Coleman Sailing Trip 2017

We didn’t need to rush in the morning, so we had a swim and a leisurely breakfast before setting out to the island of Ithaca.   As ever there is no wind, so we motor.   I cannot call this a sailing trip, just a boating trip! The pilot book refers of Ayias Andreou as “an impressive deserted anchorage”, so I expected something like we had last night.   But I was rather surprised when we got there to find at least ten boats including 5 in a Flotilla and one Sunsail boat.   One of the boats was a huge motor yacht with crew.   Not quite a super yacht, but close.   It was taking up a huge part of the shore to which one is supposed to attach a long line.   But bravely we drop the anchor and let out a huge amount of chain to get close enough to the shore to take a line back.   Richard goes out again with the dinghy and finally gets a line attached.   We have 55 metres of chain out, but we seem nicely set.   Richard swims to check on the anchor, which is not dug in, but with that amount of

Up early to make our way into the Ionian.   The weather forecast is for no wind and that is what we get.   For the first three hours the sea is glassy.   A few ripples arrive after that, but that is all.   We are making our way to a tiny uninhabited island with a very pretty sounding anchorage.   After two days in a big town that sounds great.   Richard is hoping it will be so quiet we can skinny dip. We get to Oxia just after 2pm.   The pilot book says that there is a fish farm in one bay, but now there is another taking up most of the second bay.   However, the corner Richard thought would do for us to anchor in is not affected by the fish farm.   However, there is another boat anchored so it looks like skinny dipping may be out. The problem with this anchorage is that it is very deep.   Also it shelves steeply.   So there is not enough room to put out the extent of scope we want without hitting the shore!   But Richard does find a spot that is “only” 15 metres deep so we dr

Well we have had a very successful day.   The idea of being here was to do all the domestic chores that we have not been able to do in the small ports we have visited.   So we were up fairly early.   We took delivery of our laundry, which is fine.   We then made our way to the Vodafone shop.   The marina staff looked up the address of it and gave us a map.   It was a bit of a trek to the other side of the commercial port and then inland, but we found it right away.   We also discovered that we had not run out of downloads.   We must just have been somewhere with poor coverage.   Anyway we needed to extend the period of availability because it was due to run out on 1 July.   So we put another 10 euro on it and that should keep us going until we go home. Then we had a good walk around the town going along the main shopping street.   Yesterday Richard realized that his trekking sandals, which he wears most of the time, had just about given up the ghost.   The soles were coming away f

A day of some new experiences.   We left Trizonia at a reasonable time after 9am.   We do not have far to go (less than 20 miles) but that wind god was against us again.   We did rather expect it.   So we had 9-11 knots on the nose most of the way to the Rion Bridge.   The wind got stronger as we approached the bridge, probably because the sea narrows and the wind gets tunneled down the narrows. The bridge is quite a sight.   Four spans of modern construction.   There is a clear protocol in going under it.   You are required to call up on the radio when 5 miles from the bridge.   You are then given instructions about which span to pass under depending on the direction you are going and your destination.   Most of the westward going boats were directed to the North span, but because we were going to Patras (on the south side) we were directed to the Southern span.   Then at one mile away you call again and get final clearance to pass under.   It is all very organized and traffic co

Not much to say really.   We decided to stay here on the island one more day.   In the morning we did the walk around the island.   The idea was to do it before it got too hot.   Well, it did get hotter in the afternoon but the morning was pretty hot as well.   On the way we saw a half built villa for sale.   900,000 Euros in the present state; 1,500,000 Euros completed.   That seemed just a bit optimistic to me. No fear of us making an offer. We then went to the little beach, which isn’t much of a thing in the town.   It is stony and small.   But the water was deliciously cool, much needed.   We had lunch on the boat and were going to go back to the beach when we decided just to swim off the boat.   As we are alongside we can access the rear bathing ladder.   So we spent the afternoon going in and out of the sea next to the boat. Afternoon ice cream in the town and then dinner.   All very laid back.   Tomorrow we head to Patras where we hope to get all

We left at a respectable time this morning.   The weather forecast was for a very hot sunny day with virtually no wind.   And for the bulk of the day that is what we had.   At one stage the wind went up to 9 knots from behind and Richard put up the Genoa for about an hour but that was it.   More boring motoring. Of course there is that nasty wind god to contend with.   We were headed for a little island on the mainland side of the water which is supposed to be very idyllic.   But would you believe it as we get within 3 miles of the place the wind blows up.   First we have a force 4 on the nose and then it gets up to 20 knots, just as we want to moor up.   We can’t believe it. The place is another of these Greek financial disasters.   It is a sweet island with the shell of a marina which was started and never finished.   It looks like locals have taken it upon themselves to put lazy lines on some of the inner pontoons.   As for the rest, there are outer walls where one just plo

We were a bit shocked to see that it was after 9am when we woke up!   The heat must have really knocked us out.   So we had a late breakfast and as the sun got hotter we went in for a swim before we set out.   We have about 20 miles to go, but as ever no sails.   This time the wind was not on the nose.   But it was 2knots from behind, so no use at all! We are going along just in bathing suits and are managing to keep cool enough if we stay out of the sun. At about 2pm we approach Andikiron.   It is a strange little place.   There is a harbour wall but no other yachts.   As we approach a fisherman is gesticulating to us about mooring but we cannot make out what he is trying to say to us.   The pilot book says you can moor alongside inside or outside the harbour wall.   There appears to be a space inside, so we go for it (as it were).   We make a terrible mess of it, but luckily a crew member of the fishing boat that is moored behind where we are trying to go takes our lines and

We decided that we must get to ancient Corinth before we leave.   So we get up early with a view to taking the 9am bus to the site.   The bus was a little late but we made it to the site by 9:30.   It was a bit of a disappointment.   It is a fairly big site, but there are no maps and the signage is hit and miss.   Also although this is the site of a famous Greek city, what we are seeing is really the Roman City built on the ruins of the Greek city in AD.   The museum was quite nice.   But the real problem was the heat.   Even at this time of the morning it is boiling and the sun is searing.   We spent about an hour there and then went to make our way back to the boat.   We were going to take the bus, but we ask about a taxi and as it only costs 10 euros we take the taxi. We stop in town at the supermarket to buy a few things.   Back at the boat we make ready to go.   The big job is to clean the BBQ.   It took most of the night to burn down!   We manage with the water hose on t

It has been quite a day.   As you can see we made it through the Corinth canal. We started off early from Korfos.   I was nervous about everything.   First I was convinced that the boat next to us had crossed our anchor.   But no, the anchor came up with no trouble and clearly had dug in well and it brought up a full anchor of muddy sand.   So we can say that Korfos has very good holding. The weather was a bit of a disappointment insofar as it did not come up to the forecast which was for virtually no wind.   What we had was a 4 gusting 5 on the nose!   Luckily the sea was not at all choppy and so it was not uncomfortable.   We got to the canal much sooner than we expected.   Again I was nervous about the arrangements to get consent to go through.   But Richard had sussed out right.   About three miles out we called the Canal and they took note of our details and asked us to call up when we were within a mile of the entrance.   We did that and were asked to come into the break

Not much to report today.   We didn’t arrange anything to take us to Epidavros.   So it was a quiet day around the town.   We had a leisurely morning around the boat.   Then we went to the smart beach where we had a spot of lunch.   It was much cooler there than we anticipated not helped by the fact that clouds kept coming over and blocking the sun!   We did at least get a swim in. When we came back to the boat of course the sun came out full and it was very hot.   I was going to cook on board.   I agreed with the taverna owner this morning that we could stay even if we didn’t eat at his restaurant.   However, it was so hot I really didn’t fancy cooking and the taverna were advertising a daily special of fish soup which sounded too good to give up.   So we ate with then and had a good dinner.   Three other boats turned up.   I hope our anchor isn’t caught up with any of them because we want to leave early to get to the Corinth canal.

Well we have finally left Athens.  But it has been an interesting day, not necessarily in the good sense, but rather in the Chinese curse sense. We woke up nice and early and the sun was shining and all seemed well.   We were going to try to get away early, but having to go and pay first put us a bit behind.   But it worked well and we were only 20 minutes later than we planned. We didn’t put any sails up to start with.   We wanted to get past the main harbour in Piraeus.   So as we were dodging loads of commercial shipping the wind, forecast at 6-8 knots suddenly started to blow 17 knots.   We still decided to wait until we were out of the traffic to put up the sails when the autopilot started beeping.   We couldn’t work out what it was, but on going below it became clear that the GPS had lost its fix.   Richard tired to re-boot it by turning it off and on again, but no luck.   It looked like the GPS had just given up the ghost despite working perfectly only minutes before.  

Well, we didn’t go anywhere.  We woke up early as planned and found that it was pouring down.  A quick check on the weather now showed it would be raining all day.  So we just went back to sleep! We didn’t do much all morning.   It was raining hard almost all the time and it was cold!   This is not what we expected from Greece in June.   By lunchtime it had eased up a little.   So we decided to have a warm meal and then take a walk to the commercial harbour to see what that is like.   That did not go well.   We got horribly lost and kept walking in the wrong direction.   By the time we finally got to the port it was raining again and I went on strike.   Take me back to the boat or else it was.   So having finally found the direct road back to Zea, we made it without getting soaked through.   We did wind up in Starbucks again! By early evening the sky started to clear and we decided to go out to eat.   Richard chose a restaurant from Trip Advisor which is on the other side of t

Well we are still to plan.  We try to get up early to leave for Athens before it gets too hot.  But we are slower than planned, not helped by the fact that both men’s bathrooms are shut!  It is pretty sizzling by the time we get to the bus stop at 9am. We have finally worked out where the big supermarket and bus stop are.  We buy our tickets from the kiosk and the bus arrives almost immediately.  The bus is sort of air conditioned.  There is cold air coming out, but with the doors opening so often it doesn’t cool down very much.  It is a slow journey of nearly an hour and by the time we get to Syntagma I am dripping and we still have to walk all the way up to the Acropolis. So with map in hand off we go.   We wind up in the Plaka and then climb more.   We have taken a rather roundabout route but eventually we make it to the main entrance.   The place is now heaving and there is a huge queue just to get tickets.    Now we realise we should have brought out passports to prove we are

Well, we are still here.  We did however accomplish a lot of the things we wanted to do.  We did a fair amount of shopping, although I am leaving fresh food until we are about to go.  I found someone to do the laundry, which was picked up this morning and returned all neatly folded and well washed this evening.  So much better than spending an afternoon in a launderette.  We did get our boat permit papers through.  The man at the port police was really sweet.  It was perhaps not the best idea to get it done here which is such a big port, but it did work out in the end. The real problem today is the weather.   It was lovely and sunny this morning and was getting hotter and hotter until the sky clouded over and we had an afternoon of thunderstorms and pouring rain.   That put the skids on any plans to walk around or go to a beach.   So we just stayed around the boat. Tomorrow we hope to finally get into Athens,

As you can see we did not get a berth at Vouliagmeni.  We rang them in the morning and they said that they were waiting to hear from another boat and would not know if a berth were available until 2 or 3pm.  That would not do so we gave up on them.  I tried another marina a Glyfada but they did not even answer their telephone.  So obviously no luck there.  So we contacted Zea where we have a 100 Euro credit from not spending the high season here in 2015 and which we couldn’t use last year because of our truncated sailing season due to Richard’s health.  They were fine about everything and reserved us a space and confirmed we could use our credit. We really did have to leave Sounion.   Beautiful spot though is was, it was horribly rolly and uncomfortable.   At some times the rolling was so bad that things fell over and the booze bottles in their special cupboard were clinking terribly.   I felt so bad that I had to take a seasick pill!.   So we set off a 9 am.   Another day of moto