Predict Wind, (our weather app) says 35 knot gusts, 25 general wind speed, shall we make the break to the next anchorage? As we spent most of our previous night awake with the live band playing directly opposite our boat, we were in fact awake by 05.30 hours. The bay of Galaxidi was very calm, a slight breeze wrinkled the blue and white striped flags of our boats. We untied our ropes and pulled up the anchor, perhaps the wind will be less forceful than it predicted. We needed to move on, meeting Carl and Jenny in two days has encouraged us to travel as much as possible, we can stop and sight see on our return trip. Wind of 18 knots took hold soon after we left, quickly our sails were reefed, giving us less sail means that Kejstral would sail happily without being tipped over, the gusts are usually the issue. The wind then escalated to 25 knots and was gusting badly. Trying to use the wind despite the fact that it was coming onto our bow, we tried to put in a tack, but Kejstral was tipping way more than we wanted, therefore we took in the genoa and managed on the mainsail for a while. Sea swell in fact became the bigger issue, huge waves from the bow, slamming us into a solid wall of sea, made for a really uncomfortable journey. The force of the sea against the speed of the boat meant that we were making very little headway, eventually the engine had to be used, the battering from both wind and sea, actually held us back! Weather apps are fantastic, we sailing peeps kind of rely on their detailed information to guide our passages and plans. the only problem is, there are loads of different weather apps, just to make matters worse, they all state different wind speeds for the same day and time! This is quite disconcerting when one app suggests a reasonably calm 15 knot wind, when another prediction suggests a 35 knot wind for that similar occasion. We therefore have to review a few variables, then make a decision based on them all and your knowledge of the area. This is occasionally superseded by a knowledgeable local and their personal opinion of that area, not confusing at all! We should have followed our prefered weather app, as our experience now tells us, that particular programme seems to reflect the conditions that we have encountered, we must put some faith in its information, a valuable lesson learned. 23 n.ms later, we arrived at the tiny Island of Trizonia, feeling drained from our lack of sleep and battered form both the sea and wind, we felt elated, but exhausted. Just as we see the shape of the marina entrance, a small catamaran slithers in front of us, taking up valuable space in this busy little area. Just hope we can find somewhere! They chose the spot alongside a concrete pontoon directly in front of the entrance, unfortunately Kevin had already decided on that one too! We ventured into the marina looking to find another gap for Kejstral, past a sunken ketch and a very old, weathered catamaran. Very few boats appear to be in good condition, most have been moored here for a very long time, how eerie. Eventually the catamaran was alongside, and tied securely, it was our turn to park, we follow the initiative of the other vessels and bring Kejstral alongside the concrete pontoon. With help from some live aboard people, we were tied snugly. What a strange little place, this marina was constructed in 1990's by the Greek government, but as ever, the money ran out. Services of water and electricity have not been connected, however there is a tap with free water for visiting boats. Due to the unfinished state, there is no cost for mooring either, however, this also means that boats have been abandoned and left to rot and degrade, with no one in charge of clearing the unused vessels. We take a walk around the marina, still wrapped up in our padded jackets against the Icy wind. A few boats are occupied by the live aboard community, they make their vessel their permanent home. Over winter, rather than sailing, these families find somewhere secure, quiet and with facilities nearby for provisions and comfort. A perfect little hideaway, but so far, not a lot else here. We walk out of the marina, through a gap between two buildings and are stunned to find this beautiful little seafront area! A fabulous view of mainland Greece ahead and a very well finished promenade in front, two or three restaurants and a lovely church, we are shocked. This is not at all what we expected, we assumed that a few fishermen and their families might live here, but certainly not this little community. A ferry service runs regularly from here across to the mainland, they bring supplies back to fill the restaurants and a small lightly stocked market, amazing! The church is fantastic with an enormous beautifully laid out cemetery, where did all the people come from? On further reading we find that 82 inhabitants live here, most go to the mainland over winter and live with family members. In summer, this village is thriving from passing boatees.
We enjoy a beer in one of the restaurants, that cold wind is blocked out by protective plastic roller blinds, which presumably are tucked away neatly in the heat of summer. We head to Kejstral for tea and an early night, it has been a very long day.
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Sailing Kejstral AdventuresRetired and following our dream of sailing around the world Archives
April 2019
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