Chapter One: ANOTHER SIDE TO ZAKYNTHOS
Ingrid woke up just after 6.00am and cleared her bedding away. We had breakfast and got Cordelia shipshape, and at 7.45am the anchor came up from the mud and weed at Katákolo. As usual, there was very little wind inside the anchor area, but outside it increased to a North-Easterly Force 4. We prepared the sails, but by the time we were on course to our destination on Zakynthos the wind had dropped again to an Easterly Force 2-3.
We left the sails as they were and carried on using the engine instead. We motored along quite happily at around 6 knots, so Peter put out the rod. Within the hour, just after 9.00am, he had a fish at the end of it. It was the perfect size for us, and Peter dispatched him on Cordelia’s bathing platform, meaning the cockpit wasn’t totally splattered. It didn’t take Ingrid long to clean it, and by the time she was done Peter had harvested 1.2kg of tuna fillets. We had a cup of coffee and biscuits to congratulate ourselves on the catch.
Soon we approached Turtle Island. One of the indigenous inhabitants swam past us, probably relocating to a quieter island. His was totally taken over by vessels of all sizes, ranging from SUPs to big excursion boats. Drones of day trippers added to the chaos as they were jostling to see the cave or sunbathe in the turtle breeding grounds. We crossed the water that resembled the M25 motorway and made it to the anchorage near Keri. We found a sandy patch in 4m for our hook and settled in.
On the next morning we weighed anchor just before 8.00am, aiming for the North. The wind appeared near Turtle Island, and we sailed along in a North-Westerly Force 4 until we approached Kalonisi Island when it dropped. We motorsailed for a bit, then furled away the genoa. When we rounded Cape Geráki near Vasilikos the wind picked up again which we contributed to the usual conditions around a headland. However, when we got round to the other side it was blowing a Force 6, and from the North!
We took down the mainsail and contemplated our options. If we continued we’d be bashing into the wind and sea for at least another 3½ hours and end up in an anchorage that was exposed to the North winds. Peter checked the charts, and with no suitable places to stop overnight in these conditions we agreed to head back. The yachtie ahead of us must have had similar considerations as he, too, turned round.
Back in the Gulf of Laganá we managed another sail, this time under the genoa alone. We were in no hurry and enjoyed a cup of coffee and biscuits along the way. It was after 10.00am, and it was getting busy again with tourist boats ferrying punters to Turtle Island. We motored through the traffic, and at 11.15am after 17.2NM we were back where we’d started from.
We discussed changing our route and sailing up the West coast instead to see the famous Shipwreck Bay. The beach there was still closed due to a landslide, but many excursion boats still visited. The odds of either a potential burial under the sand or running into a traffic jam did, however, not appeal to us, and we agreed to head up to our next island on the other (East) side of Zakynthos.
We were away just after daybreak at 6.40am when the anchor came up. At this time of day we had no wind, and we motored through the gulf by taking the most direct route inside of Turtle Island. This time when we got around the cape all was calm, and the wind only wafted 10-15 knots. We followed the coast northwards and soon left the wind behind. Near Zakynthos Town we encountered a bit of traffic and outran a cargo ship. It eventually passed 0.3NM behind us to enter the harbour. We also avoided a couple of anchored ships along the way when we altered course for our destination.
At 10.45am we dropped our anchor in lovely clear water. Our chosen anchorage was near Xigia, but further South from the one marked on the chart, which we hoped would keep us clear from the excursion boats to the sulphur springs and caves. This turned out to be an illusion as they all passed us on their way back home later, causing a lot of swell in their wake in an otherwise calm sea. The little wind that had kept us company also disappeared (contrary to the forecast), and we got very hot. We cooled off with a swim and a shower, sat under the bimini and enjoyed our surroundings.
Chapter Two: THE THREE UMBRELLAS
Another early start, and after breakfast we were away at just after 7.00am. We had a little wind from South-South-West Force 2, so we motored up North, passed the rather smelly sulphur springs (had someone had an accident?), saw boats anchored near Agios Nikolaos, spotted the cliffs with the Blue Caves, and waved goodbye to Zakynthos at Cape Skinari.
The wind was coming from the East by then, so we unfurled the genoa and motorsailed. About 2 hours after we’d set off the wind began to blow a Force 5, first from East, then turning East-South-East. We stopped the engine and carried on under the genoa alone, still reaching speeds of over 5 knots on our downwind sail. We had to dodge a few ships along the way, but managed to get to the island of Cephalonia without a hitch.
When we approached the entrance to the Argostolion Gulf the wind dropped and so did our speed, so the engine came on and the genoa was furled away. It got busy with all kinds of vessels crossing the gulf, passing the St. Theodore lighthouse and heading in all directions. As they were leaving we reckoned there’d be more room for us, and this was indeed the case. We dropped the hook at 11.45am in the anchorage off Argostóli with plenty of space for more boats, and we chose a spot near the dinghy dock.
Peter pumped up Buddy (the repair seemed to hold) and rowed us ashore to the dinghy quay right opposite the AB supermarket. We had a walk along the seafront to the stone column (built by the British) at the bridge that separates the sea from the lagoon (a feeding ground for turtles), then turned back for some shopping at the Kritikos and AB. Buddy was filled with our purchases, and Peter took us back to Cordelia where we stowed them.
At 2.00pm we raised the anchor and motored to near the end of the gulf, passing fish farms on the way. There was no-one else there when we arrived, so we dropped in 4.5m in murky water right in the middle of Three Umbrellas Bay, so called because of the same named tavern. We were tired and worn out by the heat, but a cup of tea with bougatsa provided some energy, and a rest after that as well as a refreshing swim revived us. We also had a cooling breeze, only it came in from the South, i.e. straight from the gulf entrance. Still, it was a tranquil setting and we enjoyed the scenery.
On the next morning we had another look at the weather forecast and our options. The conditions did not lend themselves to moving to an unknown and potentially exposed anchorage, and as we were still weary from the previous day(s) we decided to stay. The cockpit was turned into a hair salon again, and we both made good use of it.
We got a katabatic wind just after midnight which meant we were up monitoring the situation under the full moon. It blew all night, and we returned to bed when we were satisfied that all was well, then got up after 7.00am and had a leisurely breakfast. As the wind was gusting we didn’t put up the boom tent but stayed below and did paperwork. At around 4.30pm the wind was consistent enough for a windsurfing session, but it was too late for us by then.
We enjoyed a good night’s sleep until the wind picked up – again! It was still night with a full moon when our neighbour’s halyards started clanging. It was an Austrian flagged Bavaria 37 that had anchored at a reasonable distance away from us, had this been in a normal anchorage. However, as the available area was vast we wondered why they hadn’t dropped further away. Now, as the first light crept over the horizon, the clanging became louder. Ingrid stuck her head out of her bed in the cockpit for a check, and, sure enough, saw they were dragging.
She was pondering whether she should run for the spotlight and Jeremy, our claxon (from Jeremy Clarkson of BBC’s “Top Gear”), to alert them when she became aware that they were going after our Cordelia. She therefore opted for the locker instead and dug out a fender which she quickly deployed. She was about to wake up Peter when he emerged from below. We observed the crew trying to raise their anchor as their boat swung around. Peter had let out another 10m of chain the previous afternoon which ensured that our anchor was holding fast. Cordelia was still blown around with the wind though, so Peter switched on the engine to maintain some control of her movements.
The Austrians were still struggling. They’d moved away, but now returned. Ingrid had put on some clothes in the meantime, and now went to the bow with a fender while Peter manoeuvred Cordelia out of harm’s way. Then, with their anchor still in the water, their helmsman opened the throttle and motored across Cordelia’s bow. They had come within a boat’s length from ploughing into us! Luckily their momentum carried them away and their anchor hadn’t fouled ours. We followed them with our eyes and finally saw their anchor come up. They then motored towards Argostóli, still with their mooring light on.
It had gotten light while all this was happening, and the wind kept building. We hoped that once the sun came out fully it would ease, but no such luck! We got speeds of up to 50 knots with at least ½m swell. 3 Umbrellas Bay turned into 2 Umbrellas as one parasol got damaged and blew away before it could be rescued. Cordelia held on and we to her for hours until the conditions began to improve after 10.00am. Peter contacted a Brit in the Argostóli anchorage through Navily after he’d seen the live camera at the nearby airport showing only 5 knots of wind. He received instant confirmation that they had calm conditions with gusts of 10 knots.
During a lull of 25 knots we transferred the outboard back onto Cordelia as we considered moving the 5NM or so to the sanctuary of Argostóli. Then we could feel the swell decreasing and the wind turning down a notch, so we decided to hang on. Soon after, we could spot the end of our wind line and the approach of calm water. By lunchtime our anchorage looked as benign as it had done on our first day.
In the afternoon the wind switched to South and we could have windsurfed. Having already had our prescribed dose of adrenalin for the day in the morning we were mentally deplete and left it at that. We got a new neighbour who stayed well downwind when the wind turned towards East, and we were looking forward to a quiet night.
Chapter Three: LEAVING CEPHALONIA FOR LEFKADA
The wind eventually decreased and we both slept well. In the morning the anchor came up at 8.25am with a big lump of clay and weed on it. We cleaned it up by reversing and dragging it through the water, then we turned and motored out of this fjord-like inlet. We passed the picturesque town of Lixoúri with impeccable timing, avoiding the ferry on its way in and out, and enjoyed the calm conditions of the bay on this end.
Once outside, the westerly wind picked up to a Force 5-6, which slowed us down as this was on the nose (what else was new?). We made if safely through the gap between the islands of Cephalonia and Varthianoi and followed the coast. The scenery changed from green sloping hills to impressive steep cliffs with signs of recent landslides. The headwind followed us all the way and turned North when we did.
We passed several minor capes, the one at Gerogómpos with a lighthouse, without encountering too much swell (other than from passing motor yachts). We saw a ketch ghosting with flapping sails, while we motored all the way until we reached the furthest cape on the North-West side. There we were met with a Northerly Force 3-4, and as we were rounding it, first to the East, then further South, we could finally give the engine a rest and sail on the genoa.
We didn’t quite make it to our chosen destination before the wind became unusable, so we reached the anchorage of Ageredes Caves under engine. The caves themselves were hardly more than little holes in the huge cliffs, but were nevertheless very popular. The area was packed with day trippers, and we counted 20 boats on our way in. Luckily, Ingrid spotted one of them heaving up their anchor and directed Peter to a patch of sand (easily visible in the clear water), so we could take their space.
We had just dropped the hook at 1.30pm when a motor yacht turned up next to us wanting to go stern-to. They only used one line and ended up very close to our Cordelia, leaving her little room to swing. Their skipper had enough sense to realise this though, and made his crew tie to another rock further away, so all was well again. Ingrid then swam out to our anchor and saw it well dug in, and Peter had a look later on, too.
The day boats eventually packed up to return to their home port, and had it not been for an enthusiastic waterskier being towed by a noisy RIB creating an unpleasant wake, it would have been very peaceful. Finally the RIB returned to its mothership and then they left altogether. At the last count there were about a dozen boats that stayed overnight, one of them being the dragging Austrians in their Bavaria. This time they were far enough away and tied stern-to, so we did not expect any trouble. In the evening the wind turned and placed Cordelia parallel to the cliffs and side-on to the swell, but once the traffic stopped we hardly noticed it.
It was a lovely and peaceful night as the wavelets lapped against the cliffs. We left Ageredes Caves just as the first three day boats arrived, closely followed by another three, and it was only 7.30am!
We were motoring again on our way to the island of Lefkada, and met quite a few what Peter called “stick boats” (= sailing vessels with no sails up) heading the other way. There was always enough room to pass, so we never had to alter course. Peter had the rod out, but the fish didn’t have an appetite, and there wasn’t a bite. Soon the Cape Lefkada Lighthouse came into view as we motored into the bay at Vasiliki.
A large ketch was just leaving and we took its place. It took us three attempts before the anchor bit, as we seemed to have dropped it in a large weed patch. Ingrid couldn’t see the bottom, so had no idea, but Peter then looked on Google Maps and spotted the sand. He put Cordelia to bed once we’d settled in, and we launched Buddy. Just before the wind kicked in the water cleared and we could check on the anchor (good).
Then Cordelia turned and the gusts came down. It was around 3.00pm and we’d already decided to stay onboard for anchor watch. The Neilson and Club Vass guests had no such inhibitions and were rushing out on their kit. We were surprised how far out they sailed as we followed them through the binoculars. Three other sailing boats came into our anchorage, and others went to anchor over near the harbour, threading a needle through the sportsmen’s traffic. Eric, the local thermal wind, was in full force and people were still whizzing back and forth long after we’d had our dinner. We kept watching them and looked forward to joining them soon.
