Tuesday 22 April 2025 - Vathy, Ithaca

It was "full on" activity as soon as we were awake today. We had to visit the chandlery, which had some supplies that we needed and the office to pay for our berth, both of which opened at 8:30. We had managed breakfast before setting of on these chores, but they were completed in time for us to have a pleasant coffee on the harbourfront, before our son got his taxi to the airport at 9:30.  The taxi rank was conveniently placed so that we could go straight on to buy the food provisions that we needed for the next few days, before we returned to the boat and pulled out of the harbour by 10:30.

Our plan, which evolved as we went on through the day, was to get to the Lefkas Canal for the 12:00 bridge opening and then proceed on into the Ionian.  We made it to the bridge with time to spare and had an uneventful passage through the canal.





As we were making good progress, we kept pushing our target destination further south. In the end we decided on (Big) Vathy on Ithaca.  This has a large enclosed bay, that we felt would give good protection from the late afternoon / early evening blast of wind that we seem to be getting every day.

This beautiful chapel sits at the entrance to the bay at Vathy

The challenge of Vathy is that you have to moor, "stern to", having dropped your anchor four or so boat lengths from the quay as you do.  Ideally we find a helpful soul on the quay who will take our stern lines, but even then, it is a process that has more job roles than we have people, so we have to dash around the boat.  Fortunately, a training flotilla was moored just next to us, and one of the instructors came and took our lines.  The whole procedure went far more smoothly than has sometimes been the case, and we were soon secured and able to relax. 

Distance today -       40 Miles

Distance this year - 352 miles 

Steve (and Tricia)

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