Sailing Ellen MacArthur Style

Now we'll bet that all our readers have been imagining us having a sedate sail in tranquil waters, with the sun shining and a mere hint of a breeze to ruffle the waters and most of the movement on the boat being us moving in and out the sun to even up the tan.

Two years ago when we did our first flotilla, it was very like this for much of the time and our engine got quite a lot of use. This holiday, however, was a bit different. Although we thought it was very pleasant, for Greece it was quite extreme weather and we did have some strong winds. This was great for sailing and it was very exhilerating to fly through the water at speeds of 6 knots or more. It did mean we had to be very vigilant in our look out for hazards, such as the handful of dangerous shoals in the area, as we were moving so fast that we could have come on them before we knew it, and a collision at speed would have done quite a lot of damage.


As you know I (Eddie) always wore a safety harness while out on deck, but George & Yorkie were a bit small for a harness. When it got a bit rough, and Spetses was heeling over, for safety, they both took up residence in the cockpit cubby hole. This was a great arrangement as it meant they could look out easily and didn't have to miss anything, yet they remained safe and dry.

There was one particular day when, with 2 other boats, we sailed off in the opposite direction to the port we were heading to that night, as we wanted to do a bit of exploring. It was a lovely day and took little time to cover the 13 miles to the bay we were aiming for. We had lunch and a swim in a sheltered bay, blissfully unaware that the wind had got up some strength. As we emerged into open water, the mainsail was not even raised, and the genoa was reefed to the maximum! It suddenly dawned on us what an adventure getting to Preveza, over 20 miles away, was going to be. It is a good job we are not easily scared and always up for an adventure.

We soon had to give up sailing as the direction we wanted to travel was straight into the wind. Under engine then, we had to drive our brave little boat Spetses, straight into some enormous waves. Every time we hit a wave the spray flew right to the back of the boat and our minders, in particular, got very wet. We imagined we felt a bit of what Ellen MacArthur must feel when sailing in big seas, although, in reality, she'd probably laugh at us calling these waves 'big' and say they were just tiddlers.

After about an hour the wind dropped enough for the voyage to become almost sedate.


As we came into harbour and tied up, the drying off process started. Fortunately it was sunny so I was able to dry my wet bottom quickly by baring it to the sun. It was all quite decent I assure you. We discovered that as the forward hatch had not been properly latched all our bedding has got very wet. The fact that we had to wait for it to dry, provided us with a good excuse to linger at the taverna having an extra glass of wine. Mind you we were all so tired after our adventure that we'd no doubt have slept well even if the bedding hadn't dried.

Lots of love, the intrepid crew of Spetses xxx

Taking to the Air

The very beginning seems like a good place to start the story of our latest adventures. Being a boating bear, I had been looking forward to a sailing holiday so much that I hadn't been able to sleep for several days before we left.

There was an added excitement for me (Eddie) as I was going on a plane for the first time. I was lucky to be in the company of such seasoned fliers as George & Yorkie and to have them show me the ropes. We were all at the airport early for our 5.30 a.m. check in and once we were processed, my minders suggested I might like to get some sleep as I had a long day ahead.

However, there was simply too much going on around me for me to sleep so, as you can see, I kept popping out my sleeping bag to see what was happening and to enjoy a cup of coffee.


I need to thank my friend 'Naughty Bear' who appeared in his blog travelling in the aircraft cabin, for setting the precedent that bears travel in hand luggage, rather than in the hold.

No only did I get to travel in the cabin, I even got a row of extra leg room seats to myself - a little daft really as my legs don't even reach to the edge of the seat, but I wasn't complaining. My minders later explained that they were only free because no-one had been prepared to pay the extra charge for them! And I thought it was all because I was a V.I.P. bear.

Anyway I got a great view out the window. My favourite sights were the snow covered Alps below me and, as we descended into Preveza airport, the view of the sea I'd shortly be sailing on.


At the end of my first flight I decided that I quite liked flying but it is nowhere near as good as boating. I was pleased to discover on landing that there was only a 1 hour 10 minute transfer to my boat.

When I was shown our boat Spetses, she was every bit as wonderful as I had anticipated. I was first on board and wasted no time checking out every nook and cranny and piece of equipment.


Can you guess what my first task was? Logon on tomorrow to find out if you're right?

Lots of love Eddie & the crew of Spetses xxx