Planning the route back to Preveza Friday 8th June

Friday 8^th June - Stavros, Ithaca

Time to think a bit about more serious boat stuff as we are getting close to the end of our odyssey now and need to make sure we get back in time. So I have been studying the charts and weather forecast to try and plan for the next week.

Saturday it looks like the wind will be in the north-west 5-7 knots, force 2-3 so we should be able to have a decent beat across to a bay about a mile south of Fiskardo on Kephalonia to camp the night, hopefully it should be within easy walking distance of Fiskardo. It’s about 3.5 miles as the crow flies but beating will at least double that so about 2 to 2.5 hours sailing.

Sunday we can go round to Fiskardo and find somewhere to spend the night in the harbour, this will give us a decent night’s sleep and also reduces the time needed to pack the boat the following day as I want to be off early Monday morning. Gareth will find a place to stop the night then get the bus or a lift to the airport the next day.

Monday is one of the big days, we need decent weather as it’s around 12 miles across the Kephalonia Straight to the island of Lefkas and the best anchorage will be Sivota on the south east coast. Most of the sailing is quite a way off land and the alternatives are to turn back or run down and around the northern tip of Ithaca. If it’s too windy we stay in Fiscardo until it drops but the present forecast is for force 2-3 from the north-west which should give a decent reach across. As the wind usually builds through the day and the swell will be coming from the north-west I intend to be off sailing by 08:00 at the latest and preferably away by 07:30 or earlier. If need be we have enough fuel to motor the whole distance. Visibility needs to be decent as the straight is the main route for ferries and shipping travelling down towards Patras and the Corinth Canal to the south.

Tuesday is another decent hop of around 7.5 to 8.5 miles depending on where we anchor up. We have a few more options in that we have to go up the Meganissi Channel between the islands of Lefkas and Meganissi. The winds here can be very local and fickle and it is not uncommon to find you start off on a beat and end up on a run in the same direction, a bit like sailing on Ulswater only windier. In theory the winds should be from the north-west force 2-3 again but in practice they will be anything but and it I will be surprised if it is reach once clear of Sivota. There are a few options should the weather turn against us though, we anchor up half way up the channel behind a small island or carry on to either Spartakhori on Meganissi or round the top of the channel across to Nidri on Lefkas. Nidri is the better option as a bit more sheltered in north-westerlies and we can get a decent night’s sleep in a hotel after the two hard days sailing.

Wednesday could be an easier day, the destination will probably be Ligia on Lefkas just south of the Lefkas Canal about 6-8 miles depending where we stopped the night before. The forecast is force 2-3 from the north-west so again a decent distance to beat. We need to keep an eye on the weather though as there is some suggestion Wednesday evening it will get windy with gusts up to 37 mph which is Force 8. It is still too early to be certain but if that is the case we will need decent shelter. Ligia will offer protection in the harbour but if it carries on into the next morning it will make a rough passage up the canal to Lefkas town so it might be better to try and make Lefkas Wednesday night if the weather is going to turn rough as it is only another 3 miles north of Ligia.

We need to be back in the marina at Preveza by 15:00 Friday to get the boat lifted out, so if the weather is going to turn it will be better to sit it out at Lefkada town so the hop across the open sea to Preveza can be done when a window to do so opens. Although it is only around 7.5 miles from Lefkada to Preveza it is across the open sea so exposed to the north-westerlies and any swell that has been kicked up.

If it looks like the weather could close in for more than a day we could always push straight on through to Preveza on Wednesday if the weather holds. If not I’m sure we can get a lift out another day and catch the next ferry rather than risk a hairy crossing somewhere.

It does seem a little strange planning for the next week whilst sitting outside our room at Stavros with Gareth sunbathing, Viv off taking photos and the sun beating down with just a gentle breeze and all us looking forward to a swim this afternoon.