Ionian Sea Crossing

We sailed away from the Italian peninsula at dusk and soon after we could see the lights flickering on its shores a beautiful view but quite different from that of astronauts who were looking down on Sicily, Calabria and the expanse of the Ionian Sea from the International Space Station.

When we began the crossing of the Ionian the sea was calm but weather reports were advising mariners of strong northerly winds and high waves in the Adriatic and Ionian Seas.  Although I mostly functioned as the navigator, all of us participated in other duties as needed.   In the photograph I was ready for the night duty wearing foul weather gear, my life vest and was getting ready to tether myself on the life lines, so that the other two in the crew could sleep and be called only in the event more than one person was needed for duties such as to decrease canvas.

The next morning a well-rested Kostas was at the tiller.  It is obvious that the weather had changed during the night and the waves were building up.

Later by the afternoon of the same day, my brother and our most able captain, is at the tiller.  As in the previous photograph the waves continued to build up and the predicted bad weather reached its peak the night that followed.

After four days and nights of rough weather sailing we could see the mountains of the largest of the seven islands Cephalonia and the southernmost Zante.