It is now 10.45am, the wind has dropped back to 8-10 knots and the sun is out. We are passing the northern end of Paxos and planning to go to Sivota for lunch. The forecast for the rest of the day is not too bad, so hopefully we will get a final sail in this afternoon before returning to the marina.
Later: We had a final lunch of Greek cliches - taramasalata, Greek salad & calamari. OK - not imaginative - but it had to be done! Then after a bit of shopping we set off for a swim in the bay around the corner before the run back to Gouvia.
On the way back we could see the sort of inverted grey funnel ahead that meant a rain storm and soon enough we got another soaking. The bimini does a good job though and if you are careful you can come through more or less unscathed. When the weather cleared, the wind freshened to 15 knots or so and we did manage to get the sails up for a bit. The wind direction was rather unstable though and we needed to be fully close-hauled to make our course. We didn't have time to meander up to Corfu Town as the wind dictated unfortunately. One day we will do this when we are not against the clock. Soon we were past the town and on our final stretch up to Gouvia.
We met up with Alan outside the marina as he wanted a diver to look under the boat - a good practice to ensure it is all OK for the next customer. We knew we had not grounded at all - but quite a few of the popular places are pretty shallow so no doubt it does happen. Finally we headed into Gouvia and had dinner at 'Telesilla' where the food was great and the service was superb. When we arrived we immediately got a tour of the kitchens to watch their most popular dishes being prepared. Our friends from No Stress Yachting paid for our wine, which was very nice of them. Then to bed - a very long day - but a fitting end to another superb sailing holiday.
We must thank Alan and his team - this has been the best chartering experience we've ever had. They have a great attitude and they have added nice touches of detail that make a real difference. Including fuel in the charter price is a boon - not because of the money - it's the queuing at the fuel barge that is a pain. The communication equipment is also great. Nobody has offered us a 'bat phone' for connecting to base without hassle or a 3G wifi hub. We have always been left to sort this stuff out for ourselves. Throw in the complimentary airport transfers in a Range Rover (driven by someone who is not trying to kill themselves and everyone else on board) and it all adds up to a much better experience than the competition have ever offered. We hope the business thrives!
That's it for another blog. Nothing to say about tommorow except pack up, go to airport, hang around etc - all too familiar to all of us. Roll on the next maritime adventure!
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