Homeward Bound

Vanish and ensign

So much power! In Pilos nick gave us 100Ah battery bringing our total Ah to 220. When we sailed to dock our spectators on looking from the marina at Pilos thought we were part of the latest craze which they had read about in Yachting Monthly; parking your boat without the engine. I would love to write that the engine was problem free from then on, but she still had some bleeding 'air in fuel' issues. All sorted now I've found all the bleeding points. We set sail from Pilos embarking on a grand voyage of 60nm to Zakinthos. With the wind and waves against us we ended up anchoring 11nm north (actually 24nm since we could not sail in a straight line and Crest Hawk wasn't enjoying the atmospheric conditions) to Vegas Chapel Bay named by us because of the monastery overlooking it which sports a blue neon cross glowing over the water.

Varnish looks goood

We left there the next morning because our mission was Corfu in 7 days, but the sail that followed was fairly monstrous. Jonnie helmed for the first few hours taking us on a tack west. Leaving the relative shelter of the small island we had hidden behind was hectic enough. The wind blew hard from the north (where we wanted to be) and the swell rolled in from the West. With the coast running up from the south and no harbours between us and our destination we knew sailing was our only chance of reaching our goal. After some time (6- 8 hours) 1/3 of the crew had chundered, 2/3 of the crew were in their sleeping bags in the cabin and only 1/3 was having the time of their lives sailing. The wind died as the sun rose so by the 26th hour of little sleep I was pretty tired but glad to make it. Not to Zakinthos as originally planned but to Kilini, a small town packed with cruiseline passengers, mostly very odd looking Norwegians.  

Miss Martin

We all put in a few €s so we could motor from Kilini (they wanted to charge us actual money to stay) to Koroni, where we got a good night sleep. The wind that next day was fantastic, right on our beam the whole way to Ligia (50nm) north through the Ionian islands. When we arrived all we all craved was pizza. We hit the jackpot when we found the best pizza place in the world and opposite a bar with cheap beer, darts and a pool table! Crest Hawk and her crew entertained themselves and were immortalised on the bar wall in black marker.

The next morning we topped up our fuel and headed north for the Levkas Canal. Excitement mounted. Our north westerly heading was complimented by a beautiful south wind which pushed us to Gaios, on the island of Paxos, in 6 hours at an average of 5 1/2 knots. We thought that unbeatable until the next day when we reached Corfu Town in 5 hours averaging 6 knots, maxing out with a top speed of 6.9 knots spotted thanks to Jonnie who had his eyes glued to the GPS screen for 5 hours. A new top speed for Crest Hawk? (the speed was set to a 6 second average, so I'm convinced we made 7!). Jez booked his flight to England to continue his travels of Europe and left us the next morning. Andreas arrived that night and spoilt us with the most amazing grilled pork ribs. His friend who joined us had just been released from prison for going on a spending spree with €5,000 of fake money! We were sworn to secrecy about his next career move as a criminal.

'Cheap-or-o' with Tonia, Sanji & Criiss

When the rain which had been falling for a few days let up, Jonnie and I got out the sand paper and started a mission which we have just finished. Varnishing the cockpit combing. It now looks shiny and new! Of course, a visit to Corfu Town wouldn't be complete without seeing our friends Sanji and Tonia, who had a new girlfriend, Criis. Shame you left when you did Jez! Sanji cooked us hot meals and lent us her shower which was needed since the water in Corfu's harbour is a bit green and smelly, not great for washing. We saw a great blues band with them on top of the New Fortress with a double bass player as the singer, rocking organ and tasty guitar licks.

The forecast predicted South wind or no wind for this entire week and since we need to be in Vonitsa to put Crest Hawk to bed for the winter, we had no choice but to motor the entire way south (60nm). Autohelm 2000 took it in her stride and Jonnie and I were left to finish the varnishing, seal the windows, eat some strange fruits from Paxos island and watch movies.

Now we are homeward bound for a cold miserable winter of work. Looking forward to next years antics!

Ben's Best Bit: "Such an unexpectedly great night out in Ligia"

Jonnie's Favourite Jam: "Sanji flavoured"

Thanks for reading. Crest Hawk, out.

The Three Sisters

We have finally made it to Pylos with what should go on record as the sail with the slowest average speed since Corfu to Paxos back in April. This was due to an unexpected lack of wind and engine problems. One night Jonnie and I got a few hours kip when the wind had completely stopped. When we woke it was time to put Miss Martin (our big yellow cruising chute) to proper use for the first time. But when the wind fizzled again several hours later we motored into Kyparissi to stretch our legs and stock up on pasta.

The morning after

We set off again that night with the formidable Cape Malea (the first of three) south of us. Notoriously treacherous and difficult to navigate, we expected the worst. We motored for three hours waiting for wind which suddenly blew up at 3am pushing Crest Hawk at a steady 6 knots down to the cape. We even slowed her down so we could tackle Cape Malea in daylight. The cape itself was easy enough but as we sailed through the bay between that and Cape Matapan (the second of the three) the weather quickly changed and we found ourselves beating upwind in a force 8, gusting 9. Our leeway was worrying considering the lee-shore behind us. With darkness encroaching it was decided the old Port of Sparta (Gytheio) at the north western end of the bay would be our best chance of refuge. After 5 more hours of big close swell breaking over the bow and into the cockpit and Crest Hawk's engine facing some concerning power-loss issues, we finally anchored in our planned port for a decent night sleep. Jonnie and Jez say I looked 80 years old with dark bags under my red salt crusted eyes! The sign of a true skipper talking the stresses of his vessel on his shoulders.

The next morning every item of bedding was brought up on deck to dry and Jez treated us to chocolate and banana waffles ashore. Jonnie managed to block the toilet for the first time! A messy job to fix, but Jonnie drew the short straw and got the job done.

Cape Malea and the following bay between it and the third cape were kind to us but this morning when it came to firing up the engine for the final stage of the voyage nothing happened! The engine would not start. We set Crest Hawk up for sailing onto the quay which after several attempts we achieved. Two hours later I'd met a marine mechanic who diagnosed and fixed the problem. It turned out to be a bad connection to the starter motor. I offered him a beer but he wouldn't accept and did the job free of charge.

Bastie's last supper has been living on in our dreams since he prepared Chili con Carne with nachos, baguette and cream cheese. Jonnie swears it is the best chilli he has ever had; even better than his Mum's (which he thought to be impossible).

Ben's Best Bit: "Night sailing at 6.2 knots"

Jonnie's Little Gem: "The chilled night sail from the port of Sparta to the second cape"

Jez's Favourite Jam: "Hearing My Dream - Jez"

Onwards and Southwards

Camping it on Angistri

We are now essentially regulars in Piraeus thanks to Parcel2go and their special super slow delivery service. While waiting on Crest Hawk's new old sail to arrive we made our home at the Athens beach. Bastie and I watched the most famous singer out of Crete. He was very good and we found a couple of locals girls to show us how to dance (or was it the other way round?). Having been carried onto the stage by his roadies he was miraculously inspired by the energy in his own vocal performance to rise to his feet for the final two tracks.

Jonnie's infamous 'Spinach
& Potato Royale'

Basty with pipe

So by Thursday we had all given up on parcel2go and on Friday morning set sail for a weekend trip to Aigina town on Aigina island. After successfully docking we made our way into town where we wrangled as much free pistachio derived food and drink as we could at a Pistachio festival there. Jonnie found a big frying pan on the dock which would come in handy for the next couple of nights.

The next morning we made way for Moni, an even smaller island near Aigina. We parked Crest Hawk in a tiny cove, lashed her to some sturdy looking rooks and set up camp in the surrounding woods. Apart from native peacocks and two stags we were alone for the night. Jonnie had been hyping up a meal of his own design which, once he'd cooked it on our open fire using the pan he'd obtained, turned out to be a great feed. 

Basty sailng init

Miss Martin

On Angistri Island for the third day, we set up camp and found a lake where Jonnie and Gez set up fishing nets they had found on the beach by Crest Hawk. After two helpings of rice tomato & cabbage curry, jacket potatoes and more cabbage we were still not satisfied but unfortunately the nets caught nothing!

Gez is growing his beard and it's coming along well.

Sub 2 points off the starboard aft

Since Bastie went AWOL, Jonnie, Jez and I have begun sailing south. Three days with little wind in the wrong direction have made progress slow but we hope to be in Pylos by Saturday afternoon.

Ben's Best Bit: "Crest Hawk's new sail finally arriving!"

Jonnie's Top Toilet: "The starboard rail"

Cousins

Bastie's Blithering Banter: "Crest Hawk is a classy vessel, she deserves better than to be long dropped off"

Jez's Favourite Jam: "Green Eyes - Coldplay"

Parked up in Moni bay

The Endless Summer

Jonnie, Gez, Ben & Jez

The Crest Hawk is back on her voyage and has so far made it to Athens from Porto Rafti where she spent her August rest. All was good despite my fears that she may have broken her mooring, a DIY jobby consisting of a chain and several warps tied to a couple of sizeable concrete blocks. A new month wouldn't be the same without new crew so here's the line up; cousin Jonny, Jez, Gez and now Basti.

Backflips

Jonnie and I started our journey to Crest Hawk in Split, Croatia, and travelled through Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania (where we met Chloe, Jez & Gez and bonded eating a sheep's head) and Greece. When we arrived in Athens 3 days and 4 countries later we invited the Jezs' to stay aboard for the night since they had no plans. They have been sailing with us since and when cousin Bastie arrived on Friday there were two nights with a total of 5 bodies trying to find space between decks; nothing Crest Hawk can't handle.

Jamming around the fire

Hoisting the Aussie flag

Sailing from Porto Rafti to Athens was one of the best weeks of the Adventure so far. Every day was filled with quality sailing and every night was different, the highlight being jamming around a beach fire with Crest Hawk anchored off the deserted island we had conquered.

Sailing sober is preferable but with a primarily Aussie crew not always achievable. Luckily the skipper remained unintoxicated for the sail into Athens. In the morning we were woken by the pensioners swimming at Athens beach telling us we were too close!

Solar panel installed and providing "SO MUCH POWER!"

While sourcing boat parts and making repairs and improvements Athens is the ideal place to stay. But determined to keep moving we set off to explore the island of Aegina 13nm south. We rounded the island over four days and learnt backflips and horsys (like a belly flop but less painful). In one of the bays we anchored at we wiped out the population of cockles for our afternoon snack.

Bastie joins the crew

Bastie has found his place on board and all crew members are mucking in with cooking, scrubbing the decks, helming and drinking the vessel dry. The amount of food we get through is phenomenal but well earned thanks to Jonnie's daily workout sessions.

Ben's Best Bit: "Back flips off the Crest Hawk"

Jonnie's Top Toilet: "Yacht Club Piraeus"

Bastie's Blithering Banter: "Blow hole two...on a boat"

Jez's Favourite Jam: "Because I Got High - Afro Man"

Close for comfort

Looking good Crest Hawk

Cockle bay

Familiar Places & Faces

Through the Corinth Canal

Longest suspension bridge in the world

Crest Hawk is for now without a First Mate. So I invited myself aboard Miss Behaving. In Athens the Tuesday before last temperatures soared to 40 C so it was sweet relief when I stepped into the air conditioned cabin of the Discovery 55. We left that day and after anchoring for the night arrived at the entrance to the Corinth Canal. The canal was spectacular, started by the Romans and finally finished just over 100 years ago, it carves its way through walls of vertical rock on either side. We met a Dutch barge at there which had been sunk by its owner for safe keeping during WW2 (but had since been floated and restored!).

With the Aussies

Poseidon's Temple

That night we anchored in Galaxidi and I got some stainless polishing practice in while the family went to see some really super old rocks at Delfi (birthplace of the modern Olympic games, blah).

Then it was off to Trizonia where we donned snorkels and flippers to swim on the fresh wreck of a 50' ketch we'd spotted. There were some interesting home-builds there such as a plywood cat which looked like a Transformer with a dinghy rig, including chains to make up length in the shrouds.

Transformer cat

From there we headed under the 2.8km Rio-Antario suspension Bridge which they had trouble building because it crosses an active fault line, yer.

Sea Clown Circus

And then we were in the Ionian visiting familiar places, Vathi on Ithaka and Meganissi where by chance Fred was performing from his boat Shorloulou with the Sea Clown Circus. My highlight was the tightrope between oars.

After a stopoff in Tranquil Bay Nidri, Justin, Deb, Haley & Rille AKA Dude left me in Lefkas. Only a bus, one night, two trains, and couple more busses back to Crest Hawk, who was still safe on her mooring!

The blog will continue in three weeks time!

Ben's Best Bit: Beginning boat prep for the next stage..

Fred on the tight-rope

Stainless polishing comes in handy!

We'll always have Athens

The Armada 2

The wind had blown hard for days, up to force 9, without letup. Roused by the distant screams, the young handsome sailor rose from his duties to search for the source of the kefufull. He stepped into the cockpit only to find a Spanish yacht had been driven onto the rocks. Startled, yet cool, he addressed his Captain (already trying desperately to fend off the steal French yacht colliding with Lefty) in the proper manner to inform him of the situation, before picking up the radio and demanding backup from his loyal sidekick skippy. The latter arrived in a heartbeat, and off the three of them set to sort out the mess. With the unnecessary assistance of a group of Reagans and the beach lifeguard (shoelace at the ready), they managed to direct the boat to a safe place for it to drop anchor and then sailed to land for a well earned coffee. Little did they know that the incompetent Spanish skipper knew not how to drop an anchor so ended up crashing into three boats and having to cut two anchors loose. Master Tomas and his faithful skippy once again jumped onto the dingy, ready this time to sort out the chaos once and for all. The adventurous sailor and his sidekick managed to bravely tie a line to a mooring buoy and secured the Spanish yacht to it. They finally brought peace to the worried bay becoming, yet again, heroes of Ormos Ornos Myconos.

Like €1000

At long last the wind eased up and we were able to leave Myconos with our sights set on Kythnos. The 55 Nm sail was one our most enjoyable and Kolona beach bay was one of the most tranquil (until we arrived with the Miss Behaving crowd). Justin got all the cruisers in the bay together for drinks on the beach and later that night, despite the bay being apparently empty of young peeps, an impromptu party kicked off at a beach shack with young French, American, Swedish, Norwegian, Czech and Polish sailors.

Offerings for Poseidon

The winds remained in our favour so the next morning we sailed north for Poseidon's & Athena's Temples at Sounion, Athens. There we ate the last supper with Juz and Deb aboard Miss Behaving. The next morning we headed for the temple, with some offerings for Poseidon. Juz used his jewper powers of persuasion to get Master Tomas in as a child, and therefore, not needing a ticket. They walked around the temple, saw some old stones and that, and all acted real impressed by the old remains of a building that is considered really important by a lot of people, and then got out for a last coffee onboard Crest Hawk, which some may say was more fun.

We said our goodbyes to Justin, Deb, Hailey and Riley and set off on what was likely to be Master Tomas' last sail in a while. We arrived in Rafti with no further incidents and are now writing a blog.

Tom's Top Tip: "If you're going to run out of money, make sure you don't"

Ben's Best Bit: "Only one oar left thanks to the wind; learning to scull"

Sculling

One for Menxuskis

Whateva

Riiileeey

Trippin 

Halo

Well old stones init

Sexy and I know it