Our first trip

[ishtar]

I thought I'd put some pictures and a report of the trip that got Louise and I into sailing. This was Feb/March 2007, and we sailed from Crotone in Southern Italy to Levkas, Greece in teh Med, aboard a 44ft Ketch, the Perky Puffin.

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The boat skipper, Tom Bennett, an author and sailer of some years had bought the boat in Indonesia and sailed her back, mostly singlehanded to the Med. The plan was to join Tom at Naples and sail the next leg to Spain. Tom would eventually bring Perky Puffin back to the UK for sale. Neither Louise nor myself had ever sailed, but we knew Tom through diving, and fancied a go. We flew, with two diving friends, Jan and Greg, to Naples and visted Pompeii. This is Louise, with Vesuvius in the background.

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As we were leaving for Naples, Tom rang to say there had been a change of plan. The boat was in Crotone, in Southern Italy, and he was taking it to Levkas in Greece, for sale. We hastily adjusted flights, rented a car and set off from Naples, driving down through Southern Italy until we at last found the Perky Puffin tied up waiting for us in Crotone:



Crotone is a port, with not a lot else there. Tom had been burgled the night before, and was keen to get away as soon as posible. we dropped the car off and a local gave us a lift back to the 'marina'. Being divers we asked him about diving and where in the area we might find a compressor. He looked at us very strangely. It was only later we found out that compressor is Italian for 'drugs'.

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We set off within the hour. I helmed. It was scary, first time on a 44ft boat having only ever driven RIBs before, but I enjoyed it. The first leg was an 18 mile hike up the coast to a small port, ready to cross to the heel of Italy early in the morning. Darkness fell.



As we approached the port we realised that the leading lights were not working and the depths were not as charted. We had a few scary moments, but Tom took her in and tied up. We had a few hours sleep. i was already really enjoying my first sailing trip.

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Up at 4am and off into the dark we went. We had 60 miles to do that day, Louise's birthday. We left with the fishing fleet and I was surprised how quickly the large container ships that ply their trade in the Med can sneak up on you. As it got light, the wind picked up and the boat started to rock. First cloud and then rain. The wind picked up more, eventually getting to a force 7. Louise started to feel ill, and went below. Tom said it was no problem until it was rugh enough for the bell to start ringing. It did at about 11am and when he started to get a little nervous, I did too.



It didn't get any worse and we arrived at Santa Maria Di Leuca about 5pm. Tired, wet and glad to be in harbour.

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Santa Maria Di Leuca has a large marina for a small Town. £15 Euros a night in Feb, a couple of small supermarkets and some restaurants. I had an excellent Seafood Pasta and we all joined in trying to help the daughters of the owner with their English homework.

They could not speak English, and we had no Italian, so that didn't really work.



we had a rest the following day and walked to the next town. Olive trees, and Louise picked and ate fantastic oranges from someone's garden. The owner was delighted that someone was eating them, the rest were on the floor.



We heard that Stromboli was erupting, saw pictures on the news and heard the word Tsunami. I checked the charts and reckoned we would be OK.

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Another early start for the trip to Greece. It was still Windy, but Louise was in better spirits:



It started raining again as we approached the North end of Corfu. We stopped at an island called N. Othoni and went ashore. Nothing much there, apart from junk. We noticed some old wooden boats buried in the edge of the shore and realised that they were makeshift coffins for old fishermen. Very creepy. We left quietly.

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Louise helmed as we left, and took the Perky Puffin into the tiny harbour if Kassiopi on the North end of Corfu. It is square, with a small breakwater and only a hundred yards or so wide. The boat drew 1.9 metres and we touched bottom at low tide as we edged in and tied up.



The weather was improving all the time and we found some shops, selling fresh peppers, courgettes, aubergines and local cheeses. I made a mousakka - it seemed appropriate. Some cheap red wine that we had bought in Itally went down as well. And then some more.

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The following morning we took the tender and went Snorkelling in a nearby bay. We found a second world war mine and some huge mussels, called Pena:



The water was 11 degrees, and in a 3mm wet suit, very cold.

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The following day we reluctantly left Kassiopi and headed down the East side of Corfu towards the port of Igoumenitsa. It was busy and industrialised, lots of ferries and a narrow channel heading in. Not a nice place at all, and we stayed aboard, rather than going into the town. The following morning, I was extremely nervous, navigating the nerrow channel leaving the town as we headed out to the beautiful Island of Paxos.

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We tied off in a magical spot on the South end of Paxos and Louise and I went for a walk. Weather now was beautiful, and more like May than March:



We sat in the sun, watching Sardine fishermen with the smaller island of Antipaxos across the water. On the way back we picked fresh lemons and I made Lemonade foir everyone on board. A truly magical day.

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The following morning, we left and headed down towards Levkas. Engine problems and no wind meant it was a stop start day. We found an airlock in the diesel system and it was dirty and smelly work. To male matters worse, when we finally reached the Levkas canal we bumped a rock on the entrance, the channel marker buoys were in the wrong place. No real damage, but not a fun day.

Have you ever wondered what they do with the charter yachts in the winter?

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Levkas is a nice town, with buses to Athens, supermarkets and plenty of places to eat. Tom had arranged to leave teh boat across the bay in a place called Tranquil bay. We arranged everything with the yacht brokers and had a meal and some wine in the evening.

The following morning we headed a few miles out to a small island for our last night aboard. There was a slight wind, so we could sail again. We anchored in a tiny bay,



One of the crew, who shall remain nameless, got a bit over excited. Much screaming ensued - the water was freezing.



We took the tender ashore and walked up through olive groves and over a small hill to the tiny fishing port of Vathi. Cold beer and warm sunshine ensured a zig zag row back to the boat later.

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The following morning we went back to Levkas, moored the boat (which is now called the Monty B and has its own Blog) and took a bus to Athens for the flight home. As we waited for the bus, I told the others that I loved sailing and one day would buy my own yacht. they laughed and made me stand by my new 'boat'



13 months later, Louise and I bought Ishtar and joined Cardiff Yacht club.

[snacko]

I have just read your story..............Thanks for the pictures and telling us about your fantastic trip, welcome to CYC and hope you have many enjoyable trips in "Ishtar"

[Viv]

I second that what a fabulous trip on fab big Yacht , fancy a trip taking end of season charters back home ?

[ishtar]

I would love to go back there. Apart from a day or two of strong winds, it was magical. Even then I would have thought it manageable, had we not made some longer passages. If you stayed around the islands, then even bad weather would not spoil it.

We had hoped to maybe get out there for a charter before it gets too hot this spring, but I think the work situation has put paid to that.

My only regret is that I did not pay more attention to sailing. I didn't realise how much fun it was until late in the trip, and by then the winds were so light there was little chance to try my hand.

The ability to just island hop, though, and drop anchor each night in idyllic little bays, empty of crowds, brilliant!

[rose]

Martin, was that last picture Barry harbour? great story and pics thats the way to do it, me and Helen and some friends are off to Mauritius in 4 weeks and hope to get some sailing and snorkelling in ready for the heatwave we are going to have this summer.