We have enjoyed a more leisurely pace this Spring season. Hanging out in the Ionian Islands has made it possible for friends to join us for short visits. Instead of trying to cover big distances, we have found pleasure in getting to know this area a little better and sharing our adventures with friends from home.
This past week, our friends Heidi and Andy joined us for a quick five-day cruise around the inland sea. We did our best to give them a sense of life onboard. They embarked at Lefkada. By this time, we are starting to feel like honorary residents at the dock at Lefkada Town. After one night in Lefkada, we motored down the canal and headed to the island of Meganasi. We spent a quiet night at anchor in Abelaki Bay.
Day two of the visit was the day we introduced Heidi and Andy to a few of the many things that can go wrong in a day onboard. We had planned a nice trip east from Meganasi towards the mainland thinking we might have a good wind angle to sail. First up, the mainsail got jammed in the furler. We had to abandon that and sail with the genoa alone. We did end up having a nice cruise between two tiny islands, Kalamos and Kastos. As we were anchoring and getting our lines to shore at Gerolimnionas Bay, Kalamos, we noticed a steady stream of clear water coming from the bilge. As soon as Roger and I could leave the deck, we started searching and trouble-shooting for the source of the water. Turns out a hose clamp on a water line had vibrated loose and become disconnected. Good news, the water flow and automatic bilge pumped worked the way they were supposed to and Roger and I were able to identify and fix the problem relatively quickly. Heidi and Andy were on deck through all of this hopefully enjoying a beautiful anchorage and probably wondering what was going to become of us. They also noticed the wind shift that was making this spot untenable. Since we had lost pretty much our full supply of fresh water, we were going to be making a move anyway. We hauled up anchor and headed to Syvota, Lefkada where we got a berth, filled up with fresh water and had a lovely evening on shore.
With full tanks of water and our mainsail sorted, we headed out from Syvota towards Kioni, Ithica. Kioni really is a magical little spot. We had to wait a bit when we arrived and then we shoehorned ourselves into a small spot; but, we got ourselves anchored with lines to the quay and off we went exploring the village and all its shops.
With one eye on the wind forecast and the other on Heidi’s and Andy’s departure date, we decided to head back to Preveza Marina for the final night and the day of departure. That meant heading north back up the canal, through the swing bridge and then across to Preveza. It was a little longer day. We passed the time with some fishing, knot-tying lessons and a swim stop.
Well, that time flew by! It was so much fun having Heidi and Andy onboard. They both have experience on the water, Andy more so with sailing. They jumped in and helped when asked and generally embraced the entire experience.
Rog and I will have a couple of days, probably, at anchor nearby. Then we will head to Cleopatra Marina to get things ready for our departure. It is already getting too hot for our liking (and busy). We will have a couple of months back in Nova Scotia and return to DFN when the heat of the summer in Greece has mostly passed.
