Sailing Greece - Part 4

Thursday, 9.5.2019

Timy left Kefalonia early in the morning. Again full of water and food supplies, he continued along the coast towards Lefkada and then on or back towards the island of Paxos on a motorboat. There was almost no wind, but it was sunny, so he sailed on the motor for a while, thus fully charging the batteries with electricity. Between Kefalonia and Lefkada, the turquoise color of the water could already be seen in the distance, but this is not the shade of color that slowly flows between dark blue and light blue water. When you look, it looks as if he had made a cut with something and said, from here on, it is a different sea. The water temperature is still the same and ranges somewhere between 16 and 17 degrees Celsius. High cliffs rise along the coast of Lefkada, and below them are countless long sandy beaches with a turquoise sea. Timy anchors on one of these beaches, but he does not last long at anchor, as he rocks a lot. The sea is open there and there are long waves, so there's no point in staying there longer than for swimming. But since it's not swimming time yet, it's time for a drone flight.

Since the journey is still long, the weather forecast is still unfavorable, it is time to head to Paxos. The clouds are gathering again, the wind is strengthening, it is time for full sails and the loud roar of waves crashing against the hull. The wind is strengthening, Paxos is getting closer and closer, the waves are getting bigger and are very annoying. Timy returns to the safe shelter like a couple of days ago, where he spends the night and awaits a new day.

Friday, 10.5.2019

A dark and windy morning is a bad start to a new day. There is still a strong wind blowing, so it is a shame not to take advantage of this natural drive, and Timy leans over again and sails towards Corfu, but this time along the western side of the island. The destination for this day is a town called Palaiokastritsa. But since it is always not in our sailors' favor, whether there is too little or too much wind, this time there was none for the second part of the journey, so he started the engine. It started to clear up, which gave him a good feeling.

In the afternoon, Timy is safely tied up at the end of the pier. It is a very beautiful place surrounded by high hills, everything is calm, there are many hotels, apartments, stalls and bars. Buses take tourists on sightseeing tours and in the neighboring bay a handful of people are already taking a dip in the salty cold sea. The port where the vessels are tied up is somewhat neglected, a few fishing boats, and the rest are more or less boats for rent. Since the season is slowly starting, there are quite a few people on the piers, driving the vessels with trailers back into the water and equipping them. It is possible to refuel in this port, but you have to call a special number to have it brought to you. There are electrical boxes and water taps on the piers, but they are not working, as all the cables have been cut, the pipes have been dismantled, so it is necessary to continue saving water and electricity. This was followed by a tour of this place and a rest in the sun.

Saturday, 11.5.2019

The morning was awakened by warm sun rays, and since today is only Saturday and there is enough time to return home, Timy stays in this place all day. It is time to see the sights and beaches, so the first thing to do is visit the neighboring hill of the Palaiokastritsa monastery. A steep winding path leads to it, with beautiful viewpoints of the neighboring beaches in between. On the way to the monastery, you can meet cows, bulls and donkeys. At the top in front of the monastery there is a cannon and a viewpoint, with a view of the open sea. Finally, it is a really nice sunny day, so it is very pleasant to lie on the beach, people are gathering and it feels like the summer season is slowly starting. Many people go on tourist boats to see individual beaches and caves in the area.

One last chance to visit the shop and buy souvenirs. Since the weather forecast is again unfavorable for several days ahead, it is time for Timy to say goodbye to Greece in the late afternoon, raise the sails and sail home before the weather gets worse at the start. A nice night sail past the last Greek islands towards the Strait of Otranto. Good luck Timy, favorable wind and calm sea.