From Greece to the Grenadines

The highs, lows and lessons from our year on the run

Virgin Gorda, BVIs

When we left our beloved vessel ITIKI (FP Helia 44 catamaran) on the hardstand in Leros, Greece in October 2019, we had no idea it would be 20 months before we would set eyes on her again. We had planned to be away for just five months. Lives and plans were turned upside down by the events of 2020. Missing a season of cruising the Med was pretty minor in comparison to the hardships that many experienced, so we hunkered down in Sydney and made the most of it, biding our time trying to make ourselves useful and writing and re-writing plans.

As we all remember, the Covid steamroller kept on rolling through Australia well into 2021, eating into our northern summertime cruising season. The urge to bring ITIKI “home” was growing stronger and a fortnight into the July 2021 Sydney lockdown (that ended up lasting until October!) we finally made our escape. My parting memory of leaving my home country (after being granted approval to do so) was being frog-marched through Melbourne Airport by serious looking men in Hazmat suits. I guess they needed to ensure we really did board our near empty 747 to Dubai, rather than slipping out into the suburban Melbourne streets. We felt like fugitives on the run and we have been “running” ever since.

Between hitting the water in Leros, Greece in late July 2021 and hauling out in Carriacou, Grenada in late June 2022 we visited 17 countries, 64 islands (plus countless islets) and travelled a total of 7,990nm! It’s been an incredible journey, filled with many challenges and rewards and a few life-lessons. An amazing experience of course, and the first question everyone asked on our brief return was “What was the best bit?” Oh that is so hard to answer as there were so many best bits and for many different reasons.

Exit stage west – leaving the Med

The Rose Beach, Madelenna, Italy

While we had expected our eventual exit from the Med to be a little more leisurely than it was, we still had time to see some incredible sights. You could cruise the Med for years and not have to go back to the same place twice (unless you really wanted to of course), and we were determined to take a different path on the return journey, avoiding the more touristy destinations as usual.

Cave Church, Lemnos Greece

Shipwreck Beach

Snuggled up with Argonauts

Caves of Milos

Old Euripius Bridge, Chalkis, Evia

The Toe of Italy

Our top picks for this part of our journey included:

1. The Greek Island of Lemnos with its charming harbour, full of colourful boats; its tiny Cave Church (Panagia Kakaviotissa), tucked away in the dry and dusty hills outside of the main town; its sombre war memorial at Moudros, final resting place to many ANZACs who were evacuated from nearby Gallipoli to the hospital on Lemnos. 
2. We were fortunate to slip into Chalkis on the Greek Island of Evia, (just) in time for the thrice-weekly, midnight opening of the Old Euripius Bridge, which joins Evia to the mainland. The original bridge dates back as far as 5BC. Nowadays the bridge retracts under the road to allow boats to pass through this narrow channel at slack tide, past a crowd of onlookers.
3. The spectacular beaches, breathtaking cliffs and caves of the Greek Island of Milos are a must for any cruisers passing through this area. The island is a long extinct volcano whose crater is now open to the sea in the north, providing excellent shelter for the towns and villages.
4. An early start with Team Argonauts to be first on the iconic Shipwreck Beach, Zigia, Zakynthos (Ionian Greece) - wonderful to share the moment. 
5. Sailing around the toe of Italy, through the iconic Messina Straits before visiting the volcanic Aeolian Islands was a real highlight of our trip west. Further north we cruised the idyllic Madelennas of the northern tip of Sardinia. Dubbed the Caribbean of the Med for their crystal clear turquoise waters. ​

Tackling the Atlantic

La Tiede, Tenerife, Canary Islands

At a time when many Mediterranean cruisers were bedding down or packing up for the northern winter, we continued to push on into the Atlantic, stopping first at the Canary Islands. Cruising the Canaries was both challenging and rewarding. These dry and windswept volcanic islands each have their own character and highlights. The lunar landscapes gradually giving way to greener forests as we made our way south through the chain. November was a popular time to be there with the fully-subscribed Atlantic Rallies gathering for their final preparations - anchorages and marinas were packed, and hire cars few and far between. The islands are well known for their “acceleration zones” where the consistent NE winds compress around the southern corners of the islands. Popular with windsurfers and kite surfers alike, they certainly add a little zing to your sailing experience. Well protected anchorages are limited and often busy as a result though and we had a few rolly nights.

Maspalomas Dunes, Gran Canaria

Our Atlantic Crossing was (unintentionally) done in two stages, starting initially from Tenerife. A medical emergency saw us diverted from our destination of Barbados to Mindelo, Cape Verde Islands - a midnight arrival with no detailed charts, to meet a waiting ambulance. Fortunately all went well and after just over a week in Mindelo, and a quick change of crew, we made it across to Barbados just in time for Christmas. With the loss of our autopilot, spinnaker and starboard engine MDI along the way, the lights of Barbados were a welcome sight for our midnight arrival. The journey 2070nm from Mindelo to Barbados took us 11.5 days with an average speed of 7.5kts.

Cruising the Caribbean

We spent the next 6 months cruising the windward and leeward islands of the Caribbean, cruising north slowly at first until we got our Autopilot fixed in Martinique. The spinnaker stayed there for the rest of the season awaiting its turn for some attention. We island hopped as far north as the British Virgin Islands before turning south to spend some time in the very laid back St Vincent Grenadines. Finally we cruised to Grenada, where we hauled out in Carriacou for hurricane season. Each of the countries and islands we have visited have their own unique character and customs, although many of them share the common thread of history of European colonisation (French, English, Dutch, Spanish), sugar plantations and slavery before evolving into independent nations with a focus on tourism. The French islands (Martinique, Guadeloupe, St Martin and St Barts) remain very French, retaining the language, cuisine, (locally flavoured) French culture and using the Euro. Former British colonies seemed more independent although retaining English as the main language and paying homage to British bureaucracy. Although English is widely spoken, many retain a French based “Patois” from previous “occupation”. ​

Incredible colour

The Baths, BVIs

The Baths, BVIs

Tobago Cays

Cruisers' Cameraderie in action

Spectacular falls in Dominica

Highlights of the Caribbean for us

1. Seeing the lights of Barbados close to midnight after 11.5 days at sea with nothing but ocean around us. GPS is a wonderful thing!
   
2. Swimming up close and personal with turtles and rays in the crystal clear, shallow waters of Tobago Cays, St Vincent Grenadines. These guys were totally oblivious to our presence and just going about their business, munching on seagrass.
   
3. Of the many beautiful anchorages in the British Virgin islands we were fortunate to nab a great spot at a deserted sandy beach just north of the iconic Baths, where huge boulders line the shores as if they have been tossed down from the heavens.
   
4. We loved discovering the spectacular wilds of Dominica with its incredible rainforests, amazing waterfalls and gorges, not to mention the mystical Indian River.
   
5. Meeting new friends and reconnecting with “old” ones – the incredible, and generous support of the cruisers network has been even stronger in the Caribbean. People are so quick and willing to help out when you have a problem. It’s very humbling and we always try to pay it forward (and back again!)
   

Sandy Cay, JVD, British Virgin Islands

Life’s biggest lessons

Each year’s journey on ITIKI has become longer and longer, from 4 months in our first season to 11 in our most recent. Our next (and final??) will be a little longer still. It has been a steep but enjoyable learning curve. Last season our plans and contingencies were challenged and our skills and experience was put to the test. Here are some key take-aways from our year on the run

1. A big picture plan is necessary of course but then you need to be flexible, the details may only roll out days in advance and you have to be prepared to change your plans to keep yourself safe and sane - and communicate clearly. Be prepared to completely change tack (pardon the pun) if you are not having fun or getting hammered by the weather. You don’t have to see every last blue and white church in the Aegean. 
   
2. Prepare, plan and prepare some more. Of all the scenarios you plan for, the one that you don’t will probably eventuate, as we learned on our Atlantic crossing. I now make sure I download “offline” maps (googlemaps & Maps.me) of our destinations and all possible run-to ports, as well as screenshots/descriptions of nearby anchorages and facilities with contact information.
   
3. Forecasts are forecasts and the world’s climate is changing. This season we have regularly experienced winds 40-50% stronger than forecast, as well as swells from multiple directions. We always hope we will get the forecast winds, but mentally prepare for worse. 
   
4. There are no room for regrets! There were so many islands and anchorages that we would have liked to visit but did not or could not for whatever reason, but I prefer to focus on what we have done and seen which has been truly amazing. My glass is full, not half-full and definitely not half empty. That said, I was really gutted about the Corinth Canal being closed on our return journey around the Peloponnese Peninsula! Oh well, I will just have to be satisfied with the Panama in January ‘23…