Good bye Chló

Chló will be leaving soon, so we are having a farewell beer in the cafe near where Eidos is moored. Meanwhile, the leftover pizza is warming up in the oven on board. 

Lone fishing boat tied up for a few moments, while the owner picked up his coffee. But by nightfall, there were three yachts in the inner harbour.

Farewell photo of Eidos with the skipper.

Here is Chló ready for another adventure. Bye, Chló, it was lovely to have met you. 

Here are a couple of photos from Chlo's trip.

The Rio bridge.

View of Acropolis. 

Planning for winter aboard in the Ionian

I will be spending the winter aboard Eidos this year, so September is a good time to look for a safe harbour. The days are already getting shorter, mornings are damp and cool and there are a few clouds on the horizon. hot cup of coffee is a welcome drink in the morning. Winter is coming. 
Although in Greece, the winters are very mild compared to northern Europe and Canada. The sun often shines, you can swim in the sea until November, it's the best time to hike, and of course catch up on boat maintenance and other work that has been put aside while sailing. And that's what my plans include.
But right now in early September by nine o'clock it's back to bathing suit weather. Time for a swim, however planning ahead is wise.
In the Ionian there are several full service marinas that welcome liveaboards. One is Gouvia Marina on Corfu, another in Preveza a third one in Lefkas and one more in Little Vathi on Meganisi.
There are also several harbours and anchorages where cruisers with independent heaters on board have stayed. Vliho Bay is popular as is Tranquil Bay on Lefkada Island. I know one couple who stayed in Vathi on Ithaka for a winter and several boats stayed in Vonitsa in the Amvrakikos Bay. There is also a marina and boat yard in Messolonghi, but they've been having management problems. I have contacted them already for the latest information. So, there is quite a choice.
But how to decide...
Since I am now in Ag. Eufimia on Kefalonia and planning to head to Ithaka, I will check out Vathi while I am there. Ithaka is one of my favourite islands in the Ionian and I have friends who live ashore there. It would be fun to spend the winter hiking and hanging out on Ithaka. But, will it be safe and comfortable on board? It's time to take a look.
I am also planning a writers' retreat aboard for this winter, with good food, yoga, and walks, so if you would like to join me and finish that novel or memoir, send me a message.

Anchored in Ag. Eufimia, Kefalonia

It's been a busy two weeks of sailing and working on board for my crew and I. I will try to catch up with posting of photos and stories about our voyage in the next few days.  

This morning, Riemer and Teuntje left to go back to school and work in the Netherlands, and I am again offering crewing opportunities to live aboard and perhaps even sail (!) in the Ionian. You can scroll down and read here for more information on what I am offering although we are not in the boat yard any more, but now sailing. I also don't need much help at the moment but if you'd like to join me on board for a holiday, feel free to leave a message and I'll try to answer your questions. I am looking for someone who would like to sail on cost sharing basis. 

Back in Aktio

Welcome back! What a mess!

I arrived back at eight in the evening so luckily, was able to stay in the studio apartment above the boat yard office the first night. On Monday,  I secured ladder, opened up all the ports and hatches, connected the electricity and water, removed the winter tarp covering the boat, and prepared quarterberth for sleep.
I had all day to air out Eidos and sort a few things on board, get groceries in town and start cleaning. My first helper will arrive next week, so I'll save the best jobs for her!
 

View north

View east

View south east

Work to sail - April - October 2017

Full moon over Preveza

I live on my 32-foot (10 m.) sailboat in the Ionian, Greece. I need some help with the boat to get it launched in the spring of 2017, which is mostly cleaning but also  anti-fouling. After about a week or ten days, we will go sailing.
I am looking for one  mature, non-smoking, addiction free, fit, agile and healthy person and especially someone who has some carpentry skills. Preferably a woman because there is not much privacy on board. This summer we will be repairing the teak deck. However, people with electrical, plumbing and varnishing skills are also welcome and there is always work available cleaning, sanding and painting. You should know how to use basic tools and have neat work habits.

Back on Eidos in Aktio and Preveza

Sunrise in Aktio

I arrived in Aktio at the end of May and spent three days (with help of a young girl) cleaning! After two winters and a summer of no attention, Eidos was in a sorry state. Finally she was livable again and then it was time to check the engine, through hulls and all the rest that is required of a boat that is to go back to sea.

It took a month to launch Eidos, but finally she is floating! I found a great way to become inspired about doing drudgery maintenance jobs such as crawling into the stern bilge through a VERY small gas locker to check and lubricate valves and hose clamps - make a note in the log of EVERY job I do no matter how small.
After a month in the boat yard, I had 30 pages of jobs accomplished.

Come sail in the Ionian next summer

Sometimes we just want to feel the earth under our feet for awhile, to grow a garden, perhaps to get to know our neighbours a little bit better than we do while cruising, and so we anchor somewhere or even, horrors, haul out our boat and live in a boat yard. This is exactly what I have been doing for the past few years.

During this time I published a magazine and have met many wonderful people. I am learning Greek, doing some inland travel and now and then some boat work. I love Greece and the Ionian, want to see more of it and so plan to launch Eidos in spring to do a bit more local cruising.

Once again I will be offering sailing opportunities during the summer to like minded people with the goal of seeing more of the Ionian, staying in one place longer and exploring more inland. Most of the time when cruising, we only see the harbours and to tell you the truth, after awhile, they all begin to look the same. I often catch myself remembering the scene from some port and not remembering which country it was in, much less what city. 

Motor sailing along the north coast of Mallorca

Inland, there are ancient ruins everywhere, hiking trails, ecological sanctuaries, and lovely mountain villages. So, the plan is to sail one day and then spend a few days exploring inland. Perhaps rent a car or a scooter, or take the local bus. Then we can go hiking, visit a monastery, spend the day swimming, or see the nearby town. Perhaps there is a special festival in a few days, so we'll stay and wait. No need to rush. No need to add up miles. And we can use Eidos as a base.

I will be publishing The Ionian magazine from April to October, so this will also be a working cruise for me, and I think that this can work quite well - it involves about a week of intensive concentration on the laptop but the rest of the month there is plenty of time for sailing and exploring. I will also be offering basic Greek lessons to anyone who is interested.

So, this is an invitation for you to come and visit for a week, a month or the whole summer. And if you'd like to help with launching, that would be wonderful. Shared expenses, shared work, shared fun. I'll be updating this post as I firm up my plans a bit more so please keep checking.

Boat storage in Greece

Eidos getting hauled out on a trailer

View from Eidos

Strong supports mean peace of mind

Several people have asked me whether I'm bothered by or worried about earthquakes while in a boat yard in Greece. Many times (usually around the time of the full moon), I have experienced light tremors while on my boat. Most are minor and feel as if suddenly the wind came up and was causing the rigging to vibrate. Yet there is no wind. I was on board during the 6.3 quake in June, (centered near Patras) and that's all I felt. It actually reminds me that really, the earth is not solid - it's all molten lava inside with only a thin surface crust keeping us from disaster. That's kind of amazing, isn't it?

Anyway, the supports that keep Eidos upright are some of the best ones I've seen. They are specifically made to withstand earthquakes and they actually form a steel cradle - every piece is connected to every other piece with a frame on the ground. I have seen some flimsy ones in other places but not where Eidos is. I would definitely recommend Aktio Marine as an excellent place to leave your boat in Greece. Although, I wish Panos Taverna would stay open all year and that the ferry was still making runs to Preveza...

For more photos of Aktio Marine, click on the menu above.

Cool video games for Iphone and IPod touch - do what you love.

My son Justin wrote this game last year, won a contest and now it's available for your IPhone and IPod touch. It's the funniest thing you ever saw - a bear driving a car one handed through a forest. Fish fall into the car and he has to eat them before winter comes. Badgers fall into the car and wreck havoc as well. The game is called Enviro Bear and here is the review of it and an interview with Justin. You can watch the game on YouTube there.

Scary storm in the Ionian

No, it's not a winter storm. I took this photo at the end of June near Aktio the day after I sailed in from Corfu. The storm lasted only about two hours but I was really glad that I was safely anchored and not out at sea. Eidos was anchored near Aktio Marine where the holding is quite good. The wind reached 56 knots. 

Aktio Marine Boatyard

View Aktio Marine Boat Yard in a larger map

In case you're planning to haul out in Greece, I can highly recommend Aktio Marine near Preveza in the Ionian. Eidos has been here for four years now and I've been very happy with their service. two brothers, Yannis and Nikos own the yard and like most family ran businesses, they'll do anything to keep their customers happy. This is what you need to do to get here by car, bus or a boat:

Paxoi Island tour on a scooter

One day a friend from another boat and I decided to see the island of Paxoi from a scooter. This, let me tell you, is the best way to travel on a small island. You can rent one almost anywhere, they are easy to learn to ride, and all you need for the 50 c.c. one is your regular car driver's license. Just be careful, they can be like a rhinoceros charging when you first start one as they go from stop to go very quickly and jerkily.

Once you are under way, the scooter is very practical. They take almost no space on the road, so you can stop on the side to admire a view and for a photograph. And when it's time to park, just pull over next to wherever you're going.

Years ago, on Mikonos, I rented a moped, which had an engine you started by pedaling (and you could pedal it if you ever ran out of gas). It had bigger wheels than the scooter, so it had more surface area to hug the road for better traction. For some reason they're not as popular anymore, but they're still around.

Country road...

Fisherman coming home with his catch.

Aaaah, that feels good!

So, which taverna would be the best one for lunch?

Land tour - Preveza to Nekromanteo (Gate of Hades)

Don't run me over!!

Watermelon anyone?

How about a clove of garlic?

Free rooms with sea view? What's the catch?

Not bad for a sea view...

Nekromanteo (Gate of Hades)

This is today's river of Styx

Nikopolis

Perhaps Odysseus?

On the way to Vonitsa

Ithaca, Greece

View from the north coast of Ithaca towards Lefkada.

I love finding still art such as this. And it's everywhere in Greece.

Would you believe that I took this photo from the front seat of the bus? Take a look at the black sun shade at the top of the photo. And yes, we actually drove past the motorcycle.

Frikes harbour on the north east coast of Ithaca. The ferry sails between here and Vasiliki on Lefkada Island and Fiskardo on Kefallonia Island. During WWII, the Greek resistance fighters sunk a German destroyer off this harbour.

Ithaca, Greece

Very likely the ruins of the palace of Odysseus and Penelope.

The cave has collapsed from all the looting.

Vathi harbour on Ithaca

Anchored out with a line to shore.