Great spot on the edge of the harbour and lots of cafes nearby. Very cute little town centre up behind us and also another about 500m away.

By Friday we had decided that even though the alternator was not going and no inverter no air conditioning and dodgy fridges. we felt that we had to get away from Marsa and the boatyard for a weekend.

We spent the morning walking around Fort Saint Angelo which the apartments are part of. Amazing construction and great views of the harbour.

At the end of our walk, we spent some time watching the Maltese’s Falcon being moved from their current position in this photo where they were refuelling to an outer berth for collecting passengers the next day. The procedure of shifting took about an hour. They changed the angle of the mast and booms to help with the windage. Hew was very envious of the flag – they had changed from a tatty old one to a brand new one prior to uplifting the passengers.

The evening was dinner at our favourite restaurant this trip “Chill” with Clare and Vic, some more of the MDR cruisers. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g674784-d19976759-Reviews-Chill_Cafe_and_Bistro-Birgu_Vittoriosa_Island_of_Malta.html

We left Sunday morning for two days and just went down the coast to Ponta tal-Grigal. We anchored on the southern end and had two great days there. Lovely to just leap off and go swimming 2 or 3 times a day. The weather was fairly breezy but sheltered from most of the Northwesterly. Other benefit was there were some great caves and not to many boats.

A link to a short video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RTFocgChnM

I had to give the dingy a thorough scrub underneath as it already had a lot of growth on it from being in the water for two weeks at the boatyard. Also then washed it with our amazing stainless cleaner, which also really cleans up fibreglass, and the bottom went from yellow to white – very satisfying.

There were enough boats and wakes at night that we lifted the dingy both evenings.

Tuesday morning we left early and back to the shipyards in time for the fridge man and other contractors due on the boat.

We had a good sail north with the crew really enjoying themselves with a good wind.

In Poros on the way north and we anchored quite close to the ferry terminal and then the anchored dragged slightly when the wind reversed in the middle of the night. We would not want to be any closer.!!

The next stop was Effimia – a great little town.

After the windy ride, there was a little shopping and a relaxing night. The other option was Sami but the wind was blowing from the wrong direction and so Effimia it was.

We wanted to spend a day on land and visit the famous Melassani Lake caves where the water crosses from one side of the island to the other – Argostoli to Sami.

Because there were busloads of tourist we first went to the Drogarati stalactite caves which were good to see though only the main cavern was open.

We also convinced to go to a children’s zoo which had all the stories of Odysseus – even a trojan horse – did not rate for adults!!

We were also going to visit the Naval Museum( which was supposed to be very good), but ran out of time so next stop was the Melanisi Cave. It was very beautiful and peaceful but very touristy – more so than anywhere else we had seen in the Greek islands so far. Unfortunately the guides knew little of the mechanics or the geology of the phenomenon. The inside temperature was much cooler than outside so nice on a warm day.

A well earned dinner. 

The next stop on the plan was Ithaca.

Ithaca – East Coast – Marmakas – north of Frikes. We thought it looked perfect for an anchorage but as normal the wind changed in the middle of the night and it was not as peaceful. the little church on the island was great with its own mini grottos.

The next day it was up early and on to the west coast of Meganisi which has one of the more famous grottos. This time the story was that a Greek submarine hid in the big cave during WWII – not sure but one of the caves at least is big enough( deep and wide) but shallow and not as interesting as some of the others we had seen. Last chance at cave diving for some of the crew.

The  first nights anchorage on Meganisi was  at  Abelake Bay and the second night at Port Atherinos. Both on the northern coast which is very pretty and filled with lots of places to park. Here we came across SV Katherine – friends of Rob and Virginia’s.

Early the second day we visited Scorpios Island which is actually two islands previously owned by Onassis and has a beach house that Jackie Kennedy used when she was there. He left it to the Greek government but his daughter has currently rented it out to a Russian Princess. Very beautiful little island but heavily guarded.

The last stop was Fiskardo and in the morning Mark, Barb, Chris and Virginia all went around to the cave that Mark had found on the way south when we were last in Fiskardo. It was huge and on further examination, we decided it was an old white clay mine. For some reason, it was now deserted.

The last night for the group of eight was at Fiskardo.

Rob, Virginia, Chris, and Mark all departed by taxi the next morning for Argostoli airport.

These 10 days with eight onboard have been really interesting. All eight are sailors and all enjoy sailing and boating and swimming and all able and willing to help. It has been a very social time. Many people have asked how we could cope with so many, but when everyone helps and is keen and enthusiastic it is easy.

Rob and Virginia were our next guests and since they arrived late in the day we stayed at Agia Pelagia and all went out for dinner in the nearby taverna under a windmill. A beautiful evening to welcome them onto the yacht.

The next day it was off to Zakynthos and the famous Shipwreck Beach – a must-see on all the Greece travel guides. Well, the beach and cove are beautiful, it has spectacular cliffs and a cave to swim through, but it is swarming with visitors – thousands each day coming in ferry loads of over 200 a time!!!! Ourselves and the other yachts all got in early and then you could see the motorboats coming down the coast with their wakes – ferries of all sizes, and the big ones have their own spot on the bach. There is a roped-off area so you can sit down if you want to! the bigger ferries all feel they have to blow their horns going in and out!! The chaos and noise are hard to describe. Private boats coming squeeze in where they can on one side – some far too close to others and the ferries hoot at anyone they think is in their way – even if they are not!! I have tried to capture it all below but probably should have taken a video.

From there we slowly meandered our way down the west coast of Zakynthos looking at all the lovely inlets and beaches for those above the water.

All the great caves for those in the water. Many of the caves have names e.g. Heart Cave, Poseidon’s Face, Secret blue cave. The above water crew often got as beautiful colours as the swimmers. The swimmers could have spent all day going down the coast and go back again – it was great.

The yacht crew had to keep an eye when picking us up as we could be in 15 m of water and then suddenly there would be a pinnacle. This one was just outside of one of the cave complexes in the gap between an island and the mainland.

We looked into Porto Vromi but too full, then we pulled into the north inlet of a tiny harbour of Porto Steniti for lunch, tour boats were dropping people off here but not so many. Beautifully clear water.

Following lunch, we also tried to stop for a swim in Porto Limnionas but full of people and although two inlets there it was full of swimmers and roped off below the taverna so more set up for land swimmers than yachts. Where the was space it was too deep.

The final cave swim for the day was in the south side thorough one cave and then back through another for Barb and Di.

We missed the tiny Korakonsi port and its cave as it was getting late in the day.

That night we stopped at the edge of the Marine Park at the southern end of Zakynthos, near Keri and hoped to see some turtles but didn’t see any – they seem very shy.

Next morning it was off to Kefalonia east coast on the way north again.

Nice sail from Paxos with NW 10-15kts. Dropped sails before entering channel as Boeing good 15kts and aft quartering sea. We were going to stop at Preveza but Grey and very windy so continued on around the first headland to a sheltered bay, Panagia Vonitsa. The land all-around was much lower and flatter than we had seen previously and very little cultivation. The hills only appearing in the far distance.

The Ambracian Gulf is supposedly famous for its variety of birdlife, rare pelicans, turtles, and bottle-nosed dolphins but we didn’t see any. We needed more time and dingy trips to shallow areas. 

The wind changed to NE G20 early evening but good anchorage and calm in the morning. Sea is full of small sea urchins snot 1-2cm wide. Also large balls of tiny fish.

In the morning Jo decided to walk from the bay to the town and we motored over to town of Vonitsa in the morning to visit the castle.

The Vonitsa castle which has been owned and built by the Byzantines, Venetians, and Ottomans at various stages as they fought for it over and over again. The first recorded town there was in the 10th century. Very interesting, so much history, free with no information but run-down, quite sad, just another Greek ruin! Great views.

Girl on the gate had a 4-week old cat with her for company. Hew decided Hew should show it some attention.

The town was well kept and several nice buildings, fancy gates, fences, and balconies. Every town has its own personality if it is older, most of the newer ones seem to have lost the art of individuality.

That night we went to the other side of the Gulf to have a look and anchored at Menidi for the night but did not go ashore. Many tavernas on the waterfront. These photographs are from the paddleboard.

The next day set out back to Preveza and on to the Lefkada Canal.

We were to pick up Di and Pete the following day and since it was very windy not a great forecast and the marina at nd wall at Lefkada were full. So we motored down to Nydri and anchored far into the big bay along with many others. We stayed the night and visited the tavernas. The water was full of jellyfish, they are harmless and quite beautiful.

The bay we really liked called Tranquil Bay was full but in the morning we shifted back there as closer to the town to pick up and go grocery shopping.

Nydri is a good little town and great bottle store/bar combined which Pete and Di checked out when we were shopping for stores.

The large bay to the south is full of yacht wrecks of all sizes and others just falling apart on the moorings. Was chatting to one guy and he says people come and leave them in the sheltered bay then don’t come back. One guy had died, others had lost interest, some had sunk on their anchors. He had just bought a small one about 30′ for €1000, was going to fix it up over winter then go sail – a great idea. The photos are only a very small sample of all the yachts there.

After collecting Di and Pete we set off in the direction of Kefalonia as we were due to drop one off and collect two more in three days.

The first stop was Fiskcardo where we anchored two bays down from the town at Foki Beach as the town and harbour were full. It was a great choice and had a cave that Jo and Mark explored the next day but the rest of us had to wait for the next trip that way.

Next stop was one night at Poros. On the way down we passed the coast guard parking bay just south of Foki Bay. We did not go ashore due to late in the day and windy. Very impressive gorge next to the town. We were still undecided about the parking area for the following night due to forecast for high NW and from past experience, we knew that Argostoli would be horrible.

Next day we decided to consider Agia Pelagia marina which is just off the southern end of the airport. It was built 12 years ago but never finished. Very limited parking but sheltered in northerlies and we could go alongside the pier. Great spot. Only one other boat came in after us and we got talking to one of the permanent residents who told us he had had free parking for 12 years as they couldn’t sort out who should be in charge since it was never finished. Mostly fishing boats but the Guardia di Finanza had used it in the past to drop off immigrants and leave them on the building there for the Greeks to sort out.

Jo left us at this point we waited for Virginia and Rob who had arrived on the aircraft that Jo was flying out on.

Stuart, Mark, Chris, Jo and I had a fantastic time diving and exploring along the coast honing our freediving skills.

Some caves are shallow and others are very high and very deep.

Some caves are white or grey and others are beautiful colours,

The bigger caves are often called grottoes and invaded by the tourist boats – the bigger ones having no consideration at all for private boats or swimmers.

The many caves, arches, and underwater bridges around the eastern side of Antipaxos provided endless amusement and challenge for the swimmers. The on-water crew doing their own exploration in the above water caves.

A sample of views from the RIB. Some amazing rock formations and also black glass (obsidian) on the soft white rock in places. Lots of different strata in the cliffs.

There were some beautiful beaches but the tourist ferry was close behind us – dropping off and passing through so we didn’t go in close.

After a day of swimming, we anchored quayside in Mongonisi Bay – great spot. When Mark enquired if a 2* Metaxa Brandy was available the waitress offered him petrol from her motorbike as a viable alternative.

There is a tiny cove before Mongonisi bay that you can anchor in and is a favourite of day boats – the day we went through there was a wedding going on in the chapel. The island is separated by a very narrow channel from the main island but is fine for small boats.

Since Nassos harbour was full we anchored just down the coast and took the rib around. A tiny village with a narrow one-way road along the quay – at one stage traffic was held up by some street performers but no one seemed to mind.

Beautiful clear water for the morning swim. Jill possibly offering instruction to Stu on the paddleboard!!

Next day it was on to Gaios. forecast not great so the harbour was full and we anchored on the south side of the island. The wind got up in the night from the south – a change from the northerlies, so we shifted early round to the north of the island and anchored stern to the island. we are one of the easternmost yachts. Jill and Stuart left on the hydrofoil for Corfu and home.

After dropping off Jill and Stu we stayed one more night then off to Preveza. https://kiwiflyingfish.com/2019/09/preveza-to-kefalonia/

Some of the photos are from along the northern cliff of Gozo on the way back to Malta.