Argostoli to Corfu 14 August - 25 August

We arrived late on a Thursday evening, to find Razzmatazz in good order. Our next appontment was to collect two grandchildren in Corfu in just under two weeks. Given that the distance was only about 100 miles crow-wise, that was not a great challenge. Also, some friends, world-girdling Valerie and Peter, who we'd met in Porto Vecchio in Corsica, sent a message to say they were in Sivota, and could we meet.

Lighthouse off Argostoli	Where the water vanishes on its way to Melissani

However, we had several jobs to do on the Friday, and by Saturday there was a strong north-westerly, due to last for several days. So we tied to the town quay, did some jobs, and cycled to the tide mill at the end of Argostoli promentary where the sea disappears down a hole to reappear in the lake at Melissani - or so they say was proved by dropping dye at Argostoli which appeared at the other end some two weeks later.

We got away on the Wednesday, planning to sail west-about direct to Vlikho, where Valerie and Peter were going that day. We had to motor for about an hour up the west coast in headwinds too light for us to progress through the bumpy seas. Then the wind strengthened and backed and we unrolled Mr Blue, so that we covered some 30 miles to the entrance of the Meganisi channel in around 6 hours, and were in time for dinner with Valerie and Peter on El Gitano 2.

Party in Vlikho

We spent a day pottering, cleaning the bottom and exploring Nidri with Valerie and Peter. Also, we spotted Lazy Pelican, a boat we'd cruised with in Minorca and met again in Sardinia. This time the owners had lent her to some Australian friends, Dennis and Sally. Everyone came for drinks on Razzmatazz in the evening, and we all went for a rather bad meal in one of the tavernas on the east shore.

Next day we made Emerald bay on AntiPaxos, so we now had 7 days in hand, and could afford to potter. We spent a day in Gaios, moored again on the north of Ay Nikaloas; a night tucked right into End Bay near Mourtos, tied back to the shore as there wasn't room to swing; a night off Petriti; and then to Garitsa Bay, off Corfu. Here we found good shelter but patchy holding. The problem is that thick weed covers around half the bottom. In over 4 or 5m you can't see the bottom, so it's a matter of luck whether the anchor will bite. In due course we moved to shallow water near the shore at the south end, where we could carefully place the anchor on a large patch of clean sand with excellent holding.

In Corfu, the NAOK yacht club in the north-west corner of the bay invited us to leave our dinghy in a corner of the marina, and also to fill our water containers. But we generally preferred to land the bikes alongside the steps near our anchorage, clear of where several old folk liked to swim. It was an easy ride to the excellent produce market, Lidl, and the airport.