Log

24th Sept - continued... End of day: Pylos

Search for the Kyparissia Eiffel tower. "Wrong town," says the sandwich bar guy, but helpfully provides directions (and a link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBB1Z02RFmA) to the real not-real thing, a few miles up the coast. Excellent sandwiches (I go plural), and nice to exchange a few words :)

A few days out of Vasiliki now and already a wealth of experiences that have got away from me without being told... Here's an attempt at a catch up.

Welcome to Greece. Had a few low profile days in Corfu. Then made a front door entrance in the middle of Kalavostasi beach, meaning I met lifeguards Ioannis and Lazarus - and I couldn't have met nicer people. Next day I landed late and slept rough again, but in the morning almost the whole town of Vrachos beach showed up with coffee, breakfast, then lunch. Wind came before dinner arrived, so sailed to Lefkada, and met with Guy and Justine - french sailors first encountered along the Portuguese coast. Nice to reminisce a little :), they first spotted me at Nazaré...

Pleased I sailed the Albania route. There are easier ways to reach Greece but the less travelled paths are often the more interesting ones. Here are a few pictures of this ex-communist and until recently very secretive country. It is certainly a largely untouched coastline, though tourism is changing the aspect of the more accessible parts. Behind some beaches - apparently 'virgin' on satellite imagery - are now long terraces of apartments under construction. Time will tell if this progress leads to real benefits for the inhabitants.

Made it to Albania :)

Tues 28th August

Strong headwind as forecast. Choppy, but insufficient fetch to allow a real swell to develop. Late afternoon the wind has blown itself out, allowing sailing until dark. I haven't managed to reach a 'place', but once camp is set I find myself blissfully content to be on this wild part of coast.

Wed 22nd August

Morning at Katanhouse, Punta di Pelarro.  Derig the sail for a service: the cam rollers are flat spotted, so the cams put increased wear on mast. Rotate mast so that wear is on a better protected part.

Sail away ahead of an approaching thunderstorm. Quite windy. Upwind - with good breeze - always noisy, wet, jarring, and eventually cold. Push on for 8 miles before the storm gives up the chase, allowing a break to don drysuit.

Around dusk, a brief alien visit - the hum and red LED of a drone, maybe 2km from the coast.

Catching up on a few days

Saturday 18th August

A day of sail (pump!), paddle, sail, reach land for a break, sail, paddle, sail - to cut off the corner of this particular gulf. Max wind for the day about 4 knots.

Tropea looks beautiful in the evening light, and part of me says I should sail into the port to make a proper visit possible, but the secluded beach just short is a much simpler option for overnighting. I opt for an evening of anonymity.

Calabria - the front part of the boot of Italy, from the metatarsals to the toes - continues to gently resist progress. The thermal breezes are at best timid. Important miles come from the paddle. Early morning land breezes offer a few cheap miles before the calm hours arrive. Usually by then I'm a way offshore, and the still air means it is breakfast time on board: coffee from the flask, and something for the stomach. After a half hour wait the sea is smooth and glassy and invites some paddling.

A few slides. Slow miles these days. Apparently this section only sees 5 knots winds. Sounds about right apart from when the storms hit and all hell breaks loose!

Ironic really, posting a video of great wind when most of the time I'm really struggling for breeze...

Good following breezes and good fortune on land, meeting nice people, sleeping on the beach, sailing clubs, beach clubs... The late start and late finishes working well. No wind in the mornings anyway.

A multitude of grazies and photos to catch up on. Italy just fantastic!

Sant Agostino

Thanks to Chris and family for making a mid-holiday trek to meet up at Lido de Tarquinia

A short distance later that day saw me to Sant Agostino, and entirely unexpected and unsolicited warmth / food / beach house balcony for the night. To my shame I'm already struggling to name the faces hanging over the balcony in pic 2.

Sunday 29th July

It's hot! Wind typically arrives in the afternoon. Sailing along beaches it is fine to keep going till sunset, when the wind disappears. Along cliffs I should be a bit more careful! Try an evening pumpathon to get round 600m high Orbitello peninsula. Too late really, and too dark to see where I could get in. Get hassled by a concerned Italian who is eager I turn back to the safety of Santo Stefano. OK pal. Pumpathon back the way I've just come. Sun has set by time I reach land.

Arrived yesterday on the island of Elba. A sensible target on the mainland is 14nm away, so need a bit more than today's feeble breeze to make the next hop. Napoleon was exiled here and escaped after 300 days. Reckon he could have made it off quicker than that, but the ice-cream and pizza really is good.

Corsica visible on the sail over. A pirate ship thing in the distance. Very Master and Commander.