The next day we moved south towards Zakynthos. The youngsters were flying out of there in two days and they were looking forward to a couple of night in town to round off their trip. They were looking for night clubs. I was a little less keen on what that would mean for me – a spot next to a busy town quay in the heat. I decided to make it one night only and stopped in a small village in the north end of Zakynthos, Ag Nicholas. The guys were far from ecstatic as the village did not look like it could offer a night club. But they agreed provided that I promised a party town the following night. At the end of the day, Ag Nicholas did not disappoint us. But first we needed to anchor.
The bay in the village posed a challenge. We found a spot at 13 metres depth and launched our new 25 kg Spade anchor and let out 60 metres of chain. We had 20 knots of sustained wind in the small bay and I would have let out more chain had I not been worried about the lack of swing room around us. We were three boats in the bay plus a fourth one that during a short visit managed to get stuck in our neighbour’s anchor chain. I am glad that I didn’t put out more chain as I woke up the next morning when a ferry used a large foghorn to let me know that we were in his path towards the quay. The wind had turned 180 degrees and our stern was now facing the town quay.
Ag Nicholas did not have a night club, but it had a restaurant on the beach that offered a Greek band that forced the guests to dance. Either in a circle or in one long Greek conga-train. All while everyone threw paper napkins at the dancers. I had seen this before at a Greek birthday party in Stockholm but then they were throwing porcelain plates. I would hate to be a cleaner after a Greek party! We had a really nice evening even if the boys had to postpone their party night for another day.
The following day we anchored outside Zakynthos town until the temperature had dropped a little and we felt ready for the town quay. We were guided to a spot with our ‘butt’ towards the main street with motorcycles, cars and pedestrians passing immediately behind us. All day and all night. It was nice though to end up next to an Italian live-aboard couple that had spent the last 13 years in Valencia, the Balearics and Split. Both as a charter boat and a sailing school.
I left the kids to do town and they returned at 05.00 happy to finally have had a real party. And pretty much in time for their taxi to the airport.
Saoirse 