Petriti sand spit was a good calm and shallow anchorage to test out the new Air Buddy that was originally created with a Kickstart campaign, and was a great gift from Todd’s Mum. We had been itching to try it out, and it worked flawlessly on the test dives! It was really easy to set up, and even though my dive skills were pretty rusty, it was very intuitive to use. It comes with air hoses in 2 lengths; for 1 person to 12 M/about 36 feet, or 2 people to 6M/ about 18 feet. We did single person dives (just to be safe, and also because we both needed the weight belt!) The low profile vest was easy to get on and off, and the regulator had a simple necklace to hold it in position. It runs the compressor with a lithium battery for 45 minutes of run time, and the red float doubles as the “reserve tank”. Air comes in the top of the flag. It seems like a really well made compact unit.
There was a bit of annoying chop in the anchorage which kept the dagger boards clonking all night, so the next morning we headed over to Igouminitsa Creek. It would also provide the protection for the next evening when an Easterly wind was forcast.
Igouminitsa Creek had a great remote feel to it. On the point was the “BukaBuka” Taverna, which apparently was a popular stop for charter boat flotillas. We took a walk along the shore and met a friendly puppy that wiggled through the wall from behind the restaurant. This was closed for the season when we were there, and the only boat sharing the anchorage was a 24 foot sailboat. The Greek fellas on this little boat were there for the fishing, and cracked me up because they talked non-stop. We could hear them from sunup to sundown, and they were having a grand time. We waved and swapped “Kalimera’s” and they showed us the fish they were catching. At night their boat was lit up with colorful twinkling LED lights, which although not an approved application for boats, made them easy to spot.
After enjoying the surrounds (no swimming due to the brackish water), and no fish (it was just fun to cast a line ), we decided to head up to Gouvia Marina as we had read there were a number of good Chandlery’s there..and we needed more parts!
Todd had a quick dip and a very though wash off after he cut the line free from the starboard propeller. This happens quite a lot as most of the small thin lines “slime lines” that connect the heavier bow lines to the dock, are not weighted. When Med mooring, you get the stern lines on first, then keep slight forward power to keep the stern of the boat from hitting the dock. While this is happening, you need to grab the “slime-line” lifting it up as you walk forward on your boat and pulling up the attached bow line. The bow lines are cleated off at the front of the boat to stop the boat drifting back, while the stern lines keep the stern close enough to the dock so you can use your boarding ladder. At least everything seemed fine with the prop and sail drive, thankfully.
Some of you may be wondering why we are going North..well, cruising is about flexibility and so we are on plan D now. Yep, the year of neglect was tough on Right Meow and we do not think she is ready for a transatlantic crossing this year. We looked at trying to get a berth in Gibraltar, but there was nothing available. Spain is in the Schengen area, and as such we would not be able to stay aboard the boat and continue to fix things. We REALLY don’t want to leave the boat again as we are still playing catch up from the last year. So we are heading to Montenegro for the winter. It’s outside of Schengen (for us) and out of the EU (for the boat tax), it’s a country we wanted to visit, and means we can get up to Croatia before we leave the Med. We will keep you posted!
ooohhhhhh I soooo want to meet AirBuddy!!! Looks like it can be used for fun too, besides just boat work.