38:41.17N 20:42.35E

23 May 2011

A lazy start to the trip.  Needed to check out of the marina which opens at 09:00.  Of course there was a line of people both checking in and checking out.  Very slow system but pleasant people and the price is reasonable.  So we left at 10:15 and headed out hoping to sail some.  Did get a little sailing in using the remaining funneled wind from the narrows to the east.  As the winds weakened we set up a wing and wing sail arrangement, main sail out to one side and the head sail out the other.  That lasted 20 minutes until the winds died completely.  Motor on and set course for the island of Lefkas.  Quiet ride until we met a charter boat.

Now normally I ignore the charters but this small boat with two on board were waving frantically at us and they made a drastic u-turn.  So we slowed and met up with them.  Nice elderly British couple who said, “we are completely lost, turned around and this chart is crap”.  Of course I responded that they are right here.  They didn’t get the joke and we realized they were really lost, tired and scared a bit.  The islands in the Ionian Sea look alike and if you do not keep track of which one was just passed it can get confusing.  In the short conversation I realized they did not have any form of GPS, could not properly read a chart even after I explained to them what island was next to us.  So the nice side of me told them to follow me to the next point.  Their boat was small so slow but in 30 minutes we were at a position I could give them a compass bearing to get to their destination.  That did not help much with them so I pointed to a valley between two hills that was the port they wanted 10 miles away.  They were very happy with a visual fix and thanked us a lot.  Off they went for another two hour motor/sailing but they could now see “home”.

Unfortunately this is not that uncommon for charters.  Both the fault of the charterer and the company leasing the boat.  They were never in real danger in these waters since there are so many coves and small towns to sail for the night.  But being scared in strange waters is not pleasant so I hope they made the best of the evening once they arrived.

We continued to our destination which again was Vlihko bay on Lefkas.  Nice fully enclosed bay with good muddy bottom for anchoring.  Set anchor and had dinner.

Next day we took the dingy to the small yacht club on shore and had a nice lunch and picked up a few supplies.  Very British here including a Triumph TR-6 parked out front.  All British menu.  The yacht club has a very strong Wi-Fi signal that we could use from the boat several hundred yards away.

My favorite spot next to the derelict fishing boat anchored here.  Any weather can be handled in this anchorage and tavernas, supplies and town are just a dingy ride away.

Never seen a junk rigged cat before but here is one actually sailing.  British flag of course.