105 POSTCARD from Leonie BY GINNY WARE


The stormy anchorage at Marmari, Evia


AFTER LIVING ABOARD ON THE RIVER DART FOR EIGHT YEARS GINNY WARE AND HER HUSBAND CARL SET SAIL IN 2013 FOR FRANCE AND BEYOND. HERE IS THE LATEST FROM THEM AS THEY CONTINUE TO EXPLORE THE MEDITERRANEAN ON THEIR 65 YEAR OLD 35FT YACHT.


LEONIE judders in the grip of violent gusts blasting down the Evian mountainside and slamming into her graceful frame before hurtling across the sea. A regular feature in the Agean, at its height the


meltemi holds all yachts in its fierce clutches shaking the bones and rattling the nerves of sailors who find themselves at the wind’s mercy instead of in a safe harbour. Our first experience of this


force of nature came while we were in the sheltered port of Marmari on the island of Evia (the second biggest in Greece) where the wind blew a Force 8, whipping the sea into a foam of white horses. While the meltemi was gaining strength Carl’s cousin Giles flew out for a four-day visit. Partly inspired by our lifestyle, Giles and his Norwegian wife Sigri bought a boat and plan to sail to new horizons. Living on a yacht cruising the Greek islands is not


always as idyllic as it sounds, as Giles soon discovered. There was no room on the quay the evening his ferry docked so we were in the nearby anchorage, rolling about in the heavy swell listening to the screaming


north wind. After 24-hours of this we got a bit


A dolphin swims alongsde Leonie off the Methana Peninsular


stir-crazy. Although her anchor was holding well, it was too risky to go ashore and leave Leonie unmanned in case the hook dragged and the wind blew her out to sea. A brief lull in the meltemi saw


Giles and Carl sailing


a yacht leave the dock and we managed to nip in. We cele- brated with a slap up meal of three delicious steaks, hand-cut chips, a huge Greek salad and a carafe of village wine for the bumper price of €37. On Giles’ last day the wind


temporarily dropped to a Force


4/5 so we sailed around the nearby Petali archipelago, stopping for lunch and a swim in a beautiful sandy cove. The meltemi usually blows through the Agean in July and August but this year the winds came six weeks early (in the middle of May). Following a misty passage from the Peloponnese mainland coast en route to Evia we spent a week on


View of Hydra main port from the monastery


Lakka Bay, Paxos .


The beach is empty when the meltemi wind blows over Evia


At the Acropolis


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