Preveza and beyond.

My second Greek marina stop and prices have definitely gone up post covid! The worrying thing I heard today is that Turkey has gone up exponentially, partly due to UK Brexit boat refugees and greatly because of the scum bag Russian pariahs.Have to look at my winter options when I get there.

Yesterday and today met up with some Chichester boating friends and that was great. Lovely couple, over to put their fancy machine to bed for winter.

Picked up a few tips on local spots and left them to it.

Motored down the west coast of Lefkas and am anchored up on my own in a tiny bay , very close to a rocky wall but should be ok.

Not a boat in site. Bearing in mind I counted 36 around the entrance to Preveza harbour, a lot of which are charter bods in caravans of the sea (catamarans)

Had some good information yesterday concerning the Corinith canal which has been closed a lot over the last couple of years due to landslides and was supposed to be closed in time for my arrival!! It’s open and works have been put back until November so looking forward to that leg probably do a video.

Replete on reheated chilli con ring burner accompanied by cabbage. Always better 4 days later🤪

Ah home.

Last nights anchorage and this morning’s swim for coffee.

Corfu and start of Greek leg, expecting it to be hairy !

First sign of Greece!

Some weirdness has occured. One of my loyal readers has pointed out no action since Italy but ive posted so some really important drivel is floating around out there somewhere. Mainly Corfu stuff can't write it all again , I'm rushed off my feet here!

Friday I arrived in Lakkas on Paxos which was a short hop from Gouvia marina on Corfu. Thieving  rats charged €100 / night there. That's more than I've paid any where on the way down through France in high season. I had to call in there as my port of entry from Italy. Paperwork was pretty straight forward and I dealt with a very affable port policeman.  Only hitch was I deleted a superfluous document on the cruising certificate application and that deleted my payment which meant I had to go into Corfu town. Not a problem as I wanted to go any way. Was a nice marina but every thing very expensive.

 Lakkas bay

Lakkas on Paxos on the other hand was idyllic .little harbour ,water side tavernas and free! Only issue here is every one knows it. Must have been 30 plus yachts anchored and it was pretty chaotic at times.  Went in to town, walked up the hill mooched about ,and generally had a very Greek experience. Lots of Jerry's about now and flotilla companies which can be a worry.
 

Where I am now is an even shorter hop from Lakkas. 

It's a tiny but deep bay anchorage which I had all to my self yesterday

until about 6 o'clock when  3 Greek yachts with 6 plus people on each turned  up . 

They are rental boats and were circling me very close like sharks until they decided where they were going to moor up in the end they rafted up with lines ashore. 

I turned my spaghetti boll from the night before in to chilli con carne and watched the circus. About 10 o'clock the sky started to light up and a long and massive thunderstorm proceeded. Couldn't hear any thunder initially only a little later so it must have been miles away. This morning though I was woken by a crash and immediately assumed Etna or some other volcano was erupting . God knows why but it was over head and then started to rain , didn't last long.
No signal at all here which is funny. After I cleaned my stanchions yesterday and the sides of the boat which was quite an effort I swam ashore and walked around .  There's nothing here.

I did go up to the lighthouse via a little private bay where there was a noisey German boat and some signal was found but apart from having no access to weather or info on where I'm going next , phone free is quite fun. I did try fishing for my supper again but no takers for my salami and cheese bait.Any how the only fish I saw were tiddlers, jelly and long pointed slender things. Didn't look like good eating!  

I'm heading for mainland and have the engine off. Signal is back up but can't get the weather and keep hearing thunder rumbles . Prevesa tomorrow. 

TAF

Leaving Italy!

Anchorage looks very different in day light. Didn’t go ashore as it’s a faff to get the dingy out and I wanted to get a move on. Looks like a nice place St Maria di Leuca 

Just a quick one. Left lasts nights anchorage about 7.30 this morning after a terrible nights sleep. No particular reason other than perhaps the legal CBD grass I got in Cagliari for aching hips and shoulder. Threw the rest away this morning as Greeks might have a different policy! Turned up at 11.30 last night which is always fun in an unknown dark bay. The only glitch being a bank of lights I thought was an industrial estate ashore was an oil tanker. Bloody stupid as there are so many bright lights you can’t see its nav or steaming lights. Anyhow he was doing less than a knot and I shot in-front at 5 so he didn’t even hoot.

Lots of admin later today or early tomorrow! My only real concern for that is  whether VAT  is paid on the boat. Another Brexit related issue and not as obviously straight forward as one would expect. I was in uk at transition and the boat is 40 yrs old. What kind of proof could I produce if I wanted to ?!

Sure it will be fine.

This morning. 

Next blog Greece 😁

Forgot to mention that I’ve updated the map app which should now automatically show where Katrilli is. If you can’t see it top right then you need to go to bottom of page and click view web version.

Crotone

Not much to report .left last anchorage on short hop to Crotone. Quite an historic place with the Greeks and again has a lovely feel to it. Small marina good price and very friendly. Went for beach swim yesterday and another due in a minute. Laundry done, a bit of shopping then tomorrow probably doing a 12 hrs hop to the heel of Italy and another marina. That will be my departure port for Greece. Hopefully I have fulfilled the legal requirements for Greece as they are a little pedantic and confused about regulations, at least I'm not pedantic! Probably going to have to motor which is annoying but unavoidable ,I just hope I have wind to get me to Corfu in a couple of days .

Hopefully some one will notice I have edited the map on the Web version of this blog to show my updated position automatically if it works!

Beach here.

Lovely avenue bit like Abbey road with out the Beatles! 

Castle and old buildings in town.

So as you can see just chillin 😀'

Edna ahoy!

The big funny news is that the drunk fin has left. Mixed blessing as it was quite fun having him aboard but it didn't make my life significantly easier. Having told him I needed my space for a day after a few trivial frustrating annoyances, I returned to the boat later to find he had jumped ship! This isn't a problem and was planned in the near future but to not leave a note or say thanks and bye has really wound me up so he got a vitriolic text and we'll leave it at that.

Oil right in middle of nowhere!

I sailed and motored from Licata to Catania over night about 130 miles and am now in a nice little marina there.  Another amazing city with great buildings and churches. Sicily wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea but I love it. The harbour has a sunken boat in it

 and I look out the back of my boat and Edna stands waiting to clear out her smokers 

Lungs. Who knows when.

I was going to get a bus and walk up there today but still a bit knackered after the 24 trip. Probably just get a bus some where.

Not a lot else to report. Wind looks a bit flakey for the next few days so I'll probably motor across the straites to mainland Italy .

Just a few local pictures for now.

Outside of church!and inside is massive open area with a 37 meter linear sundial amazing and installed in 1800's

Local Street and another church!

Thought I might pop in here later to stock up on essentials, not in a position to pontificate but I think it needs a full stop after kebab!

Liceta

First Italian pizza!

I love Sicily its a bit squalid ,dirty and decrepit but its atmospheric and the people here are really friendly. The fishing shop owner closed shop and drove me to a battery shop yesterday!

                              The churches are astounding-inside outside they are like ruins.

Walked to the top of a hill yesterday and visited the cemetery which was full of mausoleums far in excess of Hampstead's opulence. Some old, some concrete and glass.

The obvious thing to say is they're mafia related, maybe they are maybe not but I don't believe there are that many dons buying plots of this sort ,now or before.

So I'm here because, a/ the winds have dropped, b/ there was a dripping hydraulic leak from the bottom of the engine, so running it was not a good idea. After a few phone calls I took a part off the top of the engine and replaced an O ring and it is sorted. Potentially that was a take the gear box off job, some difference!!

Also waiting for a battery the type which they are charging €360 for, the same I paid £140 for in UK. Hence found another one.

Massive thunder storm here on Friday road flood and big winds .

I was ashore and fortunately one of the few actions Fin took was to retrieve washing from deck but didn't close my cabin hatch. Can't have everything. Had to tell him to piss off for the day today , I need some space. Catalyst was asking if I wanted  cup of tea (this has been a highly irregular request during the last few weeks, previously almost totally unheard of!) I answer yes then find he's sitting on his ass

 ( I've been teaching him to say arse but he struggles) smoking and drinking his coffee. There is an long context of action lethargy to this but tough.

Once battery has arrived with or with out my human ballast off to south coast of Italy from where its a short hop to Greece ,hopefully by wind.

TAF.

Impromptu Sicilian dancers 

Sicily. , relief!

Well it wasn’t as rough as the crossing from Mallorca to Sardinia but it had its moments. 184 miles and overnight but the winds were working for us so sailed the whole way. The sea wasn’t working in our favour and again > 3.5 m swell from the side was hard work! 

Highest average speed I’ve logged on this trip for a leg and that was purely sail which makes me smile.

Saw this stowaway after we left but wasn’t there this morning. Over 2 inches long! Not surprised.

 Barely saw a boat on the way . 3 in total considering the area. It gave us some concern. One interesting thing . While gazing at the stars , because there’s little else to do that doesn’t involve reading or talking . I saw a luminous catapillar of lights , went to get the phone and they turned in to over 20 satellites in a line moving north to south. Bloody Musk and his Starlink but very impressive sight .

Now at anchor in a fishing port , legally possibly and heading towards Catania tomorrow. Already spotted Etna but no fire😩

View during the passage!

Cagliari

What a lovely little town. Stayed in the marina over night ,which is a scruffy little family run place in massive harbour  but very friendly and same price as France was on way down as opposed to e 160 in others per night!

First meal ashore in Italy and Indian!

It was only a 30 mile hop yesterday from anchorage where a quick morning dip was had very cold water but refreshing after the 23 degree waters else where.  Later today we're off to Sicily.  Unfortunately there will be some motoring because of winds but can't just sit around. 

I noticed two sail batons were damaged so they are being replaced today. More expesense but at least it's getting done and they have them here.

Next report from Sicily which I'm looking forward to.