Hi all

Well today, here in Sami, Kefalonia, the forecast was for thunderstorms and high winds. No one seemed to move in anticipation of the weather.

Skippers added extra lines to the dock and safeties. This morning people shared information gleaned from the internet….. and nervous skippers watched the skies.

Tony had already seen the blow coming in and the satellite imagery showed substantial thunderstorms crossing the Ionian. The sky turned darker and the wind gradually increased until between 12.00hrs and 14.00 hrs today we were having continuous 20’s , 30’s knots topping out at 44 true knots gust in the squalls at 12.45 hrs.

Over the 2 hours the winds spiralled up and down , staying in the 30’s for some time. We were safely on a dock, beam to, but blown from the aft quarter, squeezing down our fenders, with Tony on deck watching in the rain for an hour through the strong gusts.

During this time 2 yachts came into the harbour, which bought the worried skippers out from their yachts onto their foredecks, hoping not to have their anchors accidentally lifted whilst arriving yachts attempted to moor in cross winds.

Both yachts decided to go beam to a wall and the look of relief showed on the stern to skippers faces…..their anchors were secure.

An anchor being lifted by another boat in strong winds means the moored boat can drag back onto the quay and get pretty damaged in strong winds… what’s more if the new mooring yacht decides to go knitting and crocheting with your anchor in a tangle and goes on walk about with the yacht…. it can be hair raising in strong wind. We have seen this but not experienced it.  The approaching skippers took a look at the cross wind and calmly decided against it…mooring beam too. The stern too, ‘relieved’ skippers all went back to their cockpits.  Our beam to position meant we thank fully didn’t have an anchor out.

The strong wind subsided to 14 knots around 15.00 hrs with the sun coming back out and life returning to the town.  By 16.30 it was heavy rain again but without the severe gusts.

Now at 18.00 hrs, it is the calm after the storm, the sun is shining, life is definitely returning to the town with people wandering around in shorts and t shirts and it’s hard to imagine we were being beaten up a few hours ago.

The nervous skippers are now taking all their extra lines off the dock, wiping down decks and smiles returning to the previously anxious faces.

Yachts are starting to come and go again…………. after the storm.

Photos of………..

The approaching storm.

What’s this wet stuff called…. Rain ????

Skippers watch the weather and arriving yachts.

Ferry life goes on.

Sunshine and calm after the storm.