Apologies for the lack of posts over the last month and the sudden mass posting but internet access has been scarce.
We spent four days in Athens whilst the both the main engine and the tender engine had their first professional services. We ended up in a marina in the middle of nowhere but made the trek into Athens for a day off and some non-Greek food as we’d found a great looking Japanese Sushi restaurant tucked away in a side street last time we were here and decided to go back and test it out for lunch! We’d been tiring somewhat of Greek fare after three months of it so this was a real treat and well worth the trip. It was then time to pack the boat up before starting to make our way back across the Med via one last charter in Sicily.
We’d decided to cut marina costs and spend a few days in the Ionian Islands so didn’t spend too long in Athens before heading off towards the Corinth Canal in fairly flat waters for the 18 hour passage to Nidri. Due to the timings, we arrived at the Canal at dusk which made for a pretty spectacular transit. We emerged out the western side into the Gulf of Patras, a very long yet fairly narrow gulf, to find ourselves plunging head first into some huge waves with 30 knots coming down the gulf! Having been flat calm up till this point, we were fairly taken aback but it did explain the 2 knots of current against us in the canal…
Heading through the Corinth Canal
I was of course on dinner duty and rather thankful at this point that I’d made the beef stew the night before so it just needed reheating along with mashing some potatoes but even that was a task in itself, trying to keep my feet on the floor as the boat flew over each big wave! I have to admit a fair lack of appetite after all that. Oh the wonderful Mediterranean chop…
It was then my turn for a bit of sleep yet our forward bunk was proving to be a bit of a rollercoaster ride so after much bouncing on the bunk, I retreated aft for a brief shut eye before being called on watch whilst Gordon had beautiful flat calm seas for his three hours’ sleep, sod’s law eh!
We anchored up in Nidri in time for lunch the following day where Gordon promptly disembarked to find us two Pitta Gyros (Greek comfort food at its best!).
Clare