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CRUISING REPORTS 2009 |
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We are keen to hear of your experiences, good points, bad points, lessons learned, destinations enjoyed. If you have been to foreign parts, be it Wales, Ireland, England, France, or the Med then please share your experiences with us all. You can do this either via the Newsletter, or via this club web site.
In
2008 I had the pleasure to crew for Richard and Pat Cross on their
yacht, a Colvic Countess 37, Edna Joyce from Almerimar, Spain to Alghero
Sardinia. Before the end of 2008 Edna Joyce was sailed to Port Yasmine,
Hammamet, On April 30th 2009 I flew out from Gatwick to Tunis to join Richard and Pat aboard their yacht. After an extensive search of the med I finally found the secret location of the Pirate ships. Yes there they were four pirate ships hidden inside the well protected Port Yasmine Marina, Hammamet, Tunisia. Each day local tourists were seen to be hauled aboard the Pirate ships at 0900hrs. I have to tell you they did return at 1300hrs all safe and well.
Some sightseeing inland took in to account an Old Roman Amphitheatre, and a well preserved Roman village. Having driven out of a modern tourist Hammemet, we were able to get a glimpse of rural life in Tunisia. So much more fertile than one would think.
So a couple
of weeks preparing the boat for the season, and some sightseeing, we
were ready to set sail for Greece.The
first leg of our journey takes us through two oil fields, a distance of
some 220 Nm Some further 30 miles up the east side of Sicily lies the city of Syracuse, an old walled city. Whilst there are two marinas, a large sheltered bay beside the city provided anchorage for many visiting yachts. Some 22 visiting yachts were moored around us. With winds of up to 24 knots our anchor dug well in and we remained on station. Anchor watches were not called for despite a few anxious hours. Syracuse is excellent for provisioning, many supermarkets, and surprise, surprise a wine cave, where the locals fill up their containers with wine from stainless steel vats. I can't reveal how much wine we purchased in 5 litre boxes, but I am sure the yacht was lower in the water after restocking. And after a short walk an internet cafe, at a very reasonable rate of one euro for two hours, student prices. A chance to find out the forthcoming weather on U Grib, or Weather Online
Narrow entrance they said in the book, I am sure two sailing boats would have had difficulty passing each other. Once safely inside we found a sheltered berth between two other boats a 50ft motor cruiser and an Italian 30 ft traditional motor cruiser. A trip to the local village provided us with all essentials, and a chance to stretch our legs ashore.
On leaving La Castelle we had a
day sail of some 80 Nm across the bay of Taranto,to the heel of the
Italian peninsula,
The following day we were off again some 20 Nm to an anchorage on the North East side of Corfu, opposite Albania, near Akra Xylokeratia, despite a weed and sand bottom we finally found good holding. Anchored in 10 metres of water in a small bay with 100 sun beds, and one taverna, we found a peaceful anchorage. Our first steps on Corfu took us to this small taverna for a drink or two of cold beer, the backdrop was a bay with just two anchored yachts and the distant coast of Albania. The next day took us the last 20 Nm to the marina of Gouvia where we were pleased to have a secure berth, warm showers, and access to the local village. After 7 weeks we had covered some 620 Nm. Our first taste of real rain and lightning for 7 weeks was to be enjoyed in Gouvia marina. This is a large, much improved, modern marina with 10 minute access to the airport, and bus links to Corfu town just 8 miles away.
David M Humphrey 29/6/09
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Each year many of our members experience
sailing in more foreign waters, either cruising in their own yacht, or
chartering.
Tunisia for the winter.
until reaching the island of Gozo and Malta. A week in
Valleta harbour gave us time to explore the islands by bus, and soak up
the history. 
Some 50 miles north east lies the considerably bigger
island of Sicily, a land of red, rose, and white wine. At the tip of
Sicily lies the small fishing village of Portopallo, two recently built
stone moles gave excellent shelter in a very wide bay. The bottom being
white chalky rock gave excellent holding for an overnight anchorage.
On leaving Syracuse at 8am
one morning we immediately saw Mount Etna, some 45 miles away,
displaying a snow covered mountain top. At nearly 3000 metres, yes
metres, Mount Etna is a clear landmark, albeit lost in the clouds
sometimes. Crossing the Messina straights seemed to take an age, before
arriving at a small fishing harbour/marina at La Castelle. 
Santa Maria de Leucia. With a lighthouse having a
range of 24 Nm this is a clear beacon to guide you in.This marina is ideally place
as a jumping off point for Corfu. Strong winds and rough seas forced us
to enjoy the marina for five days until there was a weather window. I
was reminded of how rough the Northern Ionian can be when a yacht, some
60 ft long, alongside us, with owner, owners wife, cook, and skipper set
off one morning only to return two hours later. Apparently the sea state
was too severe even for this vessel. 
Two days later we all vacated the
marina to 
head NNE to the small island of Ericousa.
This is a small
inhabited island just 8 miles north of Corfu. Here we had a great
sheltered anchorage, sheltered from the NW winds, so frequently
experienced at this time of year. Clear waters beneath the boat allowed
us to see our own anchor and chain deployed, and proved to be a
wonderful place for that afternoon swim.
With
thanks to Pat for always providing excellent meals on a not always
stable platform, and to Richard for navigating us there safely, I bid my
farewells and returned to Bristol Airport on Monday 22nd June. I left
Pat and Richard to continue their cruise down the North Ionian. These 7
weeks provided me with a fantastic experience, also considerable insight in to the Mediterranean,
its ancient sea routes, its customs, and language. Each time I visit the
Med it appears to be so much smaller. This year the exchange rate
against the Euro meant that everything was about 20% more expensive,
however if you buy food locally, and eat on board you can still live
very well. To visit four countries in the med in a short space of time
is certainly a wonderful experience and I thoroughly recommend the
experience to you.