Wednesday morning dawned (long before we got up) and what looked like it was going to be a warm and sunny day didnt last long. The plan was to leave to do the overnighter direct to Corfu but although the passage weather.comforecast looked good, Mrs Mare (the automated voice on channel 68 was giving dire warnings of F6-7 and Thunderstorms). Needless to say we didn't go. The other 10 boats all waiting for the weather to improve took the same decision. That was 4 nights in Crotone. Shades of Kilmore Quay almost exactly a year ago in Ireland.
The weather took a major turn for the worse and it rained until early evening. As it cleared I had another of those priceless conversations with Claude ('cause he looks like Greengrass in that tele programme they showed on Sunday nights) the marinier. He only speaks Italian so in a 15 minute conversation - not a lot was communicated. I got the - domane belle - bit ie good tomorrow. I think the bulk of his conversation was about why he couldn't give me a discount for 4 nights. Mrs Mare (remember we call her that 'cause she says "Mare" every third word) continued here doom and gloom forecast all night predicting F6 with Thunderstorms for Thursday but because Claude had given the thumbs up we decided to go.
Thursday morning, the big Beneteau next to us, Greenway, set off for Gouvia and in the next few hours all ten transiting boats left. We followed Double Dutch out, the small Dutch boat that we had heard going into Rochella Ionica early in the week and who had turned up on Wednesday. The crossing 150 miles or so was very calm for the first 21 hours with winds around 4-8 knts (as per passageweather.com). Once again Pam did most of the day shifts and I did most of the night. I saw 3 shooting stars, no satellites and no woolly mamoths. We let Billy have a swim again and he was very successful in not being eaten by a tuna.
As it was starting to get light on Friday morning we were approaching the island of Corfu which was being bombarded with lighting strikes every 20 seconds or so. Given there were also 3 tankers crossing at right angles we slowed down to let the storm and the ships pass. I was quite relived as we got within a couple of miles of the outlying islands that the storm had moved off to the south and we were only getting a few spots of rain although the wind had picked up to 20 knts on the nose. We continued to motor sail. Unfortunately however the storms hadn't gone. There were around 30 miles still to go and by the time we had cut this by half the next storm struck. The wind never went above 20 knts but it was on the nose. The problem was the rain and lightening. The water coming down was in biblical proportions. I had seen storms like this in Texas when we lived there in the '80s but never on the boat. Probably 3 inches per hour. Visibility was almost zero. We were flying blind using the plotter in a straigts between Corfu and Albania - terrified the lightening overhead would wipe out the electronics! We had around 2 hours of this before is started to clear and the rain finally stopped around 20 mins before we got into Gouvia marina. Absolute nightmare way to finish a trip.
We parked the boat in the marina for a months stop and then went to sleep. The marina seems very good. It's a long walk to the showers but it is very open and doesn't at all feel like a car park. There are plenty of bars and restaurants on site and a load on the road outside. There are a couple of Chandlers and a pub with sky TV where we saw the Welsh and Irish Lions loose to the Springboks - not a Scot in the side. There is a big "Oh really" coming though (our is that Oh Reallios?). The doom and gloom book advises boats coming to Corfu to come to this marina to do the entry forms and not go to the town quay as you are sent into town etc. Well, things have changed. We tried to do the paperwork and were told, "No, you cant pay here - go to the tax office in town and then get the form signed and come back" Oh Really! I made the trip into town today and it was relatively painless although I had reasonable directions. Get the port police in the marina to write it all on a piece of paper - the tax office in San Rocco square (although it isnt - it's behind the theatre - get the taxi driver to show you). Go up to the first floor, first door on your right and go to one of the windows with only a couple of people in and show the bit of paper from the port police and your passport. You then get given a printed form which you then take to stand in line with the hundred or so locals who are trying to pay their taxes. One window! It took about an hour of queing. I have now got the receipt that I have paid - I will go and see the port police in the marina to get the DEKPA (or whatever!) tomorrow if I can be bothered! The bus service into town though is good - I got the bus back - stops in the San Rocco square.
So the boat is here for a month - all paid up - and we are booked to fly back to the UK for a couple of weeks. In the meantime a few mods to do on the boat - to the boarding plank, a stern mounted anchor, a few charts needed, a new brush and some more mozzie coils. I'll let you konw how it is going before we leave. We did have a great lunch today of "Petisco (Lagos)" proportions for only 21 Euros (incl drinks). I am glad it is much cheaper here than Italy or Spain.
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