Waving Goodbye to Greece

15th June 2023 - Pylos - Katakolon/Keri, Zakynthos (72 nautical miles)

It was an early start. We had 70nm to do to get to Zakynthos so we weighed anchor at 5am, just before the sun came up. From that evening on there was supposed to be a strong blow from the northwest, upwards of 35kn was forecast. We needed to find a good spot to hunker down for a few days.

As the sun rose I became increasingly worried that we wouldn’t make it across to Zakynthos in time before the winds built. I had also read on Navily that the holding near the village of Keri could be problematic and it was imperative to check our anchor as the sand/weed was hard packed. None of this was instilling confidence in me as a place to do the hunkering.

After a bit of a discussion we changed our destination to Katakolon,  just up from Pylos on the mainland of Greece. The anchorage supposedly had good protection from northerly blows and good reported holding. As an added bonus the ancient site of Olympia was not too far away so, if we were able to get off the boat, it would be a nice excursion.

The wind had picked up enough for us to raise the main and unfurl the Code 0 for a time. However this was short-lived. The day wore on with us constantly furling and unfurling the Code 0, engines off, managing about 5 minutes of sailing, before having to put an engine back on. Somewhere in this sail faffage we talked about after the blow, where we wanted to visit before leaving Greece for Sicily and whether we actually did have enough time to get to Zakynthos. Making the journey now would probably allow us to pop up to Kefalonia for a last little tour around, and to check out of Greece in Argostoli, a port that we knew was friendly to the “crew list stamp rather than passport stamp” ideology. We had been in the Schengen zone for about a month now but thanks to the immigration guys in Mykonos, we had zero reported Schengen days, giving us much more flexibility in our sail plans as we headed out of the Med.

Therefore, around lunchtime, we made the decision to change back to our original destination and head for Keri. The wind was pretty light at that point so it was a motor anyway and we’d make it before sunset. There were mixed reports on the holding so we decided to give it a go, opt for an anchorage a bit further along from the village, in what looked like a sandy patch in front of some massive cliffs. We were not going to be near anything of interest but then it would probably be too windy to get off the boat anyway.

So at 17:45 we approached Keri, thankful that we had made it into the natural harbour on the south side of Zakynthos, as the wind had already picked up to 18kn on the nose. We motored up as close as we dared to the large white cliffs and then dropped the hook in 3m of water over a large sand patch. Conscious of the blow we put out 50m of chain. Turns out we weren’t as brave as others who had positioned themselves far closer to the cliffs which gave them a bit more protection. We still had it in our heads that the winds could easily catch you out in the Med and if they suddenly did a 180, we’d be on the beach. Especially with 50m of chain out!

I jumped in the water with my mask, snorkel and fins and swam the 50m to the anchor which was nicely buried in the sand. We'd done all we could do. If the boat dragged with a nicely buried anchor in sand and 50m of chain out then I give up on this whole concept!

18th June 2023 - Keri - Agios Sostis (1.34 nautical miles)

Well, the wind did blow, we did experience 30kn winds and of course, Rockhopper didn’t budge. A couple of turtles made an appearance in the bay but that was the sum total of the excitement. By the afternoon of the second day it had died off sufficiently for us to crave a bit of time off the boat and so dinghied over to the little town of Keri in search of life. We found it in the appropriately names Mythos Bar & Restaurant, with awesome views over what had been our safe haven for a few days.

The following morning we yanked the anchor out of the sand and motored the 1.34nm to Agios Sostis, anchoring in 4m of water, just off Cameo Island and round the corner from Laganas, a long stretch of beach with restaurants and bars along it. We had been warned that the anchorage was crazy busy with tour boats buzzing by towards Cameo Island, but we were in search of a bit of life. That life didn’t need to fly by within 5 metres of the boat causing a huge wake to rock the boat but then we had been warned. With swimming off the back of the boat off the cards, we launched the dinghy and took her round to Agios Sostis harbour where we hoped we could tie her up and go for a wander. We found a spot in amongst some fishing boats and took the small bridge over to Cameo Island, along with about 20 other people. The island itself was shaped a bit like a horseshoe with a small gravelly beach on the inside. There was supposedly a bar and restaurant on the island and they had strung up a set of white banners or sheets between the two ends of the beach. All good for a selfie shot. Once you crossed the bridge there were some stairs up to a small booth with a person letting us know that there was a €5 per person entrance fee and that we would get a free photo keyring with this payment. We had read some reviews of the place and figured we would be there for a while having a few drinks so we handed over the money, had our picture taken and wandered through. Well, it would have been nice if they guy had told us that nothing was open. No restaurant, no bar, nothing. We took some photos at the top, walked down to the beach which had about 35 people crammed on to it, sat on a chair and looked at the white sheets blowing in the breeze. After about 20mins of this, we stood up, walked back up the stairs, collected our crappy key ring with a fuzzy photo of us in it and crossed back over the bridge. Not the experience we had hoped for but you win some you lose some. We walked back to the dinghy and decided to move it round to Laganas beach. By this point Carl and I were hankering for a drink and something to eat. We found a small stretch of sand that we could haul the dinghy up onto and tie off and then wandered down the beach front picking out a good spot for a cocktail. Now this was more like it! Well touristy but hey, we’d been stuck on the boat for three days, we’d take it.

By the evening, all the tourist boats had gone and the anchorage became quite calm and beautiful with Cameo Island looking far more appealing from outside rather than from within. We later found out that the restaurant and bar at Cameo Island was a casualty of the covid pandemic. It never reopened.

19th June 2023 - Agios Sostis - Zakynthos Town (14.2 nautical miles)

The next morning we weighed anchor around 9:30am, before the tourist boats started. Our destination was an anchorage just outside the main town on the island, aptly named Zakynthos. The anchorage wasn’t anything special. There was little wind and we just needed to be out of the way of the big ferries entering the harbour, and a good spot for us to land the dinghy. We fancied a wander around the town and there was a Vodafone shop where we could pick up another data sim for the router. We had also heard of this lovely little restaurant called Yard of Taste down one of the little back streets. It truly was lovely, a small place with a little courtyard to sit in, beautifully decorated. The food was amazing.

20th June 2023 - Zakynthos Town Anchorage - Xigia Sulphur Anchorage (10.1 nautical miles)

The following morning we started to make our way up the eastern coastline of the island. There was no wind to speak of and 10nm to go to our next anchorage. A spot just off Xigia beach, closer to the sulphur springs. This was just a pitstop on our way up the coast but the water was beautifully clear, no need to dive on the anchor here!

We spotted a little canteen on the top of the hill overlooking the beach. There were a fair few people lying on the beach but we found a small spot at the end to leave the dinghy. A flight of stairs up the cliffside took us to a nice little beach bar at the top.   

21st June 2023 - Xigia Sulphur Anchorage - Agios Nikolaos (3.17 nautical miles)

Just a short hop that morning, to a spot that we had been to before. On our way towards the Corinth canal, the previous year, we had stopped off at a spot on the north eastern end of Zakynthos. We had picked up a mooring ball with the help of Costas and, that evening, had met David and Susan on SV Pelican. Since we loved the spot and the restaurant we decided to go back there one last time before heading up to Kefalonia. As we approached the bay we radioed Costas to ask which mooring we had been assigned. We recalled from the previous time we were there that he came out in the dinghy, handed us the mooring and even trailed out our anchor to a good spot as he was expecting a blow and wanted us to have a safety net. Luckily this time there was no forecasted blow so we just expected him to point us in the right direction. Sure enough he came out in the dinghy and told us to follow him in. We got closer and closer to the shore line and before we knew it he had us tied up front and back directly in front of the restaurant. We could have stepped off the boat and waded to shore. As usual when you find yourself in a tight spot you immediately start thinking about how to get out of it but that was for tomorrow. Right now, we sat on the front of the boat, sipping a G&T, watching people in the restaurant watching us.

We were so close in that the little rental day boats were just in front of us, tied to the dock. Unfamiliar with the controls of his rental boat, one guy struggled to manoeuvre around our boat to get out. Luckily he was not too heavy on the throttle and managed to push off us to get round.    

That night from the restaurant looking out our boat looked huge in the little harbour.

22nd June 2023 - Agios Nikolaos - Spartia, Kefalonia (14.3 nautical miles)

The following morning as we fretted about how to drop our stern mooring line, not get it wrapped round a prop and not swing into the boats to our side, thankfully the boat directly to our port side and the one behind us left. This gave us more room and just the mooring lines to worry about. As usual, all the fretting was for nought and Carl spun her round and we left the bay without issue. There was no real wind to speak of so we motored the 14nm to the south side of Kefalonia. We dropped the hook in 5m of sand along a lovely beach but really this was just a pitstop on our way to Argostoli. We had dinner on board and called it a night.

23rd June 2023 - Spartia - Argostoli (11.9 nautical miles)

At 9am we weighed anchor and set off for Argostoli, a place where we could hopefully tie up stern-to to the town quay and rent a car for the following day. We loved the island and fancied heading back over to Fiskardo for one last look at a place that held such great memories for us. We even booked a hotel nearby. As we motored across Carl posted some photos on Facebook of our time in Zakynthos. Almost immediately he received a comment from his son-in-law’s aunt and uncle, Marcelle and Steve, saying that they were on holiday in Kefalonia. After a bit of back and forth we realised that they were heading to Argostoli and we would literally be just up the road from them. A wonderful coincidence and an opportunity for cocktails onboard Rockhopper!

Coming up from the south, the prominent landmark of the Saint Theodore Lighthouse on the peninsula shows you that you are about ready to make your turn around and back south towards Argostoli town. Coming into the bay the first thing you see is the De Bosset footbridge which spans the harbour, cutting it in two. The town quay was fairly visible with large yachts Med moored against it. Carl radioed the harbourmaster Mr Fostis to request a berth for three nights. In fairness it was a first come first served thing and one just had to find an available spot to reverse into. We spotted an area that looked wide enough for us to fit into and positioned ourselves ready to drop the hook and reverse in. As there was plenty of activity on the quay a woman working on a nearby tourist boat saw us coming in and helped to take our lines. As we neared the dock the low water alarm began to sound. Luckily it didn’t drop below 1.3m under the keels

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Once we were secured we located Mr Fostis and paid our dues. €25 per night was pretty reasonable. We were even able to hook up to power and water for an extra €10. After being at anchor for quite a while where there always seemed to be a welcome breeze it was quite stifling being tied to the stone quay. Especially when a large superyacht tied up next to us, effectively blocking any breeze we once had. Still, it was a great spot to leave the boat for a night. The harbour was well protected and customs and immigration were just at the end of the quay. We’d be leaving here for Sicily and we needed to check out of Greece.   

We retreated to the nearest bar for a drink and potentially some air con or at least a fan. We didn’t have far to go as there was one just across the street from us. Marcelle and Steve were going to pop by so we were on the look out. Not long after we saw them strolling down the quayside and Carl ran over to collect them. We didn’t know them that well but had been at some memorable occasions with them and they were always warm and friendly. Three hours passed by in the blink of an eye as we caught up with them. After a few drinks at the bar we walked back across the street to show them the boat and Carl made us another G&T. He didn’t exactly use a jigger so by the time they left, we were a bottle down and needed a snooze. I blame the heat. According to Marcelle and Steve, they ended up having a nap too!

The next day we picked up the hire car, a little Peugeot, and set off for a tour around the island. On our first charter holiday, almost 10 years ago, we had done something similar but on a scooter. I still remember heading down some dodgy steep dust roads on the back of that scooter, in my flip flops, convinced I’d come off and lose a few toes. This time we were going for the luxury option. Thankfully the air con worked.

We headed off along the cliffside road towards Asos, a quaint little town on the hillside of the Erissos peninsula, overlooked by a 16th century Venetian castle. There is a small harbour there and a few yachts were tied up to it but really the whole area is too shallow to comfortably take our boat there so it was great to just sit and have some lunch and take in the surroundings. Not much had changed since we were last there. Maybe one or two more restaurants, a bit busier but still a very charming little spot. After lunch we decided to get a move on to Fiskardo. We wanted to check into our hotel, then make it to Theodora’s cafe to sit on the balcony and watch the chaos ensue. Theodora’s has an excellent view of the curved quayside and watching the charter boats come in and go out, dubious manoeuvring, dodgy knot tying and getting anchors crossed is just plain fun. We’ve felt the pain of it ourselves on several occasions on charter here but it is always entertaining.

As all our bookings are fairly last minute and Fiskardo is a tourist hotspot we failed to find a hotel in the town itself. We opted for a small family run place called Stella Hotel Apartments which as about a 10 minute walk from the harbour. It was nothing special inside but the view from the balcony overlooking the water was beautiful.

After a few cocktails at Theodora’s and a battle with a couple of wasps after their share too, we ventured into the small town to find the Lord Falcon, a beautifully situated Thai restaurant. There are plenty of restaurants right on the quayside but this place is special. The seating is in a courtyard, shaded by leafy trees. The food is delicious and the atmosphere is great. Luckily there was a table free for us that evening.

Wishing a fond farewell to Fiskardo the next morning we headed back to Argostoli. We needed to provision the boat, pick up some fuel and get ourselves ready for the two day passage to Sicily. Leaving Greece was weighing heavily on our hearts but it was time. Besides, we had something to look forward to. My parents would be joining us in Malta so we needed to get there in time to meet them. We would be heading straight to Syracusa, a place we had not managed to visit on our way east the previous year so we were looking forward to that too.

26th June 2023 - Argostoli - Syracusa, Sicily (300.6 nautical miles)

The next morning, bright and early, we walked up to the customs and immigration building to hand back our transit log. The usual nerves appeared when dealing with Greek authorities but in the end it was straightforward and the guy was pretty friendly. It was one of the reasons we had chosen Argostoli to check out. They do love a good stamp though!

By 9am we were back on board and getting ready to slip our lines. The superyacht ‘Antares’ was still next to us. As there was a member of their crew onboard we politely told them we were about to leave and perhaps it was worth them keeping an eye on their anchor chain as we pulled out, just in case they had laid their anchor over ours. Always a possibility with Med mooring. So that I could concentrate on ensuring our fenders did not get tangled with theirs, I asked the Italian guy onboard to maybe assist with throwing our stern lines onboard. The water was pretty grim and I thought it was make a cleaner exit and hopefully not dip our lines in the manky water. He huffed at having to help but reluctantly agreed. However as he unhooked the lines from the cleats he just dumped them in the water. A hole. Anyhoo, we cleared their boat and managed to raise the anchor without picking up their chain. We were off! On our way to Sicily.

As we’d lose phone signal we had screenshot a set of weather reports for the next few days. It looked like we were due a nice beam on sail, around 20-25kn at the start but then it would steadily die off, ending with a 10-12kn close hauled/possibly on the nose motor at the end. Not perfect but doable. We set off at 9:30am with a reef in the main and full jib. By the afternoon were were achieving a respectable 7.3kn SOG. Our joy was somewhat punctured by two events that afternoon. One, the number 1 reefing line snapped. Carl was at the helm and I was sitting in the cockpit. I just happened to look up towards the solar panel arch and saw a line hanging down off the back. It took me a few seconds of blank staring before realising what it was and pointed it out to Carl. Luckily the wind had died down sufficiently and the swell was not too bad for us to just raise the main to full height. If the wind picked up again we would just have to sail on the second reef so not a complete disaster. The second incident was more annoying and totally self inflicted. The sea state that first day was moderate but beam on so occasionally we would take a wave over the bow. On one such occasion, again, I was lounging on the cockpit seats,  (I did actually do my watches!) A huge wave slammed into the side of us and sea water gushed along the deck and cascaded down the steps and off the sugar scoop on the starboard side. My first thought was ‘phew, thank goodness the hatches were shut’. Then my very next thought was ‘hang on, were they completely shut?!’ We had taken to shutting them on the first latch which left an air gap for the cabin so not completely sealed. Obviously we had shut them properly before we set sail…hadn’t we?? I popped my head round the side and saw that the hatch above our cabin was indeed on the first latch. SHIT. I ran downstairs, hoping to see just a few drops coming down. SHIIIITTTT! Sea water was pouring down from the hatch, all over the bed. It was sopping wet. I ran back up to Carl, who was listening to his audio book, and yelled, ‘THE HATCH WASN’T SHUT!!’ He paused his book, and said ‘ Is it bad?’ I went down stairs and came up with the duvet, a sodden mess and wrung it out in front of him. ‘SHHIIITTT!’ Was his reply. It has soaked through to the mattress. Everything was wet. I rung out most of the water from the sheets and flung them in the bathroom and set about getting the mattresses off the bed and propped up. We’d have to deal with this when we got in but for now, I got out some spare sheets and made up the bed on the port side. Never been so pleased to have a catamaran!

With the drama of this trip hopefully over, we sailed on into the night. We had the main up full with the jib unfurled and luckily did not need to reef. The maximum gust we experienced was around 22kn. It was a lovely nights sail, complete with shooting stars. By morning the wind began to die and by 10am we furled the jib and rolled out the Code 0, hoping to keep going under sail. However, as the day rolled into the afternoon we had to give up and put an engine on.

As expected the wind built and shifted forward so by sunset we could sail again albeit 20 degrees off course. Our SOG sank to a measly 3.7kn but we were moving forward and to be honest, we needed to slow down in order to arrive in the daylight. Typically we underestimated how long it would take to reach our destination when you tack back and forth so in the end we pulled into the harbour at Syracusa at around 13:30pm. It was a greenish, muddy bottom but with plenty of space so dropped in 7m, with the beautiful Castello Maniace lit up by the mid day sun. The city looked beautiful on our approach so, after a few hours of kip we decided to take the dinghy into the city and have a wander.

We were only going to be in Sicily for a few days on our way down to Malta so didn’t feel the need to check in. Whilst Malta was in the Schengen zone they took a similar view to the Greeks with cruisers crew lists stamped rather than their passports. So we just needed to stay under the radar for the few days we were in Syracusa and we’d be home free. Half of the Med done with no EU stamp in our passports! Under the radar meant spending as little time onboard as possible so by 6pm we were lowering the dinghy and heading into town. We had checked on Noforeignland, our trusty app for useful stuff, and there were a few places we could tie the dinghy up to. One such spot was between two bridges connecting Isola di Ortigia to the main island but there had been reports of dinghy thefts there so opted to head into the marina (Marina Yachting Syracusa) which had some stone steps in the corner of the quayside with metal rings to lock the dinghy to. It was also a reasonably central location so it felt better to leave her where others were mingling.

We had a lovely walk along the promenade, admiring the architecture from below and then, as the sun was starting to set, we made our way through the castle walls and up into the city. Strictly speaking we were in Ortigia, not Syracuse on the main island. We found a fantastic row of little bars and restaurants along Lungomare Alfeo, a raised terrace overlooking the bay where Rockhopper was anchored, and watched the sun set with a glass of Aperol Spritz in hand. Bellisimo!

29th June 2023 Syracusa

The next day we were up and out wandering through the city. A city rich in history from Ancient Greece through to the Second World War. We found ourselves strolling through the Ortigia open air street market. Vendors selling anything from souvenirs, toys, cell phone chargers, and clothing to fresh fish, fruits, vegetables, breads and cheeses. The heat radiated off the stone walls as we wandered round so we decided to take a tuk-tuk tour around the city. We had learnt in places like Lisbon that in order to avoid just finding the nearest watering hole to park in when we got too hot, sometimes spending a bit on a tour was well worth the money. We’d get to see so much more and identify areas that we wanted to walk back to, or good recommendations for dinner. So off we went in our brightly coloured Piaggio tuk-tuk! Our driver took us through the narrow streets, navigating the traffic so that we could just enjoy the architecture and see the sights. He told us that we had to try granita, a sorbet type iced dessert. We had passed by a Gelateria on our tour which looked popular with a nice shaded courtyard to sit in so once our tour was finished, we made our way there. Feeling properly in Sicily, we sipped our coffee, tasted our pistachio flavoured granita and nibbled on a brioche bun. Apparently the brioche bun was the done thing with granita.

We found ourselves back at our previous sunset spot for a cocktail before heading into the narrow streets to find a place for dinner. It was a lovely evening. One could certainly spend more time here but it was time for us to move on. We would do one last pitstop on the south end of Sicily before heading south to Malta.

30th June 2023 - Syracusa - Isola di Capopassero (26 nautical miles)

The following morning we were up bright and early. Carl replaced the number 1 reef line, a task he was well versed in doing now and we started to raise the main sail. As he was checking that the reef line pulled through ok, I was the one raising the main. Stupidly I forgot to removed the main sheet from the clutch so as the main sail was being raised, the main sheet (the line that attaches the boom to the coachroof and allows you to move the boom out and back) become very tight and eventually the block that the main halyard (the line that raises the main sail) travels through at the mast head shattered. There was far to much tension in it and a flew apart. Luckily the enclosure screens protected me from flying debris but still, a very expensive mistake. Not to be repeated. After that less than auspicious start, we weighed a very muddy anchor and headed out of the bay, shortly before 8am. It was a 26nm gentle sail down to Isola di Capopassero, a little island off the southern tip of Sicily which provided a protected anchorage for the night. The water was nice and clear so we took the opportunity to turn the water maker on so that we would reach Malta with a full tank.

1st July 2023 - Isola di Capopassero - Il-Hofra-L-Kbira, Malta (60.6 nautical miles)

It was going to be a long day of sailing so we set off at 5:45am, about 30mins after dawn. As we came round the island that had been our protection for the night we hit a huge bank of fog. It was dead still but we couldn’t see a thing. Peering out into the misty grey blankness trying desperately to spot any hazards, one might say it took us a bit too long to remember that we had radar and that we should turn it on. With the radar on and AIS at least reporting large tankers crossing the Canal di Malta, we motored on through the mist. We could see on AIS that one such tanker was coming up behind us but it would get within 500m before we could even see it. Very unsettling.

By midday though, the wind had built which had done away with the fog and we were able to sail. We had full main and the code 0 out and were cruising along at 7kn. Lovely! Carl had the fishing rod out so all was going well. Within an hour or so, the unmistakable sound of the reel clicking away as the line ran out signalled ‘FISH ON!’

Carl ran to the rod and started the battle to bring her in. As he reeled in the fish we caught a glimpse of it. TUNA! Awesome…apart from the fact that I was unable to slow the boat down on my own with the code 0 up so Carl was desperately holding on whilst the boat was flying along at 7kn. Unfortunately we were going too quick and the fishing line snapped, taking away another precious lure. No fresh tuna to share with Mum and Dad when they arrived. :-(

We had been warned about Malta in July and how busy the place would be but it could not be helped. That was the time we would be there and that Mum and Dad would be visiting. We were due to leave the boat in Tunisia for the month of August and fly to Canada to see Carl’s son and family so July it was. We had booked a marina in Valletta, well, sort of opposite Valletta, in Kalkara which seemed reasonable for the area (read the least expensive out of an expensive bunch) and would allow us to get Mum and Dad easily onboard. They were flying in on the 5th so we really only needed to get to the marina on the 4th. As this was a place we had not been before, we had thought to try out a few anchorages before they arrived but looking at the weather we decided to just drop the hook in an anchorage not far from Valletta, and get the boat prepped for our visitors. We settled on an anchorage called Il-Hofra-L-Kbira - we’d have to get used to these Maltese names. The language was some weird mix between Arabic and Italian with a few other things thrown in there, so thankfully I can just type out the place names here, you can just imagine how we were butchering them when we spoke them out loud.

We dropped the hook in lovely clear water but in a bay full of day boats. We were in 6m of water and only managed our 25m of chain minimum as anything more would have had us too close to everyone around us. It was a strange bay, clear water but with collapsing limestone cliffs all around us. There were children playing underneath an arch that looked decidedly precarious, and rafted day boats everywhere. We hoped it would calm down in the evenings which it did, sort of. Still, we’d made it to Malta in time. In a few short days we would be in Valletta, a gorgeous city full of history and lots to explore. And I’d finally be getting my Mum and Dad on a sailing holiday. Sure they had used Rockhopper as a hotel in Gibraltar, and they had been out on a day sail with us in Southampton before we set off but this was their first proper week out on the boat. I was pretty excited to share it with them.

OUR ROUTE