Phew!

Better than a kick in the nuts but still not great ! Negotiated with fisherman down to €800 hardly value for money but no other options. Since being here the winds and sea have been unusually high and rough. One boat got stuck on the entrance shoal and a couple of other foreigners scared them selves as had to come in parallel to the breakers 😂😂

6 days at sea and crossed my outbound track

                              Sunrise!

Well that was an interesting 6 days!!

Destination Malta , yet here I am in southern Italy 😂. Funny little thing had 4 house

Martin’s or swifts? Stay on the boat for a night ,two inside two out. One left and came back a few times . Very cute and friendly. I may have seen a shark when the sea was calm. 50 metres away but two vertical dorsal fins as opposed to one vertical and one horizontal as on dolphins ; and again two small turtles on the surface getting a lot of motion from the swell.

Intention was to head to Malta, forecasts were ok , maybe requiring some tacking late on  but intention was to sail not motor! Two days out from Crete I’d had some good sails but heading too far south although level with Malta channel . Then it all started . My forecast got on Monday departure would last till Thursday and although showing 6 different models were only accurate in certain sections at some point but some showing no wind others for same time/ place 30 kts winds.

After battling with the winds and sea state getting bigger both from the west which was my heading, I decided to head north to east coast of Sicily. Libya being only a dire emergency option! East coast of Sicily was a battle ,wind picking up to >25 kts sea, 2 meter swell with white horses . Sailing close hauled keeps everything in check and for the record even when calm my engine only gives 5 kts . In to wind it will struggle with even 2 . Motor sailing is good so long as wind is not too high but it has to be favourable. Wednesday night, I was running engine to charge batteries then it stopped. Here we go .Floor engine cover up , not simple.Boat rocking ,sails still up with auto helm on . Decided I needed a crap first! Not a common event but awkward in a rolling sea with things to do! Opened fuel tank hatches , multiple bolts- changed fuel filter, bled system all lying on my stomach above warm engine, bilge and diesel fumes . Decided I needed a chunder. Obviously all this time keeping a trim on sails and look out. 5 am job done .Engine started , massive relief. Off I trundle in more or less right direction. Determined not to go back to Greece. Upside is I checked out of Schengen so  clock not ticking. During Thursday wind really picked up from the west so still no good for me . Sea state confused but 2 meters and higher , Sicily now looking doubtful. I could stay out with provisions for a couple of weeks but that would not be an achievement if driving round in circles avoiding or fighting the weather!

Friday. Rain storm came in, low vis, higher gusts. OK plan change head for Italy proper, the bunion on Italy’s boot, Calabria. Slowly but surely getting there with a designated marina. Bear in mind no phone signal so no weather or marina image. Closer still I picked up signal so called ahead and warned Francesco I would be coming in but would mooch about till next day . At one point with some great sailing I was getting 7 kts in right direction eta 8 pm . It later became apparent that this target was unattainable as after rain wind shifted 40° to north . Right on the nose. About 1am decided to try motor sailing into port but was at my last 20 litres of fuel 6. -7 hrs  could give 30 miles or 8 . Which was more likely 🙄 Turned on the engine 2 minutes spluttered and died. Here we go again! Same procedure minus poo and puking but no success this time. 4 am Saturday had to have a snooze as still had the marina docking to perform. Hadn’t realised time zone change so rang Francesco at 6.30 who was very obliging . Told him I was going to need assistance but at 15 miles his tender was not up for the job. He knew a fisherman who had helped some other boat last week. Was € 400 ok. Yes of course , I’m happy to pay for Enricos new Vesper!. Forgot to mention , got a bout of the squits Friday night, don’t know where that came from but at least I was in sight of the end and it disappeared as fast as it came!

Here I am tucked up on emergency berth as winds have been too strong to move me  with tender but no problem . Safe . Fridge stopped working. Now fixed , just the big job to do . Talking to the fishing boat beside me that I was oblivious of arriving , he said we saw you on TV . I’m thinking oh no that’s not good. Fortunately it was a Spaniard . I attach the clip. Same departure ,same area, same time, same length and he ended up in this marina !! His boats still out there. 

https://www.agenzianova.com/en/news/Spanish-sailor-missing-between-Greece-and-Italy-saved-by-the-coast-guard-video/

Makes you think though. Here’s a thought . I hadn’t seen the plane or anyone else. 

Had the coast guard  come over and said do you need assistance, I. E. Rescuing ,the answer should have been yes .Did I need it in hindsight ? No. Oh well hypothetical 🤡

Sea miles 460 about!

Update!! Just went to pay the fisherman and he says it’s €400 / hour which is 1600!! I can feel a discussion coming on! I’m not willing to pay for his family holiday in Dubai bearing in mind I wasn’t a salvage case! 

Chania

What a lovely little town . Quite few restaurants and predominately local tourists but the foreigners are here.

British

German 

 Visited the naval museum and British war cemetery then the German one to day. Disappointing that they don’t put the regiments on the Germans stones but very well kept and scenic. Also big battle over bridge by airstrip. Interesting story.

Had to anchor for a day on way here as swell and wind on the nose. That was a stunning little bay . Swam ashore , climbed hill then had to manoeuvre round a rock which had caught my chain but that was no problem.

Apart from that intend to leave tomorrow if the winds are right for Malta. Fuelled up and food on board.

Beautiful weather as usual.

Free!

Just an update. I was ‘released’ on Friday afternoon. Fine paid , all back to normal 🥵 staying here a couple of days then moving to the end of island prior to crossing to Malta. A 1 1/2 hr walk each way to get to this little waterfall, not sure how it got a UNESCO world heritage rating but it appears to have.

In to the lions den!

Restaurant mascot

Well after a brief stop in Pathos to enable an early morning departure I had to stay two days because the boat wouldn’t go into reverse when I Moored up . Not good. Two blokes were there to help fortunately as one threw a line but it slipped away before I could fix it on deck. The next one trapped and squashed my fingers against the solar arch which was painful and caused bruising but helped to stop the 12 tons of boat drifting broad side with my anchor into a 20 day old boat( owned by a ruskie)! An Egyptian who was one of the two men said his mate on a big tourist boat could help fix my issue. Sceptical ,moi but desperate having investigated as much as I could I went to see him. Really nice guy got on his tender with me and together running around like rats he said 100 % it was the cable. How can this be it’s pushing and pulling? He took up a couple of boards down the back and the cable sheath had completely rotted and separated!! 

Where to buy? He informed me later that there was a shop in town. Marine and cycles?? Who would have one 😳they did! I fixed that then had to do the taxi run to town to get diesel, none in the port.Thank Neptune I filled up a couple of  extra containers. Met a very interesting 38 yr old German living in Romania running an earth moving disposal business plus other interests who was on a mates boat lent to him after sailing with the owner for 3 days. Astounding because that’s the only sailing he’d done 😂The Egyptian thought he was mad as he went out in 2m waves one day. Also the prop shaft came away from the gearbox and flooded the boat . My Egyptian pal had helped him fix that. Other points of note he parascends in Romania with out a licence and goes on mountain walks having taken  micro doses of LSD . Regularly! Apparently legal there😳Oh and his work regime is work three weeks then one off per month!

So I left on Saturday and am floating around two days later with 90 miles to go. Unfortunately absolutely no wind or westerly that means I’ve run the engine over 48 hours and have just used my last reserve tank. Boarderline as to whether I have enough to make port in Crete and to turn up on vapour will result in same problem as at pathos except I won’t be  going forward either! Big slow tacks required to get me to port. Worst case scenario I’ll have to call for a tow. To be continued…..

A nice thing is I’ve had little birds land on board to catch flies.

The first was 50 miles from land. I tried to feed him but he was very good with moths and insects. When he disappeared at night I assumed he’d gone. This morning I heard a squeak and thought it was a shackle. Came out , fannied about then when the sun rose this little bird was dead on the floor. Some one had stepped on him. I was devastated and buried him at sea. Able seabird sparrow . RIP. About 10 mins later a bird hopped out from a pile of ropes . Easter resurrection my arse, ASS must have had a friend over and I stood on him😳The original one was standing on my foot and at one point on my shoulder. Very cute. 

                         Spot the bird!

Had three others since. Amazing . Robins I think and a skinny neurotic type . Back to work!

Arrived !1/2 hr short of 3 days. Not a restful night! Tacks , no wind then slight sea and constantly aware of fuel predicament. One tank empty other just at empty but gauge has been fidgeting since half. Canisters holding 80 litres all empty🙄but only €24 for 3 days in the port- brilliant . 

The life of a sea gypo is not as carefree as people think , it’s deal with it or sink. 

Since leaving Lebanon I’ve had a ripped sail-repaired. This is the before shot.

 Fuel bug block - sorted. Gear cable trashed. Fingers squashed between rope and drifting boat and fuel stress ,the last and least of my worries but strangely , I’m still very happy to be where I am doing what I’m doing  and not even bored of my own conversation

Off to immigration now , so could be an amendment to this list!

Amendment

I am now a prisoner on my boat which is classed as UK territory! After my previous EU overstay and non payment of fine I have infringed the law and sending me out of Schengen with boat looks like the only option. I couldn’t fly home because I would be on Schengen territory on my way to and at the airport. Go back to Cyprus, bugger that , it took 3 days to get here.

The local police woman, a woman who deals with boaters in the harbour and the 

Coastguard policeman have been truly unbelievable. Complete opposite of the toe rag immigration , South African accented tosser in Samos. The remedy now is I have to find some one to pay the €600 at the tax office , get a receipt, take that to the cop shop then policewoman clears my name on the system. Then I’ll be a free man, hopefully The two passport ruse obviously has failed.

Still , worth a go.

I may be freed in two days time🤡

              The angry sea off and entering Crete.