Having decided that there was little to see at Methoni we turned northwards and to Pylos a town about 10 miles up the coast. It has got a marina there, with no facilities and no charge. I called up the marina on the VHF and basically they said just go wherever you want. We went alongside the outer breakwater as it looked somewhat shallow further in and we got pretty much the last space. We filled up with diesel here, found a laundry and also found a wonderful restaurant at the Hotel Philip. When sitting on board in the marina under the imposing cliffs you look up and can see the hotel so we decided to walk up. It proved to be a much longer walk than anticipated so definitely a cab ride. We had a great night, fantastic food, too much wine and ouzo and good company with the owners and their families.


Departing Methoni

Overnight we had huge thunderstorms and very heavy rain and a moderate southerly back with us again. We pulled out of the marina and I turned the instruments only to then find the port side instrument console smoking. Fortunately the inline fuse had blown and the cable casing had caught on fire. Not a major but I did have to cut out the cable and the instruments are irrepairable. Another instrument also failed on the starboard console but at least the radar and chart plotter were still ok. It must be the lightening in my view and I will need to run a conductor from the mast to the keel bolts because we often seem to have instrument issues when we hit heavy electrical storms. So after that little excitement we headed northwards aiming to get as far as we could in daylight. The wind progressively (but still from well aft) picked up until we were at the 40 knot plus stage with one reef and no headsail and needing to put in the second reef when the port hand fuel tank ruptured - fortunately we found it before it got over the floorboards and pumped it out with the roving bilge pump hose. This then failed pretty much at the same time as we finished pumping out what had been a full tank of 200 litres. So with that tidied up and the second reef in the main we thought that Katakolon looked like a reasonable anchorage as with the southerly it looked like a quite a way further north before we could find a decent bay to overnight.


Pylos
We pulled into Katakolon and found two big cruise ships on either side of the main wharf. The one on the leeward side had the bowthrusters going and a tug pushing the stern in to presumably hold the ship in place. We had some trouble tying up alongside as we were close in to the bow and with the thrusters running it was like trying to get alongside the quay in a washing machine. There was only one other boat in port, an English yacht, with anotjer couple on board. The wind was still up and the sea was breaking over the 8 metre breakwater and then the ships left. We had not realised just how much shelter the ships had provided as after they departed we were tossed around badly and even with the fenders out we were hard against them and rubbing the hull. It was also by now pouring with rain. By midnight we had had enough so we walked around to the breakwater and reckoned there was a small spot that a couple of boats could tie alongside and quite well sheltered. It was quite a job to get off the wall we were on but managed ok and motored around to the spot we had found. And it was fine. We then thought that we should walk back to the quay and suggest that Keith and Jenny (the English boat) should move around also as they had watched us depart. So Charles jumped on board and helped them move and I went around and took their lines. Their visitors were so concerned they actually got off the boat. We got moved on the next morning for incoming ships, went back to the quay again but this time dropped an anchor and stern in. Katakolon is the gateway to Olympia ,which we did not get to - but nor did others, as busloads of people went ashore off cruise ships the next day only to find the employees there were on strike. I am sure that if the weather is nice it is a great spot - we certainly did not see it at its best. Could not find a bar that was able to screen World Rugby Cup action so had to settle for more beers and ouzo.
So on Monday 17th October with much improved weather we and the English yacht head out to see and onwards 60 miles north. The wind was southerly until we up by Nisos Zakinthos and then went to the NE about 25 knots. We dropped the main and sailed at around 10 knots pon a tight reach just with the headsail and sailed up into the passage between Nisos Kefallonia and Nisos Ithaka. Found the town of Agias Effemia (Euphimias), dropped anchor and stern in. Quite a few yachts came in later in the day in a flotilla so there was some company. Had a nice dinner on board and then Charles and Megan departed by taxi for the airport and then to Istanbul.
The following day with even better weather we motored on up the passage, called into Fiskardo for a quick look and said we must stop here next year and then motor sailed around the outside of Levkas and into the small marina at Prevesa. We were later than planned to Prevesa so it was long hours to prepare the boat for winter and get ready for the lift out booked for the morning of Thursday 20th October. We had hired a car for the 5 hour drive to Athens and had to leave by 1000 hrs but problems they had with the travellift meant that that we had to leave before the lift out. The hire car company said 5 hours to Athens was ok - we did achieve that but it is more relaxed if say 6 hours was planned instead.
So that ends our 6th season on Savarna in the Med. And hardly the best cruise we have had but that is sailing - remember the good and talk about the bad in the bar! Next year brings the 2012 ARC and more adventures in the Caribbean. A fair bit of work to do on Savarna to ready her for the Atlantic. Be back in May 2012!

Cheers
Keith & Pam