felt like I was at the Orillia dump again with my Dad unloading construction scrap.

Patras was the next stop on the journey. We’d read about a cog train that went into the mountains and offered a scenic view and delightful destination. Patras is the third largest city in Greece and we loved it and really didn’t love it all at the same time. On net, it was worth the visit but there are many detractions.

On the plus side, it is a vibrant and active city with a nice downtown core. It has a cog railway which is pretty cool (OK it has nothing on Switzerland mountain trains but pretty cool for Greece). It has a giant cable span bridge which is the longest in the world. It has a cathedral to St Andrew which is stunning and also has the distinction of holding his skull as well as parts of his cross (he was crucified on an X, rather than t shaped cross). The marine shop nearby was a great source for mosquito nets, a lifejacket for an upcoming guest, and a few odds and sods.

On a big plus side, we had a “circus” boat next door which put on a big arial show. Fred, the master, had many young women who were doing silks from a hoisted spinnaker boom, two women at the top of the mast playing violin and accordion, and the colourfully painted boat had colourful sheets hanging down the sides. There were many challenges facing the show – a ballet show was practicing with loud sounds and vigour nearby so they delayed the start of the circus to avoid a conflict with the nearby attraction. They moved the boat into the harbor closer to the crowd and a local official came by to shut them down for not having a license. They then returned to their spot in the marina to perform the show. It was very late when it started so they ran lights from our boat and form theirs to light up the performers. We sat on the bow to watch the show and they used our boat as a bridge to the shore (they snuck theirs a bit into the harbor when the official left) so we were complicit in helping “the show go on”. Overall it was a lot of fun and special to help them in the background with odds and sods.

On the downside, there was a garbage strike so bins were full all over the city. As walking is our primary means of transport this is annoying because it forces you off sidewalks and into traffic to avoid piles of garbage everywhere. The marina was close to some septic related operations and had an unpleasant odour. We were going to stay another day but it worsened and convinced us to leave. We had an intruder on the boat which in the end was harmless but topped off a night of poor sleep since the bars go until around 5am and you can hear music pumping through the night when you would like to be sleeping.

So you get the idea. We left Patras to randomly anchor in a bay on the way to Ithica. The first place we intended to go had been taken over by fish farms so we moved on to a second location. It was theorectically sheltered but we were getting gusts over 20 knots regularly. Our anchor dragged once (it didn’t properly hold) so we reset and were fine after that. We used the anchor alarm and one of us dozed/slept on deck so we’d hear it if we moved. By morning it was peaceful and beautiful. We did lots of swims and managed to BBQ some chicken while the wind blew hard. Then on to Ithica.

So back here at Ithica I’m still in the cockpit of the boat. It is some time later. Theo has found yet another thing he must have (he is a hoarder) and is now having a real ham hamburger nearby. I’m thinking nap. Till next time….
Kevin

Mykonos (well Tinos), Kea, Athens, Corinth - bit of a catch up really..

Mykonos was a very long sail. We knew it would be about 12 hours so we left before the sun was up. Upon arriving in Mykonos we went to the marina, not expected it to be busy mid-week and pre-season but we were turned away. We then determined our best bet would be to sail on to the next island, Tinos. From Tinos we could still visit Mykonos and it was only another 1.5 hours sail.

Although tired, we made way to Tinos and ended up on the eastern side of the harbor in a fairly uncomfortable spot. Wash from ferries goes in the harbor and we were against the wall. The concrete wall was covered in old tires which seemed nearly as hard as concrete. They made some very dark rings on the side of the boat which we knew were going to take some work to wash off. Nevertheless, we put lines ashore and settled in to eat and sleep.

While on facebook we shared some comments within a Med sailing group and met some people at the next restaurant who had been to Mykonos by ferry. They provided some great advice and we followed their lead the next day, taking the ferry and seeing scenic Mykonos for a few hours.

Mykonos is extraordinarily pretty, quite expensive, and has many, many tourist shops. We walked the town taking in the sights. A highlight was the bakery which has been there for several hundred years. The bread apparently is triple baked and the crust is made to absorb salt water so that the bread alone becomes a meal. It was certainly robust bread!

In Tinos we moved to a more convenient location that had power (but no water) and we stayed there comfortably for a few days. The town was very pretty, relaxed, and luckily we had a great supermarket nearby. We left on the Saturday morning to make our way to Kea, a few hours sail from Athens.

Kea was a great spot right on a quay with many taverns. There was a beach a few hundred meters away and we all cooled off with a relaxing swim. There was still no fresh water (potable) so we rationed what we had knowing we’d be in Athens soon.

Kea filled up with boats very quickly and we learned that as the night progressed, we were parked in the party district. The booming from the dance music beats went until around 3am. Tired and groggy we departed round 9am to make our way to Athens.

An interesting point about berthing in the Med. You typically berth “stern-to” which means you back in to the parking spot. The anchor is dropped a few 10s of meters in front of the boat and holds the front and you tie to the quay with lines at the back. As we were going into Kea, the harbor master said we needed to leave plenty of anchor line due to get the best holding further out so we had nearly 50 meters of rode (anchor chain) out. In the morning a boat appeared to be over top of our anchor. We waited and watched and figured that if the boat moved with the wind, we could likely get out. We then saw that the captain was on deck so with favourable boat position, captain’s awareness, and the right wind, we started to move. Sure enough the boat was almost on top of our anchor. We got within a few meters before we were free from the bottom. All was well but a bit tense as we were making sure we could leave without incident.

Sailing onwards to Athens the next morning was forecast to be uneventful. We got an unexpected beam wind (the best) and got out sails, turned off motor and were making great progress at 7 knots and more. We thought it was great until the wind kept growing and gusts kept getting stronger. We shortened sail to cope (and keep the boat from being overpowered) but eventually it was too much and we had some awkward times getting the sails in. Since we are relatively new to sailing and were heading for a channel between islands we wanted more predictable control so we returned to motor.

The forecast showed winds decreasing as we approached Athens however this was again eronous. We had much more wind than expected so we put out a scap of sail largely to stabilize the boat a bit and kept going under motor. It was a rough ride but mostly uneventful. Our crew felt a bit seasick but overall we made out fine.

Approaching Athens from the sea you really get a sense of a sprawling city. The buildings are largely low rise and roll over the hills on the approach. It can be a bit difficult to spot the marinas but we had a pilot guide which roughly described the approach and skyline. That combined with GPS on the plotter made it pretty routine. I really can’t imagine sailing without technology support. We’ve done all the courses and have paper maps. We practice at spotting things on shore just to supplement the tech but it would be difficult to have only paper.

Athens Marina was a welcome sight. We had to wait to dock while a super-yacht was berthing but were soon moored in and off to a very welcome shower – just in time before the thunderstorms began.

Athens

We wanted to be in Athens to ensure Margaret could make her flight to Canada. I need to digress about airlines. We bought return tickets when we went to Cyprus because it is cheaper than one way. We figured we just wouldn’t use the return part and change fees are so high that it was best to let them lapse and not use them (this is why airlines overbook because people like us have a better economic incentive not to show up).

There was one ticket of four that we could use and that was Margaret’s. However to use it she had to go to Cyprus to catch the flight, even though it stops in Athens on the return. So Margaret flew to Cyprus from Athens, a few hours later caught a flight from Cyprus back to Athens and then a few hours later a flight to Toronto. A flight from Athens to Cyprus was much, much cheaper than paying a change fee. I have to know, how it is possible that changing a booking costs less than just booking then taking a whole new flight?! Change fees are out of hand.

Ok there’s the rant. Now on to Athens.

We stayed at the Athens Marina for convenient access to transit, diesel, showers, and shelter from the winds. All those were available. The Marina had not much else to offer however. That said, Athens is a pretty cool city to visit.

Athens transit makes it easy to get around. If you’ve used Toronto transit, it is a bit similar – overcrowded and noisy but generally effective.

Margaret and Theo were both a bit under the weather – Theo with a cold and Margaret getting over being sea sick so Monday was a very low energy day. We went into Athens proper for a nice lunch and some light shopping in the flea market district. Margaret found an awesome leather jacket.

Before Margaret’s flight on Tuesday we went to the Parthenon. The kids missed this the last time because they wanted to swim at the hotel pool rather than site see. We braved the long ticket lines (40 min) to enter the site and walk to the top. I’m always blown away by the magnitude and magnificence of the build. The history of the build and destruction cycle is incredible.

To really understand the Parthenon one must visit the museum of the Acropolis nearby. You can see the history as well as original carvings from the structure that have been recovered. We went on Wednesday to see the museum after we bought some boat parts. I think I’m one of the few people who have walked through the museum carrying a boat fender. 

We wanted to be in Athens while Margaret was in transit in case any issues surfaced. We stayed an extra day because Theo took a while to get over his cold. We used the time to thoroughly clean the boat in and out. Salt water really takes its toll on everything and we scrubbed a layer or two off to reveal a pretty nice boat underneath. Inside we did a very thorough cleaning of the heads (washrooms) and finally did a few buckets of laundry (literally soap and water in a bucket). These are the parts of cruising life that you will not find in the magazines. You can get laundry service in Athens Marina but it was 3Euro a kilo. Weigh your laundry sometime and see how much it would cost! I often wonder, but not for long, what the superyachts make of us sailors hanging our laundry on the boat lines.

At Athens Marina they have a helipad and we probably saw a half dozen delivery and pickups. We were told the one evening that pictures in the Marina were not allowed. We never did find out who the glitteratzi was that was picture shy.

Finally, we new it was time to move on. We set our sights on the Corinth Canal and set sail.

Corinth

We set off to the Corinth Canal which is a 6km stretch

of dredged canal that cuts through the bottom third of Greece and ensuring you can go through rather than around. A lot of sailing time is cut down.

It cost us around 235 Euro to pass through making the canal the most expensive per km in the world! It is a landmark place. First envisioned a couple thousand years ago when Corinths were dragging triremes over land, it actually didn’t get completed until the late 1800s. Repairs had to be made after WWII to make it serviceable. Now the canal is shut down to traffic every Tuesdayto repair the sides and dredge. At about 7 meters depth, it must get a lot of debris and silt going in.

Passing through was a special experience. In some places a wall has been constructed and other places, it is stone. There are 3 bridges overhead as you go through and tourists are looking down at the boats passing through. Birds nest in holes in the cliff. It is a narrow passage at 25 meters and we went through at around 5 knots as part of a parade of boats. The canal only permits traffic in one direction so you must wait your turn. We waited just over 3 hours for our passage through.

As a result of the wait we decided to stay in Corinth overnight which was not our plan. The habour there is OK but there is no power, no water, and it is at risk of swell. We were well stocked with water, have a generator, and the weather was forecast calm so we stayed and we were pleased we did.

Corinth has so much history to offer. As the birthplace of Tiremes (oared ships) it was a huge commercial enterprise and due to capability on water, an expanding society. They had trade across several islands all the way to Corfu and into the Agean as well. Ancient Corinth has been excavated since the 1930s and had one of the most fabulous ruins both Greek (temple of Apollo) and Roman. The magnitude of the site is awe inspiring. You can feel the city streets and shops around you as you wander down the main boulevard. Visiting these places I’m reminded that economics, entrepreneurship and ego have driven mankind for as long as we can trace recorded history.

Another contribution of the area is the Corinthian column. We saw samples of several

columns and took a picture of Theo beside a Doric column (Theodoric, get it?).

Protestants will know Corinth from the New Testament (first and second Cornithians) and the letters from St Paul. St Paul had a big influence in the area and many people visit the area to experience some of his footsteps.

We explored the museum and site for 1.5 hours (we had arranged a ride) and then went to the top of the mountain where a fortification with 2km of walls was built. We arrived to late to enter but it was impressive from the outside.

Corinth is a bit run down in places and more people approached us for money/support than in other places. One innovative woman struck up a robust friendly conversation before asking for support due to “economic issues.”

Corinth is not a touristy place and everything was closed on Sunday. We had phone problems so we decided to stay until Monday morning, fix the phone issue and then head out. On then to Itea so we can visit the Oracle at Delphi.

Kevin

Leros and Patmos

Leros

We enjoyed Leros. We wanted to check the Marina as it is one of the places we are considering wintering the boat. There are many potential spots so don’t read too much into that statement. Leros marina is about a 15 minute walk to the nearby town.

War made a big impact here. The island has a huge natural harbor and that was a big draw for all countries. Italians were here, once they linked to Germany in WWII, it wasn’t long until the british came to try and retake the island. It was a bitter battle and the scars are still visible on many buildings.

We did see a fascinating war museum built into a “warehouse”. Essentially warehouse tunnels were carved into the mountains. There were many artefacts on display including helmets from the various countries, guns, munitions, and even some vehicles and a plane. The soundtrack played in the tunnel was very emotionally intense as orders were screamed during a battle and overshadowed the exhibits.

As a result of the Italian influence, there are a lot of art-deco buildings in the downtown. We decided to take in a

movie and we were the only occupants besides the projectionist in a classic deco one screen theatre with a balcony.

The marina was a bit different because there were more “live aboards” than we’ve encountered elsewhere. Usually you see people traveling or chartering a boat. At this marina there were more people who were living the sailing lifestyle. We enjoyed a nice view, great showers, and laundry. Internet was very poor which seems to often be a theme at marinas.

The family is getting very familiar with the boat now and everyone has a role. Margaret and Theo are most involved when we depart and come in to port as there is more to do at those times. Margaret is primary crew but Theo is starting to take on small duties. Both Sheila and I skipper the boat. I’m glad we are both active captains since it can be fun but tiring to sail these distances.

After a couple nights, we set off for Patmos. Patmos is most famous as a religious centre with a monastery dedicated to St John the Baptist. He is believed to have authored the book of revelations from a cave where they’ve since built a church. We were able to enter the cave and see the ancient icons. In the thousand years since they built the church, there have been a few additions so there are about 4 stories of meandering rooms, stairways, and levels.

Up top of the hill overlooking the town is the monastery dedicated to St John. It was at one point a very wealthy place and has walls fortifying it to protect from raiders. We were able to tour the buildings, many churches inside, and the museum where you can see relics, icons, and books. The region is fascinating because it brings the life of the saint into closer perspective.

Through trial and error we found a great restaurant near the boat where Sheila & I enjoyed a fabulous meal from simple ingredients. We savoured the soup, salad, and main as we watched the changing light of the setting sun over the bay. This is a hard life indeed!

On to Mykonos.

KOS

Well the journey continues. We made it to Kos marina where we made arrangements to fix the windlass. It was going to take a few days to get the parts so we put in at a marina which is fairly close to downtown.

Kos is most famous for Hypocrites, its native son. We saw the tree where he gave his lectures & took the mandatory pictures. (The photo on the side is Sheila standing beside the tree)

It was good to take a break but were concerned because we were to meet Russ June 1 and it was at least 2 good days of sailing to get to him. He unfortunately had to cancel his trip so that relieved the pressure. All in all that was good because we didn’t get the part replaced until Thursday and were in Kos seven days all in.

Theo got into a nice routine of going on his own to the local café where he’d play on his ipad until we showed up…quite some time later. We’d join him for breakfast and coffee.

We had a few treks into Kos town itself, found a nice butcher near the marina, and rented a car one day so we could go a bit further afield. It is a bit tough when waiting on repairs as they have typically been promised “the next day” and then we are left waiting so we end up making plans later in the day.

On car rental day we decided to go to Therma beach where there is a natural spring that feeds a pool beside the sea. It’s kind of like going to Banff hotsprings except that there is no development around it. You have to walk down a gravel road, pass along the stone beach, and you will find the pool full of tourists. It was pretty cool being in a pool of water separated by the sea from rocks while the waves crashed over the crest. The cool factor was offset a bit by the sulfur smell (well OK you have to expect that), the many tourists there with you, and a pervert on the beach not that far away. After the plunge in the pool, a swim in the sea was required to rinse off sulfur and salt up.

We left Therma beach and then drove into the mountains where we had one of the best meals of the trip. There is a village people visit to see the sun set over Turkey so we went to what appeared to be among the nicest restaurants and had a table with a commanding view over the island. Better than the view was the food. Locally sourced and delectably prepared. I enjoyed baby goat (the kids were appalled) and Sheila had wild boar. 

Margaret’s chicken was also very nice and Theo had naturally aspirated chicken fingers. OK they pretty much looked like all other chicken fingers but I had to say something. Paired with local wine from Kos the meal combined with the view was spectacular. All agreed it was worth the drive up switchback roads to get there.

The next day Margaret suggested a side trip to go GoKarting. We visited a local somewhat rundown establishment. I can promise there is very little regulation on Go Karts on Kos. The carts had no regulators and went like stink. The tires were in terrible condition – completely bald. We steered through a combination of brakes and throttle. Applying the brakes you could get a bit of fishtail. Similarly, you could jam the throttle and wheel spin would fish tail the car. The track was really nothing but hairpins so we had lots of fun drifting and spinning. We completely spun out a few times and they don’t really help you so we just got out of the car and pushed back onto the track. I was pretty sure we’d end up in the hospital as part of the excursion but we managed to keep it together and had a lot of crazy fun. 

From Kos it is on to Leros.

Kevin 

Symi and Nysiros

Hi family and friends,

Symi was a pretty quick in and out. We did manage to eat some Symi shrimp but were a but underwhelmed. I think the problem was that we were at a pizzeria. We did eat a Capresse pizza which I can highly recommend. The Buffalo Mozerella on top was perfectly soft and creamy.

It is a pretty port with decent anchorage but we had no WIFI (oh no) on the boat so we couldn’t stay there indefinitely. There were ferries full of tourists coming from Rhodes so we did feel somewhat part of the attraction, “look at the pretty sailboats…that one is from Canada.” On the plus side it was nice to meet some Canadians stopped by to talk having seen the flag. “You need a flag,” says Eddie Izzard.

The village was built vertically so every walk was uphill. Sheila went for it but I held back and relaxed on the boat.

Spending only one night in Symi, we then made our way to Nysimos (Nisimos). Nisimos is famous for its dormant volcano which erupted to much fan fare 6000 years ago. There was a small burp in the 1800s but it has pretty much remained inactive. That said, inside the crater you can see boiling mud, steam vents, and a generally barren, Star Trek set appearance. There is a distinct sulphur smell as you wander the area. The place is huge. The crater, called Stephanos, is 4km in diameter. We walked down into the space and felt very small beside nature’s might. I remembered our friend Ali talking about volcano’s in Hawaii and I now understand her enthusiasm and awe.

Not far from the volcano is a small village perched on the upper reaches of the hills (mountains) surrounding the crater. We had a nice relaxing breakfast admiring the view and bus loads of tourists heading to the crater – we were warned would show up late morning. There is a natural sauna just outside the village. It is a cave. You walk in and feel exactly like you are in a humid sauna. Again – awesome.

Not to be outdone in castles, the island features (albeit in a low key way) a castle dating back over 2000 years with foundations of volcanic rock and walls that are upwards of 3M thick. The fortification has been well preserved and is distinctly different from other castles we've seen which are typically 5-700 years old.

The harbor here has been quiet and well protected from the wind. The wind has also been pretty low so sleep has been nice. We plan to head to Kos next however thundershowers may hold us up here another day.

On the boat front, the battery has worked well. We do, however, have an issue with the windlass (which releases and hauls up the anchor). It doesn’t seem to want to pull up the anchor chain beyond a certain point. Reading online it could be due to a twist in the chain but we’ll learn more tomorrow as we attempt to leave. Hopefully we aren’t raising the anchor through brute force as the winch is stuck as well. It will be a great workout1 Stay tuned for more.

Kevin