Anchors and wind - Galaxidi 38:22.796N 022:23.337E

ALKIRA
Charles & Maggie Bevis
Tue 1 Sep 2015 11:11
We are back in Galaxidi, this time with Ann Boni on board. We sailed late last night from Porto Germeno at 21:00 and cruised over night arriving here this morning at 07:00 Friday 28 August - see below.

We had found our way to Port Germeno, at the east extremity of the gulf of Corinth, last Sunday - the port is advertised as having a bus service to Athens which we thought may be the basis of a plan to collect Ann from the airport. When we arrived we found the little port was FULL of little day boats - even the 15m space on the end of the mole allocated for visitors had been over-run. As there were rocks visible below the water at the outer end of the harbour mole, Charlie decided we would berth stern to the quay where there was room. Having secured ourselves we were not convinced that the actor was holding so we went out again with the intention of relaying the anchor. We then found that we had collected no less than three small anchors and their moorings on our own anchor! We were both kept very busy for the next half hour unscrambling the mess while in the meantime manoeuvring to keep the boat off the rocks by the inshore mole.

Plan B was that we went alongside the seaward end of the outer mole - in fact we just fitted with the back of the boat overhanging the rocks beneath and the bow overhanging the nearest day boat. Wish we had done that first time when we arrived.

A walk ashore revealed that the port taverna was closed and the bus to Athens left daily at 14:00 and 19:00. No prospect of making a round trip as planned so ….Taxi! The village provided a selection of very scruffy beach front tavernas and one general store. Exciting and picturesque it was not!

At the head of the Gulf we were close-up to spectacular mountains. What we hadn’t realised was that when the wind came in from the north the down draught of the hillside accelerated the wind. The full effect of this was revealed on Thursday morning when, at 03:00, we were awakened by the boat lurching as it was hit by a severe squall of 30+ knots. As the morning wore on these squalls got fiercer and fiercer with a maximum (that we saw) of 46 knots recorded on our anemometer. The boat was safe but it was uncomfortable on board. We had planned to leave at 06:00 but that was out of the question - the wind was fierce and even if we had cleared the harbour successfully the wind was blowing spume across the bay.

As the evening approached the wind was still gusting hard but not fierce as earlier so we decided to make good our escape - hence our departure at 21:00! The forecast for Friday through to the following Wednesday at Port Germeno was for more of the same. In the event he left with winds of 10 to 30knots and having cleared the bay some two hours after departure we were sailing easily in light northerly winds. Greek weather and its local winds are not to be taken lightly. In a thunderstorm that hit Paxos earlier in August a cruising catamaran was overturned and a classic ketch was driven ashore after her anchor dragged -there may be lots of blue seas and sunshine but it also pays to be alert!

Charlie & Maggie
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