That damned elusive solar panel

After a quiet night at Abelike bay on Meganisi we debated what to do next. The question was answered by the appearance of a nice sailing breeze from the N. So we retrieved our shore lines and off we went.
Our general direction of travel is N as we are to pick up pour next visitors/crew in Corfu in about two weeks time.
There is no rush at all but there can be quite strong and persistent NW winds out in the channel. The Poseidon System web site has consistently shown a  Beaufort Force 6 from the NW in the main Ionian all the time we have been here. While we are not in a hurry to get to Corfu I am also not very keen to punch into a Force 6 for 50 miles. So if a weather window presents in the next week or so we will take the opportunity.
The saga with the solar panel continues. I had another careful look at it- I cleaned the salt water staining off it and it then became clear there is a linear crack in the matrix of the silicon cells extending all the way across the panel. I have no way of knowing how or when this occurred and the site that sold it to me on ebay no longer seems to exist. Multiple lessons to be learned there.
I asked the technical department at Cleopatra Marina for a quote. They came back with several prices, the cheapest being more than 4 times what the same item can be purchased for on line.
I then tried to buy one on line from So Solar based in Nottingham and have it delivered to the address I was given in Cleopatra. Apparently UK delivery companies wont deliver to a PO Box address!!
I had some correspondence and discussion about this with a very helpful chap, James, from So Solar. He agreed with all my views and has miraculously arranged for a panel to be delivered to said PO Box address in Prevesa. With a bit of luck it will be there in the next couple of days - guaranteeing the endless supply of cold beer.

Palairos from the other side of the bay

So we sailed N to Palairos and spent a leisurely couple of days there. We again sampled the best curry in the Ionian at the Panorama restaurant. However we did hear of another restaurant, the Old Mill, that gets great accolades in trip adviser as well as those who have been there so we will probably visit it another time.

M hard at deck scrubbing - good to see.

We were berthed next to a couple in a 43 ft Jeanneau. They were a little younger than us (perhaps) but have been trampin round the Med for the last 17 years. They had a wealth of experience but had ended up gravitating back to the Ionian. There seems to be many others who have done the same and I am beginning to see why. It really is very special, mostly protected from the more severe of the prevailing winds but with Gentlemens' sailing conditions. That is calm in the mornings to allow a leisurely breakfast, nice breeze in the afternoon for sailing and then settling down by dusk to allow sleeping. Perfect really.
A  couple of quiet days on board allowed us to sort out some of the boat storage. We also tried to elucidate the mysteries of the various extra sails on board. We rigged the inner forestay and tried hoisting the storm jib and an extra jib that were at the bottom of the stern locker. They all were in order but rigging the inner forestay in storm conditions would be a bit of a challenge. However at least we know how to deploy them if needed.
Today we travelled back up through the Lefkas canal to Preveza - funnily it seems a bit like going home.
A nice 20kt afternoon breeze came in for the W and we had a fantastic sail.
We parked up without incident on the town quay.

Venetian Clock Tower Preveza

Next to us on starboard is an old Halberg Rassy 35 from 1979 with its original crew of Norwegian blokes. Next to them is an Italian couple of the same generation in an equally mature Sunbeam. Listening in on their conversation the are all well into their 70's but still enjoying adventurous sailing. The Italian couple had sailed down the the Adriatic from Ancona to the Ionian, then the Aegean and Crete and back in a single season, and with a great sense of humour. I am feeling further inspired to continue pushing ourselves a bit. Baxter - it is not too late!

Another good drying day

This morning our neighbour on port decided to have an early start. The first we knew of it was at 07.30 when a large liveaboard ketch fell onto us! Unfortunately as he left his anchor had picked up the chain of this large ketch boat on his port side and dislodged their anchor. He then drifted to starboard of us and dropped their anchor and chain, with a sorry and a shrug, across our chain.

I remembered this ketch arriving when we were here before. The crew is an elderly Austrian couple who seemed marginally capable. Their attempts at parking up this large vessel attracted every ubiquitous antipodean in the vicinity to stand on the shore yelling unintelligible advice to them as they drifted in sideways. The final bit of advice was "time to give up mate and buy a campervan".
So we were in a situation whereby our anchor was well dug in, and irretrievable. Their anchor and chain lay across ours, but fortunately was lying free. I persuaded them to pull in their chain which rattled across ours like the beasts of hell arising. Fortunately they only had about 10m of chain out.
We ended up with their massive anchor up, just below the water but hanging across our scope.  Now I had prepared a device for this sort of eventuality, essentially a 6inch G clamp with two ropes attached. The idea being to hook it under a chain that has been picked up by your anchor, drop your anchor, and then use the second cord to trip the hook releasing the chain.

Chain hooking device

So I brought the secret weapon into play. It was nearly working but was not quite big enough to snare the anchor easily.
The Austrian gent then produced his own version, manufactured from from a curly bit of iron fence - I was warming to him. However I was still struggling to get either device to snare the anchor.
The dinghy! The final solution to anchoring problems. Unfortunately as we had berthed the night before we had forgotten to take the dinghy to the front as we normally do. So it was now trapped at the back between the boats. I got into it to see if I could force my way out but it was not possible. I merely succeeded in getting soaked with engine exhaust water.

Meanwhile on deck M had triumphed in getting both the hook devices on the anchor, loosened off our scope and lifted their anchor over our chain. Genius.
The Austrian boat was free. They decided to shoot off before their lines were released however and there was more pandemonium, including a screech from the lady crew as her ankle got caught. I dont think she was badly hurt. I was dreading the thought of them trying to berth again but fortunately they decided to exit stage right, which was the best decision.

Cleopatra claim there is no sign of the solar panel.😡