This week is unlike any other in that we had a full house; i.e. being joined by 4 hornists a trumpeter and a trombonist (Louis would argue Trumpets should get mentioned before Horns, though). Fabian and his friends swapped their normal climbing gear for sea-legs, the occasional ginger tablet, life-vests and lots of sun cream. After a safety briefing and almost every life jacket we have being allocated, we set off for what was to be a fun-filled time. In fact the greatest risk we faced was a severe shortage of paprika crisps and large enough second portions for the main meals but their outstanding musical talents and steely discipline proved soon very useful as choppers, mashers and washer-uppers.
The following words come from the newly intrepid sailors: Helena, Lizzi, Sarah, David, Louis and Fabian.
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Mandraki Harbour in Corfu Fortress
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| Some Yachts need Helicopters |
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Musos talking!
On Tuesday we left the grey drizzle of England to arrive in the rather sweltering heat of Corfu (despite a 7pm touchdown). A taxi delivered us safely to the yacht, our worries when he appeared to be literally driving through what in England would have been a listed castle totally unwarranted. After a brief tour of our luxurious quarters we set out into the town to find dinner.
We sat down in a swanky seaside restaurant that left us feeling rather inadequately dressed, ready for some delicious fresh seafood. we took a trip downstairs where we were shown yesterday's mystery fish (the waiter couldn't enlighten us) and were told today's fish would take 3 1/2 hours to cook. We then discovered that the €95 per kilo steak Peter fancied only came in whole kilos at which point we began to doubt our decision. When it emerged the waiter had no idea what part of the cow the steak came from we decided it was time to take our custom elsewhere and enjoyed a delicious meal at the restaurant at our own rather less extravagant marina. Who needs helipads on their boat anyway?
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Wednesday morning, after a hearty swiss breakfast, we set off on the long sail to Paxos. About halfway through, we hit a nice patch of wind between the two islands and decided to break in the virgin sailors after a quick crash course in wind theory and knot dynamics. Each new crew member had a chance to learn the ropes, helm us across the rolling waves and gain a newfound respect for the sea. Lakka Bay was home to the first taste of the Med for these fresh, windswept faces and a welcome break from the trials of the day. Unfortunately, the churning waters of the unprotected bay proved too much for even the most seasoned of stomachs and we resorted to a late night snack and swift bedtime after some quite successful stargazing.
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| Baklava - no not the Swiss Breakfast |
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| Mongonisi |
Today wind was low so we motored the short distance south to Mongonisi, a beautiful bay on Paxos island. Feeling like experts from our sailing the day before, we sniggered at an hour-long parallel parking job from a neighbouring boat which eventually failed. We snorkelled and ate a delicious chilli on board. The heat of the mid-day sun and (for those with sensitive palates) the chilli inspired us to build a sun-protective fort out front out of bed sheets and bulldog clips. An afternoon of battles from the fort (board games) tired some of the party into a siesta. On shore we revisited our climbing instincts and scrambled to the top of a cliff, scouting out beautiful views over neighbouring islands and the deep blue sea. We calmed down with lemon sorbet mojitos and a nighttime swim back to the boat for a bbq. On-deck sleepers experienced lullabies from an onshore wedding, but were unable to contain their dance moves when the DJ span the macarena.
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| Going ashore in Lakka - Paxos |
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| Poster couple for the local water company |
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| Knots |
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| Siesta with hat |
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| The Godfather (book) |
After a rather abrupt awakening from the engine coughing into life at 7am, our Friday consisted of a long trundle back towards Corfu. The sail made redundant by the complete lack of wind we were, unfortunately, denied the tranquility of motorless travel. This was quickly drowned out by the bose portable speaker (other brands are available) which invoked much jollity and dancing from Louis and face palming from Helena. After an hour or two of uneventful reading, board games and sun bathing, an excited cry of "Dolphins!" pricked the dozy ears of the crew.
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| Dolphin Sighting |
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| More Dolphins |
We all rushed to the front of the boat in time to watch a school of 10 or so dolphins breaking through the surface with their fins and tails. It was a magical sight and we got so close the binoculars were not required. Skipper-ing forward (you're welcome), we arrived at the port, Paleokastri, after emptying the boat of olives and crisps. After a much needed toilet trip and a short swim in very busy, boat infested waters we were instructed that one of us would have to scale the mast to change a light bulb (jokes on the back of a postcard, please).
Fabian drew the short straw and was hoisted up 63ft above the marina with a GoPro camera strapped to his head and a screwdriver in his pocket (at least that's what he claimed it was!). The view was incredible, just as the sun was setting over the mountains. It certainly gave us butterflies.
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| Mooring light |
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| Is this really 63 Feet high? |
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| GoPro view of the world |
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Saturday. After a cracking night's sleep in a sedate, yet crowded bay, we sauntered over to the village to use the glamorous facilities and then headed towards the vehicle hire shop with a hopeful spring in our step. Immediately we were confronted by a passive-aggressive, yet admirably passionately business-minded owner who interrogated us, as if it were the 'Greek' Inquisition, about our level of ability on riding scooters. After explaining, in vain, that although we were all very comprehensive and experienced scooters riders in the UK, we conceded that the riding style was a total juxtaposition to the Greek method, and gave up. The shop owner, with Medusa-like persistence and allure, attempted to persuade us to hire cars or a mini van to look around the island, but we were not deceived by this evil temptress, and avoided her scaly talons. We then hiked in pools of our own perspiration to the monastery that stood on top of the hill, which we found to be closed, and so instead admired the stunning views of the harbour and the sea, which glistened in the sweltering sun. After a refreshing ice tea and general discussion about the hardships of life we descended. The evening took a relaxed turn, with Peter making a monumental vegetable arrabiatta pasta, and the bay being lit up by the fireworks from the beach party close by. We fell asleep under the stars which glistened on the water.
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| Dramatic coastline of western Corfu |
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| Paleokastri |
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| Paleokastri Beach |
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| Diesel on the go. |
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Muted tones at breakfast
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Sunday began with a 7 hour sail to the other side of the island. It was a rather windy morning with signs of a nasty storm brewing, hearing faint thunder in the distance. We anchored in the bay, to find ourselves diving into beautifully warm water. Having tried to ration our photos on our disposable cameras throughout the trip, we found ourselves with about 25 photos left with sadly only two full days to go. This could only mean one thing: today was the day for the family photo shoot. Highlights of the album include lining up in height order (not everyone was a fan of this), dives off the boat and the 'Octopus' with our heads together in the water. This was obviously total chaos to organise, but much fun was had by all.
To conclude our photoshoot, we wanted to capture the elegance of 'creepy dave' in the dinghy. Whilst stood in said dinghy, the rope was slyly untied and thrown to him in an act of betrayal. Dave drifted out towards Albania oarless and motorless. Luckily, at sea a kind Italian family took pity on 'Creepy Dave' and towed him back to his loving friends.
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| "Creepy Dave" setting off accidentally |
The aforementioned storm finally caught up with us while at dinner later that evening. There were incredible forks of lightning and heavy winds, pushing customers further and further into the restaurant looking for shelter. It was a long wait for the storm to pass, lucky our meals took 2 hours to get to us! We finally made it back to our soggy but homely boat, where Peter and Catherine heroically stayed up all night to make sure there were no serious crashes of boats in the wind.
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| Synchronised jumping |
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| Conducted Flossing |
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| Nighty Night don't let the bed bugs bite |
So a week full of fun and great camaraderie has rushed by and it is left to Peter and Catherine to finish the blog. Our slight trepidation in having a full crew on board vanished into thin air as we got to know and spend time with 6 great people, who despite being musicians are very entertaining and even have a sense of humour. For any of our Yachtie friends out there, we can highly recommend any of this lot as a comp crew team - although best enjoyed as a six-pack.
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