Well plans are made for changing! We were chatting with a couple just as we were about to leave Platarias for Sivota Mourtos when they mentioned how noisy it was. Things have obviously changed since Susan was there or perhaps it is just the time of year. We plugged the shore power in again and settled down for another day in Platarias to plan where to head next.

Lakka on the island of Paxos was the decision, however, we did a fly-by Sivota Mourtos before heading over there. I can see why Susan liked it, a very pretty area but extremely busy with yachts. In addition to this, there was also a water park which immediately put us off, not perhaps, the quiet anchorage it has obviously been in the past.

 

Lakka Bay is lovely, however, also very busy with yachts, but the water here is so beautiful, clear turquoise water over a white sandy bottom. The small village of Lakka also looked lovely so down with the anchor it was and here we stayed for two days.

I’m quite particular about the sea water I’ll go into, Gordon said he’d never seen me in the water so long. It was just gorgeous which made up for the number of boats in the area. I suppose, you can’t have it all!

  

We had a nice few days here, I even practiced my dinghy rowing……Hmmm, enough said! We noticed another two Moody boats in the anchorage one of which was owned by Ricky and Donna a lovely couple who swam over to say hi and ask us over to their boat for a drink that night. It turns out that they are considering Kalamata in the Peloponese for winter which is one of our options as well. The next night Donna and Ricky came to us for a farewell drink as we were moving on the next day.

 

The little village is very pretty, a low harbour wall which is lined by nice Tavernas and bars but nothing too loud which made a nice change from some of the places we have visited. It was such a lovely place just to sit by the waters edge having a coffee and watching the world go by, and oh, as we found out later, for Gordon to lose the My-fi!

  

Captain Chaos here, taking a shot of the blog.
It’s now the 29th July and the following is a precis of the last week or so cruising in the Corfu region.

23rd July :
As we were now proposing heading South we decided to head back to Corfu to see a couple of places in case we do not come back this way.
The first was an anchorage we had seen, the day we had hired the scooter, under the old fortress at Corfu town.
This was a due West sail  of about 12 miles .
We arrived late afternoon, anchored , had a swim and settled down for the evening. The night views of the fortess were impressive and all was peaceful until about 10:00 when a very loud club started up horrendous music. Yes I know I’m getting old and sound like Victor Meldrew, but it went on until 06:00 !

The starter motor was still playing up, sometimes starting, sometimes not. Not ideal.
I suspected we might need to replace it so we back tracked to our anchorage outside Gouvia where I dismantled everything and cleaned it again, to no avail. There was a Penta dealer in Gouvia so we headed in on the dinghy. Louise in the meantime had  googled a guy in the marina that ran a charter company “Bob’s Yachts” who was also a marine engineer. We swung by him first and he was helpfulness personified and offered to test it for me. So back in the dinghy and we moved Camira into the marina for another night , he even let us use one of his charter berths to be close at hand.
I whipped off the motor and he confirmed the bushes where gone or going. He took it away that evening and returned it refurbished the next morning, fabulous service and a lot cheaper than a new starter motor from Penta!

We obviously took the opportunity to visit Zorbas again for a massive chicken souvlaki and also picked up a chart and bits & bobs from the chandlers.

Heading for                                                         & in Zorbas

With the starter motor now spinning like a fairground attraction we set off the next afternoon back to anchor off Sayiadha ,intending to head to Petriti the following day. Anyone watching us will think we are running Albanians from the mainland to Corfu!
Petriti is a small village 7 miles South of Benitses which gets few visitors by land. It’s a green place watered by a stream with a sandy beach and clear water, Oh and a Sunsail flotilla causing mayhem in a taverna until the wee small hours. We didn’t do that , did we ? No surely not.
We spent one night at anchor in Petriti then headed (once again) back across to mainland Greece. This time to Platarias.

Petriti anchorage off the beach just outside the town harbour

We had a great sail even managing a goose wing final approach. This was our first cross wind stern too anchoring and if I say so myself wasn’t at all shabby. No doubt that’ll be the kiss of death!

Platarias is a popular detour for yachts heading up and down the coast from Corfu to Parga. We have decided to stay here for a couple of days and when I’ve finished this we are off to the beach. We are now a stone’s through from Sivota Mourtos recommended by Susan , Camira’s other crew. So that’ll hopefully be our next stop depending on anchoring space and weather, as a blow is promised over the next few days.

Platarias and a really good fish restaurant the first I’ve had since the “Hughie” episode in Naples

The description of this place appealed to us as it sounded a bit like “Old Greece” which it was.

A little harbour with nothing more than a couple of tavernas and a bar and known for it’s shrimps.

The chart readings go down to 1.9 m and is only 10 ft wide at the entrance, so its an interesting approach.

 

This was our first attempt at mooring in a harbour stern too and using the anchor instead of lazy lines. Our first attempt looked ok but we knew we didn’t really have enough chain out, so up with the anchor it was. Unfortunately it came up with some huge rope attached which Gordon had to hastily come forward to detatch . Next  attempt was much better and a Greek man came and took our lines to shore which makes life so much easier. He said he had seen us from the Taverna  on our first go at it and knew we hadn’t put enough chain out the 1st time. All a learning curve!

 

The harbour is lovely, nothing much other than the few tavernas / cafes. There was  a village further on up the hill a bit.  We ate in one of the tavernas last night  and the only thing to mar this was the bar played loud music until 2am. However, it’s such a lovely place we have decided to stay again tonight and this time we’ll put our earplugs in when going to bed.

  

While I’m updating this, Gordon is having a look at the starter motor for the engine, that’s a few times  in the past couple of days it hasn’t turned over  when trying to start the engine. Hopefully it won’t be anything too serious.  I’m now off to grab him away from it and take a walk up to the village.   

We were just about to set off when a Dutch flotilla came in led by a woman on her tod so we stayed to watch. In discussion with her later she said it was her favourite place because nobody comes here because of the shallow depth warnings in the pilot books.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pagania is  on mainland Greece about twelve miles from Corfu and just over the border from Albania. We managed to sail for a couple of hours till the wind died and motored the rest. The Bay is tucked in on a long dogleg  which has loads of fishfarms leading into it. Once we got in it was lovely, very secluded, only a small farm at the other end of the bay. the only sound was of  the Ciccadas  and the tinkling of  a cow bell in the distance.
 
This was the perfect place to crack open the Bottega ,a bottle encrusted with crystals, which Dave and Ian bought me as a gift when they visited. This together with chicken and Greek salad for dinner was the perfect accompaniment to our little Bay.
 
That was until morning when we had to make a hasty retreat due to the amount of wasps around.
I stayed inside with insect nets up while Gordon prepared the boat to leave  and only ventured out to steer while Gordon lifted the anchor. Such a pity!   

Gouvia marina is very nice, all mod cons that you would expect and great facilities as well as a swimming pool, which, incidentally, we didn’t get to use, we always seem to have so much to do and see.

Checking in procedure for Greece was quite straight forward, we visited the Port Police in the marina who then sent us back to the office to pay for the DEPKA cruising permit which costs 30 Euros, take it back to him to stamp and charge us 15 Euros for some sort of admin cost.
We took the bus into Corfu Town. I was last here in 1981 with Diane, Fiona and Sheena. I tried to find the restaurant we used to go to for steak and Bernaise sauce, how sophistocated is that for teenagers way back then, lol.
     
However, we didn’t manage to find it in the myriad of alleyways that make up the old part of Corfu but we did find a great wee place for a Souvlaki lunch stop and would you believe it, the newer part of the town has a Marks & Spencer…..well, I just had to pay it a visit!

This trip into town wasn’t purely pleasure, we had to find an optician for Gordon to have the pressure in his eyes tested as this was high when we were last home and he needs to keep an eye on it. No pun intended.  Thankfully it was no higher than a few months ago but it is something he will need to have checked every few months.
We spent two days in the marina then headed off to anchor in Ormos Kommeno, a bay about a mile from Gouvia marina. We had a lovely time here chilling, swimming and generally not doing too much.
  
We went ashore in the dinghy to Gouvia town where we spotted an Indian restaurant when we returned to the marina to stock up on food and water, there are some things you just miss.
While we were in the marina this time we decided to hire a scooter for the day and head off to Kanoni. This is where I was in 1981 and just couldn’t resist going to have a look. After circling Kanoni about six times and asking numerous people Where the Hotel Salvos, now Hotel Hellenesi was we eventually found it. Oh, I was so excited, it brought back so many memories, pink chiffon dresses, Annabels disco, the Taverna at the bottom of the road, steak and bernaise sauce, Oh, and missing the pick up to the airport and running across the runway with our cases to be loaded onto the plane. Ahh, memories! Unfortunately Annabels disco and the Taverna were no longer there, but the well near to the disco was where I remember sitting meditating with Sheena one night…..don’t ask!
    

We had a chat with the man at reception who was lovely and seemed pleased that we had gone to the trouble to come and visit the hotel. He also told us that a couple had arrived that day  from the UK who had spent their honeymoon there 40 years ago. We had a beer out at the pool bar and took some photos to send to Diane, Fiona and Sheena.
 
Next stop on our scooter was Paleokastritsa which is a lovely place but now so busy with tourists.
  
My memory of here was floating about on the beautiful clear blue water on my airbed and bumping into something…..a dead kitten. Gosh, that was some splash as I remember Fiona and I  falling off the airbeds trying to get back to shore only to roast for the rest of the day not daring to venture back in the water.
   
That night we visited the Indian restaurant in Gouvia before heading off the next day in search of some new places.

We  logged our transit details with Messina VTS and set off at 11:00 am from Scilla.
 
Leaving Scilla and approching entrance to Strait
The transit was gladly uneventful. We passed a few big ships but they were no where near our  inshore traffic zone.
 
The 2nd picture above shows the extent of the turbulence, Maybe the Scilla was smiling on us?
We had read horror stories of dodging ferries and fishing boats and fast tidal eddies caused but the differing salinity in the Ionian & Tyrennian sea,but none of that for us?
We were thinking that perhaps we didnt need to wait for springs to pass after all. The turbulence was no where near as powerful as say at the Dorus Mor on the West Coast of Scotland? Anyhow better safe than sorry and go by the book.
We passed one of the sword fish boats and Louise got him to give us a wave but not sure if we caught it on the pictures. Strange looking craft


We managed to sail a good part of the passage and at 19:00 we had tapas before settling down on our course for Othoni approximately 44 hours away.
 
We had some lovely sunsets & sunrises
 
Sunset off the foot of Italy 1st night           Dawn approaching Greece 2nd morning

We arrived at Othoni 09:00 on the 12th July and decided to keep going round to Gouvia Marina, near Corfu town.
 
Hoisting the Greek courtesy flag, another country for Camira.
 
Othoni and a celebratory fry up breakfast!
We arrived in Gouvia Marina at 17:00.  54 hours in all give or take.
Time for an Amstel &  Souvlaki!
 
Didny know my nephew was an entrepreneur in Greece?

Louise with one of her favourites Gigantes, Skordalia ,Souvlaki & Kleftiko

Scilla, pronounced “Shiela” is a small port just North of the Strait of Messina and our last planned stop in Calabria , Italy. It is known as the Venice of the South. The fishermen’s boats are literally moored just outside their back / front doors. It is a gem of a place.
 
It is also home to the swordfish boats that fish in the strait. They have tall sighting platfomes and a bow walkway that goes out 50 ft or so in front of the boat from where they harpoon the swordfish. If you are transiting the straits you have to get out their way.
Giovanni comes out and helps you moor up on one of his buoys and then water taxis you ashore. In our case his brother went and got us 10L of diesel on his scooter.

Immediately ashore there is a wee bar that has been made out of an old fishing boat and as hot as we were had a couple of beers before attempting the impressive climb up into the town.

Circe warned Odysseus of Scylla and Charybdis , Scilla the Render & Charybdis the sucker down. Scilla was said to dwell in a cave on the Eastern cliffs, she had six long necks with horrible heads which reached down to pluck dolphins, swordfish and passing sailors from their ships.
       
We dined in the Panoramic Pizzeria which was well worth the climb for one of the best pizzas we have had in Italy washed down with some Calabrain red.
    
Thats our boat just past Louise’s nose in the last picture
It was a very rolly night with interupted sleep so not ideal for our two nighter to Greece, but hey ho away we go.

We had phoned ahead for a berth in Marina Carmelo.We arrived at our planned time and called on the radio, no answer, so we waited a little while and tried again, still no answer so thought we might as well fuel up and come back and try again, still nothing, so Louise phoned the lady we had spoke to the previous evening. Things then kicked off and we think somebodies bum was also kicked, when we tied up they delivered a tray of coffee and buscuits with apologies.
The staff in the marina couldn’t do enough for you it was one of the best we have stopped at.
  
The entrance, the seafront and the marina office in the distance.
As we said previously we are staying put for a while until springs pass. The perceived wisdom is not to transit strait of Messina during them.
Vibo Valentia is very Calabrian and the marina itself very pretty, we were berthed right next to the relaxation point which had an elevated covered position, bliss for getting off the boat in the blistering heat.The fans seem only to be blowing hot air around!
   
Views of the relaxation point & our berth
There is a local beach nearby which we had the embarrasment of being kicked off of on a busy Sunday afternoon.
We had pitched up and, as you do, selected a couple of vacant sun beds and an umbrella expecting “the man” to come around for payment in due course. A couple of hours passed and we noticed a couple on their mobile phone right next to our pitch. It transpired you book your beds ahead and we had nicked theirs. They were OK about it when we explained but the lifeguard come umbrella man unceremoniously ordered us off –  the Clampits had to do the walk of shame across the busy beach. Having sussed the game plan we returned the next time and paid at the entrance ! 
We also catered to personal grooming , Louise was driven to the hairdressors by the Lady who managed the marina for a well earned haircut.

I on the other hand sourced out a rubber ring for my damaged coxcis. Well if you havent tried to buy a rubber ring from a pharmacy in Italian you haven’t lived. Having once secured said ring we were directed up the road to the “Gomme” rubber man (if you think Kwik Fit you won’t be far wrong) to have it inflated!
We have photographic evidence of the name of the shop next to the pharmacy, you couldn’t make it up !
  
The sicky bum shop and the garage
We really enjoyed our stay here and on the eve of our leaving we were presented with a gift wrapped bottle of wine.
 
The last night

It’s the last day of June.
We decided we would just have a short sail today across to Maratea.
This was recommended by both Otti & Adrian. It was only four miles or so across the bay . The rationale being it would be a longish one tommorrow 1st July to Vibo Valentia  approximately 80 miles further South and would be our 1st night sail of 2016 .
After 40 minutes or so we arrived in a delightful harbour full of wooden motorboats  and grannies out fishing.
    
We fuelled up and went to the office to settle up for the night with Dick Turpin, after tonight the prices really go crazy!  Italy doesnt seem to want to cater to small boats as they don’t usually provide shower & toilet facilities, presuming you have your own, which we do – but not in the wet room splendor of a motor yacht. Its a pity because if it were just a bit cheaper you would stay longer and spend more money in the local ameneties ?
Talking of which we headed out that night to the recommended 1999 restaurant as a treat in preparation of the longish overnighter to come.
 
As fate would have it I checked the bilge prior to setting off the next day, a routine I had negected while Susan was on board,  only to find it full of whey type sludge. It was either from a carton of milk that had burst or the remaining mozzarela that was in the fridge.  A lot of fun – as much as servicing the toilet, almost .
Anyhow after dismantling the cabin table , lifting the floorboards, cleaning and disinfecting, and replacing all the bits, we were ready for the off. Maybe the foosty smell we had in Amalfi, Salerno etal …..?
 
We had a good night sail and just before sunset I took the boat in close to shore to try to get our TIM internet working,  but it looks like they have cut us off at last ,but we did get two extra months.
 
We arrived at  09:00 the next day. The plan had only been to have a night or so at Marina Carmelo in Vibo Valentia, but the received wisdom was not to try the Strait of Messina during Springs which was approaching, so we arranged to stay for a 7 nights and we are so glad we did.