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On August the third - exactly one month after we arrived - we left Messolonghi, first to Zakynthos.
A month which was so completely different from what we had expected. The equipping of the boat, the preparation, the putting in and out, the testing, the optimizing - we had not expected that this would be a real hard work and on top the Heat.
But beyond this work we got to know the city, it doesn't open up immediately, only at second glance, no, actually only at third glance. And we still get lost in the chessboard streets. But we really liked the beautiful streets, partly paved with marble, like from the Venetian times, the cafés and the shady squares, by the way also the restaurants. Also the beaches in Tourlida and in Kryonéri, we enjoyed them very much.
It is a beautiful city with very very friendly, helpful and uncomplicated people. Two are worth mentioning: Dimitris, the self-sacrificing, totally reliable and very friendly electrician, who helped us in the sweat of his brow by kneeling in the boat for hours at 30 degrees for the electrical system - and Mimis, the wonderful boss of the Marina Bar, who read every wish from our eyes, who also made contact with other important people - and who always brought us something good to eat and/or drink. We will miss them........
But we plan to come back: At the end of October we want to be in Messolonghi again and then "winterize" the boat, go back to Heidelberg, and then in spring back to Messolonghi - it was beautiful there!

This week even the Greeks think it's a little hot. Until 37 degrees……..
What can you do? Take a bath. Our current local mountain is the Varàsova, barely 1000 m high, its huge rock face rises vertically from the sea.

Less than 100 m in front of it there is Kryonéri, a tiny village with a small fishing harbour and several rustic pubs. And the special thing about this location is that you can swim on a sandy and pebble beach right in front of the rock face - and that the water is shallow there.
These are the typical Greek bathing places: A parasol, under it a small table, on the left and right a sun bed. One orders something to drink and by doing so, one has so to speak paid the user fee, a very pleasant regulation, we think.
Kryonéri is located about 15km east of Messolonghi, you are diagonally opposite Patras with its huge Rion bridge. And the wind that blows out of the Gulf of Patras makes bathing and lying even at 37 degrees not only bearable but really pleasant.

Today with our car: Our destination was Astakos at the Ionian Sea, from where the ferries to Ithaca depart, about 45 km from Messolonghi.
The landscape: Aetolia Arcania. Messolonghi is located in the lagoon nature park Messolonghi- Ätoliko.
So first we went along the lagoons, which remind strongly of the Camargue, here salt is also extracted on a large scale. With one difference: the lagoons are bordered on the land side by a wild steep rugged mountain range, where there are vertical rockfalls and which is covered with maquis, if anything grows there.
Ätoloko is a small town completely located on an island, it has two access roads on a narrow arched bridge.
In this area there is agriculture - olives, maize, wine, watermelons…….and there is fishing, namely - because of the shallow water - eels. They are smaller than the ones we know in Germany, they are not smoked, but fried and taste very good. Sometimes, as in Messolonghi, the flat wooden houses of the fishermen stand on stilts like pile dwellings in or near the water.

To the north, the route continues into the mountains, in serpentines and narrow curves. You have to be careful, because behind a curve suddenly a herd of goats can stand. Already here you have wonderful views of the strongly structured coastal landscape of the Ionian Sea, brown-red limestone cliffs and the deep blue sea, partly green between eucalyptus or cork oak trees.

The rock formations are wild and varied: right next to each other there are calcareous layers, volcanic forms like weathered lava rivers and then again huge sloping plates like slates.
Astakos is a tiny beautiful town with a pier where fishing boats, but also sailing boats moor. There are restaurants preferably with fish dishes - we have tried one and can recommend it.

The car ferry to Ithaca drives with its bow flap directly onto the pier, 20 meters further you can swim, an idyll.

On the return trip we made several small detours into the bays and drank a very good espresso freddo in Ätoliko - a completely successful Sunday trip.

Yesterday, light wind was predicted - we wanted to use this to finally try out all sails and test the sailing characteristics of Aglaya. No sooner said than done: First out of the long channel (Messolonghi is located in a lagoon) under engine. Then at sufficient depth the sails are hoisted - three out of four are brand new.
They can be set very well. Then they stand well - very well. Nevertheless, with mainsail, jib, furling genoa and mizzen it is of course hard work - especially at 30 degrees outside temperature.
Aglaya sails beautifully - and the sea behaviour of the hull is just as we had imagined: Calm, softly setting into the wave, very stable, no need to balance with the rudder, even when the waves come from the side.
So: A beautiful sailing day all around with a wonderful boat.

for Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans Gerd Dohmen, my dear brother-in-law

The main energy source for the sailor - wind, of course. But if you want to live on a boat, that's obviously not enough. Aglaya has two bathrooms, each with a toilet, shower and washbasin, all cutely small of course. Furthermore a kitchen with a four-flame gas stove with upper and lower heat (very rare on such boats), a sink, a refrigerator, a freezer. And of course a complete water supply system with a total of 8 pumps. And of course a diesel engine.
The stove is supplied with energy by a gas bottle, which is still relatively simple.

Electricity (voltage) comes from the socket - but only if the boat is moored at a jetty that has a power connection - shore power. This supplies the batteries with electricity via a charger, which works very tricky, and charges them.

At the same time it regulates the distribution of the electricity, because there are four additional solar panels attached to the railing, which can be placed so that the sun shines on them. Then they bring up to 13-15 ampere into the boat. There is a starter battery that starts the engine, it is separated from all other consumers. There are also three large batteries for everything else - a total capacity of 670 ampere hours, in a 12-volt system.

The engine is an 86 hp turbo diesel. Pretty big, the boat we sailed across the Atlantic in 20 years ago had a similar engine, but was two metres longer and six tonnes heavier than ours. A lot of power when you have to manoeuvre, that's reassuring.
Of course, there are various navigation instruments, an A.I.S. radar that shows ships nearby, two GPS receivers, depth gauge (echo sounder), log (speed indicator) and much more. All very complex, very tricky.
When you are outside, you can't even go to the garage if there is a problem. Of course there are also shipyards and repair shops, but they are usually far away and you have to try to repair or replace as much as possible yourself.

If you want to sail in Greece, you have to pay a TEPAI, a cruising tax (similar to our tourist tax). Already in March we made an account on the website of the Greek tax authorities (you can only do this digitally) for our boat. Then we tried at least Seven times to geht into the Account again. Without success. Then we tried again when we were here in Messolonghi. Without success. The account already exists, says the form. Or: account blocked……….Gisela tried it, Walter tried it. The visit to the Port Authority was unsuccessful because they didn't get anywhere either. Then suddenly, at the Marina bar, we were in the account. Then we went to the harbour police again and the very friendly and helpful policewoman there helped us - then it worked out, she was quite happy about it herself. Then you get a payment code, with which you have to go to the bank or to the post office, where you can pay it - but only cash.
We are very happy - because if you don't have the paper and you are checked in a harbour or a bay, it costs more than 1000 €.
So we arrived in Greece also for tax purposes, crusing tax per month: 33€. Now we can really start.

Today we have the last of the new sails on the mainsail. The new sails are great - but of course the fabric is still very stiff, so attaching them into the grooves of the main boom, jib and mizzen boom (at 31 degrees) was hard work - as you can see.
That's why we got up shortly after sunrise today and tied the mainsail.
Then we put the blue sail tarpaulins on it, sun canopy over the cockpit again - done! And then a Sunday breakfast in the Marina-Bar - life is beautiful!