WHO SAID THERE IS NO WIND IN THE IONIAN ?

Sun downers in Assos 

I had told Mandy that the Ionian Greek Islands were very beautiful but there was never any wind.


Since we arrived some two weeks ago we have had two major gales.

Fortunately these were both well forcasted and we have learnt how to prepare for them.

After the first gale in Argostoli we left with a very pleasant SW wind and started a clockwise circumnavigation of Cephalonia.

At Anchor in Assos

Our first stop was at a delightful small village on the E coast called Assos.  This small harbour is not often visited by "yachties" as it is open to the normal NW prevailing wind.  Our gentle SWester gave perfect conditions and we had the harbour to ourselves.


The next day we continued round to Fiskardho, a crowded , touristy but attractive harbour.

We then the next day arrived in Eufimia and moored stern to the harbour wall.  The harbour staff here are very helpful, and they told us that it was going to blow hard from six o clock in the evening and would continue to gale conditions all night.

The weather sites that we looked at gave no indication of the wind to come. However we had learnt from the experience of the previous blow and listened to the locals.

The rumour of weather to come had obviously travelled fast as boats continued to poor into the harbour, which was soon almost full to capacity with maybe eighty to a hundred boats moored up.

The locals were correct and we had a real old blow. Josephine well tied up, fender ed and pulled off the wall was fine.

By two in the morning I think every skipper and crew were up and struggling.  One boat decided to pull off and then others mistakenly tried to follow.  The result was carnage, yachts with ropes around propellers, drifting into other boats, dragging anchors over neighbours, and some pounding the harbour wall.

Credit to the harbour staff who had got out of their beds and come down to assist and give what help they could. I suspect that they had anticipated the problem !

The next morning all had calmed down.  There was quite a lot of damage. Our next door neighbour on a large motor yacht had his beautiful teak bathing platform smashed.

We were fine but had little sleep.  As I said there is no wind in the Ionian.

RAY & MANDY
Levkas  38 49N x 20 42E