Garitses Bay
The tourist season has arrived
Saturday 4 May 2024
2024 - A year of challenges
Raewyn not being able to travel this year has presented many challenges.
With a family reunion in Coff's Harbour in April. Overseas Travel started rather early. A very enjoyable 11 days with lots of stories, catchups and fun. It has been many years since we were all together.
The horror of 24 Hour Flying.
This year it was a stop over in Singapore then on to Athens then Corfu. Daunting but manageable and pleased when it was over with the Taxi ride in familiar surroundings of Corfu town to Corfu Yacht Yard.
Sunrise over Greece
Moondance had weathered the winter well with only a moderate amount of cleaning inside. Outside was different with evidence of the ever present Africa dirt rains to be washed down. Apart from that everything was going well.
It was a real pleasure to catch up with Panos Katsouris - my go to fix it man, adviser, and friend since 2006. He has helped in so many ways sorting out any issues I have and providing advice and contacts when language Barriers are difficult.
I hired a step through motorbike to get me around for the days I am in the yard. This has helped a lot - until I lost my phone while riding it.
Panos provided me with an excellent replacement phone and I have been able to recover most of my information. Have lost phone contacts, maybe the ninjas in NZ can recover that from my old number, but I doubt it.
Weather so far has been very mixed. The beautiful warm blue sky days have been interspersed with some cold, wet days and nights.
The yacht yard has been like any other. Hot showers and toilet facilities with a temperamental washing machine make it bearable and there is always something happening. The workers are versatile and very good with assistance. Moondance has been polished and had a holding tank added together with work on the bow roller.
I have added a small outboard motor which is very easy to operate single handed.
Typical Old Town Scene
Pita Gyros at George's Kontokoli Village - Again
LAUNCHING
Launching day 25 April went well with all systems working as they should. Anchored at Garitses Bay near the old town to complete the cleaning
EASTER
Bands on Palm Sunday
11am Saturday
Easter is late this year. Preparations have been going on, with band rehearsals in small rooms around the old town. Visitors arriving have filled the supermarkets and the markets, cafes and tavernas. Lear jets, commercial aircraft, buses, highways full.
Wednesday 11 October 2023
End Of The Summer Wine 2023
The last days of our time in Corfu were spent at Kommeno, our favourite anchorage just outside Gouvia Marina, getting Moondance ready to haul out. The transfer to shore at Corfu Yacht Yard went well and it was a pleasure to meet Vangelis and his son Alexandros again.
Checkout at Port Authority did not go so well. I took the transit log to Room 4 and was told to go back to the "other room". The "other room" took me back to room 4 and explained in Greek I wanted to close the transit log. "Do not mention transit log" I was told. "Give me yacht registration". Which I did.
"This yacht has joint ownership - where is other owner? Do you have authority to sign for other owner?" I went outside and completed an authority for me to sign as authorised by Raewyn, and signed her name.
"You need it signed in front of a Port Authority person, and stamped" So, back to the yacht yard to get Raewyn and she got the authority signed and stamped by the "other person". Back to room 4 "Oh - you are joint owner - here, both of you complete these forms. Authority to sign now redundant. Forms completed, Certificate of Registration taken, and we could go to Customs to have the yacht certified as being ashore for the next 6 months.
Madam Lash is the rudest person I have come across.
The flight home all went as planned almost without incident. Corfu, Athens, Istanbul, Dubai, NZ
There was a slight delay at Immigration Athens as we had entered the EU in April and were exiting in October. Tourist allowance is 90 days in any Schengen country, then a further 90 days in Greece under the bilateral agreement with Greece. Not all immigration Officers know this and the guy checking our passports left to get further advice. Raewyn had done a wonderful job explaining our position to Greek Immigration and obtaining correspondence. The authorities were expecting us and we received the all important exit stamp. Phew. Only security to deal with now and continually setting off the alarm at every stop.
Entering Corfu Yacht Yard
Safely ashore
Cats of Mantouki
The Magical Mr Mistoffolees
Mantouki
Seen in Corfu Town on the way to dinner with Babis Wendy and Grace
Sneaking round the corner
One of the two supermoons in September
The last supper in Kommeno (Lunch) 2023
Firefighter plane picking up water Video probably does not play? 
First leg home
Athens to Istanbul
Friday 15 September 2023
Corfu Again
Back in Corfu 8 September, we spent the day in Gouvia marina getting a few of the shore based jobs done and enjoying the relaxation, but not the heat of the marina. Again George's provided a great meal and Stav's bar a place to watch the Rugby World Cup 1st match with our neighbours Matt and his partner. The result and game were not advantageous to us (me) the only Kiwi in the room and the British openly barracking for the French was embarrassing. I can only guess they believed the French would be lesser opponents than the All Blacks.
Our Italian guests, Gio and Dani arrived and we had a tourist day in Corfu Town. Two Cruise ships were in Port and the old part of town was crowded as we walked around the City and Markets. It was also very hot. In the cool of the evening and after the cruise people had gone back to their ships we dined at a restaurant in what had been the Jewish Quarter of the old town.
Next day, we went out on Moondance to Kerasia (Cherry Bay) for lunch and a swim. Raewyn prepared a typically Mediterranean platter. The wasps (Vespa in Italian) descended from nowhere to join us making it most unpleasant for Gio to whom they seemed to be singularly attracted.
Dani is an experienced windsurfer and was keen to try sailing. That was not to be as the shifting winds proved elusive and an impossible challenge for a good sail.
The following day we hired a car and drove around the top of the Island into the mountain villages and around the Coast to Paleokastritsa then back to Kontokali. Visiting an Olive Oil Museum on the way. There is lots to learn about olive oil and the visit was informative.
Back in the marina for one day to repair a leaking freshwater tank. Managed quite a few odd jobs. Check in with Port Authorities. Measure for bow preventer to stop the anchor chain jumping. Measure for holding tank. A good result when compared to days when everything is hard.
Escaping the marina we are now anchored in Garitsa Bay
Lunch Anchorage
Olive Oil Museum
Saturday 9 September 2023
More photos
Castle Vonitsa
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