We had chartered our sailboat for last year but the trip was cancelled because of Covid 19 restrictions. Fortunately, the good folks at the charter company allowed us to carry over the charter to 2021. We were required to record our body temperatures and oxygen levels every day on a log as specified by the Greek authorities.
From the heel of Italy to the shores of the Peloponnese sits the Ionian Sea, which is located on the western side of Greece. These islands have a strong connection to Italy as they were occupied by the Venetians in Medieval times. The islands also spent several decades as a British protectorate. These cliffs are on the southern most tip of Meganisi and there are several caves here also.
To say the same thing in Greek as follows:
The Olympian God, Zeus, had a mistress name Io. Fearing the wrath of his wife, Hera, Zeus turned Io into a white cow. Hera soon sent a gadfly to torment the unfortunate Io. To rid herself of the torture, Io plunged herself into the sea and hence THIS sea became known as the Ionian Sea.
Our boat is a Bavarian 41 sloop. We are loading our supplies aboard here at home base in Vliho Bay on Lefkada, near the town of Nydri. Sailors in Greece tend to eat at tavernas most evenings so provisioning is not so very important, although it may be difficult to figure out how much food to purchase. There is always the opportunity to sail into a little village and visit a local bakery.
Sailors in the Caribbean sail to shore to grab a rum drink with a silly name. In Greece, the sailors head to shore for some of the most fantastic Greek food & wine. How about some Shrimp Saganaki, Fried Cheese, Cretan Dakos, Moussaka and red wine while sittin’ on a table near the dock!
We use a process called the Mediterranean mooring which means that we anchor with the bow out and back into the quay (piers) in order to not take up so much dockage space. Melissa is holding the hand controls for the electric windlass and is letting out anchor chain as the boat backs down on the quay.
Our sloop is in the middle of the picture with anchor out and also a line to shore with the dinghy tied to the stern. We are at the beautiful small city of Fiskardo on the island of Kefalonia. Pull the dinghy to the rocks with the line and then take a short walk into the village.
Our boat is approaching a swing bridge (that is opening for us) allowing us to enter the Lefkas Canal which will serve as a “short cut” for us to sail onward to Corfu (the most northerly of the Ionian Islands). The Corinthians started construction of this canal that separates Lefkada from mainland Greece in 650 BC, turning Lefkada into an island. There was no written language in 650 BC!
Here sails Steve & Melissa in their brand new “Greek skipper’s hat” with the dinghy bouncing along behind them.
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