The Normal Calm Ionian

The Ionian inland sea is famous for benign sailing; usually calm in the morning with a fun sea breeze in the afternoon, before a calm evening. There are however plenty of local effects to keep one on ones toes.

I am beginning to think that we are finding it quite difficult at times to just ‘hang around’ or ‘ chill out’. This trip we have no passage making to do, which has, hitherto always provided focus and purpose. We are simple loafing around the North Ionian Sea, and pleasant, no, wonderful, though that is, we are a little fidgety from time to time. We were ready to leave Sivota and, in a windless sea, we motored across to Kalamos, dropping anchor in the abandoned bay of Port Leone. I say, abandoned; it used to be an inhabited port for the island, but is now left for passing yachts to spend some still time. We swam and lunched, then sailed north to Port Kalamos. Here the inimitable unofficial harbourmaster, George, guided us into our berth and reminded us of his welcoming restaurant in the corner of the harbour! There is a steep mountainside falling down to the harbour, so after the afternoon breeze come hefty katabatic winds that blow until 11 or 12pm.

We spent two nights here because we could!

Mo chose the next destination to be Liminis Petalis, a large empty inland anchorage behind a tall rocky range on the mainland coast south of Astracos, providing shelter from the prevailing winds. It is close to an industry of seemingly uninhabited fish farms, but otherwise it is quiet and remote.

Nigel confessed later to be somewhat bemused by this choice as his recollection of our previous visit was of an unrelenting strong afternoon breeze that abated only as the sun disappeared. Mo’s memory served her with different images, but overridingly, the holding ground was excellent so we would weather any strong wind safely.

Nigel did tease as the constant 20 knot wind prevented late afternoon swims and outside showers and the complaints became quite vocal. However rewards did eventually come in spades and the endurance was paid back ten-fold. As the sun slipped away, the wind died completely; the sea rested and the night sky revealed herself. It was a sight to behold with no light pollution to mar the intensity of the vision. We just looked up at the stars and everything else in the sky for a long time, lazily, from the back deck of the boat, overawed by its vastness and beauty. Nigel finished off the evening with a night swim around the boat splashing up swathes of phosphorescence.

It is September 8th today, a poignant day of anniversaries and memories for Mo and we decided to stay in this windy bay another day, hoping for another magical night.

We will rejoin the masses tomorrow when we plan to sail 25 miles or so across to Kefalonia.

The sail proved to be frustrating as we had to beat in light winds with the angles constantly curving us away from our chosen destination of Sami. We eventually threw in the towel and motored the last 8miles arriving just before the strong afternoon breeze. Sami is slightly charming with a few quayside restaurants and some useful shops in the road behind, but we were keen to leave the following morning to escape the confines of the harbour and the heat.

We anchored off the adjacent beach for remedial swimming before heading just a few miles along the bay to the small town of Eufemia where we will get power, water and a chandlery. Nigel is anxious about our starter battery and so am I! We procured a set of jump leads for that ‘just in case’ time. Next stop Big Vathi on Ithaca with a couple of glorious days anchored in local bays off the east coast of Ithaca. Clear blue sea, sandy bays, rocky sides and snorkelling opportunities.

A first for us was to call in on Kioni, still on Ithaca. A pretty village, the quay is usually full from 11am, but as luck would have it we entered at noon and there was a space just next to our fellow Sunbeam owner friends, Joe and Elke. We were soon moored up and we enjoyed a pleasant day exploring.

The mood took us north again to Meganissi and a night in Little Vathi followed by a night at anchor in Abelike Bay. We chose a sheltered spot, dropped the anchor and then Mo swam ashore with lines to hold the stern into the shore. It was a magical stop.

Thanks to a fellow Cruising Association member, we became alerted to the possibility of a sudden weather event that was not, at that time, being shown in the local forecasts. Time to move north we decided.