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Preveza is like several of the larger ports in the Ionian. The harbours have begun to have concrete blocks placed in them as this one had last year. This year the blocks have been concreted and wooden walkway/service ducts built. So far no water or electricity is available, but eventually all will be installed. "stern to" mooring lines will be put in place. Once completed this town marina will eventually take, maybe, 200 extra yachts. In Levkas the new marina will accommodate 400 afloat and 200 stored ashore. The new marina in Argostoli must be well on the way to completion by now. It looked as if it would be a very large one, so all in all the pressure to find quiet anchorages will become intense, although I suspect many boats will sail, as in other places, from marina to marina.
09.04.2001
Back on the bouy off Preveza Marine,

38.57.060N 20.45.842 East
10.00hrs
Temp 14.7C
Baro 1016
Wind SE1
Humidity 78%

Well, all is stored away, but there seems to be some question over the Corinth Canal. We don't want to sail all the way down the Gulf of Patras to Corinth and find the canal shut. I've looked at the alternative of sailing round southern Greece via the Peloponnese. It is double the distance. We have the charts and one of our long term crew, Malcolm is due to have a few days with us. He is a qualified delivery skipper so is excellent to have aboard. He sailed from Falmouth to Gibraltar with us in 1999. This gives us reserves of stamina and experience. I'm tempted to go south. We will go to Nydrie in any event to complete refuelling and buy some additional bits that we need. I've checked the distances. Our best arrival port after Nydrie would be Monemvasia in the Eastern Peloponnese, some 260 nm away. I would plan to go non stop but often, as you as our reader will know, it does not always work out like that!
The weather charts available on www.sto-p.com/atol suggest a possible wind pattern that might work well for us. I looked at the Greek and American weather charts, from Athens University and Rota the US Navy base in Spain. The 48 and 78 hour predictions seem to indicate a west wind around 20 knots. If this is confirmed by later updates we may well decide to leave Nydrie early Tuesday and head straight south past Ithica and onwards beyond Zakinthos. Real sailing!

Every time I plan a longer trip such as this there is always that moment of reflection that the sea can be a daunting and dangerous place. I suppose it would be foolish to have no fear, then the moment passes and we begin to prepare. After being at sea for a day things fall into their natural rhythm. 

 

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