Meganisi with Mum



Storm clouds over Preveza

21^st September We’ve had dramatic weather in the last week with strong winds and thunderstorms.  This was the first real rain we have seen in three months, so it was a novelty to stand out on deck and get drenched! Luckily we’ve also had enough dry weather to give the boat a thorough cleaning inside and out before my mother arrives tomorrow to stay with us for a week. We’ve hired a car to take her to and from the airport and hopefully we’ll be able explore a bit more on land too.



Mum in Vonitsa

23^rd September Today we set out in the car with Mum to visit some of the places we haven’t yet made it to by boat: the lovely, castle-topped town of Vonitsa on the Gulf of Amvrakia, the bay of Palairos with the Sunsail base at Vounaki and the pretty fishing village of Ligia on Lefkas, where we stopped for a late and leisurely lunch at a waterside taverna.




Vonitsa harbour

24^th September The forecast is for gentle winds and sunshine for the rest of the week so today we motor sailed down to Lefkas and anchored in the sandy bay at Ak Kefali for lunch. Later we sailed/drifted in light winds across to Meganisi island and moored by the Spilia Taverna in Spartakhori, where we had a great meal accompanied by an excellent wine made locally in Lefkas.

25^th September Mum has said she would like to go for a ‘real’ sail (she may be 91, but she still enjoys the thrill of a fast sail) so today we headed for the famously windy channel between Lefkas and Cephalonia. Our plan was to sail to Fiskardo on Cephalonia, but the wind Gods disagreed. We got our strong wind, but on the nose. There was also a short, steep chop which made heading to windward wet and uncomfortable, so we turned left and had a brilliant sail on a beam reach along the bottom of Meganisi, then turned left again up the side of the island sailing downwind. We finally lost the wind at the top of the island, so dropped into the deep, wooded inlet of Ormos Kapali where we anchored for lunch.

We’re now moored for the night on the town quay at Vathi on Meganisi. I had planned to cook a meal on board, but as we tidied the cockpit I could smell gas, and we quickly discovered that the regulator on the top of gas bottle was leaking. So we’ll be eating out tonight, and we’ll have to buy a new regulator tomorrow.



Errikos taverna in Vathi

26^th September We experienced our first ‘crossed anchor’ this morning. Mooring in Greece generally involves dropping your anchor in the middle of the harbour and then reversing back to the quay where you tie up stern to. Boats are packed in so tightly, fender to fender, that it’s easy for one anchor chain to cross another and when Cliff pulled our anchor up this morning a second anchor appeared with it! Luckily the boat it belonged to was ready to leave, otherwise they may have found themselves adrift.

Next stop was the town of Nidri on Lefkas where Cliff managed to buy and fit a new regulator for the gas bottle. Then we did a tour of the east coast of Lefkas from Vlikho bay to Nikiana, an area that holds fond memories for Mum and she and Dad holidayed here ten years ago. We had considered staying the night in Nikiana but the port seemed bleak and was open to the prevalent wind, so we headed back to Vathi on Meganisi instead.

Mum enjoying the sun

28^th September We’re now back in Preveza. As we walked down the pontoon this afternoon Mum tried to make friends with a dog lying alongside one of the boats, and it bit her leg! It turns out it’s a stray that is being fed by the people on the boat, so we decided to take Mum up to the local hospital. We were very impressed with the treatment – she was seen immediately, they dressed the wound and gave her antibiotics and a tetanus injection. Luckily there have been no incidents of rabies in Preveza, and apparently the dog has had a full set of jabs. Mum appears none the worse for the incident and was in good spirits as we went out for our last meal in town.

29^th September Mum flew back to the UK today. It’s been a great week and we are impressed at how well she coped on the boat. She may find it difficult to walk unaided now, but she managed getting on and off the boat (even climbing over the guard rail) with a bit of help from us, and once on board she used the hand holds to move around. Most importantly, she really seemed to enjoy being on the boat and we’re hoping she will come out and visit us again next year.