The past few days have been everything summer sailing should be.
We made our way through Greece’s beautiful Ionian Islands, sailing from Lefkada toward Zakynthos, with stops for swimming in Meganisi and an overnight anchorage near Fiskardo on Kefalonia. Along the way we realized we’ve now visited six of the seven major Ionian Islands – Corfu, Paxos, Lefkada, Ithaca (sailed close to the cliffs to view caves – the seas were too rough to anchor for a swim), Kefalonia, and Zakynthos. Only Kythira remains on the list. We’ll save that one for next year.
But honestly, despite how gorgeous the scenery was, the islands weren’t the highlight. The people were!
The days have been filled with snorkeling, paddle boarding, cave exploring, fishing, swimming, card games, artwork (see header pic, and enough laughter to keep the entire Ionian entertained.
Ainsley remains the undisputed Golf card game champion, despite repeated challenges from the rest of the crew. She also attempted to one-up her brother with photographic evidence of her latest catch. Pretty impressive, right? Well… let’s just say AI may have played a supporting role.
The biggest highlight came courtesy of Doug, who cued in the dolphins on our last leg. Before we knew it, they were swimming alongside KORA, gliding effortlessly through water so clear it felt like we could reach out and touch them. They stayed with us for what felt like forever, surfacing under our bow and beside the boat as everyone scrambled for photos. Add a few sea turtles to the mix (unfortunately missed that pic) and it quickly became one of those days we’ll all remember.
Not every wildlife encounter was quite so successful. Mack’s new spear gun has yet to produce dinner, but the fishing rod did manage to hook something – unfortunately, it was the dinghy. Thankfully the resulting nick was very minor and quickly repaired, leaving only a good story and a little friendly teasing for the fisherman involved. We’re optimistic that over the next few months the fishing gear will start targeting the correct species. Until then, Mack retains bragging rights as KORA’s most successful fisherman to date!
In other sailing news, Buzz and Ainsley gained experience with line-to-shore med mooring in Fiskardo, while the entire crew jumped into action helping with our anchor med-moor in Zakynthos. A huge success! Sailing may look glamorous on Instagram, but sometimes it’s mostly ropes, teamwork, and someone yelling “pull harder!”, along with a few “oh, shit!”s. Check out the pics below to see how close the boat’s dock!
Friday night marked our final evening with this crew. Tomorrow morning Buzz, Mack, Ainsley, and Sam head home, bringing to an end an incredible stretch of adventures, laughter, and memories aboard KORA. So naturally, there was only one appropriate response. A final swim. A night on the town. A few celebratory drinks. Plenty of laughs.
And yes… we lived it up in true Greek fashion.
OPA!
An early morning departure for this group. Thanks for filling KORA with laughter, adventure, and unforgettable memories. We’re missing you already!!!
