Yacht Crackerjack of Rhu

Latest News & Updates…

yachtcrackerjack — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:37:20 +0000

Crackerjack is currently in Messolonghi, on the mainland of Greece on the northern side of the Gulf of Patras. (Information on GoogleMaps)

Having finally decided to settle on using this WordPress blogging system for Crackerjack’s website we have been spending some time setting up the site. The ship’s logs and some photos have been uploaded, log files converted for display in google earth and posts added for each of our journies. It is now a case of actually getting on with some writing as and when we have time and an internet connection – please bear with us as we add more information to the site over the next couple of months.

In the meantime please feel free to get in touch by leaving comments or contacting us.

Messalonghi 04/02/2010

yachtcrackerjack — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:29:46 +0000

It’s been almost a year since we set sail with Crackerjack (we left Port Saint Louis in France 26/03/09) so I thought it was about time that I started writing about our adventures! A particularly interesting day has inspired me to do so…
Today (04/02/2010) in Greece we joined in with the celebrations of Tsiknopempti, or “burnt Thursday” a tradition leading up to the beginning of lent, the burnt bit relating to grilled meat – the stuff Orthadox Greeks won’t be eating during the 40 day period of lent. The sun was shining, the sky was clear blue, a perfect day for a bbq. The locals in Messalonghi dressed up in random costumes – random as there didn’t seem to be any theme. From three young women in sombreros, wigs and ponchos to a boy in a zoot suit and everything in between. I have since read that folk dress up in various disguises to enjoy the anonymity and generally disgrace themselves. We didn’t see anybody go quite that far but there was a great atmosphere in the town and everybody was in good cheer. We sat outside a cafe and drank a few kilos of cheap local red and ate some of the meat being bbq’d outside the cafe….what must they think of us? particularly as Messalonghi isn’t on the tourist trail and then suddenly a whole bunch of ‘foreigners’ descend upon them. They are as interested in us as we are in their way of life and customs. They’ve even written an article about us sailors in the local paper –
“Sailors in Vyroneio
The cold rainy weather did not prevent twenty-one foreign sailors who hibernate in Marina Messolongi on the yachts to visit Wednesday, January 27, the International Center for Research and Study on Lord Byron and Philhellenism guided tour to the library, the report prints, but also to learn about the history of Messolongi.
Impressed by what they heard and saw agreed with pleasure for a day-trip tour of the historical and archaeological sites of the Holy City and the surrounding region.
They particularly kosmogyrismenous guests representing Norway, England, Ireland, Scotland, Holland, Italy, Canada, America, France and Switzerland”

The cafe we were at even had a copy of the article cut out and stuck to its wall. I couldn’t find a translation for kosmogyrismenous, so if anybody Greek is reading this, what does κοσμογυρισμένους mean?
Life back at the Marina is good, an after party is being held on one of the pontoons – they’ve named their pontoon “Toxteth”, after the Liverpool riots of 1981 – I’m wondering if our pontoon should be called St Pauls or Brixton?
As lovely as Messo is, it will be time to move on again in March as we will have been here for 2 months with a 6 week stint in Blighty. I purchased a second hand copy of The East Agean Pilot (think Lonely Planet for boat folk) the other day, as we’re crewing for an Italian couple in May and that’s where they want to be taken…
Rochelle

Platarias (GR) – Parga (GR) 30/10/2009

yachtcrackerjack — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:33:05 +0000

After 10 days in Platarias Crackerjack has moved south 20 miles along the mainland coast. Despite forecasts of wind forces 4-5 it was in fact flat calm, accompanied by some delightfully warm late October sunshine.
The anchorage in front of a a pleasant sandy beach (sparsely populated at this time of year!) is dominated by an impressive looking fort – Parga having been viewed by the Venetians as the ‘eyes and ears of Corfu’ and consequently receiving privileged trading relations with Venice during it’s reign in the region.

Gaios (Paxi GR) – Platarias (GR) 20/10/09

yachtcrackerjack — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:59:11 +0000

Lefkas Town (Lefkas GR) – Gaios (Paxi GR) 19/10/09

yachtcrackerjack — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:59:49 +0000

Vathi (Meganisi GR) – Lefkas Town (Lefkas GR) 18/10/09

yachtcrackerjack — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:59:22 +0000

Vlikho (Lefkas GR) – Vathi (Meganisi GR) 16/10/09

yachtcrackerjack — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:59:41 +0000

Vathi (Ithaca GR) – Vlikho (Lefkas GR) 02/09/09

yachtcrackerjack — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:59:16 +0000

Argostoli (Kefalonia GR) – Vathi (Ithaca GR) 01/09/09

yachtcrackerjack — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:59:49 +0000

Gulf of Argostoli (Kefalonia GR): Day sail with Huw and Louise 28/08/09

yachtcrackerjack — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:59:46 +0000