Cruising progress 2017 (Click to enlarge)
Last reported position using Vessel Finder or Marinetraffic (check both sites to find most uptodate position).
Interactive map of entire 2017 cruise.
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24th October 2017
We revisited Vathy on Ithaca for a few days, and while taking a trip around the bay in the dinghy, we landed on the islet of Lazereto, a lovely, tiny square island covered in pine trees with a small 17th century chapel in the middle. In 1817 the British built a two storey building, which was later converted into a prison but was subsequently damaged by the earthquakes of 1953 and demolished.
From Vathy we returned to Vlycho on Lefkas, where we started on our never ending maintenance schedule and got a lot of jobs completed. We did manage to fit in a couple of lunches, taking the dinghy across the bay to an excellent Taverna. The jellyfish were just as numerous as on our previous visit; each morning we counted about two hundred around the boat. Then it was time to return to Preveza town quay via the Lefkas Canal. We spent another week here, ticking more jobs off the list. We also managed to meet up with Tony & Jane from s/v Capisce again for drinks on Mistroma, before they dove down to their winter home in Kefalonia.
All too soon it was time for our lift out at Cleopatra Marina, which went without any hitches, except that the chap who pressure washed the hull managed to remove more of the decal on one side of the boat, which we have been assured will be replaced over the winter. This is a huge yard with over a thousand boats and it seems to be very efficient. Once lifted out of the water, the boats are transferred on to a trolley which is towed by a tractor to the relevant storage area. Normally, boats are moved around at a snail's pace, but here they are towed at about 10mph along wide dirt-track roads. Luckily, we had our bikes so we could keep up quite easily, but it was a bit disconcerting to see Mistroma flying along ahead of us.
We are having our usual last minute rush to finish work before we fly home tomorrow for the winter. It's been another fantastic sailing season, with a few minor glitches - the new chain which started to rust after a couple of weeks is to be replaced when we return in April (hopefully!); the regulator for the wind generator is going home with us for repair; the AM/FM radio shorted out and is to be replaced and our multi-function display for fuel, water and electrical power also needs to be replaced. We really enjoyed catching up with old friends this year and hopefully we’ll keep in touch with them next season. Roll on 2018!
