This week we decided to follow Fern (my daughter) on her first ever skippering of a flotilla boat. However, her first night was Monday in Sivota, a night when every flotilla in the Ionian visits the village, so we ended up anchoring in Ormos Kapela at the northern end of Meganisi. Next day however we got a message that their next stop was Kioni on Itheka. Fortunately we managed to get on the Town Quay, as indeed did Fern and her crew Sarah and Dave, when they arrived an hour or so later. That evening we all ate together at Lizzie’s restaurant and then experienced our first ever tequilas served with salt and a slice of lemon at a bar, never again! Wednesday saw the flotilla heading to Big Vathi as as they had a group meal planned we opted to stay for a second night in Kioni. Thursday was their free sail day so we arranged to meet Fern and her crew at Kalamos, where we had a hearty (in my case a pork chop) meal at George’s and cocktails in one of the bars. Also by chance we we moored next to Gwen and Pete. Friday saw us getting low on water, (you can’t get water at Kalamos anymore) so on our way to little Vathi we called in at the mainland town of Mytika at the top of Kalamos on the off chance that water would be available. It was and so we dropped the anchor and went stern-to on the harbour wall, but in doing so underestimated our anchor chain length and ended up about 3m from the wall. Rather than relaying the anchor we opted for our scaffolding plank which we have had sitting on the deck since we left the UK, it finally came into its own! At Little Vathi we couldn’t get on the flotilla’s pontoon so we ended up on the Quay on the opposite side, giving us the opportunity to have a sensible night food and drink wise. However, the harbour did light up for a few minutes with some spectacular fireworks. Saturday was the Flotilla’s return to base day to Nikiana so we had a second restful night in Little Vathi.
