Thursday 7th June

Thursday 7^th May Polis Bay, Ithaca

Woke up Wednesday morning in Eufimia and checked the weather, internet was saying no more than 10kts, locals said it was going to be windy and rain and radio said Force 4-5 in the afternoon. Looked out the window and steady Force 3-4 from the west and bright sunshine.

Packed up and motored out of the harbour and along to Agriossiki Point but as we popped out into the main Ithaca Channel could see the wind blowing down from the north a good Force 5 so turned round and went back to Robili Bay.

For those that have sailed with me before I could feel the nerves having a third member of the crew with little experience on board and it had already been a touch of the A A Milne first thing in the morning. The thought of battling up the coast in a building wind and swell miles from anywhere to put in and with Milne’s most famous character in the background is just not conducive to good sailing!  

We spent a pleasant few hours swimming and sunbathing before venturing out again late afternoon. By now the wind had dropped to a good Force 4 and the swell was not quite so bad but we almost turned back then it calmed down noticeably and we had a much more enjoyable motor up the east coast of Kephalonia to a small bay just beyond Kendri Point.

We anchored off the pebbly beach and set up the boat tent for Viv and I whilst Gareth slept in the tent on land. Nice flat spot under the olive trees but there were the remains of quite a few goats about, so much so we joked it was a bit like some ritualistic slaughter or sacrifice site and were glad to see him emerge in one piece in the morning.

We did build a cracking fire that Sam (Nigel) Samuels would have been proud of and had a variation on the usual ratatouille for dinner combining it with pancakes.

The bay looked nice and sheltered but did kick up quite a swell from the channel all night that really rocked Viv and I to sleep. Gareth was serenaded by a Scops owl in the distance.

Thursday we woke up to a lovely clear blue sky and packed up and sailed over to Polis Bay on Ithaca, only about 3 miles as the crow flies but two and a halfhours  by boat when you put all the tacks in needed to beat across on a falling wind that started out at a pleasant brisk Force 3 and fell off to a Force 2. Still the calmer conditions kept Mr. Milne’s character firmly at bay and it was a very enjoyable sail three up.

We have booked into a small apartment for a couple of nights leaving the boat moored to a lazy line in the bay. We will take the chance to relax and explore and then sail back across to Kephalonia probably Saturday and camp near Fiscardo. Viv and I are starting to think now of planning the journey back as it will involve a couple of long legs to get across to Lefkas and then back up to Preveza.