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.
We cleared out of Albania in Sarande with a agent in a record time of 1 hour including a short provisions stop at a nearby grocery store. 10sm further south we anchored in the shoal Butrint estuary next to a modern twin masted sailing yacht under Saint Vincent and the Grenadines flag. All sails with electrical winches and in the stern a huge bathing platform with technical storage compartment. Continue reading “Vlorë – Corfu July 2022”
Next day we woke up at 8am and Willy headed spontaneously off into the city to get some missing provisions. On deck we prepared breakfast and showed up with chocolate croissants, Albanian style with a creamy light brown and very sweet filling. We prepared to moor off and then Llambi appeared waving to us with the clearance document in his hand. I was pleased to have a official document covered with stamps to hand over at our departing port in Sarande. He wished us all the best for our journey and to us later again. I started the engine and Willy dropped the only starboard bow mooring line and I put the forward gear in and commanded to Uwe: Cast off the lines and we loosened the aft lines, pulled them quickly in in an headed out of the marina berth into huge port area.
Outside we had a good breeze and sailed south along the Albanian coastline.
We entered Albania by seaway as horizon was starting to glow orange, 11.2 nm south of light Ulcinj with a sail cruising speed of 6.9 knots. The wind was a perfect for the 50 sm passage from Bar to Durres, the largest port in Albania.
What a good start to type on my typewriter again. I love typing with my two thumbs, the letters to create words and stories, all into my phones notes app.
An article in the magazine ERNST #19/20 „Schreibt“ brought me back to the idea, underlined with statement from the clairvoyant Claudia, who said to my wife Carmen that „there is a lost writer“.