I often ask myself why sailing long distances is so enjoyable, usually when alone on my watch late at night. I think I ask it repeatedly because the answer is always different, like the journey itself. On stormy nights, when tired and stressed, my answers are vulgar. On calm, beautiful starlit evenings, the peace and joy of the journey itself is the answer. The good times always outweigh the bad though. The slow speed of travel measured out in pencil on the chart calms me; there is nothing to do and no responsibility apart from continuing steadily to your destination.
The journey begins
So it was with great anticipation that I stepped aboard the shiny new Bavaria 46 ready to depart on a journey to circumnavigate the Peloponnese. We would sail south from Sail Ionian’s base on Lefkada, around the three southern peninsulas of the Greek mainland. Past tempestuous Cape Maleas, which scuppered Odysseus, continuing up the coast to Athens, where we would change crew for our second week. And from there the return, through the Corinth Canal, to the Ionian.
The adventurous plan was made possible by one of the company’s business partners, who had bought a boat through our Yacht Partnership Scheme. The new Bavaria yacht would be run by Sail Ionian as part of the charter fleet, bought through the company dealership. In addition to an income from the charter business, the new owner received six
