Amber Sand starts Greek odyssey

Tuesday 3rd August

amber_sand — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:22:00 +0200

Rude awakening by the water tanker creeping through the yacht anchorage to reach the quay. Wei...

Sunday 1st August

amber_sand — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 15:12:00 +0200

Rowed ashore and walked up from Pedi through the hill top village of Chorio and down to Gialos...

Saturday 31st

amber_sand — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:01:00 +0200

Left the solitude and tranquillity of Ormos Agios Emilianos to round the north end of Symi through narrow, shallow Stenon Nimou. Called in at the q...

Friday 30th

amber_sand — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:51:00 +0200

Tried to sail east from Tilos, struggled for wind till after 2.00 pm then found it following t...

Thursday 29th

amber_sand — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:41:00 +0200

We went out to dinner (keen followers of this story will notice this is a first) at the Faros ...

Wednesday 28th

amber_sand — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:31:00 +0200

Took the coastal path north to Lethra then inland up to Mikro Horio: an abandoned village, onc...

Monday 26th

amber_sand — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 08:57:00 +0200

Spent half the morning sorting out a cash withdrawal: the A...

Sunday 25th

amber_sand — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 08:47:00 +0200

Walked the coastal path southeast of Livadia, past the tiny well kept church of Agios Ioannis,...

Saturday 24th

amber_sand — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 08:47:00 +0200

After surviving fierce katabatic gusts in the early hours, rowed ashore in a morning lull to w...

Friday 23rd

amber_sand — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:29:00 +0200

On hauling in the stern anchor to depart Palon, discovered that we were down to three strands ...

Thursday 22nd

amber_sand — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:19:00 +0200

When the cat had moved and Amber Sand was adequately secured to leave for the day, we hired a ...

Wednesday 21st

amber_sand — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:28:00 +0200

Ran off southeast on a full meltemi to round Yiali and make for Nisyros. Suddenly mooring spac...

Monday 19th

amber_sand — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:18:00 +0200

Drove back into the 21^st century: busy roads (mainly tourists&rsquo...

Saturday 17th

amber_sand — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 07:40:00 +0200

A calm morning, we were able to row ashore and explore the Kamari seafront. Tempted into booki...

Friday 16th

amber_sand — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:35:00 +0200

After 40 hours of non-stop meltemi, we set out for a run south under genoa, bypassing Kalymos,...

Wednesday 14th

amber_sand — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:56:00 +0200

Drifted along the leeside of Levitha under mainsail riding the gusts towards the clean wind of...

Tuesday 13th

amber_sand — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:46:00 +0200

Motored out of Ormos Katapola at dawn, hoping to pass beyond the imposing precipitous coastlin...

Monday 12th

amber_sand — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:36:00 +0200

Took a brief but exciting bus ride up the steep hairpin bends to the Chora and on to the start...

Sunday 11th

amber_sand — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 17:26:00 +0200

Rose early, weighed anchor, tried to ghost out of the bay but needed engine assistance to clea...

Saturday 10th

amber_sand — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:25:00 +0200

Rose early to a calm, hoisted the genoa, weighed anchor and ghosted out of the bay to the firs...

Friday 9th

amber_sand — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:25:00 +0200

The meltemi kept blowing but backed to NW which reduced the rolling. Unable to receive weather...

Thursday 8th

amber_sand — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:24:00 +0200

Set out for Amorgos on the lightest breeze to be hit by the meltemi at 11 o’clock, r...

Wednesday 7th

amber_sand — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:24:00 +0200

Frustratingly contrary wind in direction and strength: we had a hard beat round the north end ...

Tuesday 6th

amber_sand — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:53:00 +0200

Weighed anchor early to exit Ormos Milou before the northerly set in. Once out we beam reached...

Saturday 3rd _ Sunday 4th

amber_sand — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 22:43:00 +0200

Motored out past Monemvasia for the photo opportunity, raised sails and spent the day close-ha...

Friday 2nd

amber_sand — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 22:33:00 +0200

Shopped around for a final stock up, and found gas, before we set sail for the Cyclades.

Thursday 1st July

amber_sand — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 22:23:00 +0200

Walked across the causeway to Monemavosia, a fascinating maze of dwellings, alleyways, walls a...

Wednesday 30th

amber_sand — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 22:13:00 +0200

Motored east toward Akra Maleas picking up a light SW up to the cape but the Greek ‘...

Tuesday 29th

amber_sand — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 22:03:00 +0200

Ghosted out of Ormos Xilis as a gentle SW drew us down to Nisos Elafonisos, freshening as we r...

Monday 28th

amber_sand — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:53:00 +0200

Shopped around town for victuals but found no gas. Set sail cl...

Sunday 27th

amber_sand — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 21:43:00 +0200

A relaxed day’s sail up to Lakonikos Kolpos to Yithion on a light breeze and flat se...

Saturday 26th

amber_sand — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 21:33:00 +0200

Motorsailed across Messianakos Kolpos to Cabo Grosso before we found enough breeze to rest the...

Friday 25th

amber_sand — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 21:23:00 +0200

After three days catching up on repairs and maintenance while an excessive NW blew through, we set sail for the peninsulas of the southern Peloponn...

Monday 21st

amber_sand — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 21:21:00 +0200

Wandered around an attractive little town, built into a fold in the hillside, centred on a tree-lined square, overlooked by its castle, and bought ...

Saturday 20th

amber_sand — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 14:25:00 +0200

Followed the coast down to Navarino bay and found a berth in the unfinished marina at Pilos

Thursday 17th - Friday 18th

amber_sand — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:15:00 +0200

The passage down the west coast of Zakynthos began with a slow beat on a light SW headwind before passing the iconic Wreck Bay. When the favourable...

Wednesday 16th

amber_sand — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:05:00 +0200

Motored down the east coast of Cephalonia to escape the lee of the island and catch the westerly breeze across to Agios Nikolaos on the north end o...

Monday 14th

amber_sand — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:55:00 +0200

Continued our road trip to the southwest, over the ridge into a more fertile landscape. Stopped at the hilltop castle of St. George for a...

Sunday 13th

amber_sand — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 13:45:00 +0200

Picked up our wheels at lunchtime and headed north up the central mountain ridge, the heady ar...

Saturday 12th

amber_sand — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 13:37:00 +0200

Sadly, the municipality including Ayias Eufimia have broken with the tradition of free berthing for visiting yachts on the quayside in Gr...

Friday 11th

amber_sand — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:34:00 +0200

Motored round the east and south coasts of Ithaca through the calm heat of the morning before picking up a more favourable NW afternoon breeze for ...

Thursday 10th

amber_sand — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:33:00 +0200

Set off for Cephalonia but the afternoon’s westerly headwind persuaded us to retrace our track again and alter course for Vathi on Ithaca...

Wednesday 9th

amber_sand — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 09:01:00 +0200

We retraced our track with a fair reach across to Porto Atheni on Meganisi. We anchored and took a line ashore in the NW bay, went for a ...

Tuesday 8th June

amber_sand — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 08:51:00 +0200

Another fortnight has flown by on replacement parts, maintenance and restocking the victuals. First we had to return to a chandler in&...

Tuesday 25th

amber_sand — Tue, 25 May 2010 08:41:00 +0200

Walked up to the hilltop town of Stavors, took in another musuem, then wandered back to Frikes the long way round along empty winding coun...

Monday 24th

amber_sand — Mon, 24 May 2010 08:40:00 +0200

A brief but exciting sail north up the Ithaca coast to the village of Frikes.

Sunday 23rd

amber_sand — Sun, 23 May 2010 08:38:00 +0200

Took a stroll around the attractive town, tastefully restored after the 1953 earthquake. Visited the archeological museum for some more d...

Saturday 22nd

amber_sand — Sat, 22 May 2010 09:54:00 +0200

A superb wind for sailing across from Lefkada to Ithaca, turning gusty off the steep mountains as we approached the main settlement of Vathi.

Friday 21st

amber_sand — Fri, 21 May 2010 09:44:00 +0200

A calm but dreech morning with a leftover southerly swell that made hard work of our intended passage. We pulled into the sheltered cove ...

Thursday 20th

amber_sand — Thu, 20 May 2010 09:34:00 +0200

We had no joy with the cage-type mousetrap, which was the most humane as we could have returned our uninvited guest to the land, so bought a glue-t...

Wednesday 12th

amber_sand — Wed, 12 May 2010 09:24:00 +0200

Took the coastal walk around the opposite peninsula; had the route to ourselves. Returned to Amber Sand and motored her round the south e...

Tuesday 11th

amber_sand — Tue, 11 May 2010 10:48:00 +0200

Strolled over the hill from the mooring in the hot still morning air to visit Vathy and returned through Katomeri.

Monday 10th

amber_sand — Mon, 10 May 2010 10:38:00 +0200

Trotted along to Nidri to purchase a mousetrap before weighing anchor and pottering off around Skorpios and along the north coast of Meganisi.&...

Saturday 8th May

amber_sand — Sat, 08 May 2010 10:28:00 +0200

After a week applying fresh hose, Jubilee clips, O rings, copper washers, shaft seals and silicone sealant, we are about ready to move on. ...

Friday 30th

amber_sand — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:18:00 +0200

Proceeded south down the canal from Lefkada town and on down the island’s east coast, including a brief sail between Ligia and Nidri, to ...

Wednesday 28th

amber_sand — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 10:08:00 +0200

At Preveza we pursued a straightforward and courteous application, payment and issue process and left with our P...

Tuesday 27th

amber_sand — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:58:00 +0200

Our first confrontation with petty Greek bureaucracy: a Port Policeman in Lefkada refused to issue a Private Pleasure Maritime Traffic Document, or...

Monday 26th

amber_sand — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:48:00 +0200

Underway again at last! Motored ...

Friday 23rd

amber_sand — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:13:00 +0200

Checking cooling system for leaks, found the valve in the anti-siphon loop blocked: the probable root cause of a...

Sunday 18th

amber_sand — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 14:03:00 +0200

All engine ancillaries finally refitted and refastened and able to turn the ignition and...

Friday 9th April

amber_sand — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:53:00 +0200

Replacement pushrod and spare arrived. Proceeded to r...

Monday 29th

amber_sand — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:43:00 +0200

I don’t believe it! The refitting of the rocker bar, resisted by a stuck valve, has bent a...

Tuesday 23rd

amber_sand — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:33:00 +0100

Collected the long-awaited gasket from the post office. Let the rebuilding commence!<...

Sunday 21st

amber_sand — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:23:00 +0100

Selected some surplus hardware and redundant spares to display at the liveaboards’ boat ju...

Monday 15th

amber_sand — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:13:00 +0100

Took the bus up to the central mountain village of Karya and walked down to the coast at Nidri via t...

Sunday 7th

amber_sand — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:03:00 +0100

Spoke too soon: cold, wet and windy weather has returned. To top that, the pump on the new toilet has broken. Ni...

Tuesday 2nd March

amber_sand — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:53:00 +0100

Took a day off from boat maintenance to take the bus down the east coast of Lefkada to explore Perig...

Wednesday 24th

amber_sand — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:43:00 +0100

Engine is disassembled, block and head have been cleaned up, 10 litres of cold grey gloop has been p...

Monday 15th

amber_sand — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:33:00 +0100

Intended to proceed down the canal to town but routine oil level check revealed considerable quantit...

Sunday 14th

amber_sand — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 12:23:00 +0100

Set out to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day with our first open sea passage from Preveza to V...

Saturday 13th

amber_sand — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 12:13:00 +0100

Sat out three days of wild winds, thunder, lightning and hail. Waited until after lunch for the westerly to subs...

Tuesday 9th

amber_sand — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:03:00 +0100

When the morning mist cleared, pottered around the Gulf in light variable winds, returning to Vonits...

Monday 8th

amber_sand — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:53:00 +0100

Took a roundabout route through the scrub past grazing sheep and goats to reach the ruins of ancient...

Sunday 7th

amber_sand — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 11:43:00 +0100

After an early thunderstorm, motored round against a light headwind to Amfilochia.

Friday 5th

amber_sand — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:33:00 +0100

Vonitsa’s mediaeval castle was closed so we walked out to the island of Koukouvitsa and th...

Thursday 4th

amber_sand — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:23:00 +0100

Tried to acquire the requisite Pleasure Craft Traffic Document from the Port Police but were deferred as the tax...

Wednesday 3rd

amber_sand — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:13:00 +0100

Yes, we are afloat! A beautiful day for Amber Sand to be smoothly returned to her element.

Tuesday 2nd

amber_sand — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:03:00 +0100

Return o...

Monday 1st February 2010

amber_sand — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:53:00 +0100

Forecast...

Welcome

amber_sand — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:43:00 +0100

Welcome to the adventures of Dianne and Nicholas aboard the good ship Amber Sand.&nb...