38:19.9N 20:44.6E

 

1 September Gotta head back West as Rachel arrives Cephalonia in a couple of days, and get as far as Ithaca, just off E coast of Cephalonia

Depart Messolongi    0800

Arrive Ormos Pera Pigadhi, Ithaca 1615 39nm

E (yes easterly)f4, then Sf1/2

 

Motorsailed with genny down the 3nm channel to open sea. After loads of W and NW wind a pleasant surprise to have some E as we need to head about 40 miles W ie a following wind. Found a good weather website.  Google it! meteo.gr  Hit the sailing yacht button and then select the area – we are the western most area now. See how the wind arrows change as you “next” thro the 3 hour periods. It just about predicted exactly what we actually got today! Quite strong following wind to start, so gybing a bit under full sail to keep the genny filling.Been blowing much of night so a good waves have developed. Died about noon, so motor sailed rest of the way. No real surf; no dolphins. In fact not much going on at all. Have various destinations in mind.Anchor in 20ft in bay on SE tip of Ithaca, so only a short hop to Cephalonia tomorrow. Goats bleating nearby feeding on maquis. Much of Ithaca is really barren. Here it’s very green, with towering hills. This end of island is 562m tall. Go swimming and closeby see strange 1ft diameter pipe curling up from sea bed to about 8ft under surface. Could be something to do with the “reverse osmosis” plant in next bay. (I guess that is a desalination plant!)Decide to reanchor 40m away.  3 other yachts in bay so enough room. Forecast of some NW wind tonight so dig in reversing SE, against gentle S  breeze. Good move as pretty gusty NW early evening. One charter yacht  with Germans on board arrives later, and drags as getting dark. Trys to reanchor with loads of weed still on anchor, and drags again. They creep well in to cove just to N (see flashlight beams on cliffs  as they get in shallow as goes deep quickly.)  We let out all chain (40m). All is well. Just a tad cooler. Need Tshirt by end of supper at cockpit table. Germans successful as still well in cove at daybreak!