Naok Yacht Club, Corfu

Serafina
Rob & Sarah Bell
Sat 30 Aug 2008 21:15

39:37.20N 19:55.55E

 

Thursday 28th August

 

Restless day spent shopping and minor alterations etc. aboard Serafina.

 

We sailed the full 300 yards to take up a berth in the Naok Sailing Club which was a great spot and really handy for the town centre. However, Corfu is a tourist centre so useful things like bakeries and supermarkets do not appear anywhere near the town centre! Sarah saw her dentist who tidied up the damage and suggested that she simply left it all until she returns to UK, as there is no infection and the signs are that it will be OK. There was no charge for this service which was refreshing. She also then had a spot of luck getting a taxi to carry her and a whole load of food shopping back to the marina. It turns out that there were two cruise ships in the harbour so over 4.000 passengers had made big demands on the taxi service. This driver had picked up the first people in the queue Sarah was in and then asked everyone else where they were going to. Sarah was at the very back of the queue and going the opposite way to the first customer, but the driver insisted she got in and he delivered her to the marina first!

 

Quite a few more boats joined us during the day and several huge super yachts moored up to the quay as well. Andreas, who runs the moorings for the club is quite a character and one who responds well to people who take an interest in what goes on and try to help. He certainly has been very helpful and positive towards us, in marked contrast to his attitude to some of the other boats which have just turned up.

 

Went into town for a drink in the evening and took some photos and retired for an early night as we felt sure that Friday might be a long night with the boys not arriving until 3.00am on Saturday morning!

 

Friday 29th August

 

Sarah very excited by the imminent arrival of her babies! She spent the morning cleaning the boat and had a minor disaster whilst washing the deck when it turned out that I had not closed one of the saloon port-lights completely the night before! Four upholstered seats got wet and had to be brought on deck to dry, which fortunately they did very quickly with no staining at all.

 

I only really remember two Greeks from Corfu from my days working here. One was the company's agent and the other was the agent's office manager. During today, I kept coming across an elderly Greek around the club's site who reminded me of the office manager and by the end of the day I was certain that even after 30 years, he was the man! So I broached the subject and to my and his delight, I was right. Sadly the agent died 4 years ago, but it is remarkable that we should meet here after all this time. We agreed to go for a drink next Friday when we return to drop Tom & Ewan off for their flight.

 

Change of super yachts again today and the biggest to arrive today has a Gas turbine jet engine as well as 4 conventional engines. You never get to see the owners or guests on these things as they rarely leave the boat. Frankly it makes no difference to them what port or which country they are in at any time.

 

Boys texted to say they were at the airport, which was the first hurdle cleared!