Three On A Boat

Here is a list of my favourite places around Greece:

City / Town

Galaxidi

Nafplio

Patras or Portoheli

Island

Ithaca

Paxos

Hydra

Anchorage

Two Rock Bay

Paros

Koulura or Hydra

Harbour 

Mandraki 

Nafpaktos

Fiskardo 

Sailing

Ionian

Cyclades

Saronic

Cycling

Ithaca

Zakinthos

Meganisi 

Water

Antipaxos

One House Bay 

Two Rock Bay

Sights

Corinth

Zakinthos

Apart from all the practical things we needed to absorb over the last six months to adapt to sea living, I think we also came to realise some truths about ourselves: 

Going back to basics. After an initial acclimatisation period of few weeks it became my second nature to feel comfortable without all the modern comforts I grew so accustomed to in London - stores with everything I need on every corner open 24/7, always a hot shower, household appliances. Instead, constant water and electricity saving, thorough provisioning and its planning, and feeling content in a small space started to feel like home. We also made a conscious choice not to have a TV onboard and no DVDs, which turned out to be a great decision both for us and for Thor. We found we suddenly had so much more time to do more creative things, spend time together and find active ways of relaxing. We also rarely browsed the net, apart from looking at the weather and the news, blogging and Skyping with the family. And the interesting thing is that now that we're back in a city, some of the good habits have stuck with us. 

Connecting with people is what makes it special. I have most fond memories from our winter months. Although the weather was tougher it was much easier to meet people as we usually were the only outsiders in town. We have plenty of great memories from play parks and beaches hanging our with local parents and their kids. And on many occasions we were overwhelmed by people’s kindness, openness and generosity. Fellow sailors were also easier to connect with in the low season, and people we stayed in touch with were mostly those we met in the very beginning of our trip. Sharing our trip with other made it all the more precious for us. 

There is no ‘I’ in ‘Team’. Before we set off someone told me that what we were about to do was either going to cement us as a couple, or highlight our incompatibilities. I thought that sounded a bit dramatic, after all how crazy could it be to live on a boat I thought. However, after experiencing nature it its mightiest, I now understand what they meant. On few occasions we found ourselves in situations bordering dangerous, and it’s only because we worked well as a team that we always came out on top. This is a valuable lesson that we both take forward I think. 

It’s business as usual no matter where you are. I think that it’s easy to imagine, especially by looking at photos, that living on a boat is about blue skies, seeing interesting places and enjoying the water. And of course those elements are there undeniably. Many times I found myself being grateful for being right here, right now. However, what I also discovered is that everyday life happens no matter where you are, and doubly so when you are a parent. There is still things that don’t work out your way, the usual family logistics to run, stressful situations that take place, everyday frustrations, and unfriendly people that occasionally come your way. And it’s perfectly OK that way. 

I have never sailed before stepping onboard Natalia, so needless to say my learning curve over the last months has been pretty steep. And I enjoyed every single bit of it. Looking back at it, I even enjoyed the tough moments, because it was when we felt most alive. 

I went from urban living to seeing the sea as my home. And the sea has taught me the following: 

You can never be over-prepared at sea. When leaving the safety of the harbour / anchorage it’s better to assume the weather will be worse than it currently seems, because at sea it turns from smooth to rough in a matter of minutes, and when you’re suddenly reefing in gusting wind or braving high seas, it’s essential that the boat is sea cleared and all you need is at hand. 

Order and procedures matter. Martin was very good from the very beginning to instil in me good habits when it came to good seamanship, and what comes with it - safety. Things like keeping the ropes neat and safety equipment always in the same place are vital and helped us a lot on few occasions. 

Learning by doing. Last winter I took a course in preparation for this trip, and I read two different ‘sailing bibles’. However, everything suddenly made sense once onboard. Here again Martin was great in making sure I learned all the tricks of the trade by making me handle the boat in all conditions, work the ropes, the anchor, the sails, navigate. Because it was only the two of us onboard plus Thor, it was essential that we were both able to sail Natalia and get us into safety if need be, or that we could take turns at sailing so that both of us could get breaks / time with Thor. We also quickly understood that practice makes perfect and that being on the boat equals learning constantly - with almost every crossing and every mooring we found ourselves faced with new things that we haven’t thought about yet but gladly added to our knowledge bank for times ahead. This is what makes sailing so interesting - you never know what’s ahead...

This is it... 

The day of the lift out has alas finally come upon us. All great things come to an end... With heavy hearts, but also a dose of relief, we watched Natalia being safely lifted out of the water using a crane, washed, and placed on its dry dock spot, where she’ll spend the winter. It felt sad saying goodbye knowing that the next time we’ll see her will only be for short trips and holidays. Oslo is calling us. 

The process as such was interesting to watch, a bit nerve wracking at times as she wobbled in the air, with the keel what looked like centimeters away from brushing against the ground. We left her behind being grateful for all the great memories over the last half year, and most importantly for keeping us safe and braving the seas. 

Time out. 

Amidst the packing, cleaning and wintering frenzy we decided to take a day out to breath and see something new. We headed North towards Ioannina and the stone villages of Zagori in the Pindus mountains. It felt great to have a day away. 

Ioannina is a picturesque town situated on the large lake Pamvotis, with Byzantine old town and castle to admire. After stopping there, we headed upwards into the mountains and chose to see Kipi, a traditional village popular with fans of mountain sports, built in the centre of the region, with rivers Vikakis and Bagiotikos crossing it with their arch stone bridges. 

Working hard. 

We’ve been working full speed the last days to get everything ready for the lift out. As always there was much more to do than expected, and the weather wasn’t making it any easier for us - with a storm coming once a day, every single day since the beginning of August. 

From talking to few people I understood that July was much warmer this year than normal, and this heat wave was now coming back in the form of quite explosive pressure systems. We even managed to get quite a damage to the push pit when during one of the windier ones we got pushed right against the pier as the laid mooring didn’t offer adequate hold... Luckily nothing that can’t be repaired. 

The last sail. 

The following morning we left towards Preveza with heavy hearts, knowing that we’ll be putting up the sails for the last time this year. 

However, before we got a chance to get too thoughtful, the weather came to our rescue offering a distraction in the form of really uncomfortable big swells, making the sail quite tiering and bothersome. So instead of feeling sad we focused on the task at hand and felt quite happy when we finally got to the Cleopatra marina. 

Our last anchorage... 

As our last stop before Preveza we chose the Two Rock Bay, one of the most picturesque and blue watered bays we’ve been to the last half year, and enjoyed to the full twice before. With a bitter sweet feeling we jumped and snorkelled our goodbyes...

We also had to visit our friend at the Fredo Time La Scala kantina up in the forest - he makes excellent hot dogs and cold cappuccinos. 

Fanari. 

On our way from Paxos the skies were turning increasingly grey, until it started pouring violently for a short while. It was quite spectacular to experience this in the open sea. But when we arrived in Fanari we were greeted by a calm, sunny afternoon, perfect for some beach shenanigans.  

Fanari is a great, wide bay at the entrance to the Acheron river, on the mainland, near the town of Parga. The beach is very sandy and wide, but the salt water mixes with the cooler fresh water from the river, making it the freshest we’ve had so far. 

In the evening we decided to venture up the river to admire the unusual and stunning scenery. It felt rather surreal to be surrounded by such different views from our usual sea landscapes. After a wander around the town and a tasty fish meal we headed back to Natalia, expecting a quiet night. Alas, it turned out to be quite eventful...

Just as we were getting ready to call it a night we heard wind picking up outside. Before we knew it we were amidst a frontal storm with thunders, rain and wind gusting up to 40 knots - the strongest wind we’ve had to date. Martin experienced worse only in the very beginning in February when crossing to Chroatia during the bora season. 

From a totally quiet night we found ourselves in life vests, in full readiness, waiting the storm out and dreading to hear the sound of our anchor getting ripped out. When it finally passed over, luckily with our anchor intact, we went to bed greatly relieved, only to wake up few hours later for a repeat show! Needless to say we were both really happy when the dawn broke and the quiet came for good. 

Paxos - old and new. 

We decided to revisit Paxos as our next stop as it’s been one of our favourite spots this side of the Gulf of Corinth. We started off with Lakka, which we recently enjoyed with Emilie and Filip. Sadly, our last mooring spot was taken as so was most of the bay, but we managed to find a place for ourselves near the town by the breakwater. With no guests ready to help I was back on duty of working the long line ashore :-) 

Funnily enough one of the reasons we came back to Lakka was to go to Giappy’s pancake house again. So Martin wasted no time after we moored to get us on land and put his order in. We even came back for more the following morning. 

Although not particularly stunning during the day, Lakka village really comes to life in the evenings, offering excellent cocktails even by London standards, and even better views over the busy bay.  

Next morning whilst headed for the mainland, we took a quick stop at Port Longos. I always wished to see it but since it’s quite an exposed spot to anchor we never took the time to visit. But this time round, in settled weather, we decided to drop by. 

First stop on the final stretch. 

From Port Mandraki we made our way towards Sivota, which we visited recently and enjoyed as a buzzing anchorage. We arrived in the sun but soon grey skies caught up with us, giving us some longed for refuge from the heat. I, on my part, took it as an opportunity to swim in the rain. 

With the beach time ruled out, we decided to try the local water park, which we pretty much got to enjoy for ourselves. Thor surprised us both with his love of speed and his relentlessness, as it prooved impossible to get him home despite him starting to turn a shade of purple from the chilly water in the slides ;-) 

In the evening the skies cleared up, letting us enjoy a nice meal in the spectacular setting sun. We found the best pizza this side of Naples, and although the wait was way too long for our hungry selves, it was well worth it in the end. 

Two times goodbye...

For our last day with my parents we decided to sail back to Port Mandraki, which without a doubt has become our favourite marina to date - it’s small and intimate, situated at the foothill of the ancient fort of Corfu town, with a small wild beach for swimming and a great Italian restaurant on the seafront. 

We picked my parents up with their luggage and enjoyed almost the whole of the afternoon to sail over. I took the occasion to cool down and jumped in whilst underway, holding on to a rope. It turned out to be lots of fun as even at the speed of 2 knots it felt impossible to catch up if I wasn’t holding on!

We moored in Mandraki smoothly, with the help of our crew, and after a quick swim ventured into town for the last time. In the evening we enjoyed dinner in the port restaurant, raised a glass to the happy moments spent together over the last week and sent my parents off to the airport.

The next morning we said our goodbye to Corfu too, knowing that we’re starting our last week of our adventure as we make our way South to Preveza. I must say that it wasn’t with a certain sadness and a heavy heart. 

The tip of Corfu.

The next day we decided to do more sailing, so we went along the coast of Albania to the very North tip of Corfu. This time round we got more substantial winds and Tatus took a turn at handling the boat - with the wind at mid to high teen in knots, it was learning at the deep end of the water for sure!

We found a nice anchorage for lunch and swimming during the day and sailed back to Barbatis for the evening.

After dropping my parents off at their beach, we headed for the night to another anchorage that we grew quite fond of - Gouvia, which proved better for sleeping than Barbatis. The sail over in the setting night was very calm and picturesque.

Time on land. 

The following day we enjoyed relaxing time at my parents’ hotel, where Thor played at the pool so much he crashed exhausted and slept until dinner :-) 

After the evening meal and a goodnight drink, we headed back to Natalia for the night, anchoring right outside Barbatis. 

Corfu Town. 

We had a really nice day of sailing to Corfu. The weather was calm, making it for a great start. Tatus was really keen to learn about sailing and Martin was happy to start sharing boat tasks with him :-) My dad quickly became very handy with rope works and helping with the dinghy while mooring. 

Thor of course loved to keep his grandma busy with constant play time, enjoying fully all the attention and care. 

Mamus and Tatus are here! 

On Wednesday morning we sailed to Barbatis to join my parents who were staying for the week in a lovely hotel up on the mountain. We anchored by the beach where they saw us from afar, and gladly welcomed them onboard. I was really looking forward to their visit, wanting them to get a taster of our adventure onboard Natalia. 

We started off with showing them around, swimming in the sea and beaching, and in the evening we met them in our spot for the night, Koulura, where we enjoyed dinner under the full moon. That night our bay was truly spectacular, bright as if it was still daytime, with the moon shining right on Natalia. We wandered around taking in the peace and the quiet of the surroundings. 

Full circle. 

After dropping off our lovely friends in Corfu, in Port Mandraki, we headed towards Gouvia Marina, thus making a full circle since our very beginnings in March. What made it even more special for us was the fact that we got pretty much the same mooring spot as then. We couldn’t help but wander how quickly the last half year has gone by, thinking of all that we have experienced between then and now...  

We did our last provisioning and let Thor enjoy his old stomping ground, only this time not in the rain and puddles but in the sun and the swimming pool.