Kiato, well I have to say, we were not thrilled. The weather made this unimpressive town, quite awful for us, with graffiti everywhere and disheveled buildings, perhaps we caught it at its worst and while we were at a low point, maybe we should return for a closer look one day and rectify our bad impression. Today however, we leave, out into yet another windy day. The sky is almost blue, the clouds are moving on but snow is sprinkled on the highest peaks of the distant mountains, hence our padded jackets and gloves. Our ropes have been loosened and we ease out once again into the sloshing sea, the wave height is manageable and the wind has dropped to a more reasonable 17 knots. Relieved to be going and moving west, our passage today takes us to the mainland Greek town of Galaxidi. The sails are gloriously filled, Kejstral is heeling over just enough to give us that exciting feeling of travelling free, no engine, just the power of wind and sail. 29 n.ms to go and a perfect sail to take us there.... Well it could have been! Except the wind dropped and we succumbed to the costly engine after an hour, how frustrating. For the remainder of the journey our sails were useless, any wind that slowly built, was coming straight towards us, with so little power, we couldn't even tack around it. By the time we reached Galaxidi the wind was completely non existent, we did see a beautiful pod of dolphins, they played around our bow for around 20 minutes, ducking and diving, spinning and crossing our path, fabulous creatures with so much grace and serenity. Kejstral slid through the calm sea around into the tiny, very well protected bay of Galaxidi, on first sighting, it looked really pretty, however, once on land that rose tinted image can very quickly look somewhat tired and rundown on closer inspection. We moored stern to, heeding the advice of the pilot books, to drop anchor further out than normal due to shallow water and many chains on the seabed of this tight bay. Our ropes were taken by another British sailor, who pointed out some useful places and shops. Galaxidi, lovely what a pretty harbour, fishing boats tied up on our left, other yachts on our right. A catamaran having its seasonal clean, polish and TLC sat at the end of our long row of boats. The port police lazily wandered over, suggested that at some point during our short stay, could we take our papers to their office, no haste no stress, just a leisurely request. There was no fee for one night, electricity and water are here for our use, again free of charge. As the sailing season has not really begun, we have spent no money on harbours or electric, a huge bonus as they can chip into a tight budget! The town is very quaint, despite the cold and early time of the year, the town was beginning to show signs of vibrancy and friendliness. Terracotta roofs, old stone buildings and beautiful charming shops litter the narrow streets and sit along the quayside. A few restaurants and bars welcome the cold locals and visitors into their warm snug interior, coffee is the most common beverage seen, however it is served cold! Not what our freezing fingers require today, hot chocolate is on the menu! We walk along beach front feeling relieved to be in this lovely town, still trying to decide whether to sail onwards the following day. The British guy who assisted us earlier, met us back at Kejstral, he told us of his plan to sail onwards in the morning, we mentioned that the weather looked pretty windy and should he wait for the calmer day before leaving. He seemed confident that his weather report was accurate and that he was perfectly satisfied with his plan. Our weather app was not so comforting, 30 knot winds expected and a lively sea, hmm does hang on or go. The guy Was a pretty seasoned sailor, he must be sure of his information! That helped us decide to go, leave early and if the wind escalates we should be at our destination before it becomes troublesome. Once we had eaten, we relaxed in the cockpit with a blanket around us in the chilly evening wind, the bar opposite was our entertainment. People watching is fabulous, the quiet personality the rowdy, and the moderately behaved, all jostling for their part in a conversation. Music gently increases in volume as the party begins, then the live music takes over!
Their 5am finish at least negated the need for an alarm clock!
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Sailing Kejstral AdventuresRetired and following our dream of sailing around the world Archives
April 2019
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