First rate mates (Preveza)

 

Staying the majority of time on the anchor has its benefits..

It’s peaceful, just us and the lapping of the sea. You can dive in and out of the water whenever you want. You can wear whatever you want, birthday suit included. ...and best of all: it’s free.

That all said, on the hook, you don’t get the same social interactions you do in a marina or make the quick friends you do tied to a town quay with neighbours on both sides literally an arms length away.

It’s been a nice change this week to meet another couple with whom we’ve hit it off with.

We met first in Corfu town. We’d anchored close to the fresh water tap on shore, perhaps a little close to a catamaran flying a boxing kangaroo and a Peruvian flag (...not Austrian as I’d first thought).

After a few friendly shouts back and forth we established that a) we were both Aussies and b) being anchored close was not going to be an issue for the hour or so we needed to be there.

We filled our water and headed off on our way. A few days later we were again anchored in the bay at Corfu town.

We heard some commotion one afternoon, and looked over to see the guy (Pete) loudly and vehemently discussing some issues with his German neighbours. The subject of the ‘discussion’, we found out later, was the German vessel dragging into Pete’s and causing damage.

The eventual outcome was the German grudgingly re-anchored, not before doing a close and aggressively fast drive by of Pete’s cat.

Shortly after that, as the adrenaline on both sides started to drop Pete headed over in his tender - stopping to say ‘hi’ to us on the way to sort out insurance with the other boat.

From there Chez and Meli (Pete’s better half) began chit chatting online as ladies do.

They invited us over, but with one thing and another playing on my mind at that time, we declined.

Fast forward a week or so, and we’re now both anchored at Preveza.

We’re now at what I’d call firm friend status - we’ve been to each others boats, had sundowners, and today went to a truly wonderful seafood restaurant. The ladies get on, Pete and I take the piss out of each other and verbally joust as good mates should.

They’re a lovely couple, him, Greek Aussie - and looking like a young Eric Bana (as we’ve repeatedly told him), and Meli, his pretty, chatty smiling Inca princess.

Not sure how much, if at all, we’ll see each other in the future - that’s one of the sad realities of sailing: you’re constantly on the move, and the likelihood of paths crossing again is generally slim. That said, I hope we do in this case - be that in the Caribbean, Australia, back here in Greece or bump into each other at some random anchorage in the middle of nowhere.

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