Time to go Home!!

We have had a lovely summer and due to heat and strong northerly winds we have decided to winterise Josephine and head home.
   
    I am sat in Little Haywood looking at the fog as I write this we have been home now for 3 weeks and enjoyed cool wet weather and just recently some lovely warm sunny weather.

This is our Josephine in her winter home and being cared for by Olympic Marina and David.
 
    Our last fortnight was spent sailing / motoring through the Gulf of Corinth the wind often against us despite the prevailing wind is usually westerly and not much swimming due to the number of jelly fish!!

  This photo was taken from the stern of Josephine so we were not about to jump in just a cold shower to cool down.

    When we returned to the Aegean Sea the wind was always northerly as expected or nothing so unless we wanted to be blown to the south we headed to the marina and arranged flights and the lift out. There a few winter jobs to be done to prepare for next year; sad to go but the relentless heat had finally got to us .

     So until next spring have a good wintr and an early Happy Christmas and Happy 2016!!

     Mandy and Ray

Repairs ??!

Hello all well it isn't any cooler yet so we just have to enjoy hot sunny day with a hair-dryer type wind to sail with.
    Since we last blogged we have had a few repairs 3 to be exact.

Above is Josephine s bow roller and you maybe able to see it is worn to the metal it should be similar to the one on the left which is used for anchor warp, the shackles we had to connect the anchor to the chain have worn the plastic so off to Levkarda to source a new one no luck not any of the Chandlers stock that sort of thing. So off to Nidre and try a Chandlers called George's and guess what we were luck not the exact thing but something that would see use through to the end of the season we thought so off to Ay Efumia to the town quay where could go in bows too on a high quay do the work without losing any bolts we hoped and we have friends that would help if we did not have the right tools

. So a day later the new bow roller in situ but not that simple the one we brought had been black rubber and George et al told us it wouldn't last a few days but knew someone that could make one so Ray went off with George and sure enough a new one was to be made so we were stuck in a favourite place for a couple of days very hot but we went cycling.
  As you can see from the photo above the new bow roller with anchor fitted and we have changed the arrangement of shackles so it wont happen again..

  Then we set off for the Gulf of Cornith to some quieter crusing away from the Floatilers and to visit Mesolongion which we have never been to just sailed past. We had some good sailing but then alas Ray noticed a hole in the genoa!!! surely not but on a second look yes where some old stitching had been the fabric had torn. Well Mesolongion had a marina and we know some people winter there so hopefully sail repairs cold be done. Yes that was possible however the Waypoint sail rep did not want to come to the marina we had to go to him, Ray and I can just about move the sail on the boat but get it to the Waypoint outlet no way not in this heat just getting it down was hot enough . So Ray had an idea if we got the boat and sail to the Town Quay could he collect from there yes not problem so we cast off to the Town Quay a few 100 yards away delivered the sail and returned to the Marina as we had payed for 2 nights.This was a week-end so we thought it would be mid week before we saw the sail again however not Saturday early evening we had a phone called the sail was repaired so we arranged to collect it Monday morning on the Town quay.

   Well these things often come in three's!! and sure enough a day after leaving Mesolongion our batteries where loosing charge quicker than normal it was hot the fridge was struggling but we better check the batteries as 2 were not sealed and sure enough one was dry!!so where to now we did not want to retrace our steps maybe  Galixidhi would have a battery it had a small chandlers we knew so fingers crossed it was on our way but now we would go directly.thankfully when we arrived the chandlers was open and had the correct battery, after a hot hour or so in the aft cabin it was replaced and two very hot and sweaty crew emerged to the cool of the cockpit!!!!

    Well enough of my going on we are now back in the Aegean sea and sadly thinking of where we will Josephine for the winter can't believe it is that time already.

     Until next time Mandy & Ray 

Hot Hot Hot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well it has been awhile since we have written and we are sorry to here you are not having a good summer we are melting! For the last month it has not gone below 20'C and up to 45'C during the day phew!

   Above is a post and seagull with a rope from Josephine this was in the Bay Lakka lots of boats so we did this to stop swinging to other boats, the sea gull worried me but unlike the British ones we hear about it flew off as I approached but soon returned.

 From her we travelled north to Corfu and not to the town but the bays around so we could cool off by jumping off the boat into cool water.

This was the view from the back of Josephine very nice Taverna's and good food but expensive by Greek standards but we were on Corfu.

We moved south Corfu and found a nice and busy bay but lots of room and the locals were having a festival to celebrate the building of their new church an impressive building but just a shell now they start on the inside the town was Petriti had a lovely garden taverna just south of it.

We continued south next to the mainland and went to Parga a busy tourist resort this was the quieter of the beaches one was so busy with sun shades and sun beds you could hardly see the sand.

But after a couple of days we moved on to an empty bay with a small taverna and beach with only a dozen or so people and 3 boats. We saw a lovely sun set and a big orange moon.

Anyway we find ourselves in Ay Eufimia an old favourite and we may have to spend a couple of days here to get our bow roller renewed another story for next time.

Hope the summer improves .

Mandy and Ray 

Sailing Again!

We have been in the Ionian Sea now for a month and enjoyed some lovely sailing and some motoring. Met up with friends old and new and helped celebrate a 60th birthday a good day!!

 I have just up loaded this photo and it is said that the Cornith Canal has a slope and you feel that you are motoring  up hill ! it does look like it and that the Gulf of Corinth should empty out into the Aegean Sea.

 This is looking backwards! that is down hill.

    The weather has been good to us a couple of thunder storms but lucky for us not over head. This year the flies and mosquitoes have been bad early June but it seems to have improved and I have put that down to our new guest's during the day we have swallows on the guard rails with their young having flying lessons, they are very noisy in the morning so no lie ins.

And there were as many on the warps and other side of the boat It just means cleaning bird pooh up but not too much. We have been aware of the birds in previous years but not as many as this year.

        We have sailed up the Levkas Canal  and watched a lot of boats going the other way so thought maybe north Ionian was less crowded! Not so we sailed up to Paxos and it was the 3rd bay we found a spot in a bay north of the island called Lakka us and about 100 other boats were in there we stayed 2 nights and it did empty the next day.

   Holidays in Greece are quiet this year? due to publicity about the economic situation maybe, but here it is fine there are lots for taverna open and ready for business the cash points have money in them it is mostly cash but now some places are excepting debit cards!!!

    We are just off mainland Greece among Nisis Sivota and Mourtos for a few days ( Sailing holidays .com have 2 flotillas here tonight.

   39 deg24'N 20 deg13'E

       Mandy ,Ray and Josephine

Farewell to the Aegean Sea !

7th June 2015

       Well since we last blogged we have left the Aegean for the time being we wanted to cruise and not spend weeks hiding from the wind. We have not been alone in this as we have met several other boats making the same trip for the same reason.

      So we made our way east wards from Naxos 2 long days sailing with a Danish boat called Lucy.

Above is  Lucy her owner's Borge and Christine we making the same trip so we sailed to Poros together and then parted company but hope to meet up later in the year.

   We then spent a week sailing towards the Canal visiting favourite paces again and some new!

On the south of the Island Aigina we went into a peaceful anchourage and as it was very deep our 1st this year of taking a line ashore onto a rock all went well until I jumped in with sun glasses still on my nose!!

We then moved onto Epiavros and took the inland trip to the best Greek Theatre see above it is still used today seat's 14,000 people but not very comfortable stone!  The acoustics are so good that you can hear a coin drop in  the middle whilst at the top or anywhere in the theatre.

   

Onwards to the Corinth Canal and on 27th May we went through the canal alone . Into the Gulf of Corinth.

  We are in the Ionian now and enjoying some good sailing!!

           Mandy and Ray 

      

MAY 18th 2015

Since our last blog. we have had some pleasant cruising around the Cyclades Islands.

Initially early in our journey we encountered very few other boats but now the season seems to have started, with crowded harbours and anchorages.

We have met and made friends with many other fellow sailors, of various nationalities, a French family, Dutch, Danish and Australian. Surprisingly we have neither met or seen many British boats. We did wonder if everybody had stayed at home for the "General Election" ?

The inevitable Cyclades weather again struck. A well predicted blow from the North saw us bolting for Naxos and shelter. We were concerned that with the forecast that it would be crowded, and have little or no room. However we had timed it right and we arrived to be helped into what was probably the best berth in the harbour. The nautical equivalent of the Royal Box at Wembley !!

Appolos Gate Naxos, 530BC

Naxos is one of our favourite Islands and harbours. It is a good job, as the forecast two day blow lasted for Severn days, Beaufort force 7, day and night.

Sitting in our "pound seats" we were then entertained by dozens of boats arriving in search of shelter, and then struggling to squeeze  into the few and increasingly more difficult spots in the strong wind.

Our dock was crammed to capacity on both sides, and no body was moving. A sense of community soon developed,and before long we were taking it in turns to have "happy hour" parties on each others boats.

As a result of this blow, and our similar experiences last year, we have decided to slowly make our way back to the calmer waters of the Ionian, exploring the Saronic gulf on the way.

We have greatly enjoyed the Aegean side of Greece, and hope to return, as there is still so much to see and explore. However the windy season is due to arrive soon and so whilst disappointing we feel that it is wise to move on.   

RAY & MANDY

Poros 37.31.6N x 23.25.25E

April in the Eastern Peloponnissos.

We have had some lovely sailing this last month the wind has been lovely although not always the way we planned to go often we would leave a port or town quay with a destination in mind to find the wind good for somewhere else so we enjoyed the sail and changed our destination!!

This a view from a lovely walk around the old area of Ermioni alovely small port as we made our way to the Peloponnisos. Wespent Easter sunday here and at night were treated to a procession of fishing boats with flares and later fireworks!!

Watching the procession.

Well after that we sailed on to a large bay Porto Kheli and spent the night the pilot says the water on the quay is brackish so we passed on that but went shore to shop for food and drink for the next few days as we planned to move towards Navplion by anchoring in bays over night as many of the habours are only small fishing ports with not much ashore especially so early in the season not alot open.

     We spent 2 days sailing and the nights in nice bays called Koiladhia and Khaidhari and our final sail up to Navplion.

  Navplion is an old city and many centries ago was the capital so this area of what is now Greece.

View up to the old Fortress

We spent a few days exploring the old town and the new, had one very windy night on the quay we were getting low on water and there was no sign of any water on the quay so we made plans to move on and sail across the bay and down the other side .

   Our 1st destination was Astrous a new place for us and it had a very new quay but as yet not complete so NO water and we are down to our last 100 litres or a bit less!! So next day we did not stay but left on our quest to get water. We set of for Leonidhion south of where we were and the wind was southerly and a fair swell so after an hour of fighting the weather we opted to sail on a broad reach towards  Porto Kheli good sailing however we stopped in a small bay just before the port as it was getting late and decided we would check the weather and make up our mind where we would go for water the next day!!

  After a pleasant night we woke early as the wind had changed a was causing Josephine to rock so check the weather a good southerly breeze so set off back across the bay towards Leonidhion had a great sail and made it by lunchtime and yes there was WATER  1 euro for 100 litres.

Well that was April and we are now in May and back in the islands again will write about that soon.

At present in a beautiful bay known as Sand Bar Bay on the Island of Kithnos

37 degrees24'N 24 degrees23'E

till next time Mandy and Ray 

2015

After all the trials and tribulations of 2014, we are pleased to be back again on Josephine in the Agean Sea.

Unfortunately we had to cut our trip short last year and returned to the UK in July 2014, leaving Josephine securely ashore in Olympic Marina, near Lavrion.

THE SALOON

 We returned on the 25th March, expecting all aboard to be "Ship Shape" to find the inside of the boat to be in some turmoil following the numerous repairs that we had carried out.



However we soon got most things soughted and tidy, and we were able to launch the boat on Friday the 28th.

NEW FUEL TANK

The weather has been mixed, varying from 
warm sunshine to howling gales and horizontal rain!

We eventually got away and had a shake out sail from Olympic to the Island of Kea, where we stayed for a few days, before heading North to our intended cruising area of Evvoia and the northen Sporadies 





GREEK WEATHER will always remain a mystery to me.

As soon as we arrived in Evvoia, and anchored off Marmari, near to the southern tip of the island, we were rudely awoken at 6.00 am by a howling gale from the north. The forecast was for gentle southerlies !!

Although dark and pitch black we were luckily up and awake when we started to drag and drift across the bay, sideways at about 5Knots!

We managed to re anchor and then spent the next 24hours riding out the blow.

JOSEPHINES NEW PORT SIDE
NAME

The only damage to the boat was that the wind some how managed to remove the E from the portside dodger, to rename the boat !!

As the gale abated we studied the forecasts for the next few days and were horrified to see forecasts of W force 11, with 87MPH gusts.

We therefore have reluctantly decided to abandon our excursion North, and we beat a hasty retreat back to Kea for safety and shelter.


We have now travelled south and are in one of our favorite locations Nisos Poros. those of you who saw Joanna Lumleys excellent Greek Oddesy series may recall that she described it as one of her favorite places in the islands.

This coming week end , one week later than the UK is the Greek Easter a major event in the country.  The forecast is looking good with nice sailing winds, and sunshine.

It is good to be back and blogging again. Please leave some comments to let us know that we are being read !!

Ray & Mandy
Paros
37.29N x 23.37E