Sunday 27 April 2025 - Katakolon

Cracking sailing conditions to move the twenty-six miles to Katakolon on the mainland Peloponnese today.

The ferry left at 07:30, so we had no worries about having to wait, leaving an hour later. Our new friends, from meeting on the quayside in Zakynthos yesterday, left just ahead of us in their catamaran.

Obviously with another boat in sight following the same route ......

... we were racing, even if they did not know it.

Despite it being Sunday morning, I managed to catch the harbour master on the telephone. We had to arrive at 12.30 and he would wait to see us in. Katakolon is harbour we have previously been nervous of entering, because the depths are not clear, but Igilos assured me, it’s fine for three metres. Thus we cracked on the engine to rush across the remaining few miles and made it bang on time.

There is complexity to the weather systems here, making it difficult for the forecasters to be in agreement, so this visit it’s been reassuring to be tucked up in the harbour, rather than out on the anchorage. Having someone on the quay to catch the lines is pretty well essential for the drop anchor and reverse in way of parking here.

 Today's port theatre was provided by a guy who was sailing single handed.  He made a textbook approach, feeding out his anchor while he steered from the cockpit. The problem was that the anchor was still sitting in its cradle, rather than dropping, so he had a load chain feeding back into his chain locker.  Rather than being slowed by the anchor as he approached the quay, he had to resort to engine power to stop his progress and he bashed into the quay as a result. A swear word followed. None of this was good for our blood pressure, as he was next to us and swung towards us so that we were touching.  Eventually he went out and tried it again, successfully this time. The fact that it was raining heavily, with lightning in the distance just added to the "fun".

There was a nice rainbow



Distance today -        26 Miles

Distance this year - 424 miles 

Tricia and Steve

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