Saturday 16 September 2017

Wednesday 6 September 2017

First Video Uploaded

Uploaded the first video from the holiday tonight.  This one is a collection of shots I took using the drone.  I am planning on doing another video in the next week that will include footage from all of the cameras we used.


Tuesday 5 September 2017

Photo collection

I have created a Flikr group so that people can share their photos if they wish.  I went for Flikr as it allows the photos to be downloaded at the maximum resolution and doesn't change them like Facebook does.

You will need to set up a Flikr account if you don't have one to contribute but its free.  Upload the pictures to your account and then add them to the group.  I have put all of our photos in there.  The URL is https://www.flickr.com/groups/ionianflotilla2017/




Sunday 3 September 2017

Day Fourteen


After some breakfast we all took a walk up the hill to the town to be rewarded by some fantastic views of the bay and the distant Skorpios island.  I was itching to get back to the yacht as today was the last chance to get some shots of the yacht using the drone whilst it had it sails up and I wanted to do it before the wind picked up. I had left it to the last day just in case, it was do or die.  As soon as we were out of the harbour we got the sails up and I launched the drone out of my hand standing on the back.  I had originally planned to use the circle function of the drone but I was getting some decent video with manual control so left it at that.  Once I had the shots I needed I brought the drone to the back of the yacht and then tried to match the speed so I could reach out and grab it.  Thankfully all went well.
We were off to Nidri today, our final destination.  It was only a short journey, around 6 Nautical Miles so decided to take our time and just take it really slowly and hug the coast.  It was refreshing to be able go slow and not have to rush somewhere and just enjoying our surroundings. 
We were the first to get to the hotel Iris in Nidri and we moored up and Diane made a bread based pizza with some of our remaining food supplies.  When we were finished the lead boat had arrived and said we were ok to go and use the Hotel.  Amy went off to explore the pool while we cleaned the yacht for a bit and then went to join her.  We spent the afternoon by the hotel pool unwinding, enjoying cocktails from the pool bar and reflecting on what a great holiday it has been.  It was good to have the hotel as a base as the water around where we were moored was slimy and full of jelly fish. 
That evening the lead boat had organised a final farewell group BBQ.  A fantastic way to get everyone together on the last night, lots of reminiscing of tales past and a bit of somberness about the impending dread of back to normality, work and school runs.  During the meal we had an award ceremony where the boats where awarded trophies for things like Dancing King, Man Overboard, Best Parking and we picked up the trophy for Wildlife spotting due to the two turtle sightings and the dolphin sighting.  The drinking and socialising went on until the early hours.  We said our goodnights around midnight to get an already tired Amy off to bed. 












Friday 1 September 2017

Day Thirteen

We decided that we would head towards Spartahori on Meganisi Island.  We had a choice of a few destinations but this place looked beautiful and on the quieter side.  Several of the other boats on the flotilla also had chosen this destination so we knew we wouldn't be alone.  We didn't leave Fiskardo until around 11.20, this was due to a lot of anchor issues with the flotilla.  We ended up leaving our kedge anchor lodged in the harbor and marked with a fender as the lead crew couldn't retrieve it when the rush was on for everyone to get out in the morning.  They said they would collect it before they left and pass it onto us tomorrow when we all meet up at our final destination of Nidri tomorrow.

About 30 minutes into our journey we were very excited to see dolphins, we frantically tried to grab some video footage but unfortunately they kept popping up in different places and for the briefest of moments.

As the day went on the wind steadily increased and we reached a top speed of 8.9 knots on a beam reach which wasn't as tippy and everyone was enjoying the increased pace.

Just short of Spartahori we found a nice little sheltered spot and anchored up for a quick swim.

As we made our way into Spartahori we spotted Gerry waiting for us,.  Gerry owned the local taverna and was very calm in helping us moor between two other boats.

Spartahori is an absolutely perfect little harbor.  One harbor side restaurant, one beach side cocktail bar, a safe little sand and pebble beach and a short walk to a lovely village.  We like Spartahori.

We ate a Gerry's in the evening and made the most of a wonderful sunset in the bay.  A perfect free sail day.  We even found a great use for the Avon Skin So Soft that we had bought with us a mosquito repellent.  It works great as a lubricant to stop a squeaking mooring ring.

Fiskardo 










Dolphins.... honest



Swim stop



Spartahori