So we’re finally stocked up, with the sails on and on our way to the southern ionian. The first minor hurdle is getting the timing right for the Lefkas floating bridge, which close to lunch only opens at 1300 and 1500, so after a quick lunch at anchor outside Preveza Marina we transit the bridge, Lefkas Canal, all under engine power and spend our first night on the luxury of the Sailing Holidays (Ibis) pontoon at the entrance of Vliho Bay, making use of their swimming pool and bar.
There are a couple of outstanding minor jobs to do on the solar panel gantry, and the earliest we were able to get a booking on the IBA pontoon, where Dimitris can finish off, was Wednesday and Thursday of next week, so we decided to stay fairly local for the next few days.
On Friday we had to leave the SH pontoon (imminent Flotilla return) so anchored in Vliho bay, where generally at about 6m depth and heavy clay/mud holding is pretty good. However at about 1700, with gusting F6-7 we started to slip our anchor so we reset it in a different part of the bay. Until about 3 the next morning we held fast in gusting winds up to 35 knots. However, others in this popular anchorage didn’t, and for a few hours we heard boats raising and resetting their anchors, climaxing in a pair of boats close by having quite a contre tante with blaring fog horns and very colourful language (in English!) with one ot them giving up and circling the bay (it’s probably 2 miles wide) to find a space in the very dark bay.
Saturday we headed to the nearby island of Meganisi, and actually sailed for about an hour, where despite calling a restaurant in Vathi and failing to get a reservation on their pontoon, as we entered Vathi we nosed in to Karnagio and were waved in for the night. A little bit of paradise with a pontoon for 20 or so yachts, its own beach, and restaurant (in lieu of mooring fees).
Sunday, anchored back in Vliho for a truly excellent evening Sunday roast at the Vliho Yacht Club and the opportunity to use their washing machines on our pile of dirty laundry. Whilst eating, we were very surprised to see a couple we knew from Weymouth walk in, who, as we later discovered were the source of Friday evening’s excitement!
On leaving Vliho on Monday we anchored off Nidri for an hour and bought fresh meat and headed back to Meganisi, this time anchoring with lines ashore in Abelaki bay. Although we had an extremely quiet night, the Tuesday forecast saw F4 NW, gusting F7, so we decided that once a space became free, on the more sheltered side of the bay, we would shift across, which we did, only to discover that the forecast was wrong. At least we escaped the swell that seems to switch on at sunset and last a few hours.
