The sailing trip starts from Rhodes and it’s planned to sail the classic wooden two master schooner to Turkey. Micha the owner needs to upgrade a few things due to EU regulations and will stay over winter in Marmaris. He is looking for sailors and captain to help out during the journeys. She was solidly built 1982 in north France and seems to be well maintained. The gentleman rule is: never sail against the wind!

The flight from to Santiago de Compostela from Basel on Sunday midday started easy as usual. Quite a mix of nationalities in the plane, some spanisch, other french, swiss, german and next to me an elderly couple. They speak a fast spanisch and say after we are in the air „Tengo que … baño“ pointing to the back, happening three times during the two and a half hour flight.

In the landing approach the countryside was quite wild, the weather mostly clouded and very windy. In Santiago de Compostela there’s a bus ready heading to the city center and afterward to catch the train to La Coruña. The bus is quite full and I heave my large rucksack between my thighs to save space. On the way there are many pilgrims walking in direction town city. The cathedral can be seen from driving down the hillside.

Arrived at the railway station there is a storage locker close by to place my heavy rucksack and go for a stroll. Quite a challenge to get in, after downloading the app, registering all information and paying, I get the code for the front door. A locker door opens up and my luggage bag suits just in. Off to go!

After a 10 minute walk uphill I can see the pieces of the cathedral towers.

On a Lagoon 40 S Katamaran

Saturday morning. On the 8.30 am to Basel the shaky newly built Bombardier train made its way along the tracks.

On this journey I‘m sailing on Fred‘s 43 ft. aluminium custom made sailing yacht from Lisbon southwards.

We mainly remained close to the coast because of the Orcas. The recommendation is to stay within 20 m depth close to the coast.

In Paros we dropped of Michael to catch his Athens ferry and new on board came Uwe and Florian, all experienced sailors.

After storing our fresh provisions we headed off to Platys Gialos on the east side of Sifnos to fill up our front fresh water tank. The mooring lines where described to be chaotic in the small harbour and thats how it was. From Mary the local harbour master we got one mooring line that was tied up with the neighbours boat. Without any Meltemi gusts blowing in that was ok. Shortly after us three monstrous catamarans moored next to us.

After 8 months of sailing absence, the Monday travel to the shipyard in Kilada, Greece was full of expectations and concerns if all the tasks had been completed by the local workman. Michael from Austria was waiting at the Bar, he has joined me for several years and sailed with his father as a child. Now in pension he has all the time of the world and is a good helping hand to prepare the boat for the sailing season.

Till Friday we prepared the boat, cleaning & fixing things, giving the hull a new shine by polishing it with the machine brought down. On Saturday 8am we where the first to get lifted into the water.

From Preveza, Ionean Sea we started our 410sm journey south down through the canal of Lefkas, along Lefkada to the island Meganisi, island Ithaca, past Kefalonia to Zayknthos and around the Peloponnes to Kilada.

We experienced the Peloponnese as a remote region with many archaeological sites, medieval places, historical events and ancient mythology. The island of heroes and gods.