Idling in the Ionian

Wild Thyme

Once the family left, we spent a few days in Vliho, saying goodbye to Kay and Peter on Wild Thyme who are giving up sailing and generally re-configuring and re-stocking the boat for two instead of 6. After a great week, it all seemed a bit flat.
Our Plastimo boom tent (made of very light aluminised rip-stop nylon) is on its last legs this year. The fabric has succumbed to UV in only 4 years of occasional use. We hoped to get another year or two out of it but Lucifer, sensing its weakness, has shredded it. So we took the opportunity of an easily accessible sailmaker in Vliho to order a new one. We also arranged for a few parcels to come to the yacht club. So we've been hanging around the Nidri/Vliho area for a couple of weeks while these processes grind through.
We were told about 51 degree bay and spent two days there in clear blue water and rural surroundings. We had never been there before and regretted that we didn't know about it when the family were here. They would have loved it. As our second night approached, a nasty little un-forecast Southerly wind kicked up and we were soon seeing half meter waves. It showed no sign of letting up so as night fell we  decided to abandon and upped sticks to run for Vliho and a comfortable night. The passage was crowded with several other yachts doing the same thing.
After a couple of days, we were getting stir crazy and, reading the Pilot, we realised there are a lot of anchorages on North East Ithaka that we haven't visited so we went off for a few days exploration. Here is a map showing where we went. Ithaka  Map 

N. Arkoudhi - SE bay

Our first night was on Nissos Arkoudhi under the small reef/island on the South East corner. Shelter and holding were surprisingly good although a southerly or easterly would have been unpleasant. After 1900 we had the place entirely to ourselves in lovely surroundings and crystal clear water.
The North East coast of Ithaka is heavily indented. We went into all of the bays. Unfortunately, many are either too deep or too choked with weed to be of much use but we found two excellent and some adequate locations.

O. Nikolaos on Ithaka - from Rosa

First stop was O. Nikolaos under a small island with a chapel on it. Gorgeous scenery with twisted and contorted rocks and lovely clear water. A bit crowded in the day time but thins out at night. We took a line ashore and didn't regret it particularly when we had very heavy wash from large ferries and cruise ships passing close by out to sea.

Windmills on Kioni point

Unfortunately there was no Vodafone or wifi coverage and, as we were expecting heavy winds on Wednesday we needed a new forecast. So next day it was off to Kioni. Fortunately, we nosed in to Frikes and took the opportunity of a decent Vodafone connection to download a new one. After checking out several more bays (most exposed to North which is not good) we tied up against the south-side rocks at Kioni and enjoyed watching this pretty, busy little town fleece the day trippers.Water was available (from a tanker on the road above at only €3 per 50Liters! That would have cost us €30! It is also available from the town quay at "only" €3  for 100L! We gave it a miss. Surprisingly there was no Vodafone coverage so after two days, we decided to head for Vathi to weather the storm.

Vathi harbour

As Vathi is the capital of Ithaka, so we were confident of a good Vodafone internet connection - sadly there was none at all! In the end we went to a cafe and used their wifi to find that the promised winds next day were now not going to happen!

We took the opportunity to go back to the nicest bay we had checked out on the way down - Ormos Lamenia. It's a small double headed bay just south of O.Nikolaos with room for no more than 6 boats. We were in luck and the North beach was free. We put lines ashore and an extra one off the bow to take the strain off the anchor and stayed for two wonderful days. Again no internet connection of course.
We finally got back to Vliho on Friday afternoon after a lovely gentle spinnaker run. Being desperate for water by now we went straight onto the Sailing Holidays quay and donated €5 for a fill - good value.
And then came Saturday - bloody Saturday. We took Rosa the 3 miles up to Nidri, anchored and dinghied in to shop. Half way through, when the dingy was already full of the products of the first shop - the heavens opened with a thunderstorm (first rain all summer). Dinghy and shopping soaked, Hatches left open on Rosa, My kindle in the cockpit and Computer on the saloon seat - below an open hatch, and L nowhere to be seen as she was visiting more shops while I checked that the Orange Juice in the taverna was really fresh.
Eventually we got together - still being pelted with rain - and dinghied over to Rosa. Very fortunately, other than some wet seats and beds, no damage had been done. The dingy had 1/2 inch of water in the bottom so I hauled it around a bit to empty it. Unnoticed, I managed to shear off the deck shower which, unnoticed, emptied all of our fresh water into the sea. Could have been worse - it might have been into the bilges. So we had to go and beg for more water from Sailing Holidays - who were wonderful and let us fill up again even though it was changeover day and they needed the taps themselves to service their flotilla yachts.
To crown it all, L went to collect her washing from Vliho Yacht Club to find that it is trapped in a broken machine and can't be liberated until the man comes on Monday.
We hope to finally pick up the boom tent and liberate L's washing tomorrow and then set off slowly South and East to the Saronic Gulf to pick up our older son and his young lady in September.