Day 13 - Sunday 6th September

During the night, we heard the engines start at about 2am. The captain must have decided to leave Corfu early because of the weather forecast.

Breakfast is scheduled for 8am each morning. At our table there was a group from Poland. They spoke a little English but conversation was difficult. They had joined the boat last week in Cephalonia and so today was to be their last day on board.

Several people were feeling unwell. One person had slept on the deck all night because she found the cabin was too hot and claustrophobic.

At about 9am, we dropped anchor for a 30-minute swim off the island of Lefkada near an old fort on the coastline. It was overcast but there hadn’t been any rain.

Then we travelled through the canal in Lefkada. Near the town, there is a bridge that takes cars across the canal but it’s no ordinary bridge. It is like a barge floating on the canal. When they open the bridge for boats to pass through, they raise the steel ramps at each end of the barge and then float the barge out of the way.

The captain made an announcement at about 11:30 that he had been told by the maritime authorities that we wouldn’t be allowed to sail anywhere tonight or tomorrow because of the approaching storm. So we would be sailing directly to the town of Argostoli on Cephalonia (Kefalonia). Some people would be leaving the boat at Argostoli and new passengers will be joining us.

Soon afterwards, the sun came out, the sea changed to a beautiful blue colour and people stretched out on the deck for a sunbake.

A Dutch lady told me that last week the boat was stranded for three days at one of the islands because of a mechanical breakdown. They weren’t particularly happy about the delay. I’ve noticed that there is a little Greek man with very heavy eyebrows that walks around the boat most of the day in blue overalls carrying a torch and tools and with a very serious expression on his face. Maybe he’s been brought on board to keep things going.

Lunch consisted of salad, anchovies, moustaka, delicious chocolate gelato and plenty of red wine. Through the windows of the dining area, the world went by with tall tree-lined hills of the islands rising steeply out of the blue Aegean Sea. It was peaceful and relaxing. There was a sprinkling of yachts, pleasure craft, large passenger boats and car ferries going past.

After lunch, we both had a rest – perhaps we are adopting the local siesta custom.

It was fairly rocky on the journey this afternoon. The winds had reached the force 6 level which is the maximum allowable for boats our size. However, we were heading into the wind and so it was more manageable. It was amusing watching people trying to walk down the deck – they looked like drunken sailors.

We reached Argostoli at about 7:30pm and the crew made comical attempts to dock the boat next to the wharf. About 20 minutes later, they told us that one of the propellers was out of action.

For dinner, they served us a barbecue that made us feel as though we were at home. Our Columbian friends told us that they have another daughter who works in Washington for Fanny Mae.

During the meal, the boat's engines roared into life and they managed to tie the boat up next to the wharf.

After dinner we went for a stroll through the town. Although it was Sunday night, there was plenty of activity - including performers in the central square.