Friday 10^th September – Póros, Kefalonia – Messolonghi (Great Sail)

38:21.668N 21:25.004E

Over night the wind picked up again and there was some surge in the harbour once more.

When we awoke this morning, Gavin and Richard checked the weather forecast to decide what to do next.  It was still showing thunderstorms and rain for tomorrow and the next day.  Today’s forecast was for a pleasant NW F3 so it looked like it may be best to go back to the comfort of Messolonghi rather than sit out the weather on the town quay where we would be subject to swell.

We set off around 10am and were able to sail in the F3 as soon as we left the harbour.  The morning passed with a pleasant sail at between 5 and 6 knots in the gentle F3, Blue Elephant making good speed with her newly cleaned bottom. 

As we approached Oxia and the Patras Channel, the wind picked up rapidly to F6-7.  Fortunately it remained aft of the beam and so we reefed and raced along at 7-8 knots for most of the rest of the passage, reaching over 8 knots at times.  As the wind hit over 30 knots we dropped the main rather than reef again and ran in under the genoa.  Fortunately we did not have the swell to match the wind strength and it was an exciting and exhilarating sail, one of the best this season.

As the forecast for Messolonghi was F3, we were surprised at the strength of the wind and wondered if we would have trouble berthing.  No problem was encountered however – as we approached the entrance to the canal the wind eased to F5, and by the time we reached the marina at the top of the canal, it was the promised F3 and we berthed in light airs.

We celebrated with a ‘safe arrival’ drink then cleared our cabin and took everything back to Pyxis.  We have replaced the mesh panels in the cockpit enclosure with the windows ready for the rain tomorrow.  Lucky was asleep on the quay over by Aqua Domus but soon came bounding over to say hello; Russell has passed us the baton of feeding the menagerie until Electric Monk return.

Later we had dinner aboard Blue Elephant and a game of cribbage – Kath and I are now one game up on the boys.

Póros, Kefalonia

© Pyxis 2010