3 & 4 September 2025 - Kalamata

The original plan was to stay a second night at Elafonisos, but a quick check of the weather when we woke said that this was a day to move on again. So within 25 minutes of the alarm going off, the anchor was up and we were on our way.  

It transpired to be a long day, crossing over between the 2 southernmost fingers of the Peleponesus and then heading up to Kalamata. Initially easy going, with some nice sailing, but later the wind dropped and we put away the sails to motor. This proved to be an inspired move, because all of a sudden, and only hinted at by one of the forecasts, we found ourselves battling into force 5+ winds, and choppy seas as a result. The last 18 miles or so were tough going.  The wave combinations were enough to stop the boat at times, but she kept on plugging away and eventually the wind dropped a little and the waves, which were coming from the head of the gulf , also lessened. We arrived in Kalamata at about 20:30, 2 hours latter than planned, and had a rough and ready meal of mostly leftovers, before we turned in, exhausted.

Thursday the alarm was switched off, and we had a more relaxing day, of chores etc.

The day was enlivened by the arrival of this small ship.


She is 72 metres long and parked next to us on the quay.  The crew managed to moor her in a space about 8 metres longer than the boat, which was pretty impressive.  Apparently she can accommodate up to 12 guests in 8 cabins, and has a crew of 24.  Yours for only 600,000 EUR per week.  How the other half live! 

Distance today -       88 miles

Distance this year - 891miles 

Steve (and Tricia) 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

29 & 30 September 2025 - Bar and Bari

Image
The alarm was switched off this morning, we were trying to get as much rest as possible before leaving. When we did stir, the preparations began in earnest, with some shopping and a rather disappointing trip to the marina office.  We were hoping that they would let us stay on our berth until the evening, when we planed to leave, but they were adamant that the rules said that if we stayed after 2:00, we had to pay for another night.  Of course we did not want to do this, and had hoped that there would be some flexibility or the ability to turn a blind eye, as the marina was not full. Alas no. So we went to the Harbour Master to check the boat out of Montenegro, then out for lunch, before pulling off the dock at about 1:45. Initially we went and anchored in the bay, but there was no protection from the swell and it was uncomfortable and not conducive to sleeping. After trying to rest, we concluded that we might as well get on with it, and sail through the whole of the hours of d...
Read more

22 October 2025 - Vieste - (updated)

Image
Another day of motoring, taking us to Vieste on the tip of the "spur" of Italy. First, however we had to negotiate the fishing boats.  This corner must be a prime spot for fishing as up to 15 fishing boats were visible in site. They move in unpredictable fashion, starting and stopping, presumably to deploy and recover their nets.  We kept our distance as there is nothing good that comes from getting entangled in their nets. We noticed that one of the fishing boats was called Kevin.  It's a perfectly normal name, but it seemed rather odd for an Italian fishing boat. Another sign of the abundance of fish in this area was our first sighting of dolphins since we arrived in the Med in August.  This was a pod of at least 10, and we were treated to seeing 2 spectacular leaps completely clear of the water. The scenery of this region is very beautiful and there are towns hidden in the folds of the land. The town of Perschici, from the sea.  Too shallow for us to stop the...
Read more

25 & 26 September 2025 - Bar and Podgarica

Image
After some days of being constantly on the move, we feel the need for a break, and the chance to restock the food supplies. We also need to prepare for our crossing to Italy, and be ready to leave when the boatyard are ready to receive us.  In case you need directions, this sign post points to various locations around the world, and gives their distance. Bar is offering good access to shops and markets, and we spent Thursday morning walking to a large farmers market, with a wonderful choice of locally produced fruit and vegetables. On Friday we decided to visit the capital of Montenegro, Porgarica. This entailed a one hour train ride in each direction, through the mountains and on a long bridge which spans Lake Shkodra. A fter  World War II , Podgorica was first designated as the capital of Montenegro in 1946. At that time, it was renamed Titograd in honour of  Josip Broz Tito , the leader of  Yugoslavia . It served as the capital of the  Socialist Republic of M...
Read more